2020 predictions?

[acg5324]

Fingers crossed again for a Class 25/3......must be more chance this year as I’ve converted on from a 25/2 now.

I can a 63ft DMU coming along. c117 would be good c119 better....3H even more so.

New wagon, FFA/FGA container flats.

New liveries on the 100ton tanks likely.

[grahame]

On 24/12/2019 at 13:53, Western Aviator said:

Is it definite that an announcement will be made in January?

 

On 24/12/2019 at 14:36, Ed-farms said:

 

No, its February

 

Last year's announcement was made in early January at trade road shows around the country over a few days. I'm not aware that they have announced any dates for 2020 but time is ticking by to get trade invites out.

 

What makes you so sure it is February?

[Littlethorpe]

14 minutes ago, grahame said:

 

 

Last year's announcement was made in early January at trade road shows around the country over a few days. I'm not aware that they have announced any dates for 2020 but time is ticking by to get trade invites out.

 

What makes you so sure it is February?

According to the latest Bachmann Collectors Club Newsletter the Roadshows are in early February & Collectors Club Members can attend if they wish.

[grahame]

6 minutes ago, Littlethorpe said:

According to the latest Bachmann Collectors Club Newsletter the Roadshows are in early February & Collectors Club Members can attend if they wish.

 

Thanks. Have they said that is also when they will be announcing the new 2020 range? They usually have the CClub open events after the press day.

[Paul.Uni]

Graham Muz says it's 5th February https://grahammuz.com/2019/12/23/it-could-be-a-white-christmas-at-canute-road-quay-2/

[Les1952]

Hopefully the Thompsons in maroon.

 

Hopefully NOT a sound-fitted Deltic- the bass sound of a Deltic can't be replicated with a single speaker that wil fit into an N-gauge chassis.  For that matter it can't even be replicated by a full-sized Deltic with one engine shut down!  It is generated by a pair of engines running slightly out of sync and can only just be done adequately in OO with two speakers- not at all well with one speaker of the maximum size you can get into a OO shell. 

 

Les

[Roy L S]

Hi Les

 

Yes please to maroon Thompsons but that would be a re-livery not new tool, I'll still have the B&C ones already ordered too even though I already have far too many coaches!

 

Not sure about the Deltic, I see the point about dual engines (same for a Western), but within the programming of the sound chip would it not be possible to allow for the two offbeat engines - sound files do come from original recordings after all? 

 

Regards

 

Roy

[TomE]

Expectations are not high this year, and as much as I would like to see some new tooling I think Bachmann are still struggling to get to grips with capacity issues. Witness the further delay to the N Gauge Mk.2fs which lost their slot to something else (probably 4mm and more lucrative) 

 

Indulging in some personal frothing for a moment, the S15 is top of the pile given 506 has recently returned to steam at the MHR. A new 9F would also be welcome since the Dapol model suffers from variable reliability and is showing it's age mechanically. On a purely selfishly indulgent level, a Lord Nelson would be more than welcome. Sadly I suspect none of those are likely! 

 

A new Class 90 is probably in with a reasonable chance, and as an outside bet a new V2 given there's a revised OO version from which to draw the research. Perhaps a new chassis featuring NEXT18 socket and speaker for the Class 66 but beyond that I'm not really getting my hopes up!

 

I'm hoping to get along to the open day on the 5th work permitting. 

 

Tom. 

 

[Kaput]

Optimistic prediction: Now that the factories are done with the OO steam cranes they can get capacity back up and actually get a decent number of the announcments from 2019 released.

 

Realistic prediction: The Mk2F's will be delayed again....

[gc4946]

More locos/units sound-enabled - classes 101 and 150 DMUs

All-new V2 to appear with open-spoked wheels and provision for sound.

Also all-new class 25/3, class 90 

 

150/1 in Silverlink and original Centro liveries

150/2 in pristine Provincial and Regional Railways' Merseyside PTE liveries

[tomparryharry]

On 24/12/2019 at 11:44, berwicksfinest said:

Prediction/certainty i'll be more skint in 2020

I was just about to say that!

 

I spoke to my old workmate some years back... "Tell me, is your cup half full, or half empty?"

 

"I don't know, someone's pinched me cup....."

 

WEll, with prairies and moguls flying about, not to mention Western railcar No 19, it's going to busy, busy, busy! 

[Stefen1988]

Realistic predictions for my Wish List:

 

LNER B1 Class (Early Emblem)

SECR Birdcage Coaches (Malachite Green)

 

Unrealistic predictions for my Wish List:

 

LNER V2 Class

LNER (ex. GCR) D11 Class

LNER (ex. GER) D14 Class

LNER Gresley Coaches (inkl. Restaurant; LNER & early BR liveries)

LNER (ex. GN) Multiple Suburban Coaches (twin and quad version; GN, LNER & early BR liveries)

 

[Crepello]

Yes a shrunken V2 would be great.   Freightliner FFA/FGA would be nice too--very much missing from the 60s--80s era range.

[grahame]

Okay, I'll succumb. Here's my predictions;

 

Firstly, I guess they'll want to show some progress on the in-development announcements that seem log jammed. 

 

Secondly, there will be very few all new tool announcements. With the J72 canned and only one steamy loco being worked on (8F) they might announce one new kettle, perhaps a crab or a simple tank. As for modern there is still quite a choice to go for (and of ones produced by Bachmann in OO/4mm) as well as a massive range of multiple units (both emu and dmu) to consider.

 

The majority of 'new' models will be re-paints of the existing and recent range. And, as they mentioned last year, their two main approaches are to offer sound as an alternative and to upgrade older legacy products (i.e. crab, class 40, class 158/170, etc)

 

Now, as for wish-listing, there's plenty of models I'd like such as . . . . 

 

 

[woodenhead]

I'd say they will revisit the Peaks this year using the mechanics from the class 40 as the basis so will include sound.

 

Throw in nose options and they would be onto a winner which will deliver for a several years like the 40 can.

 

A 25/3 or a 24/1(25/0) would also work and throw in a sound option.

 

Why not do a King in N - it's the one that is missing from the N gauge line up now.

[Ed-farms]

On ‎26‎/‎12‎/‎2019 at 11:01, Les1952 said:

Hopefully the Thompsons in maroon.

 

 

 

My money is on the maroon Thompsons in 2021 (not sure if that's announced in 2021 or announced in 2020 but released in 2021), they will do the more popular livery last as some people will buy the latest model as its new so more sales can be generated by less popular versions

[Ed-farms]

8 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

Why not do a King in N - it's the one that is missing from the N gauge line up now.

 

Given DJM King was stopped in the summer it would take a while for Farish to get a King to the market if they started that day (look at how long some previously announced models are taking) so it won't be announced this year if they were to do one. Less likely now KJ Models have said they are doing a King

[grahame]

15 minutes ago, Ed-farms said:

 

Given DJM King was stopped in the summer it would take a while for Farish to get a King to the market if they started that day (look at how long some previously announced models are taking) so it won't be announced this year if they were to do one. Less likely now KJ Models have said they are doing a King

 

Farish, of course, did do an old King model and have said they will look to upgrade legacy products. However, to a large extent the market for a modern quality King has been queered. DJM was struggling to get sufficient interest/EOI/orders. I don't know who KJ Models are (KRS?) but I would guess Bachmann would wait to see what sort of interest they garner and whether they proceed. Getting sufficient interest from N gauge enthusiasts for steam era models seems a little fraught ATM; DJM also struggled with numbers for a GWR mogul (as well as the King), KRS quickly ditched the N GT3 and it'll be interesting to see how they get on with an N Fell. Hattons are also struggling with orders for their N LMS Beyer-Garrett despite not taking a deposit for pre-orders (although haven't promoted it very well). So yep, I doubt they will rush in to a King. Very low odds for it being announced as part of the 2020 range IMO.

 

 

[woodenhead]

I think perhaps we are creating a myth now that if it didn't sell under DJM then it wouldn't sell at all - perhaps the DJM issue was it was DJM and his baggage not the models themselves.

 

The Hattons Garrett is very niche and without promotion it is going to be a slow burn even without a deposit being required.

 

I forgot about KR Models now having a King CAD so yes perhaps it is unlikely Farish will step into that particular model.  

 

There is a place for N gauge steam, Sonix are brave enough to try it with the 56xx, I expect if Dapol announce a Large Prairie, a Mogul or a revamped small Prairie they would sell.

[Phil Parker]

6 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

There is a place for N gauge steam, Sonix are brave enough to try it with the 56xx

 

Therein lies the problem. You need to be "brave" to launch an N gauge steam model.

[woodenhead]

9 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

 

Therein lies the problem. You need to be "brave" to launch an N gauge steam model.

But if no-one does and the new market becomes limited to the Pendolino era then really where will N go from there - not everyone wants to model an electrified mainline.

[DaveArkley]

19 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

I think perhaps we are creating a myth now that if it didn't sell under DJM then it wouldn't sell at all - perhaps the DJM issue was it was DJM and his baggage not the models themselves.

 

The Hattons Garrett is very niche and without promotion it is going to be a slow burn even without a deposit being required.

 

I forgot about KR Models now having a King CAD so yes perhaps it is unlikely Farish will step into that particular model.  

 

There is a place for N gauge steam, Sonix are brave enough to try it with the 56xx, I expect if Dapol announce a Large Prairie, a Mogul or a revamped small Prairie they would sell.

 

Yes I think we are seeing the birth of an Urban myth. Although I have no interest in a King myself, plenty do I think DJ had begun suffering from his own reputation. 

 

[Martin.M]

What about more pre grouping stuff interest seems to be growing.... 

 

Martin

[grahame]

17 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

There is a place for N gauge steam, Sonix are brave enough to try it with the 56xx, 

 

I think there is genuine concern about steam era sales in N. It's probably not good to pass it off as a myth. The market needs to be convinced and mostly that would be through pre-orders (which haven't exactly been forthcoming) especially now that the market has changed in recent years with crowdfunding, commissioning, limited runs, specialist one-off products, etc. Even Dapol required pre-orders before production would go-head for their prototype HST but that, presumably being a D&E era product, easily and quickly reached the required level. 

 

The Sonic 56XX was on the basis of a 'recommendation' from Colin, but Mike (RT - the importers/distributors) told us in the pub before Christmas that pre-orders haven't been fantastic. Although there is no need to pre-order as production is going ahead, my understanding is that it will be cheaper through RT rather than from retailers (of which there wont be many). Another claimed steam era product, the sturgeon wagon, that has made crowdfunding production through sufficient pre-orders only made it because around half of the orders were for the modern 'dutch' livery. With the other steam era projects struggling it does seem manufacturers would need to be very brave.

 

I do hope the Sonic 56XX does sell well. If not it could put in jeopardy further products from them.

 

 

 

 

[royaloak]

On 24/12/2019 at 01:24, jpendle said:

2020 will begin on January 1st and end on December 31st, other than that anything else gets very long odds.

 

John P

But we do get an extra day compared to 2019.