Bachmann Class 45

[adb968008]

Or do a bit of modelling on the Replica one with a Bachmann chassis on one of those “seamless” nose versions which go cheap for sub £50, and wait until 2020 ?

 

Trouble comissioning a new one is it will take two years, meanwhile Bachmann warmed the water with a blue class 46...

Edited January 14, 2019 by adb968008

[SouthernBlue80s]

Or do a bit of modelling on the Replica one with a Bachmann chassis on one of those “seamless” nose versions which go cheap for sub £50, and wait until 2020 ?

 

Trouble comissioning a new one is it will take two years, meanwhile Bachmann warmed the water with a blue class 46...

 

The Replica one is a poor dated model by today´s standards. The nose is totally the wrong shape. If the basic shape was OK but just lacked detail then I would agree buy a couple and attack them with Shawplan bits and bobs and get the filler out here and there. But for me personally they are too poor a start point.

 

If no flush front 45 is forthcoming.

I have a new 45036 boxed up. When the domino headcode 46 comes out I will buy that and I will do a flush front conversion on the both of them and renumber 45036. That is my plan B.

[Terrier79]

Again we are left disappointed! I’ve given up now.

Come on Accurascale or SLW, over to you!

66738

Wouldn’t it be great if one of these two announced one. Loads of detail variations, white stripes, Tinsley names... not to mention 45106 in railtour green. Would create a nice long deltic-like list to choose from!

[adb968008]

Wouldn’t it be great if one of these two announced one. Loads of detail variations, white stripes, Tinsley names... not to mention 45106 in railtour green. Would create a nice long deltic-like list to choose from!

Sadly i dont think theres a big enough market.

Peaks have lots of tooling possibilities but not many liveries.

That makes them expensive and niche, which is why they havent been done and Bachmann can safely drip feed them in the traditional long term investment model they have always followed.

 

A better chance would be an established shop approaching Bachmann to do a limited edition or two, but as were told the bigger issue is getting the factory back into production, were still going to wait anyway.

 

Unfortunately its patience, but at least in 2019 theyve rested the 44 and gone to a 46... theres even less 46’s been produced and never one thats been accurate... i still use my D172/46026 and 46045 with modified bufferbeams using a 3D printed kit, the 46053 produced the other year is missing the seam around the nose !

Edited January 15, 2019 by adb968008

[GordonC]

Sadly i dont think theres a big enough market.

Peaks have lots of tooling possibilities but not many liveries.

That makes them expensive and niche, which is why they havent been done and Bachmann can safely drip feed them in the traditional long term investment model they have always followed.

 

A better chance would be an established shop approaching Bachmann to do a limited edition or two, but as were told the bigger issue is getting the factory back into production, were still going to wait anyway.

 

Unfortunately its patience, but at least in 2019 theyve rested the 44 and gone to a 46... theres even less 46’s been produced and never one thats been accurate... i still use my D172/46026 and 46045 with modified bufferbeams using a 3D printed kit, the 46053 produced the other year is missing the seam around the nose !

 

Apparently the factory is up and running already

[The Ghost of IKB]

Haha, a hattons class 45/46 would upset Barwell-scouse relations into another nose dive!

Edited January 15, 2019 by The Ghost of IKB

[gridwatcher]

Again we are left disappointed! I’ve given up now.

Come on Accurascale or SLW, over to you!

66738

 

I can think of someone else MUCH more obvious than them..........

[SHerr]

I can think of someone else MUCH more obvious than them..........

I’m presuming Heljan? Already will have CAD work to scale down and would be a nice companion for the 25’s.

 

Don’t know why I didn’t think about them earlier!

 

I also wondered whether someone like PHDesigns might do a resin nose a bit like the WAPAC 37’s. Obviously will be a harder conversion as the 45 noses are moulded not separate like the 37’s but I’m sure would be taken on by s lot of modellers.

[iak]

Just a ‘heads-up’ for anyone who can’t be bothered to get out the scalpel and filler… One of the above discussed sealed-beam bodyshells has turned up on a certain well-known online auction site. This body style certainly seems to be in demand and there is still a few days to go!

[SouthernBlue80s]

The bodyshell went for 110 pounds

[adb968008]

14 hours ago, SouthernBlue80s said:

The bodyshell went for 110 pounds

Considering a very decent chassis could be sourced from 45114 for circa £50-60 and hence that body also despatched on ebay, your getting a sealed beam peak for less than the discounted RRP of current announced models.

 

thats hardly a sign of massive demand.

 

There seems to be an upper price resistance of c£250 too, which sounds good but is less than some rarer Dapol Westerns.

I maintain my beliefs There is a demand for another run by Bachmann, but not another tooling.

[brushman47544]

1 hour ago, adb968008 said:

I maintain my beliefs There is a demand for another run by Bachmann, but not another tooling.

 

And therein lies the conundrum. Unless Bachmann decides to clarify the current situation regarding the tooling used to produce 45048 (does it still exist, can Bachmann use it?), we don't know whether another run is possible without new tooling being produced.

 

With all the discussions about it on here and elsewhere, I am surprised one of the BRM team hasn't asked. The new catalogue "chats" would have seemed like the perfect opportunity.

[atom3624]

I remember when the first Mainline 45 came out, and what a huge step-change in moulding detail it represented .... !!

 

How times (and expectations) change.

 

Al.

[Legend]

True . I can remember back to 1977 and seeing the first Mainline Catalogue with the blue 45 on first page . It was a revelation .  But then remember in the same year Hornby were giving us a blue 47 with the molding lines necessary for the two tone green livery still present , marring the overall look of the loco in plain blue, and a 37 with a slot on the nose to accept the chassis !  Times change !

 

I think Bachmann clearly have a problem in securing capacity in Kader . For that reason if they started now I think it would still be a few years best case before a new model emerged . Even re runs of models (eg Class 66 in Freighliner, Biffa etc) are pushed out to 2020.

 

I think your best chance has got to be one of the newer manufacturers . They seem much more agile and able to produce limited run models in a shorter time frame . I'm thinking primarily Accurascale here . They may currently have hands full with Deltic, 92, mk5s  but I do think you've got more chance of a completely new model there than with Bachmann .   Rapido have been very quiet latterly . I know they are delivering the J70 for Model Rail, but they always hinted at a new diesel or electric , which as far as I'm aware has never turned up .

[TravisM]

I wonder if Hatton’s had done a whole series of Class 44’s, 45’s and 46’s instead of the 66’s, would there still been the huge fallout between them and Bachmann?

['CHARD]

Fortunately, I have sufficient Peaks and can't justify more (especially as my layout is still in my head), moreover the healed-up nose style didn't afflict the class for a decade after my shenanigans, but I still understand on face value the keenness for a run of these, although maybe not a new model. 

 

The thing is, and I tend to agree with adb968008 to a large extent, the demand is not clear for a new model of the Peak family.  With the sole exception of the final nose style, everyone's been filling their boots with 44s, 45s and 46s in all appropriate nose styles and both principal liveries, especially now the seam has been faithfully captured and the model is really very good. 

 

So how many would sack-off their fleets just now?  Peaks can be picked up at decent prices except the sealed beam version.  If you've only one or two Peaks then you're peak-neutral and probably not bothered about replacing.  If your Peak-hungry like me, you'll never justify (unless money's no object) replacing 20+ of the things at £250 a pop.  Especially once they have been renumbered, named, weathered, had bespoke headcodes wound-up etc etc. 

 

They are simply not a glamorous class, sure they have a following but I too now tend to the view that this wouldn't translate into a welter of sales.  And I don't think tooling up for just the one style washes its face.  As for Hattons doing it, how could that have been any different to the decision to replace the 66?

[Downendian]

Slow but steady progress on my sealed beam 46 003 when the layout is run in 1977 mode. Ex 46 053 spare body shell, bought over a decade ago. Filled central headcode box and body side steps. Instated the nose seam with a plastic scriber after using a strip of masking tape as a guide. Marker light surrounds are 3mm rig rings (carp fishing has its benefits) bought from eBay (bank tackle). Some Perspex rod ordered from china (again the bay) fits more or less perfectly. Needs hinges to lights to be made with small slivers of plasticard then ready for the paint shops. I also had to replace the lamp irons with wire as they are very flimsy and lost during the multiple sanding sessions.

neil 

[Classsix T]

2 hours ago, 'CHARD said:

 So how many would sack-off their fleets just now?

Me for one, but then I've only three in fleet. Two of Barwell's first toe-dipping Replica bodied 4 axle drive un-numbered 46s and a much later 44. A "needs must" minimal allocation. 

 

For modelling purposes, Peaks weren't in abundance at Peterborough in the 80's but were  frequent "exotic" traction there, as were 25s and 40s, to a young spotter from the GEML given a steady diet of Stratford's Peds Tractors and Spoons.

 

Dad and I bought our first Platform 5 spotting book at St.Pan in 1979. Later we were invited onto (I think) Royal Tank Regiment at Peterborough to experience the start-up.

Later, Sunday trips to March reinforced a fondness for the type as they awaited the axeman.

 

The commonality of the above is they are ingrained on my memory as all being sealed beam fitted. 

 

Commercially of course none of the above will persuade Bachmann to produce models to placate my desires, nor should they. But I tell you what, if they churn them out, with the cool regiment namers, livery one offs and bog standard plodders, I'll buy 'em.

 

C6T. 

[brushman47544]

4 hours ago, 'CHARD said:

The thing is, and I tend to agree with adb968008 to a large extent, the demand is not clear for a new model of the Peak family.  With the sole exception of the final nose style, everyone's been filling their boots with 44s, 45s and 46s in all appropriate nose styles and both principal liveries, especially now the seam has been faithfully captured and the model is really very good. 

 

I agree the current Bachmann Peak is pretty good. But unless I've been misreading this thread, I don't think people are particularly clamouring for a new tooling of the model, just production of a Peak with sealed beam noses. And logic suggests that this is possible with existing tooling because we've had one before. If not, a new body tooling on the current chassis would be perfectly acceptable.

[Clive Mortimore]

4 hours ago, Downendian said:

Slow but steady progress on my sealed beam 46 003 when the layout is run in 1977 mode. Ex 46 053 spare body shell, bought over a decade ago. Filled central headcode box and body side steps. Instated the nose seam with a plastic scriber after using a strip of masking tape as a guide. Marker light surrounds are 3mm rig rings (carp fishing has its benefits) bought from eBay (bank tackle). Some Perspex rod ordered from china (again the bay) fits more or less perfectly. Needs hinges to lights to be made with small slivers of plasticard then ready for the paint shops. I also had to replace the lamp irons with wire as they are very flimsy and lost during the multiple sanding sessions.

neil 

HI Neil

 

That is cheating , who said you could do some model making.

[SouthernBlue80s]

5 hours ago, Downendian said:

Slow but steady progress on my sealed beam 46 003 when the layout is run in 1977 mode. Ex 46 053 spare body shell, bought over a decade ago. Filled central headcode box and body side steps. Instated the nose seam with a plastic scriber after using a strip of masking tape as a guide. Marker light surrounds are 3mm rig rings (carp fishing has its benefits) bought from eBay (bank tackle). Some Perspex rod ordered from china (again the bay) fits more or less perfectly. Needs hinges to lights to be made with small slivers of plasticard then ready for the paint shops. I also had to replace the lamp irons with wire as they are very flimsy and lost during the multiple sanding sessions.

neil 

Thanks for the tip, I have just ordered some 3mm rig rings.

A useful guide to flush fronting a peak here

http://www.45133.co.uk/uploads/2/2/3/1/22313750/converting_a_bachmann_class_45_model_to_45133.pdf

[Downendian]

The flush fronted peak in my fleet will be a one off, although I've plenty of 46053 body shells, one of which was donated to my model of 44009. 

I well remember seeing the first flush fronted peak in 1976. At the embankments overlooking Stoke Gifford yard, you could see up the line for at least two miles. The approaching 45071 had us all very excited, believing a class 40 was in front (very rare in Bristol).

The bulk of my peak fleet have headcodes, I really prefer them and don't think the flush front did the peak any aesthetic favours. They are rather a pig though to fit bespoke headcodes, as Bachmann print domino dots on the headcode glazing. Peaks and class 47s made up around 70% of sightings at Bristol Parkway in the mid 1970s, after the Westerns were demoted to secondary duties. I'd be rather remiss not to have a large peak roster.

neil 

[SouthernBlue80s]

From my perspective my big decade of spotting, often at Bristol as well, was the 1980s. So for me the flush front examples are what I saw up and down the network. If you want to sell a body shell let me know, perhaps send me a message. If not no problem.

Incidently did you see the odd 40 that surfaced on the Glasgow parcels in the early 80s?

All the best

Steve

[Downendian]

Hi Steve,

the 3S15 Temple Meads-Glasgow ? No that was shortly after I packed in spotting. It was rerouted around 1980 to the Newport-Hereford line. Before that it was always a class 25, 31 or ocassionally a split box 37. 40s were very rare in the 1970s, I'd only seen two 40 106 and 118 both on rail tours, but many a rumour of 40 visits, unfortunately during school hours. 

Class 46 spare bodies? I'll have a rummage, but I've got a lot of peak projects planned.

[locoholic]

On 19 February 2019 at 17:56, SouthernBlue80s said:

The bodyshell went for 110 pounds

I'm feeling very smug - I acquired a Modelzone 'Royal Marines' at a local model show for £80 last Sunday!  :-)