Bachmann supports men’s mental health with new loco

The Class 69 locomotive debuted in its striking black livery at the end of April 2025, complete with Andy’s Man Club branding and contact details along with the hashtag #itsokaytotalk and Bachmann has confirmed that a model of No. 69013 will be produced as part of the Bachmann Branchline OO Scale range with delivery expected in late-2026.

Being the 13th member of the Class 69 fleet, the company aims to raise £13,000 to help Andy’s Man Club get men talking all over the UK.

Shortly after the first Class 69s entered traffic in 2021, it was announced that GBRf had granted Bachmann an exclusive agreement to produce models of its new locomotives, and the Branchline Class 69 has been developed alongside the rollout of the real locomotives. The model specification includes a full suite of lighting, operating roof fans driven by an independent motor and Bachmann’s Auto-Release couplings, which provide hands-free DCC uncoupling*.

Class 69 No. 69013 is unique amongst the 16-strong fleet of converted Class 56 locomotives in having the lower portions of its cab sheeting removed. This modification was made to the donor locomotive No. 56312 and has been carried over to No. 69013 but is not present on the other 15 locomotives. Every Branchline model is manufactured using tooling suites and producing a model with this unique feature is not possible using the current tooling that Bachmann has developed. Therefore, to model this variant would require new tooling, including a new bodyshell, underframe and chassis block. The cost of such additional tooling would be prohibitive for a single locomotive, preventing any meaningful donation to Andy’s Man Club.

Copyright: Rob Reedman

Richard Proudman, Rail Brand Manager for Bachmann Europe said: “Bachmann has a long and proud history of producing the finest models and we go to great lengths to ensure that each one matches the prototype as closely as possible. You can imagine the dilemma we faced then, when No. 69013 with its unique features was selected for this charitable livery. From the outset of our Class 69 project we have been clear that we wanted to make at least one model that would support a worthy cause and after talking to our friends at GBRf and Andy’s Man Club, we all agreed that producing the model and making a big contribution to the charity was the most important thing here, so with their blessing we are delighted to present this model based on our highly-anticipated Class 69 tooling.”

Richard continued: “The great thing about this model is that not only can we help Andy’s Man Club by making a sizeable donation directly to the charity, but there is the very real prospect that someone who sees the model will know how to reach out for help in their own time of need. If this model can guide just one person to get that help when they need it most, then we think it will have been well worth it.”

Available to pre-order now, like the Class 69s that will be released later this year, No. 69013 will be available in three formats;

• Standard version – item No. 35-782, RRP £249.95
• SOUND FITTED – item No. 35-782SF, RRP £359.95
• SOUND FITTED DELUXE – item No. 35-782SFX, RRP £399.95

*Specification varies depending on format. See Bachmann’s website for full details.

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