Bachmann 2018 mid-year update

[Gwiwer]

 

 

With the 117 it's not as simple as that as, for a blue one you need gangways

Indeed for the green ones it is not as simple as that either.  The gangways were not fitted from new.  They were gained over a period of years as and when they were cut from redundant Hawksworth coaching stock.  Mostly during the green era but, if memory serves, a few were not done until early blue days and some were done before but others after gaining the small yellow panel.

[Budgie]

post-1-0-11357800-1535736885_thumb.jpg

 

Wow! That looks absolutely stunning!

Calm down, dear. It's just another 0-6-0T.  :jester: Edited September 4, 2018 by Budgie

[Dunsignalling]

So even 009 modellers will have more new items from Bachmann than N Scale modellers? I do get the impression that the Farish range is becoming a bit like "Cinderella" for Bachmann.

Not just Bachmann, perhaps. Dapol have been noticeably back-pedalling on planned N gauge releases for a while.

 

Talking to people in the trade, who are at the "sharp end" in all this, there appear to be two views that emerge fairly consistently. One is that N is judged to have got pretty much as popular as it's ever going to, and is no longer considered a "growth area", whereas O gauge most definitely is.  

 

The other is that, rightly or wrongly, the N gauge fraternity has acquired a reputation of being more price-sensitive than other sectors.

 

If either is even partly true, it would certainly explain why N may be getting out-competed for production slots.

 

John

[Dunsignalling]

Calm down, dear. It's just another 0-6-0T.  :jester:

A very nice one, though. As a dyed-in-the-wool adherent of 1950s/60s Southern Region, even I can feel my wallet-hand twitching a bit....

[tetsudofan]

The latest Collectors Club mag states the class 90 is in production although a little while ago Bachmann had march 2019 as a potential delivery date. So does in production mean in production or ready for production awaiting factory slot? Or does it take about 4 months for a model to progress through the factory?

Thanks

Mark

 

If you read the article on "The Production Line" in the latest Collectors Club mag (starting on page 12) it tells you how much time it takes to put a model together - it states that "getting all the bits and pieces together takes around 12 weeks of production"

 

Keith

[reevesthecat]

If you read the article on "The Production Line" in the latest Collectors Club mag (starting on page 12) it tells you how much time it takes to put a model together - it states that "getting all the bits and pieces together takes around 12 weeks of production"

 

Keith

Thanks not had time to read it yet- life getting in the way and all that!

Cheers

Mark

[brushman47544]

Andy Y's original update has the TPO POTs as 'In Transit' so presumably thats been produced and in a container somewhere (perhaps not left the factory until the container is full) but on its way

I saw that thanks. My using the POT as an example was because they appeared in at least two consecutive BCC magazines (so covering 6 months) as being In production without actually being made.

[Gwiwer]

POT vehicles listed by Hattons at £42.46 apiece and due in "Between July and August 2018".  So any day then and that definitely sounds like "In transit" is correct.  Those are the only ones I have looked up.  Even for a new tooling in 2018 that's almost £50 for an empty coach without internal mouldings of any sort.  It's a couple of years since I cancelled my order; I'll renew it but for two not the originally-ordered six.

[Garethp8873]

Hope to soon hear some updates on the WD/LMS Parrot wagons

[JSpencer]

Had a news letter from Gaugemaster a few days ago talking about their new products for the "expanding" N gauge market. I don,t think everyone shares the view of regressing.

 

I can see the OO gauge market regressing at some point for 2 reasons, one, the price of OO gauge is making O gauge look attractive as well as the increased range of models there. Two, my failing eyesight with age!

[9402 Fredrick]

I'd really like to see an image of the Quarry Hunslet CAD, anyone have it?

[adb968008]

Had a news letter from Gaugemaster a few days ago talking about their new products for the "expanding" N gauge market. I don,t think everyone shares the view of regressing.

I can see the OO gauge market regressing at some point for 2 reasons, one, the price of OO gauge is making O gauge look attractive as well as the increased range of models there. Two, my failing eyesight with age!

Just because OO gets expensive, doesn’t mean O will take off.

 

HO is even more expensive, but continental O hasn’t taken off.

I agree there’s a growth market, right now there’s a turf war going on to claim territory for the longer term as O has become a more attractively priced product, but suspect once the land has been grabbed, prices too will,rise there.

 

Fundamentally if your going O.. you need space to go O.. which is the reason usually most people go OO instead.. if you’ve not got space it doesn’t matter how much O is.

 

Given homes are getting smaller, and lofts increasingly contain solar panel related equipment i’d see N as a more attractive option longer term.

Edited September 5, 2018 by adb968008

[ThaneofFife]

i think all modern BR bogie vans like the Mk1 POTs should be fitted with DCC on board as standard with at least one or two LEDs inside.   they dont need internal decoration or partitions and as many wer used at night having just a tiny bit of light peeking out of the letterbox type windows would be a fitting final touch. 

[Fenman]

i think all modern BR bogie vans like the Mk1 POTs should be fitted with DCC on board as standard with at least one or two LEDs inside. they dont need internal decoration or partitions and as many wer used at night having just a tiny bit of light peeking out of the letterbox type windows would be a fitting final touch.

I don’t know what proportion of customers are DC or DCC. But it seems odd to make everything DCC unless that’s clearly a majority of the market.

 

Having written that, I also understand many DCC modellers have preferences for one type of chip over another: so they also would be paying for a manufacturer’s chip that they might not want.

 

What is wrong with all models being DCC-ready - but preferably with easy to fit slots for chips? (Years ago Pat Hammond was asking why models couldn’t be like digital cameras, with a simple “push in” card slot. I haven’t heard any convincing case against that idea, though I clearly have no expertise in this area.)

 

I’m a bit biased at the moment: I would love a couple of Bachmann’s new 158s in Regional Railways livery: but not only are these only going to be released in DCC versions, they’re also sound-fitted. Basically I’d be paying an extra £85 per unit for stuff that has literally zero value for me.

 

Paul

[Dunsignalling]

POT vehicles listed by Hattons at £42.46 apiece and due in "Between July and August 2018".  So any day then and that definitely sounds like "In transit" is correct.  Those are the only ones I have looked up.  Even for a new tooling in 2018 that's almost £50 for an empty coach without internal mouldings of any sort.  It's a couple of years since I cancelled my order; I'll renew it but for two not the originally-ordered six.

Given that cost of a basic interior moulding for a r-t-r coach (without lighting) will only represent a tiny fraction of the total cost, I don't really expect the TPO models to be more than a couple of quid cheaper than other stock. £40 to £50 seems to be the ballpark figure for new Hornby coaches these days, with most of Bachmann's significantly above that. 

 

John

['CHARD]

£40 to £50 seems to be the ballpark figure for new Hornby coaches these days, with most of Bachmann's significantly above that. 

 

The days of £400 - 500 LHCS rakes are well and truly with us. 

 

Back in 1975 as a junior modeller hopping about excitedly at the newly announced Airfix 31 and Mk2Ds, could I have imagined where we are 40+ years on.....  

[Dunsignalling]

The days of £400 - 500 LHCS rakes are well and truly with us. 

 

Back in 1975 as a junior modeller hopping about excitedly at the newly announced Airfix 31 and Mk2Ds, could I have imagined where we are 40+ years on.....  

And £150+ for a 3-set of Birdcages, which is one reason I expect to see more new models of types that commonly ran in short rakes.

 

Nearly all the difference is the result of general inflation. In 1975, my salary was a good deal less than the state pension is now.

 

I certainly couldn't have sprung for a 7-8 coach rake (in one go) any more comfortably back then than I can now.

 

John

Edited September 5, 2018 by Dunsignalling

['CHARD]

And £150+ for a 3-set of Birdcages, which is one reason I expect to see more new models of types that commonly ran in short rakes.

 

Nearly all the difference is the result of general inflation. In 1975, my salary was a good deal less than the state pension is now.

 

I certainly couldn't have sprung for a 7-8 coach rake (in one go) any more comfortably back then than I can now.

 

 

 

Agreed John - and indeed I have the luxury of some prototypical short rakes of which I can take advantage modelling the Waverley route's final summer.  However, the pair of Sleeping Car sets set me back a fair few quid, and that was in the £30/coach era!!!  At least at that time I was consulting on a day-rate, which gave me a wee bit of discretionary pocket-money!

 

To look at it another way, we seem to be at the point where the price of LHCS makes DMUs seem very good value, especially if you shop around.  Interesting times!

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

...What is wrong with all models being DCC-ready - but preferably with easy to fit slots for chips? (Years ago Pat Hammond was asking why models couldn’t be like digital cameras, with a simple “push in” card slot. I haven’t heard any convincing case against that idea, though I clearly have no expertise in this area.)...

 

Firmly in support of all this. (DCC user, only want my choice in decoders in my locos.) Since DCC fitted locos often end up discounted below DCC ready, I feel this makes the case that DCC fitted is not what the market generally looks for.

 

A simple externally accessed card slot would be ideal, but is wholly dependent on the existence of a suitable cheap industry standard compact edge connector fit for the purpose. I suspect the lack is that such designs cannot reliably cope with sustained 1A+ loads, being intended for very low current applications. Closest thing is Next18, and it could be inserted via a slot if a model designer cared to implement, it 'doubles up'  the track supply pins to provide current carrying capacity.

 

... I would love a couple of Bachmann’s new 158s in Regional Railways livery: but not only are these only going to be released in DCC versions, they’re also sound-fitted. Basically I’d be paying an extra £85 per unit for stuff that has literally zero value for me...

 

 This ilustrates very clearly that DCC sound is principally attractive to manufacturers for the improved margin. Your best hope is the owner of a silent version willing to do a deal to transplant the squeakings.

[Andy Y]

I'd really like to see an image of the Quarry Hunslet CAD, anyone have it?

 

It's in this issue of Bachmann Times. To get that you need to be a Collectors' Club Member.

[No Decorum]

I'd really like to see an image of the Quarry Hunslet CAD, anyone have it?

 

Take a look at chuffinghell’s locked post about the 94XX.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/137188-Bachmann-94xx/

[Dagworth]

The days of £400 - 500 LHCS rakes are well and truly with us. 

 

Back in 1975 as a junior modeller hopping about excitedly at the newly announced Airfix 31 and Mk2Ds, could I have imagined where we are 40+ years on.....  

That's cheap... the £1000+ freight train era is here too, or at least is in transit, can't wait for my Freightliner flats to arrive

 

Andi 

['CHARD]

That's cheap... the £1000+ freight train era is here too, or at least is in transit, can't wait for my Freightliner flats to arrive

 

Andi 

 

Now that I think about it, my Waverley cartrains must be going on for two grand's worth including all those Minix and the materials for repainting and detailing the payload.  

[Gwiwer]

i think all modern BR bogie vans like the Mk1 POTs should be fitted with DCC on board as standard with at least one or two LEDs inside.   they dont need internal decoration or partitions and as many wer used at night having just a tiny bit of light peeking out of the letterbox type windows would be a fitting final touch.

 

  

Given that cost of a basic interior moulding for a r-t-r coach (without lighting) will only represent a tiny fraction of the total cost, I don't really expect the TPO models to be more than a couple of quid cheaper than other stock. £40 to £50 seems to be the ballpark figure for new Hornby coaches these days, with most of Bachmann's significantly above that. 

 

John

If coaching stock came DCC fitted and included lighting we could be looking at the £75 coach by the end of the year. Add on Bachmann’s new passion for (helpfully) including passengers and the humble Mk1 which not so long ago went for £25 - £30 would be heading north of the £100 mark. That would seriously dent many modellers abilities to afford and run their preferred - or any - train. If only vans were so fitted as implied by the quoted post then why not passenger coaches too? And how many vans other than POS / POT and NPV types were ever lit during their travels?

 

DCC is a matter of personal choice. Can we leave it that way? Otherwise we shall also have people bemoaning that the fitted chip doesn’t work on their system or that DC users are obliged to pay more for something they don’t want and cannot use.

[Stuart A]

Not just Bachmann, perhaps. Dapol have been noticeably back-pedalling on planned N gauge releases for a while.

 

Talking to people in the trade, who are at the "sharp end" in all this, there appear to be two views that emerge fairly consistently. One is that N is judged to have got pretty much as popular as it's ever going to, and is no longer considered a "growth area", whereas O gauge most definitely is.  

 

The other is that, rightly or wrongly, the N gauge fraternity has acquired a reputation of being more price-sensitive than other sectors.

 

If either is even partly true, it would certainly explain why N may be getting out-competed for production slots.

 

John

 

With regards to price sensitivity, it certainly has influenced my purchasing.  If the RRP of a mainline diesel was £89, I'd buy 4-5 per year.  As it stands, I'll wait until particular locos I'm after are either discounted, or become available second hand.  When Dapol can off load class 56's for £70 or less (granted this is without retailer margin), I do wonder whether because the N gauge market is smaller, the RRPs are too high, i.e. if RRP was more at the £100 mark, so retailer discount took it to around the £90, would more units be shifted?

 

I'm currently after 2 x47s and a 37, also on my want list are 2 of the 31s which are due for release, but I'm unlikely to get them until I can get them sub £90.  But that's just me!