Bachmann Europe - Winter 2023 Announcements

[Southernman46]

2 minutes ago, Yo said:

I'm not familiar with those other models,  I'd assumed they were all new/future releases. I was hoping for some new polybulks off the back of Rails ones. 

It may well be that they are planning further re-releases in future - there have certainly been 2 versions of the Presflo and Rials of Sheffield have recently released different versions of the Polybulk

[brushman47544]

3 hours ago, Southernman46 said:

It may well be that they are planning further re-releases in future - there have certainly been 2 versions of the Presflo and Rials of Sheffield have recently released different versions of the Polybulk

IIRC Bachmann has said that the Polybulk tooling is one of the most labour intensive of its wagons and as such justifying a new production run was more difficult. Perhaps the commission by Rails was the only way Bachmann considered it was commercially viable?

[Gwiwer]

6 hours ago, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

The EE type 1 was used singly with great regularity from introduction in 1957

Indeed they were.  Early examples were allocated to Devons Road (Bow) and were always to the best of my knowledge used singly. Therefore half the time they ran nose first.
 

The distance from buffer-beam to cab which is alleged to have been a factor in some later SPAD incidents was familiar to all footplate crew. They either still worked steam or had very recently moved over from steam. I don’t know of any steam class which was paired up to always run cab ,or even tender) first in case the length was misjudged or a signal missed due to “poor” sighting along the boiler. 
 

20s coupled nose to nose arose in the first place to give greater power and brake force. This applied equally when they were paired nose to tail or even cab to cab. 

[E100]

I don't think anyone would dispute the fact they were used regularly as a single class 20. I think the stance Bachmann have taken is pretty fair in that in WIPAC days they have generally been used in pairs or top and tailed and therefore the extra expense and development of something that would be very difficult to make isn't justified as it was rarely seen prototypical, though granted we all love an oddball (see CC1/CC2 froth). To their credit they have also produced them in pairs to enable this operation rather than singularly.

 

I'm intrigued and surprised that they didn't release any 47's considering the imminent arrival of the Heljan models in January to give some competition, as they certainly fill a number of holes yet to be filled by the liveries released with the new tooling.

[phil-b259]

7 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

The SPAD that sparked was on the SR?

 

It would be interesting to know more about this incident...

 

Are you able to share any more details?

[Suzy Sulzer]

4 hours ago, Yo said:

I'm not familiar with those other models,  I'd assumed they were all new/future releases. I was hoping for some new polybulks off the back of Rails ones. 

The original V2 .The NRM Deltic .several mainline SWB wagons & brake van. Class 45 and Warship. 

[MidlandRed]

17 hours ago, Covkid said:

 

Just leafed through Mike Hollick's book "Changing engines" and he has a photo of D8043 at Crane Street junction Wolverhampton, on a train of bogie bolsters on 14th April 1966 working T33.  Also D8137 in the up yard at Bescot displaying 8T34. On this date (23rd August 1968) it was a local trip to Aston Goods.

Thanks - that book is something else I need to purchase 😀

 

12 hours ago, Phil Bullock said:

BRdatabase lists D8035/6 as Bescot locos in addition to the D8040-44 batch . Am sure I remember D8038 being around too …. Always thought it significant that Bescot had D8038 and D8138 …. 
 

Happy days! 

Im pretty sure I saw D8038 (and D8039) around Birmingham in the mid 60s also. 

[mardle]

I am pretty sure that the only thing "retooled" about the Thompson BG is the chassis. The body looks the same one that has been around for years. If I am right, the price seems somewhat excessive!!

 

[Southernman46]

14 minutes ago, mardle said:

I am pretty sure that the only thing "retooled" about the Thompson BG is the chassis. The body looks the same one that has been around for years. If I am right, the price seems somewhat excessive!!

 

The vehicle end & gangway & couplings have definitely been re-tooled. Original 34-652 below

 

Edited November 3, 2023 by Southernman46

[Dunsignalling]

1 hour ago, mardle said:

I am pretty sure that the only thing "retooled" about the Thompson BG is the chassis. The body looks the same one that has been around for years. If I am right, the price seems somewhat excessive!!

 

All new as far as I can see. The roof is the giveaway. On the old ones, it's the wrong shape. 

[davidw]

1 hour ago, Southernman46 said:

The vehicle end & gangway & couplings have definitely been re-tooled. Original 34-652 below

 

Sorry no it's a completely retooled model just like the rest of the range.

[MidlandRed]

As a point of interest I checked my sole remaining spotting notebook (summer 1967 to winter 1969). I noted D02 (Birmingham Division allocated) class 20s, largely at Great Barr (now more accurately named Hamstead), Perry Barr and Bescot around 25 times mostly in 1967 and 68. Not a single one was noted double headed! In fact the only pair noted was D16 allocated, at Bescot (D8170 and D8172). D8199 was noted operating singly also (headcode 0L00). Other headcodes noted were 0Z00, 8T36, 8T56 and 3G19. Whilst by no means a complete sample it does give a picture of what was around north Birmingham at the time. 
 

We haven’t mentioned Scotland but I’ve seen a number of photos of them operating singly there also in the 1960s. 

Edited November 4, 2023 by MidlandRed

[jjb1970]

On 02/11/2023 at 15:38, BachelorBoy said:

 

Some companies used a marketing technique called "skim pricing" to maximise profit. The idea is that some people "just gotta have it" and aren't particularly sensitive to how much they need to pay. So the company makes a lot of profit from them. 

 

Later, once all the price-insensitive customers are sated, then the company drops the price so "normal" people with smaller budgets can afford them. Obviously the profit falls. But the company makes more profit than it would have done if it had sold the item at the "normal" price at launch

 

 

 

 

The best example of pricing may be clothing and fashion. Brands sell stuff which costs next to nothing to make (although it is very expensive to sell as marketing budgets can be enormous) for £££££££££££££s to the real fashionistas, a few weeks later it's discounted by a degree (10-20%) and then the discounts steadily increase until the stuff is almost given away to get rid of remaining stock or selling it in bulk to shops like TKMax.

[TomScrut]

On 03/11/2023 at 11:34, andyman7 said:

The rule of thumb is if you really want it, buy or pre-order when it comes out. If it's in the 'nice, but not sure' category, waiting can deliver a bargain and if it doesn't, well there's always something else.

 

I agree, that's exactly what I do! I don't have that many things on pre order that aren't sold out.

Edited November 4, 2023 by TomScrut

[robertcwp]

On 03/11/2023 at 19:08, mardle said:

I am pretty sure that the only thing "retooled" about the Thompson BG is the chassis. The body looks the same one that has been around for years. If I am right, the price seems somewhat excessive!!

 

No, it will be a completely new model, just like the other recent Bachmann Thompson stock.

[robertcwp]

Something I have not managed to work out is which Thompson BGs carried crimson and cream and which were plain (or lined) crimson. Those with the valances to match the pressure-ventilated stock carried crimson and cream but not sure about others. There may have been examples. Some were built new during the time that lined crimson was the livery for non-passenger and non-gangwayed stock and there are photos of Thompson BGs clearly in that livery. Lining was discontinued around 1951. Later, lots of vans carried plain maroon post 1956. So, there are three more liveries for Bachmann to do.

 

I agree with others that some Thompson catering cars would be a good addition to the range. I would go for a restaurant first and open third/second. The first batch of RFs carried mock teak when new, although built post-nationalisation and with BR Gill Sans lettering.

Edited November 13, 2023 by robertcwp
Typo.

[Train Fault]

On 02/11/2023 at 04:00, NSC said:

Certainly pleased to see a full refurbished CEP, in NSE, make the new range. 

 

Would be nice to have a version that isn't "Kent Coast" for a change, perhaps "Sussex Coast" or "Solent and Wessex" 

 

Especially as 1512 seemed to end up on the South Western division.

 

Would fit better with the announced 3CEP.

on similar lines to the above, ‘jaffa’ units later in life received NSE flashes on the fronts as well as NES logos on the sides? (If anyone has any information on what cars and where it was positioned?) would it be fair to assume that they also received “Kent Coast” or similar somewhere on the side? I know a number of ‘jaffa’ units had the “ride the 1066 electrics” on the cab side early in life, but I assume these were removed before NSE logos arrived.

 

also, interested to note that Bachman decided to go with a CEP unit without the thin black line, between the bottom of the orange and the grey. From what I can see most units had it, definitely smartens up the look with it I feel…

[Gwiwer]

8 minutes ago, Train Fault said:

Bachman decided to go with a CEP unit without the thin black line, between the bottom of the orange and the grey. From what I can see most units had it, definitely smartens up the look with it I feel

Easily applied with a 0.5mm mapping pen and a measure of care. 

[JSpencer]

On 01/11/2023 at 19:00, NSC said:

Certainly pleased to see a full refurbished CEP, in NSE, make the new range

Would be nice to have a version that isn't "Kent Coast" for a change, perhaps "Sussex Coast" or "Solent and Wessex" 

 

Especially as 1512 seemed to end up on the South Western division.

 

Would fit better with the announced 3CEP.

 

Me too, I am also pleased, and had somewhat anticipated a full 4 car refurbished CEP appearing at some point. The announcement might be a bit soon as the 4-TEPs are only just being released and I wonder if any shops are seeing people changing their orders in consequence.

The only point of disagreement - of course - is that I prefer a "Kent Coast" one over the others 😉  Equally I suspect few would be able to afford 2 sets at once so a breather between each might be welcomed.

 

There was for me a slight dilemma of whether to go for a NSE or Jaffa one (as I have no EMUs in the latter livery, while I have the 4-VEP and 2-EPB in NSE) but I do feel that maybe a 4-CIG will eventually appear and will save a Jaffa for that. Bit of a risk I know....

 

The good news is a sound version too, as the bodies on the non refurbished CEPs and BEPs are a cow to get off!

Edited November 6, 2023 by JSpencer

[Southernman46]

23 hours ago, Train Fault said:

on similar lines to the above, ‘jaffa’ units later in life received NSE flashes on the fronts as well as NES logos on the sides? (If anyone has any information on what cars and where it was positioned?) would it be fair to assume that they also received “Kent Coast” or similar somewhere on the side? I know a number of ‘jaffa’ units had the “ride the 1066 electrics” on the cab side early in life, but I assume these were removed before NSE logos arrived.

 

also, interested to note that Bachman decided to go with a CEP unit without the thin black line, between the bottom of the orange and the grey. From what I can see most units had it, definitely smartens up the look with it I feel…

I don't recall (and saw them pretty much daily) that the "Jaffa" units retrospectively ever carried the "Kent Coast" logos that the proper NSE ones did.

 

and might be a bit of an obvious statement but the B&G, Jaffa & NSE ones all worked along side each other. I'm going for an 8-car B&G / Jaffa with the Jaffa MLV that I've had for ages (bought just cos it looked good) on the front (when I've worked out which kidney or child to sell)

Edited November 6, 2023 by Southernman46

[Oldddudders]

16 minutes ago, JSpencer said:

This was for me a slight dilemma of whether to go for a NSE or Jaffa one (as I have no EMUs in the latter livery, while I have the 4-VEP and 2-EPB in NSE) but I do feel that maybe a 4-CIG will eventually appear and will save a Jaffa for that. Bit of a risk I know....

ISTR Chris Green saying when he went to consult Chairman Reid (Mk 1) about the NSE livery, RBR said he hoped that the introduction of a third livery in the same fleet wouldn't lead to 12-cars with three different colour-schemes.  No doubt he'd already seen Jaffa mixed in with blue/grey. In practice, as both men well-knew, such things are unavoidable at times. Asking depots to keep units segregated by livery is beyond reasonable if you want trains to get into service on time. 

[Phatbob]

1 minute ago, Oldddudders said:

ISTR Chris Green saying when he went to consult Chairman Reid (Mk 1) about the NSE livery, RBR said he hoped that the introduction of a third livery in the same fleet wouldn't lead to 12-cars with three different colour-schemes.  No doubt he'd already seen Jaffa mixed in with blue/grey. In practice, as both men well-knew, such things are unavoidable at times. Asking depots to keep units segregated by livery is beyond reasonable if you want trains to get into service on time. 

As a punter, when a train splits on route, having each unit in a different colour scheme would be positively beneficial.  "Front portion" easy to spot when it's a different colour to the "rear portion". :-)

[Southernman46]

Reply to Olddudders post ....................

 

I photographed a 3 livery 12-car twice that I can recall - might have to have a rummage at the weekend - did you attend the razzamatazz NSE lauch at Victoria ?? - we poor Engineers were a bit bemused by the whole thing - especially the jazz band at the end 🤣

Edited November 6, 2023 by Southernman46

[Peter749]

On 02/11/2023 at 10:17, Albie the plumber said:

Stickswipe on ebay makes lighting units for the class 20 and very good they are too ! 

Only for the Disk Fitted Locos - not the DRS version

[Oldddudders]

2 hours ago, Southernman46 said:

Reply to Olddudders post ....................

 

I photographed a 3 livery 12-car twice that I can recall - might have to have a rummage at the weekend - did you attend the razzamatazz NSE lauch at Victoria ?? - we poor Engineers were a bit bemused by the whole thing - especially the jazz band at the end 🤣

No, I was too far down the foodchain. In fact I can't quite remember at what point the new NSE Sub-Sectors went live. In my case it was simply a move a few doors down the Waterloo corridor, from being Senior Planner, Systems in the Planning Manager's dept to Planning & Investment Manager, South Central, and it was the same grade - I could see the writing on the wall!