EFE Rail Summer Announcements 2023 inc. O Gauge Class 15

[AY Mod]

The EFE Rail range once again provides an eclectic mix of Great British Model Railways and today new tooling is unveiled for EFE Rail, with the PBA Tiger Wagons being offered in N Scale for the first time. Previously released in OO scale under the EFE Rail brand, these impressive Bogie China Clay Wagons will be produced in both the white and blue liveries of English China Clays, with weathered and pristine renditions of each livery on offer. For OO Scale, the popular ‘Pacer’ Diesel Multiple Units return in two more colour schemes, whilst the PRA four-wheel China Clay Wagons continue the China Clay theme into OO, six models are available in both early and late liveries.

 

The final new EFE Rail model unveiled today sees the brand dip its toe in the O Scale market for the first time with the Class 15 Diesel Locomotive. One of British Rail’s Pilot Scheme designs, 44 of these Type 1 Diesels were built by the Yorkshire Engine Company and the Clayton Equipment company to a British Thompson-Houston design. Eight models will be available from EFE Rail, all wearing BR Green livery like the prototypes, but with variations including all over green with or without numbers on the nose ends, with the addition of small yellow warning panels, or with full yellow ends.

 

O SCALE LOCOMOTIVES

E84701 Class 15 D8201 BR Green (Late Crest) £369.95

E84702 Class 15 D8215 BR Green (Late Crest) £369.95

E84703 Class 15 D8200 BR Green (Late Crest) £369.95

E84704 Class 15 D8204 BR Green (Late Crest) £369.95

E84705 Class 15 D8234 BR Green (Small Yellow Panels) £369.95

E84706 Class 15 D8219 BR Green (Small Yellow Panels) £369.95

E84707 Class 15 D8235 BR Green (Full Yellow Ends) £369.95

E84708 Class 15 D8239 BR Green (Full Yellow Ends) £369.95

 

OO SCALE MULTIPLE UNITS

E83022 Class 143 2-Car DMU 143001 BR Provincial (Original) £249.95

E83031 Class 144 2-Car DMU 144003 BR WYPTE Metro £249.95

 

OO SCALE WAGONS

E87062 PRA China Clay Wagon RLS 6312 (Early) £52.95

E87063 PRA China Clay Wagon RLS 6311 (Early) £52.95

E87064 PRA China Clay Wagon RLS 6304 (Early) £52.95

E87065 PRA China Clay Wagon RLS 6303 (Late) £52.95

E87066 PRA China Clay Wagon RLS 6307 (Late) £52.95

E87067 PRA China Clay Wagon RLS 6310 (Late) £52.95

 

 

N SCALE WAGONS

E87524 PBA Tiger TRL 33 70 9382 069 ECC Blue £44.95

E87525 PBA Tiger TRL 33 70 9382 059 ECC Blue £44.95

E87526 PBA Tiger TRL 33 70 9382 073 ECC Blue [W] £49.95

E87527 PBA Tiger TRL 33 70 9382 075 ECC Blue [W] £49.95

E87528 PBA Tiger TRL 11601 ECC International White £44.95

E87529 PBA Tiger TRL 11603 ECC International White £44.95

E87530 PBA Tiger TRL 11606 ECC International White [W] £49.95

E87531 PBA Tiger TRL 11610 ECC International White [W] £49.95

[E100]

Really happy with the PRA wagons as I missed out on these from KMRC. Will probably pre-order a couple and then see if anymore turn up in the bargain section.

[franciswilliamwebb]

PBA Tigers in N are a result👍

[meatloaf]

Class 15 was unexpected. Is it the old LLC tooling? 

 

Nice price as well especially after discount.;l

[AY Mod]

3 minutes ago, meatloaf said:

Is it the old LLC tooling? 

 

Nice price as well especially after discount.;l

 

Looks like it to me. LLC's price was £475 so the pricepoint looks good value.

[AY Mod]

21 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

LLC's price was £475 so the pricepoint looks good value.

 

Apologies; £475.00 was the DCC sound price.

[NHY 581]

Well, the Class 15 appears to have thrown the cat amongst the pigeons at Chateau Sheep.  

 

Rob. 

[Graham_Muz]

33 minutes ago, NHY 581 said:

Well, the Class 15 appears to have thrown the cat amongst the pigeons at Chateau Sheep.  

 

Rob. 

 

Surely that should be dog amongst the sheep...

[NHY 581]

23 minutes ago, Graham_Muz said:

 

Surely that should be dog amongst the sheep...

 

Equally disruptive. 

 

 

[Neil]

I wonder if Bachmann have picked up the LLC Ruston tooling as well as the class 15?

[EvilNoodle]

8 minutes ago, Neil said:

I wonder if Bachmann have picked up the LLC Ruston tooling as well as the class 15?

I am hoping they have as well, I think LLC were working on a Class 22 as well so maybe we will see all three? The Class 15 being the easiest one of the three for Bachmann to resurrect and test the waters with...

[AY Mod]

20 minutes ago, EvilNoodle said:

I think LLC were working on a Class 22

 

I don't think that got anywhere close to being viable; it was offered around the trade with a general consensus that the project (as was) was overly complex and the plan wouldn't have been viable. May as well start from scratch was the feedback from elsewhere.

[Neil]

2 hours ago, EvilNoodle said:

I am hoping they have as well, I think LLC were working on a Class 22 as well so maybe we will see all three? The Class 15 being the easiest one of the three for Bachmann to resurrect and test the waters with...

 

1 hour ago, AY Mod said:

 

I don't think that got anywhere close to being viable; it was offered around the trade with a general consensus that the project (as was) was overly complex and the plan wouldn't have been viable. May as well start from scratch was the feedback from elsewhere.

 

Quite, I read back over the LLC threads here and gleaned the information that the 22 hadn't been tooled up and it was unlikely to happen due to the complexity of the design. However the tooling for the Ruston was said to exist and it's not too much of a stretch to conclude it still does, somewhere.

[NeilHB]

I’m pretty certain that there was footage posted on t’interweb of the prototype RTR Ruston 48DS running. Hopefully it does get picked up in due course by a kind soul as I’d very much like one (or two!). 

[Phil Parker]

I believe that all the 48ds's sold by LLC were in fact, made by Ald Print. The LLC model never made it to production. 

[Dreadnought05]

Assuming it is the LLC tooling (and I'm inclined to agree with others so far who have suggested it is), I hope it includes the sound project that came with it.

I was fortunate enough to get one of the original LLC models but didn't have the foresight back then to order a sound fitted version. If I can get my hands on the sound decoder, that would be ideal!

[MikeB]

16 hours ago, Dreadnought05 said:

Assuming it is the LLC tooling (and I'm inclined to agree with others so far who have suggested it is), I hope it includes the sound project that came with it.

I was fortunate enough to get one of the original LLC models but didn't have the foresight back then to order a sound fitted version. If I can get my hands on the sound decoder, that would be ideal!

Has there been any information on whether a sound option is possible for the class 15?  All the models announced are only DCC-ready, with socket and speaker, but that is no use for sound if a sound project is not available.  From old posts on RMWeb, the original sound project was exclusive to LLC.  Will Bachmann/EFE produce a sound-fitted version, or will a third party make a suitable sound decoder available?  It seems as if Bachmann have not helped their sales with their lack of clarity over this.

[Graham_Muz]

16 minutes ago, MikeB said:

Has there been any information on whether a sound option is possible for the class 15?  All the models announced are only DCC-ready, with socket and speaker, but that is no use for sound if a sound project is not available.  From old posts on RMWeb, the original sound project was exclusive to LLC.  Will Bachmann/EFE produce a sound-fitted version, or will a third party make a suitable sound decoder available?  It seems as if Bachmann have not helped their sales with their lack of clarity over this.

 

The spec is quite clear that they are DCC Ready, with Plux22 socket and pre-fitted with twin speakers. 

[RedgateModels]

19 minutes ago, MikeB said:

Has there been any information on whether a sound option is possible for the class 15?  All the models announced are only DCC-ready, with socket and speaker, but that is no use for sound if a sound project is not available.  From old posts on RMWeb, the original sound project was exclusive to LLC.  Will Bachmann/EFE produce a sound-fitted version, or will a third party make a suitable sound decoder available?  It seems as if Bachmann have not helped their sales with their lack of clarity over this.

 

Well, @pauliebanger  produced the sound scheme, I suppose it depends under what terms he was employed to do this and how that sits now that LLC have gone belly up.

 

I could do with one for my OO Dave Alexander version, still using a generic German scheme on a Loksound 3.5 that I modified to add uk horns to.

[RedgateModels]

I'd be interested in one once 8233 is up and running, would sit nice on Fourgig East

[MikeB]

24 minutes ago, Graham_Muz said:

 

The spec is quite clear that they are DCC Ready, with Plux22 socket and pre-fitted with twin speakers. 

Yes, this much is clear from various retailers' websites, but not on the Bachmann website,  where the announcement only mentions various liveries. No mention at all of the class 15 on the EFE sub-site  at the moment.  Although Plux22 sound decoders are available, my question is whether anybody will supply one with suitable class 15  sounds, given that the original class 15 sound project was exclusive to LLC?  If Bachmann have the rights to this sound project why are they not offering a sound fitted version?  Will it be possible to buy the sound project for the OO Heljan class 15 on a Plux22 decoder from one of the specialists?  Not a major question in the universe but the lack of an answer is stopping me from  buying one of these locos.

[Solo]

Digitrains have a fairly recent video showcasing this, so I’m guessing they have a sound file available.  This sounds very similar (is it the same one?) to the original and to my ears is very good indeed.
 

Although the ‘15’s are a little outside my northern modelling bias, a book I bought last year (“Lost Diesels, Lost Lines”) has lots of lovely photos of them at work in East Anglia in their twilight years, so I’m tempted to take the plunge.

Edited May 4, 2023 by Solo

[Graham_Muz]

24 minutes ago, Solo said:

Digitrains have a fairly recent video showcasing this, so I’m guessing they have a sound file available.  This sounds very similar (is it the same one?) to the original and to my ears is very good indeed.
 

Although the ‘15’s are a little outside my northern modelling bias, a book I bought last year (“Lost Diesels, Lost Lines”) has lots of lovely photos of them at work in East Anglia in their twilight years, so I’m tempted to take the plunge.

 

It is my understanding that all Paul Chetter's  project files / IP now reside with Digitains.

[Going2theDogs]

Hi All,

I see there are some EFE PRA 00 gauge wagons listed in the Summer announcements.

Some ‘early’ & some ‘late’ variants are listed all under era 8.

Tempted with getting some of these as I missed out on the Kernow limited editions……

What do current owners think of these wagons?

[Graham_Muz]

29 minutes ago, Going2theDogs said:

Hi All,

I see there are some EFE PRA 00 gauge wagons listed in the Summer announcements.

Some ‘early’ & some ‘late’ variants are listed all under era 8.

Tempted with getting some of these as I missed out on the Kernow limited editions……

What do current owners think of these wagons?

One previous comment about the original batch of PRAs was that they  were slightly light and this has been addressed with the new batch for EFE Rail.