Bachmann Turbostars (Class 168, 170 & 171) - Retooled

[adb968008]

20 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

 

I know, but then they removed them from the combined volume. It doesn't mean to say they have to make them.

 

Didn't they announce a ScotRail 170 too?

Yes.

 

at the time of the cancelation, i took it to mean the old toolings that were outstanding, were canceled. Afterall that would make sense, why make an old one, that canabalises your new sale, and who would buy the old one when a new one is coming… 

 

i questioned that logic at the time in a post here

 

Ive not seen anything to suggest the whole project has been scrapped, just a lack of reporting on it until theres something to report… given that was 4 years ago, I can understand why.

 

I am hoping they are still working on it, my 2 car is lonely, in absence of an Electrostar its the closest thing Ive got to modelling my turf, and into LBG they are never 2 car.

 

However as the 158 took 7 years, we may have to wait past another Olympic games yet. I would like to think that before my daughter becomes an adult and forgets the hobby, she gets at least one model train that represents her childhood… shes 12 now.. 6 years left and at least 20 different classes of unit run around here to pick from… its that gap that I think will kill the hobby, if she grows up, has kids there wont be any models that she can draw from when she was younger… yet she’s full of the hobby today, as a father my wallets ready to encourage her, if there was anything to buy.

Edited October 15, 2022 by adb968008

[TomScrut]

4 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

Ive not seen anything to suggest the whole project has been scrapped

 

Me neither. But on the flipside nothing other than people on here saying they are working on it to say it isn't.

 

6 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

I am hoping they are still working on it

 

Likewise. Although it's a Northern one I am after and so given they haven't done that on a 158 yet it might be a while before a 170 turns up even if they do bring some out soon.

[St. Simon]

3 hours ago, TomScrut said:

So those of you who are absolutely positive this is being worked on? Where do Bachmann say they are definitely happening? I'd love them to happen but I am yet to see anything that convinces me.

Hi,

 

I had the chance to directly ask a senior representative of Bachmann last year whether they cancelled the Turbostar and they said “we’ve said we are working on it as per our public statement”

 

I also saw evidence of it being worked on, but I’m not at liberty to say what the evidence was.

 

Just because they haven’t said anything about progress doesn’t mean there isn’t any. I feel the statement is very clear as to the status of the model.

 

Simon

Edited October 15, 2022 by St. Simon

[WCML100]

Not sure how concrete this was but was told the project is no longer going ahead today by a Bachmann representative at warley…

[Pmorgancym]

12 hours ago, WCML100 said:

Not sure how concrete this was but was told the project is no longer going ahead today by a Bachmann representative at warley…

Seems odd they're pretty common wide ranging units with a healthy range of liveries.  Is it a case that the market hasn't responded well to the price of the 158s and the 170s are going to be pretty much the same?

[adb968008]

On 26/11/2022 at 21:19, WCML100 said:

Not sure how concrete this was but was told the project is no longer going ahead today by a Bachmann representative at warley…

Not what I was told.

 

we had a nice chat about this. The old Turbostar wasn’t bad but wasn’t DCC ready and it’s an older motor.

 

But I understand it’s still being worked on.
I don’t know the time line.

 

I did suggest its electrical sister would be a good accompaniment to the range, as would a new run of some SWR 450’s and LNWR & TPE 350’s.

 

As regards liveries I was told it’s natural to assume that any livery that fits the tooling will at some point be made, it’s just about timing.

I’m looking forwards to seeing it in 2-3 car formations.

 

There was a suggestions box in the club lounge, and of course they accept suggestions anytime .. if you want it.. let them know !

Edited November 30, 2022 by adb968008

[Sir TophamHatt]

I'd be surprised if they shelved it as their low under carriage motor arrangement from the 158 and S Stock can be recycled over and over again with a bit of tweaking.

 

The question is whether they get it out quicker than someone else.

Edited November 29, 2022 by Sir TophamHatt

[Craig1989]

I was told Sunday that it hadn’t been shelved 

 

cheers Craig 

[richierich]

The Turbostar Class 170 fleet has moved around a bit since introduction, so wider geographic appeal.
 

For example Northern have these in their fleet in 3 car form on Humberside and East Yorkshire diagrammes.

 

They are likely to be around for some years yet and outlive the Sprinter fleet, so worth producing a newly tooled version in my view. 

Edited December 12, 2022 by richierich

[adb968008]

8 hours ago, richierich said:

The Turbostar Class 170 fleet has moved around a bit since introduction, so wider geographic appeal.
 

For example Northern have these in their fleet in 3 car form on Humberside and East Yorkshire diagrammes.

 

They are likely to be around for some years yet and outlive the Sprinter fleet, so worth producing a newly tooled version in my view. 

Quite,

 

ive just seen pictures of a Southern 171 now in service with EMR.

[richierich]

14 hours ago, adb968008 said:

Quite,

 

ive just seen pictures of a Southern 171 now in service with EMR.

Interesting. The 171s have Dellner couplers. Although originally when delivered I believe they had BSI couplers.  

[JackB95]

2 hours ago, richierich said:

Interesting. The 171s have Dellner couplers. Although originally when delivered I believe they had BSI couplers.  

 

Correct. They were renumbered to 170/9s and have non-multi stickers to avoid them being accidentally diagrammed to hook up to BSI-fitted units. I'm lead to believe the reason they're still not classed as 171s is down to something about the safety case and how EMR don't have one for 171s but do for 170s, so just created a new sub-class to avoid the problem.

 

 

EMR also have white flavoured Turbos too 

 

 

 

[richierich]

45 minutes ago, JackB95 said:

 

Correct. They were renumbered to 170/9s and have non-multi stickers to avoid them being accidentally diagrammed to hook up to BSI-fitted units. I'm lead to believe the reason they're still not classed as 171s is down to something about the safety case and how EMR don't have one for 171s but do for 170s, so just created a new sub-class to avoid the problem.

 

 

EMR also have white flavoured Turbos too 

 

 

 

A speculative question is wonder if they will received BSI couplers again.  
 

Has the full 171 fleet gone to EMR? Wasn’t some of the 171 fleet 4 car?

['CHARD]

6 minutes ago, richierich said:

A speculative question is wonder if they will received BSI couplers again.  
 

Has the full 171 fleet gone to EMR? Wasn’t some of the 171 fleet 4 car?

 

AFAIK the 171s will be re-modified (back) to standard Class 170 operational/ coupling spec.  The units transferred are/ were the ex-ScotRail Class 170s.

 

Southern retains 171s, it has residual 4-car sets on its books too, can't recall the precise quantities off-hand.

Edited December 13, 2022 by 'CHARD
extra blurb

[JackB95]

5 minutes ago, richierich said:

A speculative question is wonder if they will received BSI couplers again.  
 

Has the full 171 fleet gone to EMR? Wasn’t some of the 171 fleet 4 car?

 

They will receive BSIs yes so they can work with the rest of their 170 fleet again. Guess they're not in any great rush.

Yeah there's still a handful of 171s with Southern. The 2 and 4 car formations have been all, or due to by the end of the year, changed to 3 cars. Basically, they've undone what the manufacturers gave them 

[MartinM]

My understanding is that the level of passengers on Southern has not recovered post Covid so they can get way with using less 171s and thus reduce their leasing costs, mainly on the Uckfield line, We had all hoped that the 171s would have generated enough traffic to justify 3rd rail electrification and the use of all electric stock.....  

[Covkid]

23 hours ago, JackB95 said:

 

They will receive BSIs yes so they can work with the rest of their 170 fleet again. Guess they're not in any great rush.

Yeah there's still a handful of 171s with Southern. The 2 and 4 car formations have been all, or due to by the end of the year, changed to 3 cars. Basically, they've undone what the manufacturers gave them 

 

From what I have read, despite huge numbers of BSI fitted pacers being ripped apart at the scrapyards, there is actually a shortage of overhauled BSI couplers for EMR acquisitions.  Hence the 170/9 subclass. 

 

Back to topic there are a number of variations for Bachmann to present - if they are still going ahead.  I really cannot believe Bachmann would shelve the project.  AIUI Bachmann could introduce the second or third Anglia liveries, then the modified livery whilst there were at TfW (different branding) then yet more different branding for those now with EMR.  The London Midland Trains livery was replaced by the orange ended WMR livery before EMR aubergine. Then the 171s which have moved to EMR with EMR branding on Southern livery etc, as well as the Scotrail 170/4s after their move to EMR.

 

Question, is the fourth car on the 4 car 171s very similar to the third car ?

AIUI the Southern fleet is being progressively reduced to a fleet of three car units, with maybe the odd two car unit left over.

 

What is clear is Bachmann have a huge opportunity for liveries on the reworked 170 / 171.  

[Pikey]

Literally all I see on the railway lines near my house are 2 and 3 car Cross Country 170s, and Voyagers. I have a XC Voyager, but only have a London Midland class 170, which dates from when London Midland was still a thing (shows how old the model now is!) - but it still looks the business.

 

I'd absolutely love a XC 170 - but the prices these fetch on ebay for a used model are frankly ridiculous -  Bachmann could re-release the existing model, undercutting the prices people want on ebay for a used XC one, and surely loads of people would buy them 🙂

[Covkid]

7 hours ago, Pikey said:

Literally all I see on the railway lines near my house are 2 and 3 car Cross Country 170s, and Voyagers. I have a XC Voyager, but only have a London Midland class 170, which dates from when London Midland was still a thing (shows how old the model now is!) - but it still looks the business.

 

I'd absolutely love a XC 170 - but the prices these fetch on ebay for a used model are frankly ridiculous -  Bachmann could re-release the existing model, undercutting the prices people want on ebay for a used XC one, and surely loads of people would buy them 🙂

The 170s have flitted around so much during the time the Bachmann turbostar has been out of the catalogue.  The small Anglia fleet were transferred to TfW then migrated to EMR at Etches Park.  The London Midland 170s became WMR 170s with a change of livery,  Some were repainted in EMR purple whilst still operating for WMR.  Six of the 3 car WMR class 170s lost their centre cars to XC, so those 1706xx became 1705xx, whilst the XC 170/5 were renumbered as 170/6s with their "new" cars.

 

The XC Turbostars are about to enter a refurb programme with another livery of red and white or red and silver I believe. The nthere is the Northern livery and the Scotrail Saltire livery as well as the various transitional badging of the EMR fleet as they were gathered from WMR, TfW, Scotrail and SOU.

 

certainly more liveries than Bachmann can shake a stick at  !!!!!  

[adb968008]

It does indeed feel the battle is being lost on post privatisation units… even the existing tooled ones.

its hard to keep the faith in modern image when the choice is freight, or remaining ex-BR era stock.

Even the existing toolings arent keeping upto date, as sides Hornbys 800... Turbostar, Voyager, 450.. all silent.

 

 

Difficult one, £500 units arent going to work.

Feels like the Hobby era’s system has stopped at Covid, bar a few tidbits.

 

right now it only hangs on Revolutions two units, and Hornbys odd choiced Anglia unit... contemporary modern image

“But that was just a dream
Try, cry, why try?
That was just a dream
Just a dream
Just a dream, dream”

 

 

Edited February 2 by adb968008