OO gauge Suburban Overhead EMUs

[Class15]

There seems to be a great lack of OO gauge non-Intercity Overhead EMUs. The 350s are all I can see. Are there any others?

 

[315801]

The only possibility at the moment for overhead emu's is Bratchell Models.

As far as I know they do a Class 319 and I think a 317.

I think also the Class 323s are available but I don't know who produces them.

Failing that, the only other way is using ready to run coaches and converting them or scratchbuilding.

 

[4SubAsociation]

Class 307 was done in PCV form by Replica Railways.

Hornby do the pendolino in OO Gauge too.

I am trying think who have done kits. I kno some people have Kit bashed Class 150s into other Mk3 based units.

 

[BRblue33]

Link to Bratchell models https://www.bratchellmodels.com/ You may find a few DC kits on ebay

 

[RichJF]

Most OO gauge manufacturers don't seem to acknowledge that most commuter EMUs between 1975 - 2005 don't exist.

No PEP, no Electrostar, no Desiro (other than 350), no 319/321.

 

[Iskra]

Hornby made the Javelins

I am amazed there aren't more examples too, perhaps Accurascale or Realtrack may come up with something soon.

 

[Cowley]

There’s a thread on rmweb asking the same question funnily enough:

Why is there such a lack of AC EMUs represented in model form?

I'm fairly new to the hobby, and one of the main things I noticed when searching for rolling stock is the lack of any AC EMUs. I find this weird considering there are many AC locomotives available, such as the class 86, 87, 90, 91, etc. From what I have seen at various exhibitions I have visited,...

www.rmweb.co.uk

 

[315801]

I think a lot of it comes down to the companies thinking that there is no market for AC emu's although there was an announcement recently by RevolutioN that they are producing ready to run class 313 and 314 emu's BUT ( yes there's always a but ) unless you model in N gauge there's no chance of owning 1 without kitbuilding in OO gauge.

Before the question is asked regarding referencing this, it was announced in Hornby magazine I think last month.

 

[43055]

Most OO gauge manufacturers don't seem to acknowledge that most commuter EMUs between 1975 - 2005 don't exist.

No PEP, no Electrostar, no Desiro (other than 350), no 319/321.

Bachmann also did a SWT 450.

 

[tbtc]

There are some big classes unrepresented by the EMUs on the market

I suppose that, besides the problem of geographic limitations (a certain class may only be of interest to people modelling a certain line, e.g. I’d like to see a 357 brought out but they’ve obviously been restricted to the Fenchurch Street-Southend services) there’s the cost of it having to be four coaches which makes it look a lot more expensive than other model trains where you buy the locomotive and coaches/wagons separately (or at least, model DMUs are generally only a couple of coaches long, so a good bit cheaper) - with the HSTs at least people could decide upon how long they wanted to operate them for the size of layout and buy the appropriate number of intermediate coaches but an EMU has to have the right number of carriages so will be a good couple of hundred quid minimum - that said I love the Bachmann 411s, even though the Southern Region/ Network South East essentially mean nothing to me, they look such beautiful units that they are on my long term “wishlist”!

In contrast, people seem to like shunters and short wheeled coaches and disproportionately seem to like shorter classes, no doubt heavily influenced by your financial budget and also what looks right on your layout - if your platforms can’t handle much more than three carriages then you run trains of the appropriate length - rural branch lines are popular because your layout feels the appropriate size (and your wallet will prefer them!), rather than accurately representing a twelve coach commuter EMU from the Home Counties into London

 

[Iskra]

There are some big classes unrepresented by the EMUs on the market

I suppose that, besides the problem of geographic limitations (a certain class may only be of interest to people modelling a certain line, e.g. I’d like to see a 357 brought out but they’ve obviously been restricted to the Fenchurch Street-Southend services) there’s the cost of it having to be four coaches which makes it look a lot more expensive than other model trains where you buy the locomotive and coaches/wagons separately (or at least, model DMUs are generally only a couple of coaches long, so a good bit cheaper) - with the HSTs at least people could decide upon how long they wanted to operate them for the size of layout and buy the appropriate number of intermediate coaches but an EMU has to have the right number of carriages so will be a good couple of hundred quid minimum - that said I love the Bachmann 411s, even though the Southern Region/ Network South East essentially mean nothing to me, they look such beautiful units that they are on my long term “wishlist”!

In contrast, people seem to like shunters and short wheeled coaches and disproportionately seem to like shorter classes, no doubt heavily influenced by your financial budget and also what looks right on your layout - if your platforms can’t handle much more than three carriages then you run trains of the appropriate length - rural branch lines are popular because your layout feels the appropriate size (and your wallet will prefer them!), rather than accurately representing a twelve coach commuter EMU from the Home Counties into London

An additional consideration is that very few layouts have any OHLE modelled, so AC EMU's look a bit wrong. That's probably why there are more third rail units available as that's easier to model or less obvious if it isn't modelled at all.

 

[tbtc]

An additional consideration is that very few layouts have any OHLE modelled, so AC EMU's look a bit wrong. That's probably why there are more third rail units available as that's easier to model or less obvious if it isn't modelled at all.

Darn, great point!

Yeah, given that BR operated a hundred Class 86s (plus dozens of similar looking 81-85s etc), you might have expected them to be a bigger seller in the OO world but they similarly look a bit wrong without the wires - funny how some trains are so over/under represented

 

[Ted633]

It really needs one of the manufacturers to bite the bullet and release one and see how it goes. We didn't really have any third rail EMU's until Bachmann went for the CEP. That sold well, and now we are pretty well off for SR types. (EPB, VEP, BIL, HAL, BEL, MLV, BEP, HAP, TC, Thumper)

 

[Class15]

I think we need the electrostar for OO gauge- it would be so versatile with GWR, GX, SN, GN, LO, SE, TL, GA and possibly fictional stuff too.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I'd like to see a manufacturer do a 2-car 309 set. More affordable than a 4-car, but if you have the space you could always make a 4-car set by adding two hauled mk1s (though presumably some modifications would be needed to make it a true representation).

 

[Iskra]

I’d like to see a 320/321/322 done, as I think these have worked in a wide geographical range with many livery options and should be doable for the manufacturers as there’s a lot of mileage in that bodyshell tooling to recoup the cost of it. 3/4 car use would often be prototypical so would fit many layouts.

 

[Sprinter107]

Id really like to see 303, 304, 309, 310, and the early 317s made in OO gauge.