Thanks to the London Transport Museum and Bachmann Europe we have chance to show the first in-depth look at the forthcoming S Stock.
The announcement came in June but development has been underway on this project with the support of Bombardier for some time.
Models will be available to the public as follows:
* LT Museum Action depot open day, Sunday Sept 27 ONLY
* From LT Museum Shop in Covent Garden anytime from Friday October 2nd (while stocks last)
* Online from www.ltmuseumshop.co.uk (orders being taken now for late September despatch)
* Mail order by telephone on 020 7565 7265
This review shows the base model pack (35-990: S Stock 4-Car train pack containing cars DM 21088+M1 22088+MS 24087+DM 21087 - £280.00) with additional cars available from the LT museum to make up the full 8-car formation.
From my understanding of the initial quantities to be delivered it may be wise to pre-order a model if you want to make sure you get one -https://www.ltmuseumshop.co.uk/models/s-stock.html
The model is that of the S8 stock which serves the Metropolitan line. The outwardly similar S7 stock has different seating configurations and serves as 7-car units on the Hammersmith, District and Circle lines. With the availability of design information from Bombardier the model certainly captures the look of the units well with simple and clean modern lines. It makes sense that the museum has gone for a contemporary unit which will be identifiable to tourists and have a long lifespan (who knows what liveries may evolve in the future?) rather than any vintage units.
The paint application and detail printing is exceptionally neat. As merely a casual observer of the Underground I had always assumed the livery was a simple red, white and blue, this was brought into check when I unboxed the model as it is a slightly off-white; checking images and referencing the design work carried out by Bachmann in producing the model shows that LT's definition of the white in the livery is not a pure white (colour reference to follow). The doors are a raised relief in the bodyside moulding, maybe the printing of the black seal at the side of the doors is a little narrower than the prototype appears from some angles but the warning signs on the door can be read if you've got a strong magnifying glass.
The roof detail on the units themselves is simple and of shallow depth and this has been accurately captured in Bachmann's moulding. The gangways are very close to meeting with the flexible close-coupling system as first used on the Blue Pullman ( an uncoupling tool is provided), a little further work in creating a suitable gangway connector by the modeller could further improve the appearance.
The real stock is 'open plan' with a wide flexible gangway connection, to represent this in model form would have led to difficulties (and cost) in reflecting a complex arrangement so the structural strength of the model is retained with solid ends. Bearing in mind that a potential large part of the future market for this product is the gift or souvenir buyer as much as the modeller then this does make sense. The enterprising modeller would find it fairly easy to at least open up the plastic ends.
The accompanying leaflet which gives comprehensive instructions and part listings notes that all bogies have electrical pick-up, this is true of the centre trailers too although there is no electrical connection between vehicles but the provision of the pick-ups will help the modeller to install interior lighting to the passenger areas. To have factory-fitted this would have added significant cost (a difference of around £80 to the RRP) and once again bearing in mind the market for this product it is left to the modeller to undertake this work if they wish.
As is seen in the first and last images in this post directional lighting is provided, the lit destination panel is certainly the best I've seen on a UK model, it's subtle in reality but a great feature.
A 21-pin socket decoder is easily accessed by unscrewing the underframe panel on the driving cars, as there is no electrical connection it will be necessary to fit two decoders or create your own wiring connections between the motor bogies. The centre trailers simply unclip from the chassis and each of the driving trailers has three easily-accessible screws to release the body. Once inside the model it's clear to see the low floor height of this model, only intruded by a capacitor, which is one of its exceptional features. There is provision for a DCC sound speaker to be fitted by removing the partially cut circular seating section and appropriately positioned holes beneath the underframe.
Removing the seat and floor moulding shows us how the low floor height has been achieved with the circuit board sitting over the motor and brass flywheel which drives the motor bogie via a cardan shaft. Hopefully this is a drive solution which we may see more of in the future in appropriate models.
There is no provision for coupling of the unit, the prototype is an eight-car train created by using further centre cars which as previously mentioned are available to order. The centre section of the 'buffer beam' is removable though by an accessible screw which means that a modeller could rig up some form of cranked coupling to run with barrier vehicles to portray a working for delivery or service off the LT network.
The performance is smooth and very quiet but in recognition that the modeller who may create a full 8-car formation and have steep gradients which do appear on the LT network a pair of axles with traction tyres (fit one to each motor bogie) is provided for the modeller.
It's a good model and a brave commitment from the LT museum to produce the UK's first high detail RTR underground stock. Hopefully if it sells well we could see further commitments to future models to reflect the current or even historic trains of the world's oldest and third largest rapid transport network.
A further look at the model will be in September's BRM with Ben providing more background information with more images.
