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For this blog, we took a closer look at Bachmann’s Branchline J72 Class Steam Locomotive and asked ourselves: “What makes this model so great, after all this time?”For this blog, we took a closer look at Bachmann’s Branchline J72 Class Steam Locomotive and asked ourselves: “What makes this model so great, after all this time?”
Summary
- The History of The J72 Class Steam Locomotive
- What is Inside Bachmann: Branchline J72 Class Steam Locomotive
- The Review of The J72 Collection
- Watch The Unboxing
The History of The J72 Class Steam Locomotive
The J72 Class Steam Locomotive was created in 1898 and was designed specifically for shunting and light goods operations. Wilson Worsdell built it as a continuation of the popular Class E LNER J71 locomotive line started by his brother Thomas. Engineers from the post-war era later used the 1898 designs and built them with a few modifications. A good number of J72s received vacuum brakes during the late 1940s, which enabled them to perform station piloting and carriage shunting tasks. This lengthy gap in time between the first J72 and the last model, which was built in 1951, is unusual for a class of British steam locomotives.
The J72 was a popular line throughout the London North Eastern Railway, and it was the only class that was assigned to all major LNER constituent companies. J72’s remained in use until 1958 before being discontinued following the introduction of diesel shunters, after which it was not unusual to see one in scrapyards. Although they’re usually found throughout the LNER system, transfers are surprisingly rare. Long allocations were commonplace, and at least one locomotive lived its whole life at the same shed. A total of 113 J72’s were built over the course of 53 years, under three railway company ownerships: London North Eastern Railway (LNER), North Eastern Railway (NER), and British Railways (BR), many of which are still in preservation today.
Bachmann Branchline has long featured OO scale models of the LNER J72 Class locomotives; in fact, the original Branchline catalogue included J72s. At present, there are five models released on the market, which are:
- Bachmann Branchline J72 Class 69023 in BR NER-style Apple Green (Bachmann Collectors Club special edition)
- Bachmann Branchline J72 Class 2313 LNER Black
- Bachmann Branchline E1 Class 2173 NER Lined Green
- Bachmann Branchline J72 Class 68733 BR Black (Early emblem)
- Bachmann Branchline J72Class 68696 BR Black (Late crest)
Review: Branchline J72 Class Steam Locomotive
Bachmann Branchline E1 Class 2173 NER Lined Green
This NER model is a Bachmann Branchline OO Scale decked out in a lined green coat and has the running number 2173. It is fitted with a powerful coreless motor and spring buffers. The kit comes with an accessory packet, including posable headlamps and NEM coupling pockets. It boasts a detailed cab interior, realistic firebox lighting, and is equipped with a Next18 DCC Decoder Socket.
The Review
The outside of the NER 2173 is a lovely bright green with gold leaf and striping. This locomotive has the number 2173 printed on a brass builders' plate, and the number is also finely printed on the pilot. The brake and throttle levers, as well as a few other controls, are plainly visible inside the cabin interior, with sprung buffers placed at the front and rear. That adds a nice touch that can be seen in almost every model in Bachmann Branchline’s OO scale.
There are numerous separately applied details on the rear, including metal handrails, the coal detailing on top of the bunker, and intricate details on the hatches for the water tanks on either side of the locomotive. The front features whistles, a steam dome, and a smoke box. Overall, it is a very beautiful model that did an excellent job in the detail department.
Bachmann Branchline J72 Class 2313 LNER Black
This LNER model is a Bachmann Branchline OO Scale decked out in a black coat with red striping and has the running number 68733. It is fitted with a powerful coreless motor and spring buffers. The kit comes with an accessory packet, including posable headlamps and NEM coupling pockets. It boasts a detailed cab interior, realistic firebox lighting, and is equipped with a Next18 DCC Decoder Socket.
The Review
LNER 2313 shares a number of structural similarities with NER 2173, but it has a very different exterior design. The gorgeous red side rods are a distinctive touch that gives LNER 2313 a unique character. Aside from the side rods, the body also has red striping, which contrasts heavily with the model's black exterior paint job.
The reds represent the early LNER days when the class was lined red, before plain black became standard. The final LNER 2313s were built for the London North Eastern Railway (LNER) in the 1920s, and the plans were revived after World War II. It is an iconic model that has as much personality as it has history.
Bachmann Branchline J72 Class 68733 BR Black (Early Emblem)
This BR model is a Bachmann Branchline OO Scale decked out in a black coat with early emblem detailing and has the running number 68733. It is fitted with a powerful coreless motor and spring buffers. The kit comes with an accessory packet, including posable headlamps and NEM coupling pockets. It boasts a detailed cab interior, realistic firebox lighting, and is equipped with a Next18 DCC Decoder Socket.
The Review
After the plans for J72 locomotives were revived in the post-war period, BR 68733 emerged. It features the earlier design of the BR locomotives, post-1948, when the emblem/logo was placed on the water tank on either side of the boiler and the numbers were printed on the cab. After the Second World War, they were painted to resemble more of an austerity colour scheme that was common during that time period when resources were scarce. This model, BR 68733, holds historical significance and serves as a great representation of the time period it belonged to.
Bachmann Branchline J72 Class 68696 BR Black (Late crest)
This BR model is a Bachmann Branchline OO Scale decked out in a black coat with late crest detailing and has the running number 68696. It is fitted with a powerful coreless motor and spring buffers. The kit comes with an accessory packet that includes posable headlamps and NEM coupling pockets. It boasts a detailed cab interior, realistic firebox lighting, and is equipped with a Next18 DCC Decoder Socket.
The Review
BR 68696 is another rendition derived from the J72 original plan formulated by Wilson Worsdell. It was released in the 1950’s, and, because it came out later than its predecessors, faced the change of the BR Company logo with some slight modifications made to its designs. Both the crest and its printed number are placed on both sides of the boiler at the water tank, and its body is donned in a pure black colour. Besides its exterior design, the key features and design of the BR 68696 are similar to the older models from the J72 line. This is a beloved rendition of the last model ever to come out of the J72 series, which certainly didn’t disappoint.
Branchline J72 Class Steam Locomotive Performance Review (Sound-fitted)
There's a small decoding chip inside each locomotive that connects with a digital control system like an NCE power cab. All variations are DCC (Digital Command Control) and sound equipped. A small speaker inside will emit the synchronised sound movements that produce different sounds such as; long whistle, short whistle, steam release, and other functions to play around with. There is built-in momentum braking as well, which causes each train to stop gradually and generate a brake squeal that adds a nice touch of realism to the models. The variety of sounds definitely gives a lot more enjoyment to the experience, all in all, such great pieces.
About Bachmann Branchline
Bachmann is a British company that manufactures model railroads. It has been around for a long time and is a well-known company not just in the UK but also internationally. It is a considerably beginner-friendly brand that produces a lot of products that cater to newbies and enthusiasts alike.
Check out our collection of the Branchline J72 Class Steam Locomotive here.
Final Thoughts
The J72 locomotives are iconic models that have been around for a long time now, but it isn’t hard to see why it stuck around. The charm of an older model that has withstood the test of time, time and time again is irresistible and that that is likely not about to wear off anytime soon.
Watch The Unboxing and Model Review
Watch as Marlin unbox and test the Bachmann’s Branchline J72 Class Steam Locomotive
What do you want us to unbox next? Feel free to message us with your ideas!
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