Bachmann Summer 2023 Announcements

[wombatofludham]

2 hours ago, JSpencer said:

Interesting, unless I am mistaken, there are no Coronation/King Charles III stuff... Mind you, maybe no much out there to chose from either....

They've probably had a right laugh at Hornby's expense with the awful "Jubilee HST" fictional nonsense and decided to play like grown ups and give it a swerve.

Best left to Peco's 009 tat, until (or if) real life unveils a new "Coronation" themed 1:1 loco or train, but even then I suspect Bachmann won't bother, it just doesn't seem to be their thing.

[big jim]

5 hours ago, TomScrut said:

 

Yeah, it's a bit of an odd one that. The new logo has probably been on 70s about as long as the old one now as a guess?

70811 first mainline trip was on 5th April 2017, so just over 6 years ago, if you want to model it on that day you won’t need to weather it! 
 

 

 

Edited May 3, 2023 by big jim

[stovepipe]

8 hours ago, brushman47544 said:

 

40039 is an interesting choice. It was amongst the first withdrawals in January 1976. Not overly impressed with the frost grills on these 40s. They look rather pronounced. Hopefully the actual models will be better.

 

Of the 15 green TOPS disk headcode locos, 40039 was actually one of the longest serving - despite it's early withdrawal. With the obvious exception of 106, most others went blue sometime in 1974/5.

 

The fineness of the frost grill mesh actually isn't too bad, but the thickness of the surround really stands out. 40097 lost the grills in Spring 1978. As as Scottish loco, 40063 would have had the inner sand boxes and multiple working gear removed. More model photos here: https://www.themodelcentre.com/32-490

[Dunsignalling]

 

Looks like Bachmann have given up on new standard gauge steam locos unless as commissions....

 

[MonsalDale]

Surprised there are no 00 steam locos in this announcement.  Not even existing toolings being released.  Most of my collection are Bachmann locos and carriages (I eagerly await their announcements the most of all brands) as they typically aimed at making the everyday locos that ran our railways rather than going for top link expresses that Hornby preferred to cover.

 

Would like them to do a bit more of that, maybe some GC coaches to complement that ever growing range?  Development of more pre grouping workhorses with a long life span?

 

Hasn't been a 3F or 4F in a while.

 

Enough to be getting on with anyway with scenecraft at least.  Some good stuff there.

Edited May 3, 2023 by MonsalDale

[TomScrut]

11 minutes ago, big jim said:

70811 first mainline trip was on 7th April 2017, so just over 6 years ago, if you want to model it on that day you won’t need to weather it! 
 

 

 

 

And 815, the one they did last time, was in service Q3 2017 from what I can tell, but had the logo changed Q2 2020 so my initial estimate of 50% of the time was reasonably accurate.

 

Here is 812 with no logos too:

 

 

 

[virginhst539]

3 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

 

And 815, the one they did last time, was in service Q3 2017 from what I can tell, but had the logo changed Q2 2020 so my initial estimate of 50% of the time was reasonably accurate.

 

Here is 812 with no logos too:

 

814 was running about with hats one end and diamonds the other for a while. 811s to get diamonds on it fairly soon by all accounts.

 

Either way im fairly skint now. Three on preorder with the local shop. two to renumber to 805 and 806 or 816. not decided yet

[Downer]

10 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

 

Looks like Bachmann have given up on new standard gauge steam locos unless as commissions....

 

I guess they know their market best, but for those of us who’ve bought their mostly accurate and reliable workaday steam locos over the years it still feels a bit on the sad side.

[big jim]

The last colas 70 release was 805 not 815, the real loco was new to service 20th feb 2014, I was annual leave that week so never got to collect it from the docks! 

For the record 70815 first run was 4/5/17
 

 

Edited May 3, 2023 by big jim

[RichardT]

4 hours ago, Paul.Uni said:

You quoted a N gauge modeller.

In which case I apologise.

 

Richard Taylor

[TomScrut]

3 minutes ago, big jim said:

The last colas 70 release was 805 not 815, the real loco was new to service 20th feb 2014, (815 was 4/5/17) I was annual leave that week so never got to collect it from the docks! 

 

Ah so it was. Silly me. You'd nearly think I didn't have a model of it....

[Creampot Junction]

40 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

 

Looks like Bachmann have given up on new standard gauge steam locos unless as commissions....

 

Don't forget it takes a couple of years at least to bring a new loco to market. So this could be why we haven't seen one. As those announced will be in the shop over the next couple of months.  Plus they have a back log to get through still.

Edited May 3, 2023 by Creampot Junction

[Steadfast]

Difficult to be certain from the press photos but it looks like the yellow front on the 70 may be a bit off, like the previous release of 805 was. 

They appear to have used a standard warning yellow shade as used on 70801, the 66s, 56s and 37s (all painted in the UK) rather than the lemon shade found on 70802-70817.

Pic linked from Flickr shows the difference:

70804 has recently had its yellow repainted the same shade, in the last couple of months.

 

Jo

[andyman7]

9 hours ago, brushman47544 said:

 

40039 is an interesting choice. It was amongst the first withdrawals in January 1976. Not overly impressed with the frost grills on these 40s. They look rather pronounced. Hopefully the actual models will be better.

 

52 minutes ago, stovepipe said:

 

Of the 15 green TOPS disk headcode locos, 40039 was actually one of the longest serving - despite it's early withdrawal. With the obvious exception of 106, most others went blue sometime in 1974/5.

 

It's also a good addition to the select series of weathered late Green survivors with TOPS numbers that Bachmann have modelled in the past few years - they have already done 20 141, 25 043 and 47 256, all as running around 1975/76. They really are beautifully done and whatever the shortcomings of the 40 tooling this one's a 'must have' for me.

[virginhst539]

its hard to judge now that they have had time to fade. 802 back in 2014 does seem a bit lighter than say the yellow on a 43 

 

 

Not too much of an issue for myself as they are going to get a good dose of weathering. If anyone is feeling really keen the Bachmann model is missing the bolt holes along the side for the maintenance staging 

[younGGuns7]

8 hours ago, AY Mod said:

 

mostly based on historical experience but, in the main, the stuff sells out and people clamour for more so is it?

And this is why Bachmann won’t produce any Blue Pre TOPS locos, I do feel that there is still some mileage in a 47 WR Blue Pre TOPS namer thou. Fortunately we have other manufacturers that do include us thanks goodness for these although another manufacturer hasn’t cashed in said 47 🤦‍♂️. I would be interested to know what the last (I can’t remember at all) the last Bachmann Blue Pre Tops release 

[Dunsignalling]

1 hour ago, Creampot Junction said:

Don't forget it takes a couple of years at least to bring a new loco to market. So this could be why we haven't seen one. As those announced will be in the shop over the next couple of months.  Plus they have a back log to get through still.

But (unless I've missed one) Bachmann haven't come up with anything wholly new on their own account since the Brighton Atlantic, which feels like 5 or 6 years ago (and might even be longer). Rather strange, given the ongoing releases of steam-era carriages and wagons. They also seem worryingly relaxed about others devouring their (steam-outline) back catalogue, Lord Nelson, Manor, GW Mogul, and what next? 

 

OK, there have been major updates like the V2 and J72, half-hearted ones like the Ivatt tank, and subtle unannounced ones like the Standard Five (my "King Leodegrance" is significantly improved over my early ones).

 

The only real innovation, though, seems to have come from commissions (Precedent etc.) and the OO9. Maybe we're all expected to add narrow gauge feeders lines! 

 

John

Edited May 3, 2023 by Dunsignalling

[rob D2]

42 minutes ago, younGGuns7 said:

And this is why Bachmann won’t produce any Blue Pre TOPS locos, I do feel that there is still some mileage in a 47 WR Blue Pre TOPS namer thou. Fortunately we have other manufacturers that do include us thanks goodness for these although another manufacturer hasn’t cashed in said 47 🤦‍♂️. I would be interested to know what the last (I can’t remember at all) the last Bachmann Blue Pre Tops release 

It’s a niche within a niche I guess . How long was blue with ore tops about ? 
fairly easy renumber if that’s your thing 

[ThaneofFife]

Anybody else noticed an interesting omission from the farish releases?

The Mk2f coaches are mainly TSOs no 1st class FOs.....bodes well maybe for future runs in 00 they seem to acknowledge where the demand lies.

 

[County of Yorkshire]

What disappoints me is that Barwell haven’t retooled the GWR Collett (Sunshine) coaches. They’ve worked their way through new coaches for the LMS (Portholes), LNER (Thompsons) and Southern (Bulleids) but not a whiff of anything from Swindon. 
 

These coaches were a key part of the GWR and Western region scene for nearly 30 years from the mid 1930s to mid 1960s and I think they’d sell well. The flush glazing makes them very distinctive and the old Bachmann versions (nee’ Mainline) don’t scrub up

that well really. 
 

Perhaps Accurascale or Rapido might avail themselves? 

Edited May 3, 2023 by County of Yorkshire

[younGGuns7]

22 minutes ago, rob D2 said:

It’s a niche within a niche I guess . How long was blue with ore tops about ? 
fairly easy renumber if that’s your thing 

I am not really confident on renumbering to get the right version, for me a couple of really good Blue TOPS 47 for the Wr would be a Namer and a ETH pre TOPS in blue but these are as you say niche, but I do believe there are a few niche models from this period which would sell, maybe wrong thou. If we look at Heljan, they have the Peaks via TMC not sure if these have been a good seller but D15 seems to be popular, AS have just announced D6992 and Dapol have a great range of WR Hydraulics all in Blue Pre TOPS - Obviously 🤦‍♂️ - which seems to sell, but Bachmann seem very reluctant to go down this route 

[adb968008]

4 hours ago, JSpencer said:

 

Another factor is that, Bachmann's previous 47 was pretty good. The Vi Trains *might* have been a tad better but somewhat harder to find however when think that most people had Lima 47s (and maybe a few Hornby upgrades of it, and perhaps a Heljan) when the Bachmann released theirs, it was on a different planet. 200+ parts vs 50 for less than £100.

Result, most people replaced their Lima fleets with the far better Bachmann ones.

 

The new 47, better than previous one, is not as huge a leap over the previous version vs Lima. The old and new Bachmann ones can sit side by side on a layout and from normal viewing distance, you probably would not instantly spot that they were 2 different generations of models (until you zoom and look for them).

Result, most people buying them will probably add them to supplement the fleet rather than wholesale replacement. 

 

Today, manufacturers are fighting to sell you your next model and I doubt any are seriously expecting a wholesale replacement. This can be done either via doing the utimate 'whatever' or a class not covered before.

Charles darwin has a stake in this…

 

Quote

The theory of natural selection was explored by 19th-century naturalist Charles Darwin. Natural selection explains how genetic traits of a species may change over time. This may lead to speciation, the formation of a distinct new species.

This is how a class. 56 becomes a class 69.

But its not how a model class (xx) becomes a super detailed model of the same class.

Indeed constant inbreeding of the same classes of loco by retooling will lead to genetic failure.

At some point manufacturers are going to have to adapt and explore new markets…

 

Despite all the critics Hornby did step out and try TT. Now Marklin is trying a HO scotsman. I personally think its easier.. I keep saying units, and pre 1923 are the obvious ones, then look to replace tv remote control technology (DCC) with wifi

But constant retooling of the same class isnt going to end well.

 

 

Edited May 3, 2023 by adb968008

[Markwj]

Sorry maybe a bit off topic but which loco was Richard stood in front of and could it be a clue for a future release? Or was it released in these announcements?

[GD]

13 minutes ago, Markwj said:

Sorry maybe a bit off topic but which loco was Richard stood in front of and could it be a clue for a future release? Or was it released in these announcements?

It is a departmental mk3 I believe, definitely not announced.

[nightstar.train]

28 minutes ago, Markwj said:

Sorry maybe a bit off topic but which loco was Richard stood in front of and could it be a clue for a future release? Or was it released in these announcements?

It is 977996, a converted Mk3 TGS. It was used as the “tender” for Hayabusa, the hybrid test bed HST power car Hitachi made. It carried the batteries and associated equipment. After testing was over it was surplus to requirements and Bachmann bought it as an office for their headquarters. So the odds of it ever being produced are vanishingly small.