Class 350 and 450 ‘Desiro’ EMUs to be available in OO

Each of the Branchline ‘Desiro’ units is formed of four cars, with two driving vehicles sandwiching a pair of trailers. The Class 350 units can be most easily identified by the poseable sprung metal pantograph protruding from the well on the roof of one of the trailer vehicles, while the Class 450s feature an empty pantograph well on the roof and instead are fitted with third rail pickup shoes on the bogies.

The roof features several components depicting the cabling, insulators and air conditioning units. At the cab ends, there are separate windscreen wipers on the windows and an illuminated destination panel. Under the solebar, each vehicle has electrical boxes, brake equipment and other auxiliary gear, along with sandboxes and sandpipes where appropriate. Inside the cars, the driver’s cabs feature a seat and control desk with controls and dials, whilst the passenger saloons feature detailed depictions of the tables and chairs. The decorations in the cabs and passenger saloons are all enhanced by internal lighting.

Sound-fitted versions of each model will also be available for the first time and will feature a ESU Loksound V5 DCC Sound Decoder that has been programmed using an exclusive sound project that contains over 20 functions.

Available models

• Class 350/4 4-Car EMU 350407 First TransPennine Express
• Class 350/3 4-Car EMU 350372 London Northwestern Railway
• Class 450/0 4-Car EMU 450036 South Western Railway

These new ‘Desiro’ EMUs have now entered production and are available to pre-order now. Prices are £469.95 and £569.95 for sound-fitted versions and are expected to arrive later this year.

About the prototype

The first Class 450 EMUs were ordered by South West Trains in 2001 and had started service by 2003. The 4-car units were designed to run on lines in the South that were powered by a 750V DC third-rail power supply and replace the older trains used on those lines, which did not meet the modern health and safety requirements. The design was considered to be successful and more units were ordered over the next few years.

In 2004, some of the Class 450 units that had been ordered but not yet built were reallocated to the West Coast Main Line, with their design changed to incorporate pantographs on the roof to draw power from overhead lines. These units became the Class 350, with several further batches ordered over the next decade. Both classes are still in use today and are a common sight on electrified routes.

Your weekly World of Railways newsletter

Are you subscribed to our weekly email newsletter? Don't miss the latest news, reviews, modelling advice and competitions.