The North Eastern Railway E Class 0-6-0T, later the LNER J71, was the forerunner to the E1 (LNER J72) and whilst models of the E1 have famously been made by Bachmann and its predecessor Mainline Railways for almost 50 years, the NER E Class has never been produced in OO Scale, until now!
Drawing inspiration from the all-new Branchline E1 model that was launched to great acclaim just a few years ago, the new E Class employs a wealth of new tooling to accurately depict the NER’s original standard 0-6-0 tank locomotive. Despite the similarities, the E Class is instantly recognisable thanks to its larger driving wheels, while the smaller bunker means that the tanks, cab and bunker on this Branchline model are all-new too. Then there is the original boiler with clack valves and Ramsbottom safety valves – another early feature that necessitates its own, dedicated tooling.
The model boasts a diecast metal running plate with integral tank weights, again produced new for the E Class to portray the differences seen between the E and E1, and to this the precision moulded components are added, from the tanks to the boiler and many smaller details alongside. Metal parts are then used to replicate features like the lamp irons, guard irons and sand pipes, and the handrails are made from metal wire which is fitted into turned metal knobs.
Inside, the Branchline E Class employs a coreless motor with diecast gearbox and the driving axles each have separate metal bearings, a combination that ensures smooth and reliable running. With electrical pickup from all wheels, a firebox lighting system and Next18 DCC interface, plus a pre-fitted speaker in every model, the E Class boasts the same impressive technical specification as its E1 relative. Whilst the drive train and electronics may not be visible, every part of the model that can be seen is treated to an exquisite paint finish to complete the look, with rich colours and precision printing of the numbering and lettering to produce a model as elegant as its Victorian prototype.
This model of No. 317 forms part of our new Railway Celebrations range and depicts the locomotive that took part in the 100th Anniversary celebrations of the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway. In 1925, to mark the centenary, a celebration of railways featuring locomotives from the past century was put on by the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER). Opened by the Duke and Duchess of York – later King Geroge VI and Queen Elizabeth – a procession of locomotives took place over some six miles of line between Stockton and Darlington, passing the royal grandstand and delighting the hundreds of thousands of onlookers who turned out to witness the celebrations.
The parade of 53 locomotives not only showcased the evolution of the steam locomotive, but also included alternative forms of power, such as the LNER’s Electric Locomotive No. 9 which had been built by the North Eastern Railway (NER) in 1914. With the parade taking place on non-electrified lines, J71 No. 317 was used to haul the electric locomotive and so cemented its place in railway history.