Graham Farish - 372-850 - Passenger, Diesel-Electric, Class 769 - Transport for Wales - DEMU - 4 Car Set

Specific Item Information: The Class 769 is a type of bi-mode or tri-mode multiple unit train capable of operating on electrified lines via 25kV overhead wires and/or 750V DC third rail, or on non-electrified lines via a diesel engine. They have been converted from surplus dual-voltage Class 319 units by Brush Traction and are to be used by Transport for Wales, Northern and Great Western Railway. The Class 769 units have primarily been designed to run on routes with multiple power supplies, such as the Rhymney Valley line in Wales which has overhead wires and non-electrified stretches and the units can change between EMU and DMU model whilst the train is in motion.

Rolling stock company Porterbrook first conceptualised the Class 769 in 2016 when, in partnership with Northern, they began work on converting Class 319/4 units to provide a solution to a shortage of diesel units and deferrals of electrification projects on the network. These units were chosen for the conversion as they had recently undergone upgrades to install new passenger information systems and accessible toilets, as well as having suitable space for a new diesel power pack and alternator to power the existing electric traction systems. The first conversions were completed in 2018 and testing was undertaken at the Great Central Railway in Leicestershire, with the first unit delivered to Northern in 2018, although the first to enter service was a Transport for Wales unit in November 2020..

Road Name History: Transport for Wales Rail Limited, branded as Transport for Wales and TfW Rail (Welsh: Trafnidiaeth Cymru and TrC Trenau), is a Welsh publicly-owned train operating company, a subsidiary of Transport for Wales (TfW), a Welsh Government-owned company. It commenced operations of the day to day services of the Wales & Borders franchise on 7 February 2021, as an operator of last resort, succeeding KeolisAmey Wales.[2][3] Transport for Wales Rail manages 248 National Rail stations, including all 222 in Wales, and operates all mainline services wholly within Wales, and services from Wales, Chester, and Shrewsbury to Liverpool, Manchester, Manchester Airport, Crewe, Birmingham, Bidston and Cheltenham.From Wikipedia

Brand/Importer Information: Graham Farish is a British brand of N gauge model trains, that belongs to Bachmann Europe.
The company entered the model train business in the early 1950s, focusing on British OO gauge rolling stock, track and accessories.
In the 1970s, it started to produce N gauge models under the GRAFAR label. After the withdrawal of Lima and Minitrix from the UK market in the late 1980s, Graham Farish was the only major supplier of British outline models in N gauge, soon withdrawing from the OO scale market.
In 2001, Graham Farish was purchased by Kader Industries of Hong Kong, and absorbed by its subsidiary Bachmann Industries. Bachmann immediately closed the British manufacturing facility and moved production to China.
Bachmann have since increased the size of the Farish range, by duplicating models introduced to the Bachmann OO range; often, an OO scale Bachmann Branchline model is followed between 6 months to a year later by an N gauge Graham Farish model.

Manufacturer Information: Bachmann, a US company founded in 1835, was purchased by Kader Industries in 1987. Kader formed Bachmann Industries Europe in 1989 with their main UK headquarters in Moat Way, Barwell, Leicestershire, UK (former Palitoy location) and the following year launched the Bachmann Branchline range for the British market with the moulds that had previously been used for the Palitoy Mainline and Replica Railways model railway products. From this starting point Bachmann has developed the range further and now produce a large range of models.
In 2001 Bachmann Branchline bought Graham Farish, an N gauge manufacturer, and since then many of their models have been made available in both gauges.
Bachmann Europe portfolio also comprises other model trains brands such as Liliput.