Bachmann 2016 Announcements

[Star-rider]

There is no guarantee that Bachmann will do the Great Western version although I'm sure they will.I'm waiting for Hornby to go a GWR Grange but I'm not holding my breath.

My apologies as I know this is Bachmann topic but this seems the place to mention the Hornby 2-8-0 tender locomotive (I believe erroneously referred to as a 38XX) which appeared in its year of release with GWR on the tender and then reissued the following year in exactly the same livery. Again, a sale lost to me personally, but if they shifted what they made they would not be worried.

 

I genuinely wonder how disruptive to production time and price it would be to do 700 units in one style and 300 in another as opposed to a single run of 1000 when the only difference is the printing of the detail of the livery on a common paint colour?

[Ozexpatriate]

I genuinely wonder how disruptive to production time and price it would be to do 700 units in one style and 300 in another as opposed to a single run of 1000 when the only difference is the printing of the detail of the livery on a common paint colour?

It certainly complicates the part number process. A new part number has to be assigned for the new running number / livery alternative.

 

It also complicates the manufacturing process because you have to get it right and that means managing the separation of the batch in the paint shop.

 

The US manufacturers tend to do more of this, particularly with wagons. (Of course this is done in the same factories as UK manufacturers use.) When a new wagon design is rolled out many, if not most, manufacturers will offer this in six or even eight different running numbers, all with consecutive part numbers for one livery. They will do this for multiple liveries as well. This encourages those who would like to build up unit trains to purchase more, but doesn't prevent people from purchasing one. 

[Jim76]

Does anyone know what the destination displays on the refurbished white / blue 101 are? I note one end is Crewe.

[The Black Hat]

Looking the price rises I think they are heading fast past anything justifiable. The sudden increases might be partly due to  increases of cost of the manufacture in china, but I don't think that explains it all. Such increases year on year will be ridiculous and will be pricing people out of the market and out of the hobby. Bachmann will find it harder to sell as many at a higher price, as people will just not recognize the price they see compared with a release due this year and for the same model. It will just make people think twice.  

 

Second hand models of such popular stock will vanish - that in turn will leave retailers with less stock to sell and if there are delays in production and less stock coming from the companies, will this hurt just as much as direct selling to our small model shops? Such higher prices just seem to be too big an increase for the reasons given and I think its ability to sell.

[298]

Hmm, that faux Super BG in yellow disappoints. I can see why a manufacturer would do it, but a standard BG with yellow painted winders might've been nearer the mark?

The Super BG was a specific RES conversion iirc so no other use than that?

 

They could have, but that wouldn't have delivered the roller doors that are a characteristic of the BTU Tool vans.

 

An expert will he able to tell you the disposition of redundant Super BG coaches, one obvious one is a "Preserved Railway Stores coach siding" train pack, consisting of faded Super BG coaches, other parcels vans, and redundant ISO shipping containers. They could even include a welding figures with a bright flashing strobe unit...

[DRS Crewe On A Mission]

Dan,

Not difficult to tell where your allegiances lie............

 

The 37/4 in LL blue will not be suitable for you as they're doing it in mid 1980's condition. As for renumbering, it looks like RVEL have gone a bit AWOL with the decals on 37402 anyway!

 

There are a couple of major variations in 20/3's so don't hold your breath on that one. Much more sense in buying a couple of cheap ones on ebay, a few Shawplan/EE bits and crack on with some "modelling".

 

As for not doing two NBelle 57/3's, they don't always run in pairs and you could always renumber. After all, you do mention the revised livery 57/3's with the option to renumber.

 

Wouldn't surprise me if the anniversary 57307 is already planned as a limited edition somewhere - along with a few more 66's to accompany the REx 66720 and the LT Museum pair....................

 

As for the "nothing in it for me", my wallet is fairly safe but I may succumb to a Belle 57/3 to stick on a couple of nuclear flasks. At least I can now proceed with my DBS red MBA and FTPEx 350 in the hope that they won't be around for at least 12 months

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

Yes Mick I'm a very big DRS fan as you can tell haha.

 

A shame to hear that 37401 won't be in it's current guise/condition. Was thinking about having a couple of those as well. One to keep as the original 401 and the other to become 403. Not to worry I can always have a look at having them done as resprays.

 

Very true about the Northern Belle 57305. Yes a renumber could be done to 57312 so that you could have the pair. Yes I agree that 57307 in the 20th Anniversary livery will appear somewhere as a Limited Edition probably this year seen as it's been wearing that livery now for about nine months. I was going to wait to see if it became available as a Limited Edition but I thought I might wait and it might not happen so I decided to bite the bullet and just buy it.

 

So now that I probably won't buy a 37401 or couple of them for that matter this just leaves 66040 and 66065 on my wish list. I will probably have one 66040 with sound and a couple/maybe three of 66065 with the DB stickers. One to keep as the original 065 and a couple to renumber. That's very good because that doesn't even really go past £500 which for me is brilliant compared to last years announcement.

 

I'm pleased in a way that Bachmann are playing catch up because so am I but with saving money haha.

 

I would advise anyone to by the Northern Belle 57305 and another to renumber to 57312. I have the pair as resprays and I run them on flasks quite a lot and they do look superb. Well done to Bachmann for that announcement. I would say that's a definite winner.

 

Something I am not quite understanding and this has been mentioned previously is Bachmann are still pushing the Freightliner liveried 57/0s. We have already got 57001/003/008/010/011 at least (I may have missed some off) and now their is going to be a 57007. But yet we only have one DRS Compass 57/0 namely 57011? Surely we should have another one or two Compass 57/0s and/or 57003/007/010 in the Revised livery.

 

Again just my own personal views and opinions.

[jjb1970]

Another year of consolidation. The 319 is a great release in N, just a shame they weren't also doing it in OO. The 2-HAP is a good release for those of us who like Southern region multiple units. For the rest, the coaches with passengers is a good innovation and an additional charge of £10 seems very reasonable.

 

I think Bachmann are at an opposite pole to Hornby just now, Hornby are cranking new releases out and delivering a lot of new tooling but in a bit of a financial hole. Bachmann have production issues and are taking a very conservative approach to new tooling, I'm hoping their financial position will be better than that of Hornby but Kader have also had a troubled time in recent years.

 

I tend to think Bachmann are following the right path in trying to catch up with the accumulated releases carried over from previous years and not getting carried away with going flat out for new tooling but it doesn't really inspire people to see such a pragmatic approach. 

['CHARD]

Such increases year on year will be ridiculous and will be pricing people out of the market and out of the hobby. 

 

Out of the hobby?  

 

As if many of us haven't got far too many toys already, I think the reality will be nearer to a reduced quantity of consumption, and fewer impulse, 'non-essential' purchases.

[jjb1970]

On prices, my honest opinion is that the answer to rising prices is to be more selective in what you buy and avoid impulse buys or "out of area" buys. I used to be completely scatter brained and built up was might be called an eclectic mix of models from almost every country and era that you could imagine. Nowadays I tend to stick to my core interests and don't buy very much and oddly (or perhaps not oddly) I've found I get more pleasure and satisfaction from those models I do buy.

[JSpencer]

Hattons are quoting the NSE Mk1 coach pack 39-003 as both weathered with figures however Bachmann (nor this thread) do not make any mention about the figures.

 

Even at Hattons discounted price of £101, I will admit that I find it hard to justify £50+ for a Mk 1 coach. Bachmann is right to be cautious, there are questions over whether this can be sustained and supported.

[grahame]

. . . . increases year on year will be ridiculous and will be pricing people out of the market and out of the hobby.

 

 

All prices, of just about all consumable goods, tend to increase year on year, it's an unpalatable fact of life. And at whatever the price level there will always be those who are priced out of the hobby - even at lower prices. Fortunately our models are luxury goods, they are not essentials.

 

Those that can, will continue to spend, others will set a budget and scale back the quantity they buy up to that budget, while the others are the disenfranchised. A few will do some more modelling.

 

G.

['CHARD]

Hattons are quoting the NSE Mk1 coach pack 39-003 as both weathered with figures however Bachmann (nor this thread) do not make any mention about the figures.

 

Even at Hattons discounted price of £101, I will admit that I find it hard to justify £50+ for a Mk 1 coach. Bachmann is right to be cautious, there are questions over whether this can be sustained and supported.

 

If only Hornby would release its MkIs in Blue and Grey, and another couple of body variants, a substantially larger portion of the market would be satisfied.....  

[DRS Crewe On A Mission]

One word shocked!

 

Just checked on Hattons to see if the photos/prices have been uploaded onto the pages for the new models announced in yesterdays announcement.

 

Considering that last year Bachmann announced Freightliner Powerhaul 66416 and DRS Revised 66434 as two new standard models which are both due in May/June this year and they are priced at £118.96 which is already an increase of between £20-£30 compared to previous 66s which have been produced before, Bachmann have 66065 in EWS livery with DB stickers applied at £140.21! So yet another increase in price for the 66s. That's now two years in a row! So in two years the standard Bachmann Class 66 models (not Limited Editions) have gone up by between £40-£50 per model.

 

I don't know how Bachmann expect us to keep up with these prices. Especially considering that the original EWS livery for the 66s is a current livery and not a new livery for them to produce and the only change is the removal of the EWS lettering and the application of small red DB logos how do this warrant an increase in price of precisely £21.25 per loco? I expected the price for this loco to remain the same as 416 and 434 which is £118.96 and not yet another price hike for a second year running.  

 

How does this make sense when you can buy the Limited Edition 66718 and 66721 for less than £154 and they are very complex/intricate/unique/special liveries and both are Limited Editions but yet this time next year we are going to be paying £140.21 for a standard model in an existing livery with minimal changes? 

[ThaneofFife]

we all want the quality, we dont all like the price increases.............I think it just focuses the mind more and we make fewer frivolous impulse buys as we may have done in previous years when you got a loco for say £60 discounted or dcc sound fitted for £130.  those were the days!

[farren]

I'm so sorry for opening this tan of warms up Andy. But all I was getting at is I am sure Bachmann had a 3year plan where prices would rises could be upto I think 50% price hick was mentioned. Now I can't remember if it was 2 3 or 4years ago now. Then we see more big rises on some models. I was just wondering if this is coming to the end now.

 

Or is it.

 

Has my A level Physics teacher used to say. " at some point a reason becomes just a excuse"

[brittannia]

Bachmann did announce couple of years ago that there would be approximately  yearly 15% rises , due to pay rises in the Chinese manufacturing sector

 

One word shocked!

 

Just checked on Hattons to see if the photos/prices have been uploaded onto the pages for the new models announced in yesterdays announcement.

 

Considering that last year Bachmann announced Freightliner Powerhaul 66416 and DRS Revised 66434 as two new standard models which are both due in May/June this year and they are priced at £118.96 which is already an increase of between £20-£30 compared to previous 66s which have been produced before, Bachmann have 66065 in EWS livery with DB stickers applied at £140.21! So yet another increase in price for the 66s. That's now two years in a row! So in two years the standard Bachmann Class 66 models (not Limited Editions) have gone up by between £40-£50 per model.

 

I don't know how Bachmann expect us to keep up with these prices. Especially considering that the original EWS livery for the 66s is a current livery and not a new livery for them to produce and the only change is the removal of the EWS lettering and the application of small red DB logos how do this warrant an increase in price of precisely £21.25 per loco? I expected the price for this loco to remain the same as 416 and 434 which is £118.96 and not yet another price hike for a second year running.  

 

How does this make sense when you can buy the Limited Edition 66718 and 66721 for less than £154 and they are very complex/intricate/unique/special liveries and both are Limited Editions but yet this time next year we are going to be paying £140.21 for a standard model in an existing livery with minimal changes? 

['CHARD]

 

I don't know how Bachmann expect us to keep up with these prices. 

 

How does this make sense when you can buy the Limited Edition 66718 and 66721 for less than £154 and they are very complex/intricate/unique/special liveries and both are Limited Editions but yet this time next year we are going to be paying £140.21 for a standard model in an existing livery with minimal changes? 

 

Bachmann don't expect contributors to this thread, per se, to keep up with the prices.  So long as someone buys the products in sufficient quantities, their commercial decisions are vindicated.  Remember, these releases are issued in far smaller quantities than the days when D1071, 37073 and 45039 were produced year after year, so there is a strong likelihood that they will pre-sell the entire batch of each.

 

Regarding the relative production cost of different liveries, this is barely relevant.  Bachmann, like all producers of consumer luxury retail items, sets prices according to its own policy and pricing strategy, not by applying a uniform mark up across its cost of sales for each product.

[darren01]

Looking the price rises I think they are heading fast past anything justifiable. The sudden increases might be partly due to  increases of cost of the manufacture in china, but I don't think that explains it all. Such increases year on year will be ridiculous and will be pricing people out of the market and out of the hobby. Bachmann will find it harder to sell as many at a higher price, as people will just not recognize the price they see compared with a release due this year and for the same model. It will just make people think twice.  

 

Second hand models of such popular stock will vanish - that in turn will leave retailers with less stock to sell and if there are delays in production and less stock coming from the companies, will this hurt just as much as direct selling to our small model shops? Such higher prices just seem to be too big an increase for the reasons given and I think its ability to sell.

I agree i  have almost stop buying Bachman products as i have felt the price rise have made me think twice about do i need that, Over the last two years i have only brought one model from Bachmann and that was the 64xx.

I can not see this lasting at these new prices and i think that a lot of stock will end up getting dusty in shops, until they hit the bargain bins.

It's getting to the point where is do i buy this loco at the new price and feel it's value for money?, no matter how much we say, "well it's the cost to make the model, ect, it's got to end at some point where the market forces tell that the price is way to high and sales drop. 

We can not get away from the fact that price and price value mean a lot into days business,where money is tight.

[Guest spet0114]

Really pleased with this year's offerings. An E4, J11, D11/1 and Class 47 will all be on my shopping list.

 

With Bachmann announcing a 2-HAP, and the NRM's example currently receiving some much-needed TLC, it seems a good chance that we might see a Locomotion 'NCIM' exclusive before long. That said, Locomotion like to announce things relatively close to production, so it might not be announced for a while. Not to worry - just gives us more time to save up!

 

Cheers
Adrian

[DRS Crewe On A Mission]

Bachmann did announce couple of years ago that there would be approximately  yearly 15% rises , due to pay rises in the Chinese manufacturing sector

 

 

Bachmann don't expect contributors to this thread, per se, to keep up with the prices.  So long as someone buys the products in sufficient quantities, their commercial decisions are vindicated.  Remember, these releases are issued in far smaller quantities than the days when D1071, 37073 and 45039 were produced year after year, so there is a strong likelihood that they will pre-sell the entire batch of each.

 

Regarding the relative production cost of different liveries, this is barely relevant.  Bachmann, like all producers of consumer luxury retail items, sets prices according to its own policy and pricing strategy, not by applying a uniform mark up across its cost of sales for each product.

 

Thank you very much both for the replies.

 

It's very interesting to know about the yearly 15% price increases because I wasn't aware of this.

 

Chard: I don't expect Bachmann to charge the prices that we want/that we expect but considering that within two years one class of loco (66s) for standard models have increased in price between £40-£50 it's definitely not good for us as the consumer. I was hoping that with the price increase last year for 416 and 434 by £20-£30 compared to previous 66s, that that would be enough and that the new 66s announced yesterday would remain at the relatively new price of £118.96 each.

 

The point I am making is for 66065 with the DB stickers is that all that is required is the removal of the EWS lettering and the application of a few DB stickers. It's very minimal and doesn't exactly warrant an additional £21.25 on top of last years price hike.

 

Don't get me wrong I probably will still buy this model but probably not in the quantity that I originally thought that I would.

 

Kind Regards.

[class29returns]

And I thought Deltic 003 had reappeared for a reason......

[brittannia]

It is quite interesting that Bachmann have listed Regional Railways Cl 37 and coaches [with passengers in the coaches  Hattons price £51 per coach !] as it must about 10 years since they have been produced, presumably they were perhaps a slow seller, although the first 37 was not well received because of the faulty body representation.

[No Decorum]

I've been waiting for years for Bachmann to do an LMS version of the 7F. Late last year I finally had enough and bought a renumbered - reliveried version. Done well, not perfect, but I had my LMS version at last!  And lo and behold, this year Bachmann announces the LMS version....

Hard luck – every sympathy. I have waited for a 7F in either LMS or S&DJR black and behold!

[159220]

The point I am making is for 66065 with the DB stickers is that all that is required is the removal of the EWS lettering and the application of a few DB stickers. It's very minimal and doesn't exactly warrant an additional £21.25 on top of last years price hike.

 

 

To be fair, 66065 is weathered too, which adds to the production cost. The base 2016-17 66 (66711) is now rrp £149.95 which is a £10 increase in rrp since the 2015-16 66s (66416 etc)  at £139.95 which represents a 9% increase in an environment where prices are increasing 20% yearly until 2019 when Chinese minimum wage shall equal that to the west.

 

Here is the link to the original thread discussing Bachmann's justification and plan: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/85287-Bachmann-why-price-increases-are-necessary/

 

 

From tomorrow through to 1st May 2019 there are wage increases dictated by government which will come into effect roughly at an increase of 20% per annum for those five years meaning that wages will effectively double from around £3/hr to £6/hr. It will probably cost employers another £1/hr to cover the mandatory free medical insurance and pension rights their employees will now have.

 

I remember saying on that thread, it is only fair the Chinese are paid a fair wage for a good quality of life. And seeing if these models were produced in the UK, they would cost double they do now....well....Bachmann would not produce in the UK as it is a Chinese company...

 

It is admirable that Bachmann have announced this year they hope to minimise price rises to 2-4%, though I cannot see this on items I want, which are around 8-11% on rrp.

 

Shall be interesting to see what the market can take, a worry for the entire west as we see wage inflation in China, sadly Bachmann cannot diversify to other economically appealing wages nations (who in time shall rightly demand fair wages)

[Dunsignalling]

One of the problems facing medium skill / low volume producers in China, (the category into which the model railway sector falls) is that their workers are regularly tempted away by other companies offering higher wages for easier work.

 

In time, all this will settle itself; the factories will either pay what they have to in order to attract/retain sufficient staff or shrink their output to match the available workforce. 

 

Either course of action will put upward pressure on the prices we are asked to pay and our reaction to that will determine whether we continue to be provided with the variety of products to which we have become accustomed. In short, if we consistently buy less, future production will be adjusted to match and, if this became a vicious circle, it could conceivably lead to  producers active in multiple markets rebalancing their operations to the detriment of UK consumers.

 

However, there is enough high quality post-2000 "stuff" sloshing around the swapmeet circuit and ebay to keep modellers and collectors going for decades however short supplies of new product might become.

 

John