Bachmann’s ‘OO’ gauge models of the Class 220 and 221 Voyager units pre-date the inclusion of decoder interfaces, but with the right parts they can be upgraded to digital sound and lighting. MIKE WILD shows how.
Above: The Class 221 Super Voyagers were distinct from the standard Class 220 Voyager for their outside frame bogies, five-car formation and tilting ability.
Remarkably, 2021 marks 20 years since the first Virgin Trains Class 221 Super Voyager Diesel Electric Multiple Units (DEMUs) entered service and 21 years since arrival of the similar Class 220 four-car Voyagers. The order was for 34 Class 220 four-car units and 44 Class 221 five-car units to be built by Bombardier Transportation in Belgium to replace the ageing Class 47/8s and Mk 2 stock as well as Class 43 High Speed Trains on CrossCountry trains. The new trains were a world away from their predecessors and offered rapid acceleration due to the inclusion of a Cummins QSK19 750hp engine under each coach. This gave the fourcar Voyagers 3,000hp in total while the Super Voyagers were equipped with 3,750hp. Both train types have a maximum speed of 125mph.
Apart from their train length, the most distinctive difference between the two classes is the bogie design – the 2…
