Bachmann 94xx

[Miss Prism]

9 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

The rods might even have been made at Swindon - depends on what the contract said. 

 

I did wonder about that.

 

[Wickham Green]

Rods might be - or might have been - on top of the tanks ...... or in the bunker - or even across the cab floor.

[The Johnster]

If they came with the loco as opposed to out if the stores as Swindon, they’d most likely have been stowed in the bunker.  

[Erixtar1992]

On 18/05/2019 at 23:49, RThompson said:

You could also by going back in 2000 and 2001 recreate "Steam on the Met" as all the locos during the 2 years I rode in it are now (94xx soon) available ready to run. Only missing some LT A60 stock.

What i would give for a RTR A60....  

[Ribird]

Anyone else just have their preorder for the 94xx canceled by Hattons?

 

Also, it is gone from their site as well

Edited August 7, 2019 by Ribird

[Paul.Uni]

Just now, Ribird said:

Anyone else just have their preorder for the 94xx canceled by Hattons?

Hattons are no longer a Bachmann stockist. Place your order with another shop.

 

Please go to this thread to discuss the Hattons/Bachmann situation:

 

[The Johnster]

Given that the 94xx has had, to say the least, a turbulent gestation and been put back unannounced several times by Bachmann over a 4 year period (to be fair to them not always due to matters under their direct control)  this is a bit worrying to those of us waiting for the model even if we have not ordered from Hatton's.  Any chance of confirmation from Bachmann that everything is on track for the May release; i mean beyond saying nothing more than they've already said, a further re-assurance?

 

Thought not.

 

I'm still reasonably confident, though; after all pre-production samples exist and some money has been spent on it, which B will want to recoup asap.  But it's still apparent that B have a hard time getting new models out into the market, while H dazzle us with short lead times for very good models.  I don't know if this is a result of H playing release cards close to their chests or that they are better at quickly developing ideas into real models on retailers' shelves (they've beaten Dap to the punch with a large prairie announced several months after the Dap one as well), but either way I'd say this is an issue B need to address.  Their lead times are a joke, and the funny side of it is wearing off!

 

In consequence, my expectation is that there will be very few new models announced by B over the next few years, but this will not automatically mean that work is not being done behind the scenes, firstly on improving the lead times and secondly on actual models which can then be announced already at an advanced stage of development for release within a year of the announcement.  H might have to undergo a bit of a consolidation period as well...

[PMP]

12 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

this is a bit worrying to those of us waiting for the model even if we have not ordered from Hatton's.  Any chance of confirmation from Bachmann that everything is on track for the May release; i mean beyond saying nothing more than they've already said, a further re-assurance?

 

Thought not.

 

Are you really expecting that a manufacturer whom it appears is no longer supplying one large retailer (at the moment), is going to even remotely consider that. 

 

It’s a case of other retailers are available. 

[mdvle]

19 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

Given that the 94xx has had, to say the least, a turbulent gestation and been put back unannounced several times by Bachmann over a 4 year period (to be fair to them not always due to matters under their direct control)  this is a bit worrying to those of us waiting for the model even if we have not ordered from Hatton's.

 

Why would this be of concern?

 

Have people been concerned about the future of announced models every time a hobby shop has gone out of business?

 

There are still a large number of other retailers who would expect to get product from Bachmann to sell, and the 94xx would be included in that expectation.

 

 

19 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

But it's still apparent that B have a hard time getting new models out into the market, while H dazzle us with short lead times for very good models.  I don't know if this is a result of H playing release cards close to their chests or that they are better at quickly developing ideas into real models on retailers' shelves (they've beaten Dap to the punch with a large prairie announced several months after the Dap one as well), but either way I'd say this is an issue B need to address.  Their lead times are a joke, and the funny side of it is wearing off!

 

This has been discussed in the past, a number of years ago it was the reverse - Bachmann was getting stuff onto retailers shelves within announced time scales and Hornby was struggling to get anything made.

 

Like Hornby did, Bachmann will eventually get things sorted out.

 

As for the Dapol large prairie, there was much speculation at the time of the Dapol announcement - just before Christmas and hence a matter of weeks before the Hornby annual announcement, and with CAD drawings that had a lot of issues - that Dapol was attempting to stake a claim and persuade either Hornby or Bachmann from starting/continuing a large prairie.  With the benefit of hindsight we can now guess that Dapol was correct that there was a competing product in development, and that Hornby was productive in the 12 months between their announcement and the Dapol one while Dapol made little to no progress.

[The Stationmaster]

3 hours ago, The Johnster said:

Given that the 94xx has had, to say the least, a turbulent gestation and been put back unannounced several times by Bachmann over a 4 year period (to be fair to them not always due to matters under their direct control)  this is a bit worrying to those of us waiting for the model even if we have not ordered from Hatton's.  Any chance of confirmation from Bachmann that everything is on track for the May release; i mean beyond saying nothing more than they've already said, a further re-assurance?

 

 

What on earth is 'worrying' about it?  Hattons have no doubt cancelled it because they will no longer be in a position to supply it, or indeed in a position to supply any new Bachmann model.  And that is hardly in the category of 'news' as it is some time since Bachmann ceased to supply Hattons with new items.  In fact it only seems to be Hattons at long last recognising the reality that Bachmann have ceased to supply them and they are now deleting any pre-orders accordingly.

 

There are plenty of  other retailers who continue to stock Bachmann products and who have received and sold newly issued models which Hattons have never received.  In fact some of them seem quite happy to see Hattons out of the equation because their sales of Bachmann items have increased.  We are no more in need of  'further reassurance'  from Bachmann about the 94XX than we were 24 hours ago although it might help if Hattons were to come clean about the fact that they are no longer to accept pre-orders for upcoming Bachmann items

 

As for the Hornby large prairie that was in development a long time before Dapol announced their (rather peculiar) version -  just normal Hornby development timescale although it would seem to have been jumped in the production queue by the 'Terrier'.

[The Johnster]

Yes, I'm quite sure the 94xx will be in the shops May or thereabouts next year.  But this particular loco has been put back so many times that I get a bit anxious, especially as it has a habit of simply disappearing from the radar without any comment from Bachmann.  Part of me, not the most rational part admittedly, does not really believe that it will ever exist...

 

I'm just one of nature's natural worriers, something that stood me in good stead during my railway career!

Edited August 7, 2019 by The Johnster

[truffy]

1 minute ago, The Johnster said:

Part of me, not the most rational part admittedly, does not really believe that it will ever exist...

This is a habit of the Boyz'n'Gurlz in Blue.

Keep the faith, as you're walking the mean streets of inner city Cardiff; your perseverance, and body armour, will be rewarded.

[89A]

My worry is that the current rather lean number of new releases will fail to generate enough income for Bachmann to able to authorise the production run.

 

I sincerely hope that large sales numbers of class 90s, rep specials and J72s and hopefully early next year 158s will generate enough to ensure production of the 94xx.

[The Johnster]

I would hope there's enough money to float the 94xx anyway, 89A; as I said the've already spent a good bit on developing the loco and will need to get it out on the shelves asap to bring some return in.  The J72 and 90 have presumably their own bills to pay; these things seem to be funded as projects, each with it's own development and production budget that has to stand or fall in it's own right.  The J72 should be popular; the old Mainline always sold well.  I'm less certain about the 90, as electrics are always something of niche thing and demand is held back by the cost of the OHLE (just like the prototype, really!).

[The Stationmaster]

43 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

I would hope there's enough money to float the 94xx anyway, 89A; as I said the've already spent a good bit on developing the loco and will need to get it out on the shelves asap to bring some return in.  The J72 and 90 have presumably their own bills to pay; these things seem to be funded as projects, each with it's own development and production budget that has to stand or fall in it's own right.  The J72 should be popular; the old Mainline always sold well.  I'm less certain about the 90, as electrics are always something of niche thing and demand is held back by the cost of the OHLE (just like the prototype, really!).

According to their accounts Bachmann have plenty of cash in the bank - or did have at the end of last December - so no worries (there apart from the downward movement of the £ which will impact on costs of course)

[Pinehill]

As to suppliers, Gaugemaster, Cheltenham Model Centre & TMC Spring to mind as reliable & competitive suppliers.

My 94XX will come from one of them.

[Wickham Green]

2 hours ago, The Johnster said:

...................  The J72 should be popular; the old Mainline always sold well.  .............................

I suspect the J72 of old sold well because it was a pretty little 0-6-0T that wasn't a pannier, a misshapen R1 or a Fowler 3F ................. but the market's a little different now and there are a few more to choose from !

[The Stationmaster]

2 minutes ago, Wickham Green said:

I suspect the J72 of old sold well because it was a pretty little 0-6-0T that wasn't a pannier, a misshapen R1 or a Fowler 3F ................. but the market's a little different now and there are a few more to choose from !

I think you're right.  However the North Eastern's star is now ascending rapidly among announceemnts various manufacturers/commissioners so I think the new J72, apart from looking rather attractive in Pre-Group livery (which will help sell it), is coming into a timely emerging market which could do rather well for sales.

[The Johnster]

Fair point, but it’ll still be a popular little engine I reckon; if there’s a demand for a 16xx there must be for a loco of about the same dap with a much longer lifespan!

 

My 94xx will come from my local shop, which has kindly agreed to put one aside for me and will text me when it arrives. 

 

 

[Wickham Green]

9 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

.....new J72, apart from looking rather attractive in Pre-Group livery ............ could do rather well for sales.

Moreover a pre-grouping livery carried, by a few members, into my lifetime - after a fashion ! ( though not into my area, unfortunately )

 

.............. while I think about it, and we're talking about 0-6-0Ts in pseudo pre-grouping liveries, has anyone re-issued a plea for a Buckjumper recently ?

[The Johnster]

Someone’s done the N7 for Liverpool St; a Buckjumper is the obvious running mate..

[tomparryharry]

17 hours ago, The Johnster said:

Fair point, but it’ll still be a popular little engine I reckon; if there’s a demand for a 16xx there must be for a loco of about the same dap with a much longer lifespan!

 

My 94xx will come from my local shop, which has kindly agreed to put one aside for me and will text me when it arrives. 

 

 

 

I would still like to see the  16xx make it to the shops.  as for a similar loco, it would naturally fall to the 850 class of locomotives. The problem here of course, is the longevity of the subject matter. Lots & lots of modifications will lead to differences between locomotives, eras, livery changes & rebuilds. I doubt very much we would see an 850 class model in RTR. Our best bet to see anything as such is to have a model  via the kit locomotive route. 

[adb968008]

I’d prefer a new LMS 2p 2-6-2T myself, stanier or fowler, as were wishlisting.

[PMP]

8 minutes ago, tomparryharry said:

 

I would still like to see the  16xx make it to the shops. 

 

All you have to do is either order now with Model Rail, or buy one when they arrive.

failing that buy a Southern Finecast kit now. Simples.

 

[The Johnster]

Lovely little thing, and if Bachmann reckon they can sell J72s, this should go like hot cakes.  Sadly, not to Cwmdimbath as none were ever allocated to Tondu.