Bachmann announce NEW Class 47

[No Decorum]

59 minutes ago, rob D2 said:

I haven’t read about the windscreen , what’s the USP ?

Andy York is quite excited about it because he has tried to reproduce the effect without success but Bachmann, he says, has succeeded. It’s the coating on later 47’s windscreens intended, I believe, as a demister.

 

Make a pot of tea.

 

[Chilly]

Looking good, might just be tempted 

[Sir TophamHatt]

21 hours ago, brushman47544 said:

Is he? If his You Tube channel is a major source of his income, he will want to play to his subscribers or they may go away. As long as advertisers don't think his comments mean fewer sales / lost income for them, he may at least in some part be saying what they expect to hear.

The difference is how YouTube allows people to generate income through the ads.
I thought it used to be subscriber numbers but then they changed it to views per video (I may have that wrong)?

Because I suspect a third of the subscribers will never watch a video of his again (like many subscribers) and people subscribe to anything.  I have a channel with about 6 videos on it, three of which were showing the Hattons 66 wobble.  I have about 10 subscribers.  My channel is trash, why on earth anyone would subscribe is beyond me.

 

But then I am still un-easy at things like patrons and such where people are effectively paying someone (and companies "donating" items) to review or use (or in the case of companies, advertise) something.  Build a channel of thousands of subscribers (example above how easy it is to get them) and get sent free stuff - effectively having a model railway and someone else paying for it - yes please!

It's quite a new business model really - I can see why there's a current demise in billboard advertising on buses.  Old hat.

 

 

As for the 47, I'm still bored by it as it holds absolutely no interest for me.

But if it helps Bachmann get up to date, maybe they'll employ the same features in something I would be interested in.

[mdvle]

On 07/09/2021 at 06:52, Sir TophamHatt said:

The difference is how YouTube allows people to generate income through the ads.
I thought it used to be subscriber numbers but then they changed it to views per video (I may have that wrong)?

 

Google keeps changing things (both for YouTube and their search algorithms) to reflect changes so any definitive answer may not be true for long.

 

But in general any payments will be based on views - because views are what allow Google to run ads.

 

Subscriber numbers though apparently are used to help determine whether Google puts a video in front of a new audience - part of the recommendations system.

 

So anyone generating YouTube content (or any social media) want both numbers to be as high as possible.

 

On 07/09/2021 at 06:52, Sir TophamHatt said:

But then I am still un-easy at things like patrons and such where people are effectively paying someone (and companies "donating" items) to review or use (or in the case of companies, advertise) something.  Build a channel of thousands of subscribers (example above how easy it is to get them) and get sent free stuff - effectively having a model railway and someone else paying for it - yes please!

 

I don't care for Sam's channel, but I'm not going to dismiss what he has achieved.

 

He currently has 107,000 subscribers and that actually is quite an achievement - YouTube starts giving out plaques at 100k subscribers (Silver) and they wouldn't be handing out free stuff to channels that were very common.

 

As for free stuff, unless you are an extremely niche interest area you are unlikely to get much if any free stuff for a few thousand subscribers.

[adb968008]

107k subscribers = 100k enthusiasts, more than any railway magazine subscribers.. and yet a good proportion of the hobby dont use the internet… makes you wonder how many enthusiasts there are out there.

 

 

[ruggedpeak]

19 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

107k subscribers = 100k enthusiasts, more than any railway magazine subscribers.. and yet a good proportion of the hobby dont use the internet… makes you wonder how many enthusiasts there are out there.

A lot probably, but many of the subs will be armchair and subscribe to a zilion other things as well, getting their bite sized content drip feed via various apps etc.

 

Subscribing is free and a one click operation that is constantly reinforced during the content. No comparison with a magazine that you have to sign up to and pay for, even digitally. How many would he have if he was charging £40 a year for his content and didn't have the global marketing power of youtube and google doing the heavy lifting? Not to criticise, just totally different content and experience. Whilst he may get 'free' stuff does it actually translate into sales (the old P&G adage about 50% of advertising works...)? He is an influencer, not an 'expert', and that is where the business is at in the world of social media. No different to a celeb wearing swim/underwear on 'holiday' on Insta.

 

It is part of the media ecosystem for the hobby, even if people like me do not get it at all!!

Edited September 12, 2021 by ruggedpeak

[Monkersson]

12 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

107k subscribers = 100k enthusiasts, more than any railway magazine subscribers.. and yet a good proportion of the hobby dont use the internet… makes you wonder how many enthusiasts there are out there.

 

 

107k subscribers, but how many of those are enthusiasts?  How many of those actually watch his videos?  

 

People subscribe to anything, subscriber numbers mean nothing.  I put a video up a few years back of nothing in particular just to try uploading, about 30 seconds long.  Had 19 subscribers.  

 

Makes you wonder how many people subscribe/like anything on social media that have no interest in what ever the subject mater is

[adb968008]

Your both missing the point.

ive no axe to grind about sams trains, my point was about estimating the size of the hobby.

 

if you didn’t like model railways, why would you subscribe in the first place, even if you don't watch the channel, or are passive about it.

 

I doubt he’s even got 50% of the online audience, and obviously none of the offline audience.

 

[wombatofludham]

I'm beginning to think we need a separate Sam's Trains thread so we can continue to keep this channel clear for 47 related news.  However, on the point that there are a lot of model enthusiasts who don't use the internet, I know a few who do, but who would never use a forum like this, but only deal with fellow enthusiasts via YouTube, or other social media (and often not via Facebook which now has a "grannies and grandads" reputation).  Of the dozen or so active modellers I know I'm the only one active here, all the rest do their own thing via YouTube communities or messaging apps.

All of which goes to show it is probably impossible to gauge the true market demographics of railway modelling via chosen medium of communication.  

[Krieghoff]

I can honestly say ive never known a topic go so 'off piste'

 

Can we reserve the 'Sams trains et all for somewhere else folks. 

[rob D2]

19 minutes ago, Krieghoff said:

I can honestly say ive never known a topic go so 'off piste'

 

Can we reserve the 'Sams trains et all for somewhere else folks. 

You haven’t been here that long then !

[Krieghoff]

2 hours ago, rob D2 said:

You haven’t been here that long then !

I have Rob, i just think that its getting worse matey. Cant understand why we cant keep the posts and threads separate. Perhaps Admin can shed light on it ??

[younGGuns7]

2 hours ago, Krieghoff said:

I can honestly say ive never known a topic go so 'off piste'

 

Can we reserve the 'Sams trains et all for somewhere else folks. 

I tried to get the thread back on track some pages ago but alas others have their own  agendas, I have stopped watching this thread as the title really doesn’t reflect the content and I feel for the guys at Bachmann who really put together an great opening statement must be despairing at the content 

[TomScrut]

1 hour ago, younGGuns7 said:

must be despairing at the content

 

Well I expect that the reasons threads go OT is because there is little to say about the main subject. The last 5 posts have all been of complaints about going OT but not a squeak about 47s other than saying people aren't talking about 47s.

 

My (potentially futile) attempt to talk about the model...

 

One thing I don't think I have mentioned on here, the fact there isn't a preserved/operational one in the mix so far, I wonder if that will be the next Collector's Club model? Having said that the last CC loco was a modern one and the last OO release was also modern coaches. They do however have a tendency to gravitate towards farily modern stuff for their limited editions. Most of the steam ones are preserved too.

[Shoey]

I’ve not had the time to keep up with the pages that are growing on this topic but can someone kindly confirm whether the models that have ploughs - do these now fit to the buffer beam or do they still attach to the bogies, therefore ‘swing’ when negotiating curves and pointwork? TIA.

[TomScrut]

21 minutes ago, Shoey said:

I’ve not had the time to keep up with the pages that are growing on this topic but can someone kindly confirm whether the models that have ploughs - do these now fit to the buffer beam or do they still attach to the bogies, therefore ‘swing’ when negotiating curves and pointwork? TIA.

 

I am undecided on this. I thought on the first video (with unpainted samples) it looked as though they were on a kinematic coupler and therefore wouldn't move, but the release video with the finished model on it looked like they were bogie mounted. I don't think anyone came up with anything definitive when we were discussing it. I'd recommend watching the videos and see what you think.

[Ultimate Model Railways]

The launch blog post says:

 

Quote

Detachable coupling pockets to NEM362 standards fitted to each bogie

 

This photo, to me, suggests they're NEM mounted (therefore bogie?)

[Shoey]

Bit of a shame really if they are bogie mounted still, especially going to the lengths they have with light lenses, glazing and serious levels of detail!

[rob D2]

I'm sure a few pages back , someone said still bogie mounted .

they look same design as current model , which are not very good - was hoping they'd look more prototypical 

[rob D2]

Actually looking at that front view it seems they are still going with the old cut out slots in front for buffer beam steps , didn't work so well on original ( step either stuck to body or buffer beam or one of each ) . Dunno why they  persisted with it again , can a step not be moulded just on buffer beam like real thing ?

 

[mdvle]

11 hours ago, Monkersson said:

107k subscribers, but how many of those are enthusiasts?  How many of those actually watch his videos? 

 

The beauty of YouTube is the numbers are all right there for everyone to see.

 

Sam seems to get an average of 20k to 30k of views for each of his videos, with some much more popular (KR GT3 79k views, Hornby 2021 range launch 49k, Bachmann vs Hornby 108k) - and then there are his Thomas videos with at least 4 above 500k views.

 

Or his latest - Getting Started Painting Model Trains | I Got an Airbrush at 20k views so far (1 week old).

 

For comparison 2 of the print magazines appear to have circulation in the 20k to 25k range per ABC.

 

[55020]

49 minutes ago, mdvle said:

 

The beauty of YouTube is the numbers are all right there for everyone to see.

 

Sam seems to get an average of 20k to 30k of views for each of his videos, with some much more popular (KR GT3 79k views, Hornby 2021 range launch 49k, Bachmann vs Hornby 108k) - and then there are his Thomas videos with at least 4 above 500k views.

 

Or his latest - Getting Started Painting Model Trains | I Got an Airbrush at 20k views so far (1 week old).

 

For comparison 2 of the print magazines appear to have circulation in the 20k to 25k range per ABC.

 

 

Just when we were starting to talk again about a Class 47, things get dragged back off topic

 

Aaaarghhhhh!

 

[Class 158 productions]

9 hours ago, rob D2 said:

Actually looking at that front view it seems they are still going with the old cut out slots in front for buffer beam steps , didn't work so well on original ( step either stuck to body or buffer beam or one of each ) . Dunno why they  persisted with it again , can a step not be moulded just on buffer beam like real thing ?

 

I guess this is problem with not announcing stuff when work is started on it. There is a lack of peer review. And if problems are mentioned there is little that can be done to fix it. Whilst Bachmann and others have been slated for long release times, it has some benefits. The steps and the snowploughs are annoying. Snow ploughs easier to solve. I’m sure alternatives are available. It Does leave Heljan in a position to exploit these ‘weaknesses’. Also I’m not slating Bachmanns new announcement policy, it is far better and having waited almost a decade for the 158, it’s a welcome change. Also as with most recent models, the criticisms are tiny, but at a £229 price tag any problem is a big one imo. 

Edited September 13, 2021 by Class 158 productions

[Ian J.]

Those footsteps with those cut outs do look ugly so close up. I imagine with weathering and a normal viewing distance they won't look so bad, but in this case a moulded footstep would look to have been a perfectly acceptable way of representing the prototype's footstep so it does seem odd to have gone down the separate part route in this instance.

[Global]

5 hours ago, Class 158 productions said:

I guess this is problem with not announcing stuff when work is started on it. There is a lack of peer review. And if problems are mentioned there is little that can be done to fix it. Whilst Bachmann and others have been slated for long release times, it has some benefits. The steps and the snowploughs are annoying. Snow ploughs easier to solve. I’m sure alternatives are available. It Does leave Heljan in a position to exploit these ‘weaknesses’. Also I’m not slating Bachmanns new announcement policy, it is far better and having waited almost a decade for the 158, it’s a welcome change. Also as with most recent models, the criticisms are tiny, but at a £229 price tag any problem is a big one imo. 

I think Heljan have far bigger weaknesses with the shape to fix themselves! 
 

I was looking at the Heljan O gauge livery samples and they appear to have had to modify the livery on the Dutch one to hide the fact the side windows are too low - there now being too much black around the cab windows and the yellow stripe is too deep.

 

The Bachmann one does look far better but it is a shame about the ploughs.

 

I do hope that we see regular releases of this model in various liveries, and with multiple running numbers, rather than being drip fed infrequently as before. 

 

The one bonus with Heljan was there were a large number of releases (including those from Gaugemaster) and I would have got around 9 or 10 from the first batch.