Bachmann Diesel 31-267A Class 419 MLV S68008 BR Blue & Grey

The Bachmann Branchline Class 419 Motor Luggage Vehicle (MLV) is back for Summer 2022 and these versatile, go-anywhere units provide an attractive modelling proposition if your tastes are Southern in nature! Finished in BR Blue & Grey livery as No. S68008, this MLV is the perfect counterpart to the Branchline Class 410 4BEP and the Class 411 4CEP Electric Multiple Units (EMU), allowing you to create prototypical train formations. The Branchline model combines a finely detailed bodyshell with a chassis that sports a plethora of separate components – representing the various equipment fitted to the underframe of the vehicles, along with excellent reproductions of the bogies. Although comprising just a single vehicle, the powerful five pole motor and flywheel will provide plenty of traction if you ever need your model to haul additional stock.

MODEL FEATURES:

• Bachmann Branchline OO Scale
• Era 7
• Pristine BR Blue & Grey livery
• Running No. S68008
• Accessory Pack
• NEM Coupling Pockets
• Powerful 5 Pole Motor with Flywheel
• Directional Lighting
• Equipped with a 21 Pin DCC Decoder Socket – recommended Decoder item No. 36-557
• Length 270mm

CLASS 419 MLV HISTORY

Ten single car Motor Luggage Vans (MLV) were built between 1959 and 1961 to provide additional luggage carrying capacity for boat trains operating on the newly electrified Kent Coast line from London to ports on the South Coast which connected with cross-channel ferries. They were designed to be fully compatible with units that operated services on the stretch of the South Eastern network between London and the Kent ports, principally 4CEP and 4BEP units (later Class 411 and 410 respectively).

Each MLV was also fitted with two sets of batteries which were charged by a motor generator during operation on the third rail electrified lines - this enabled the vehicles to work independently and away from electrified routes which was particularly useful upon reaching the ferry ports in the south. The MLV would be detached from the train and could then traverse the dockyard to enable direct loading of luggage onto the ship, with the vehicle added back onto the London end of the train for the return journey.

Originally numbered S68001-S68010, with the implementation of TOPS (Total Operating Processing System) the MLVs were designated Class 419 with numbers in the series 419001 – 419010. When renumbered, the units retained their original numbers on the bodysides (albeit without the ‘S’ prefix) and the last four digits of the new TOPS number were applied to the unit ends.

As boat traffic reduced, the vehicles saw increased use on other services, particularly carrying parcels and mail, or in departmental use where they served as tractors units on electrified lines. Their use on mail traffic saw two examples (Nos. 419001 and 419004) receive Royal Mail livery, however this livery made the units obvious targets for thieves and No. 419004 was the subject of a robbery in March 1989 whilst working a Brighton to London Bridge service. Withdrawals commenced in 1994 and all had been retired by 2004, although remarkably only two examples were lost – the other eight having been preserved.