TMC unveils brightest exclusives for ‘OO’!

Pretty in pink - the boldest livery you’ll see - exclusive to TMC! 

Cause a stir and brighten-up your model landscape with our exclusive miniatures of Class 31, 31601 The Mayor of Casterbridge and accompanying three Mk. 2F TSO and one Mk. 2F BSO coaches in the bright, ‘hot’ pink colours of the Wessex Trains franchise. Models are available exclusively from TMC, with delivery anticipated in Q1, 2026.

Undoubtably the most daring and vibrant privatisation livery applied to a locomotive and rolling stock - here’s a memorable train for 4mm:1ft scale / OO gauge that’ll embolden your collection!

With ‘Pink Panther’ levels of suaveness, these all-new exclusives for ‘OO’ benefit from Bachmann Europe’s forthcoming, further revised, cutting-edge Class 31 tooling for ‘OO’ which now features a ‘Bach-up’ stay-alive system, all-wheel electrical pick-up and reinforced driver’s cab windscreen. Meanwhile, the precision-tooled Mk. 2F coaches are offered in a choice of standard or upgraded ‘DCC onboard’ with lights.

Prototype history in brief

Owing to a shortage of multiple units, from May 2004, Wessex Trains hired Fragonset Railways to provide ‘top-and-tail’ motive power to a set of Mk. 2 coaches for services under the Heart of Wessex Rail Partnership, between Bristol and Weymouth.

To coincide with the launch, Fragonset’s re-wired Class 31/6, 31601 and five Mk. 2 coaches were repainted into this stunning pink livery, whipping rail enthusiasts and the railway media into a photographic frenzy, while the covers of printed railway media and lineside photography instantly became more colourful.

In its dazzling new livery, 31601 also saw use on evening specials running to Glastonbury Festival, numerous spot-hire services, Network Rail Overhead Line Electrification (OLE) trains from Finsbury Park - even running light-engine as far north as Inverness to Carlisle on route learning for Serco!

Subsequently, the locomotive lost its ‘The heart of Wessex Line’ branding and from 2006 would carry the name Gauge O Guild 1956-2006 in honour of the 50^th anniversary of its show, ‘Guildex’. As experts in customisation, TMC will customise models of 31601 to reflect these changes at additional cost, if customers so choose upon checkout.

Find the brightest model releases produced for ‘OO’ on the TMC website and pre-order your models today for ‘early-bird’ savings of up to 15% off RRP. Search for ‘Wessex Trains’ at TMC to explore our combination deals.

Be outlandish, be bold – go pink!

‘Beauty’ and ‘The Beast’

The Model Centre is offering discounts of 15% off RRP if 31601 The Mayor of Casterbridge and 31452 Minotaur are purchased together in DCC ready, DCC sound-fitted or DCC sound-fitted ‘Deluxe’ guises, all with free postage!

Both locomotives are offered at the below prices:

• 31452 (35-825Y) + 31601 (35-825Z) DCC-ready duo: £340.00* (£199.95 RRP ea.) Save £59.90!
• 31452 (35-825YSF) + 31601 (35-825ZSF) DCC sound-fitted duo: £526.00* (£309.95 RRP ea.) Save £93.90!
• 31452 (35-825YSFX) + 31601 (35-825ZSFX) DCC sound-fitted ‘Deluxe’ duo: £611.00* (£359.95 RRP ea.) Save £108.90!

*TMC will honour ‘duo’ discounted prices to existing customers who’ve purchased models of 31452 Minotaur. Early-bird pre-order prices shown are valid until summer 2025 - save 10% off RRPs for single locomotive / coaches, and 15% off RRPs on coach or locomotive bundles.

Model specifications for 31601 The Mayor of Casterbridge

Body type: refurbished body

Ends: gangway doors plated

Headcodes: plated headcode panels fitted with marker lights

Windscreen washers: windscreen washer jets with covers

Bufferbeams: bufferbeam cowling removed

Windscreen: reinforced driver’s windscreen

Bodyside fan grilles: original main fan grilles with horizontal fins

Engine exhaust: English Electric exhaust ports

Engine block detail: English Electric engine block detail

Boiler port: plated boiler port

Roof water filler: sealed water filler hatch

Bodyside steps: plated bodyside steps

Battery boxes: battery boxes with additional safety clips

Additional options: NRN radio pods, roof fan grille with ‘top hat’, electric train heating (ETH) fitted, high-intensity headlights

Colourful coaches

Make this boldest of locomotive liveries even more impressive by completing your formation, pairing 31601 The Mayor of Casterbridge with our meticulously researched and equally bright rolling stock commissions from Bachmann!

   Liveries have precision logos, colours, fonts and emblems, all carefully researched and miniaturised.

We’re offering all three Mk. 2F Tourist Second Opens (TSOs) and Mk. 2F Brake Second Open (BSO) individually with (or without) interior lights.    

   For greater savings, all four Mk. 2F coaches can be purchased together with (or without) lights to build a truly bright and impressive formation that’s eye-catching and prototypical!

• Four-coach bundle (standard): £305.00* (save 15% off RRP)
• Four-coach bundle (DCC onboard with lights): £372.00* (save 15% off RRP)
• Single coaches (standard): £80.95* (save 10% off RRP)
• Single coaches (DCC onboard with lights): £98.95* (save 10% off RRP)

* Early-bird pre-order prices shown are valid until summer 2025 - save 10% off RRPs for single coaches, and 15% off RRPs on coach bundles.

SKUs are as follows:

NEW FOR 2026

31601 The Mayor of Casterbridge

(35-825Z) DCC ready

(35-825ZSF) DCC sound-fitted

(35-825ZSFX) DCC sound-fitted Deluxe

Mk. 2F Tourist Second Open (TSO) 6117

(39-684X) standard

(39-684XDC) DCC onboard with lights

Mk. 2F Brake Second Open (BSO) 9525

(39-706Z) standard

(39-706ZDC) DCC onboard with lights

Mk. 2F Tourist Second Open (TSO) 6122

(39-684Y) standard

(39-684YDC) DCC onboard with lights

Mk. 2F Tourist Second Open (TSO) 6173

(39-684Z) standard

(39-684ZDC) DCC onboard with lights

AVAILABLE NOW

31452 Minotaur in Fragonset livery

(35-825Y) DCC ready

(35-825YSF) DCC sound-fitted

(35-825YSFX) DCC sound-fitted Deluxe

Captions:

Wessex Trains 31601 The Mayor of Casterbridge at Bradford on Avon with 2V74,

the 11.00 Weymouth-Bristol Temple Meads on October 25, 2004. MARK FEW

The nameplate of Class 31/6 31601 The Mayor of Casterbridge captured at Ipswich on July 26, 2006. KEITH PARTLOW