Pannier Progress Report - June 2025

Warbonnet · June 12

The next few months will see a flurry of brand-new locomotives arriving from our stable. Whether steam, diesel, or electric, we have a jam-packed schedule of arrivals ahead.

Our brand-new Class 50s have just landed, and for steam fans, the J67/J68 and J69 Buckjumpers are only weeks away. Hot on their heels are the Class 89, Class 60, and our next run of Class 66s—plenty to be excited about, and plenty of hard work ahead.

But what about the next steam locomotive following the Buckjumpers—our much-loved Pannier Tanks? When will they arrive?

Previously, we discussed a potential delay to correct the dome and ensure it sits fully straight—an intricate tooling challenge that we’re pleased to say has been successfully overcome.

However, we didn’t talk about another, perhaps even more dramatic update—one not visible to modellers until the body is removed for maintenance. The original chassis, designed by the factory, was somewhat of a wiring tangle—messy and less than ideal.

This simply would not do.

This was the first steam project we undertook with this factory, and to their credit, they took our feedback seriously. They head-hunted a dedicated designer and worked closely with our partners at ESU to simplify the wiring and circuitry.

The result is a far cleaner, more streamlined design.

By using the pogo-pin connections first introduced in our diesel models and relocating the stay-alive capacitors, we’ve created a much tidier chassis. Servicing is now significantly easier.

Decoder fitting is also a breeze. We've followed the Buckjumper example by implementing a magnetic, removable smokebox door with a sliding mechanism—no need to remove the body!

Speaker fitting was another priority, especially in such a compact loco. We wanted the Panniers to capture that iconic bark, and by fully utilising the tanks, we’ve managed to fit sugar cube speakers neatly and effectively.

With these chassis improvements in place—and following another project that took longer than expected—our Panniers have experienced a slight delay. They are now scheduled to arrive in Q3 2025. We apologise for this short delay, but believe it’s essential to deliver the best possible model in both accuracy and functionality.

Pre-order your Pannier today—limited stock remains through retailers, or register your interest on our cancellation list via the link below, in case one becomes available.