Bachmann announce Class 69 in OO and N.

[Bearwood West Yard]

In terms of tooling and changes to later outshopped 69's, it can be easy to forget as modellers that manufacturers take dimensions from a single loco more or less because that is whats available to dimension from. As for not updating a tooling suite to match the currently outshopped 69's... engineering specifications are always subject to revision at some point, and I doubt Bachmann are going to be lobbying to gain access to take fresh dimensions from every loco that rolls off the production line - let alone whether they would be granted access. 

With the future of the 69's being uncertain as the class' mainline certification has been suspended pending the operator's decision on their future, one could argue that this was a risk of modelling the ultra-modern where anything is possible. It certainly would not be the only loco class to be confined to the history books in the event they are permanently mothballed. 

[TomScrut]

7 hours ago, brushman47544 said:

What I meant was that - as long as these areas are covered by separate slides

 

I get that, but is it known what all the variances will be yet?

 

I.e. is the information available that dictates where they put the slides? It would be rather typical that Bachmann take sensible guesses and then the last one comes with a change that their tooling doesn't allow for without significant modification.

[adb968008]

54 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

 

I get that, but is it known what all the variances will be yet?

 

I.e. is the information available that dictates where they put the slides? It would be rather typical that Bachmann take sensible guesses and then the last one comes with a change that their tooling doesn't allow for without significant modification.

And you can just bet it will appear in a livery that everyone will want too!

 

I think we just have to sit tight and be patient.

 

I was thinking to chop up an old Mainline 56, the fit roof panels from both a Hornby 66 and sections of a Dapol 68 mis-printed body, a bit of filing on the cab then buy the light clusters from here…

https://www.track3drailwayparts.store/products/class-69-light-kit-oo-gauge

 

A bit of grey undercoat, and some yellow end patches.

Might be all in for under £50…. 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by adb968008

[adb968008]

So.. 69001.

 

(wiki link) 

 

 

its changed…

 

(flickr url)

 

looks like a new cab roof.. aerial pods have gone, as has the rainstrip.

 

seems like it used to be rivetted on is now welded, and a rainstrip gutter added over the doors and cab side windows.

 

repainted roof, now the blue extends over the orange cantrail down past the wipers.

same both ends.

Cutting tooling too early can be costly in modelling, when the real prototype is still evolving.

 

 

[Andy7]

1 hour ago, adb968008 said:

So.. 69001.

 

(wiki link) 

 

 

its changed…

 

(flickr url)

 

looks like a new cab roof.. aerial pods have gone, as has the rainstrip.

 

seems like it used to be rivetted on is now welded, and a rainstrip gutter added over the doors and cab side windows.

 

repainted roof, now the blue extends over the orange cantrail down past the wipers.

same both ends.

Cutting tooling too early can be costly in modelling, when the real prototype is still evolving.

 

 

Your pictures above are of different ends?

[adb968008]

21 minutes ago, Andy7 said:

Your pictures above are of different ends?

Makes no difference..

flickr is your friend.

 

both ends before / after have had the same mods.

interestingly 69007 was out with 69001 last week but has not had its cab roof altered.

69001’s windscreen wipers have changed to match 69007’s too.

pictures less resolution but its still obvious..

 

(flickr url, not mine)

 

theres actually a better one of the other end here..

 

(flickr url/ not mine)

it also shows the blue painting of each end under the orange stripe is different, one end finishes along the windscreen wipe, the other above the cantrail.
 

However both cab roofs have had the same aerial pods removed, and rain gutter mods and looks like some welding.

 

 

Edited April 12, 2023 by adb968008

[Andy7]

6 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

Makes no difference..

flickr is your friend.

 

both ends before / after have had the same mods.

interestingly 69007 was out with 69001 last week but has not had its cab roof altered.

69001’s windscreen wipers have changed to match 69007’s too.

pictures less resolution but its still obvious..

 

(flickr url, not mine)

 

 

I wasn’t doing a red pen homework correction but merely pointing out your mistake. The fact that both ends have changed is mere details.

 

I’m pretty sure I read in an article that leaks were a problem. As such that mod seems to fit for that issue.

 

 

[adb968008]

5 minutes ago, Andy7 said:

I wasn’t doing a red pen homework correction but merely pointing out your mistake. The fact that both ends have changed is mere details.

 

I’m pretty sure I read in an article that leaks were a problem. As such that mod seems to fit for that issue.

 

 

Question is, without a rainstrip gutter across the front, is more rain water going to now obscure the windows ?

 

The roofs are important though, theres at least 5 variants of cab roof now, between 8 locos, and one of them has different aerial remains at either end… thats before looking at difference beneath the cantrail… 69008 is a whole unique beast.

 

 

Edited April 12, 2023 by adb968008

[Roy Langridge]

5 hours ago, adb968008 said:

seems like it used to be rivetted on is now welded, and a rainstrip gutter added over the doors and cab side windows.

 

The cab roof was, I believe, always welded on. The missing rivets just held on the now removed gutter. 
 

Roy

[woodenhead]

Some thoughts on this class as a model:

• Hornby - would simply repaint a class 56 in the various liveries
• KR Models - one body will do them all, both ends the same and no variations other than livery
• Bachmann - will do a good representation of most of the variations but there may be a cut off and there might be some models missing or with acceptable differences to prototype
• Accurascale - Hold my beer!

[Denny]

I've heard Bachmann are producing 001 to 005 initially and that we could see the first arrivals by the end of the year. 

Just as I finish my own rough and ready, unnumbered Hornby 56 conversion.

 

Quite chuffed with my first ever attempt at RTR model modifications - learnt a lot! 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 13, 2023 by Denny

[adb968008]

And so forth another unique 69, different to the other 7, 69008 trundles towards the kent border today, albeit after several months in undercoat its now in gbrf…

 

filmed about 30 mins ago after a tip off and a pdq drive,…

 

 

So close to being bowled out too !

 

 

 

completely smooth cab roof, extra socket on the front breaking the stripe, as well as a dellner.

 

Edited June 23, 2023 by adb968008

[No Decorum]

6 hours ago, adb968008 said:

And so forth another unique 69, different to the other 7, 69008 trundles towards the kent border today, albeit after several months in undercoat its now in gbrf…

 

filmed about 30 mins ago after a tip off and a pdq drive,…

 

 

So close to being bowled out too !

 

 

 

completely smooth cab roof, extra socket on the front breaking the stripe, as well as a dellner.

 

Thank you for posting that. It looks grand. I can’t bring myself to like flags fluttering in the opposite direction to a loco’s direction of travel, still less a pair of flags fluttering in opposite diretions! Bachy has it made with so many livery variations to offer.

[Roy Langridge]

9 minutes ago, No Decorum said:

Bachy has it made with so many livery variations to offer.

Does it though? With Bachmann now upping their game with higher spec models, these aren’t a simple relivery job and would require multiple tooling options to be accurate. 
 

Roy

[No Decorum]

1 minute ago, Roy Langridge said:

Does it though? With Bachmann now upping their game with higher spec models, these aren’t a simple relivery job and would require multiple tooling options to be accurate. 
 

Roy

Perhaps Bachmann will wait to see what slides &c. will be needed before starting tooling. Maybe SF de luxe versions will be offered. Bachmann was cautious with the number of de luxe 47s in case it was a step to far but they were the first to sell out. Granted 47s are a classic but the 69s are novel. I’m looking forward to these, even if a corner or two is reasonably cut.

[adb968008]

Latest Bachmann times suggests the class 69 is at EP stage.

[Shoey]

Apologies if this has already been discussed but will these 69’s come as:

DCC ready

DCC sound

DCC sound deluxe

Also, is anywhere taking preorders at all? I’m guessing these will prove to be very popular!

 

TIA

[adb968008]

3 minutes ago, Shoey said:

Apologies if this has already been discussed but will these 69’s come as:

DCC ready

DCC sound

DCC sound deluxe

Also, is anywhere taking preorders at all? I’m guessing these will prove to be very popular!

 

TIA

Going off previous model iterations, I suspect its a while away yet.

[Covkid]

18 hours ago, Shoey said:

Apologies if this has already been discussed but will these 69’s come as:

DCC ready

DCC sound

DCC sound deluxe

Also, is anywhere taking preorders at all? I’m guessing these will prove to be very popular!

 

TIA

Hope Bachmann incorporate the distinctive class 56 bogie clatter on the 69s.  Actually if hall sensors are effective perhaps the sensor could "sense" switches and crossings and clatter appropriately.  That could be an interesting and novel feature for a short while but might because tedious.   

[TomScrut]

19 hours ago, adb968008 said:

Going off previous model iterations, I suspect its a while away yet.

 

I do wonder how Bachmann will go with announcing the actual models. The 69 was an exception to the "coming this quarter/half" rule we have with Bachmann nowadays.

 

Will they show their hand at livery sample stage or will they keep us in the dark (in Bachmann Times) until they are imminent?

[97403_Ixion]

3 hours ago, Covkid said:

Hope Bachmann incorporate the distinctive class 56 bogie clatter on the 69s.  Actually if hall sensors are effective perhaps the sensor could "sense" switches and crossings and clatter appropriately.  That could be an interesting and novel feature for a short while but might because tedious.   

That would be a great idea!  Though I don't think the hall sensor would detect that - I believe they use such sensors to detect a magnet's position (by rotation of the bogie), to sense when running around curves.

 

That said, the loco could monitor electrical pick up, which becomes very short term intermittent when negotiating rail discontinuities such as point-work but might require one bogie pickup to be used as an 'electrical listening' device for such discontinuities.  Poor track quality could create accidental triggering though...

 

An infra-red proximity sensor could be employed... bouncing IR light off the track and when the return signal changes, i.e. at any point-work or wide enough track joint gaps, create a clickety-clack sound... hmm, got me thinking an idea for a real working test coach...!

 

Cheers,

Ixion.

[6990WitherslackHall]

Have Bachmann stated any prices yet or when they'll be in the shops?

Edited August 14, 2023 by 6990WitherslackHall

[TomScrut]

1 minute ago, 6990WitherslackHall said:

Have Bachmann stayed any prices yet or when they'll be in the shops?

 

Not that I am aware of

[adb968008]

Nothing yet.

 

note worthy though in the Bachmann mag was the Mk1’s have had a partial retool, the WCRC mk1’s have modified ends as current, without roof access steps.

 

my guess is maybe an EP glance at Warley, assuming something bigger isnt stealing the limelight.

[Paul.Uni]

15 hours ago, 6990WitherslackHall said:

Have Bachmann stated any prices yet or when they'll be in the shops?

I suspect we won't find that info out until the relevant quarterly announcement.