Bachmann releases updated OO gauge Class 47 diesels for 2026

Bachmann released five updated OO gauge Class 47 diesels for 2026, refreshing a Branchline staple that anchors everything from BR blue parcels turns to modern charter trains. The new batch adds Bach-Up Stay Alive pre-installed.

The real British Rail Class 47, also known as Brush Type 4, was built from 1962 to 1968, with 512 locomotives turned out at Brush’s Falcon Works in Loughborough and BR’s Crewe Works. The type worked passenger, freight and parcels traffic for decades, then carried on into preservation and charter duties.

If you are building for the BR blue era, 47226 and 47238 are the obvious choices, because they sit naturally on late 1960s through 1980s layouts alongside main line passenger stock, parcels vans and mixed freight. 47280 in Railfreight grey is the better fit for the later BR period, especially where wagonload freight, Speedlink-style workings and a more hard-working late 1980s look matter. 47791 in Venice Simplon Orient Express and Rail Express Systems livery pushes the roster into the parcels and premium charter scene, while 47826 in West Coast Railways maroon belongs with preserved-line diagrams and modern railtours.

The Class 47 first appeared in all-new form in 2021, when it won public vote awards for Model of the Year and Innovation of the Year. The 2026 release is not a new tooling, but it does add the Bach-Up Stay Alive System and refinements to two key details.

Demand for the 2026 batch outstripped early expectations at one retailer, and some pre-orders were allocated.