Bachmann Europe - Spring 2024 Announcements

[Tim Dubya]

42 minutes ago, Mallard60022 said:

Ummmmm!

Phil

 

Uboat? do you something we don't Quackers?

[spamcan61]

34 minutes ago, Adi said:

I've not brought a new tool Bachmann steam loco in sometime I think it was 94xx or Mr 1p

 

Those were the last new release steam locos under their own banner - 2019?

[Adi]

2 minutes ago, spamcan61 said:

Those were the last new release steam locos under their own banner - 2019?

I think you are right 

[Karl]

The absence of steam toolings isn't the only thing that I thing is causing the disappointment amongst steam modellers. It's an apparent lack of 00 steam era being developed. Happy to be corrected but in the last 2 years or so I think in terms of steam era new toolings there is only the Dancehall brakevan. So that is where the wider 'Bachmann have turned their back on steam' has come from. It's not just an absence of engines but also period stock. I think we are now at almost 4/5 years since the last Bachmann all new steam engine tooling as a solely Bachmann model was announced and perhaps 2 years since released (V2). So we can only hope that the quietness is because Bachmann are beavering away in the background and at some point we are going to get a run of 4/5 new tooling annoucement over 18-24months, a bit like diesel fans have had with the 24/1, 20/3, 37, 47, 31 and 69 over the last 2 and a half years. 

 

A problem for Bachmann as I see it is perception. The Caley tank has been mentioned (a model I would love) and that type of engine and an 8F type always 'felt' like a Bachmann type model in the same way that LNER pacifics 'feel' like they are Hornby. An 8F now feels more like something Accurascale would do and a Caley Tank possibly feels more Rapido. Why do I bring this up? Well I have been a Bachmann CC member for about 15 years but if I am now starting to feel that Bachmann have moved their market to the modern image then there is less point me renewing as over the course of a year I no longer will expect a steam era model in the club exclusives or the magazine to have a mix of articles covering modern and steam.  To be clear I don't expect Bachmann to include a steam era model and articles in every club magazine but I do expect that over the course of a year there'll be a fair spread. At the minute it is feeling like the spread is not even.

 

Perhaps us 00 steam era are now learning how N gauge have felt for years!

Edited February 7 by Karl

[ELTEL]

Is it just a rumour that Bachmann will be introducing a Flying Scotsman to there range. 

 

 

Edited February 7 by ELTEL
Spelling

[Paul.Uni]

*Speculation ahead*

Given the release dates of the Class 30/31 (May/Jun & Jun/Jul) and the Baguley-Drewry (May/Jun) locos, I'm wondering if they've been announced this quarter so that they don't overshadow something to be announced next quarter. I would guess additional class 25 locos (including Sound Fitted & Sound Fitted Delux) in OO gauge. Not sure what in OO9.

Edited February 7 by Paul.Uni

[adb968008]

28 minutes ago, Karl said:

The absence of steam toolings isn't the only thing that I thing is causing the disappointment amongst steam modellers. It's an apparent lack of 00 steam era being developed. Happy to be corrected but in the last 2 years or so I think in terms of steam era new toolings there is only the Dancehall brakevan. So that is where the wider 'Bachmann have turned their back on steam' has come from. It's not just an absence of engines but also period stock. I think we are now at almost 4/5 years since the last Bachmann all new steam engine tooling as a solely Bachmann model was announced and perhaps 2 years since released (V2). So we can only hope that the quietness is because Bachmann are beavering away in the background and at some point we are going to get a run of 4/5 new tooling annoucement over 18-24months, a bit like diesel fans have had with the 24/1, 20/3, 37, 47, 31 and 69 over the last 2 and a half years. 

 

A problem for Bachmann as I see it is perception. The Caley tank has been mentioned (a model I would love) and that type of engine and an 8F type always 'felt' like a Bachmann type model in the same way that LNER pacifics 'feel' like they are Hornby. An 8F now feels more like something Accurascale would do and a Caley Tank possibly feels more Rapido. Why do I bring this up? Well I have been a Bachmann CC member for about 15 years but if I am now starting to feel that Bachmann have moved their market to the modern image then there is less point me renewing as over the course of a year I no longer will expect a steam era model in the club exclusives or the magazine to have a mix of articles covering modern and steam.  To be clear I don't expect Bachmann to include a steam era model and articles in every club magazine but I do expect that over the course of a year there'll be a fair spread. At the minute it is feeling like the spread is not even.

 

Perhaps us 00 steam era are now learning how N gauge have felt for years!

I might be wrong but the Accurascale Manor feels like the only steam loco of the last few years to come and go, without some discounting ?

Even Turbomotive and the 15xx have seen nice prices.

Its sad to see Hornbys suberb 2MT hasnt been immune to a sale.

 

Diesels have been a battleground the manufacturers have thought worthy of fighting for.

 

Its not all rosy in modern image… were being starved of contempory post privatisation passenger stock -> units

 

I do wonder if some manufacturers have stopped looking at the customer and instead have been focussing on each other...

 

not all though, Rapidos pulled some real gems with the LT 0-4-4, Drummond, s160, par twins.., Heljans LNER Garratt, KRs Bertha, Bellerophron…

The obvious one for me is the LSW T3

 

perhaps this is where the steam market is now at and not big volume 1920’s Big 4 engines ?..

 

Personally i’d take a rtr LYR Dreadnought, and tank over yet another little black obscure LNER  J-Heap made just because there was hundreds of em.. most modellers will only buy 1 of anyway.

 

Edited February 7 by adb968008

[it's-er]

25 minutes ago, Karl said:

The absence of steam toolings isn't the only thing that I thing is causing the disappointment amongst steam modellers. It's an apparent lack of 00 steam era being developed. Happy to be corrected but in the last 2 years or so I think in terms of steam era new toolings there is only the Dancehall brakevan. So that is where the wider 'Bachmann have turned their back on steam' has come from. It's not just an absence of engines but also period stock. I think we are now at almost 4/5 years since the last Bachmann all new steam engine tooling as a solely Bachmann model was announced and perhaps 2 years since released (V2).

Don’t forget Bachmann’s LNER G5 0-4-4t locomotive, please!  I know it was commissioned by TMC, but as a Bachmann/TMC collaboration it is superb. For those of us modellers interested in the North East, East Anglia, and parts of Scotland, it fills a real gap.

 

Mine, ordered when they were announced,  arrived in July.

 

John S

[georgeds]

I think one of the downsides of the quarterly releases is people feeling disappointed over the choices. I guess if you rolled the whole year up into one list there would be more likely to be something of personal interest.

[ThaneofFife]

Not wanting to disappoint some corners here with my disappointment but here it is nonetheless there was "nothing in it for me".

 

[NTrains]

A few people have mentioned a lack of steam announcements. I guess it doesn’t help that Bachmann have chosen to change their announcement process to only announce new products in the quarter they’re due to be released, rather than at research stage as they used to. So if they are working on new steam, I would suspect this is a reason for the lack of communications and may continue in this fashion for several quarters more given it takes a number of years for products to go from inception to market.

[RichardT]

On 07/02/2024 at 10:38, ELTEL said:

They will want to model the railway scene as it was in the 60s, 70s, 80s and onwards when they were trainspotters.

 

Just a thought……

Some of them might, and others won’t. People keep saying what you’ve said and while it’s not untrue, it’s not true across the market. Otherwise no-one would be buying pre-1948 era models.

 

I started trainspotting in 1974, just as I entered secondary school, and spent most of the next five years at the end of Platform 9S (as was) at York, and on shed-bashing visits.  I’m interested in real railway history of all eras, including today. But I have no interest in modelling railways of the 1970s onwards with their increasingly multiple unit/fixed formation-dominated operations and consequent lack of play value. (Sorry! “Operational interest”.)

 

As a side note, it’s my view that an awful lot of so-called 1980s and onwards layouts are actually steam-era ones operated with modern models. There always seem to be a preponderance of conveniently-surviving private sidings needing shunting, parcels depots, or “residual” wagonload traffic, and lots more loco-hauled passenger trains than were ever seen in reality. Not to mention tiny MPDs apparently allocated three of every class of BR diesel…. It’s like that famous David Jenkinson article “Is Your Mutton Dressed As Lamb?” but in reverse. 😉

EDIT (See later post)

Also, to note that if you started trainspotting in the 1960s you’re well into your seventies now. Brainfade there!

 

RichardT

Edited February 10 by RichardT
Correcting decade error

[tomparryharry]

'Tis difficult for Bachmann to make steam locomotive models. If you accept the premise that 60% of steam modellers are Great Western, then that's 60% of the market is closed off to Bachmann. If they release a new model with a rivet so much as 5 thou" out, then there will be a rebellion of great magnitude. In fairness, what's left for them? Other manufacturers have interacted with the prospective market, and actually listened. Sure, it's not absolute perfect, but the open dialogue betwixt manufacturers & buyers has paid dividends. Would Bachmann re-enter the market for Western-derived models? It would have to exceptional; truly exceptional. The 56xx is a very good model, as are the small prairies. The pannier model is about to be usurped by the team at Accurascale, who have listened to its prospective clients. Bachmann couldn't or wouldn't release a brand new Western model, to invite negative comment. Dapol went 'off-air' for a while, until the dialogue became a two-way channel. Could you imagine if Bachmann produced an obscure-ish class of GWR models? Oh dear; oh dear...

 

As Mr. York has said,, it's early in the Year.

 

Yet......  

[norfolkchinaclay]

24 minutes ago, ThaneofFife said:

Not wanting to disappoint some corners here with my disappointment but here it is nonetheless there was "nothing in it for me".

 

I do sympathise. Was somewhat frustrated to have to sit through the bit about the 30/31s all over again but noted the fact that for once narrow gauge products did not come first this time.

Was excited to hear that more details on liveries and pricing for the class 69s was on the website today but at time of writing am still waiting for anything to appear!

[Halvarras]

3 hours ago, Geep7 said:

Has Bachmann completely forgotten that the years 1965 to 1974 exist, or is the pre-TOPS era really not that popular?

 

Agreed, the usual BR green pre-TOPS and BR blue-on post-TOPS from which Bachmann can't seem to break free. However for Scottish modellers D8032 ran in plain green during 1966 and quite likely 1967 before going blue (and ending up at Stratford!) And D25 briefly became an exceedingly rare Class 45 in green with full yellow ends circa early 1969, if brave enough to do this to a new acquisition (not forgetting to paint the D's out as well, and add data panels).

 

I'm sure there will be more Class 47s coming along in due course, after all didn't Bachmann boast of a seven-figure investment in the tooling......? Looking at the congestion in the First Generation BR diesel scene at the moment it'll just be a matter of timing, which admittedly is not much consolation if your new layout project requires locos in particular liveries. Of course in the Old Days in such a situation we'd have been detailing and repainting Lima models to meet those requirements.......😉!

[alastairb]

30 minutes ago, RichardT said:

Some of them might, and others won’t. People keep saying what you’ve said and while it’s not untrue, it’s not true across the market. Otherwise no-one would be buying pre-1948 era models.

 

I started trainspotting in 1974, just as I entered secondary school, and spent most of the next five years at the end of Platform 9S (as was) at York, and on shed-bashing visits.  I’m interested in real railway history of all eras, including today. But I have no interest in *modelling* railways of the 1970s onwards with their increasingly multiple unit/fixed formation-dominated operations and consequent lack of play value. (Sorry! “Operational interest”.)

 

(Also, to note that if you started trainspotting in the 1960s you’re well into your seventies now.)

 

RichardT

As with many things, it will be a tendency but not a universal truth. I was a teenage trainspotter from '76 onwards. I recently returned from the dark side (US) back to UK outline and am modelling BR Post TOPS BR blue era. Hence pleased to see Blue Grey TSOs, albeit BGs would have been even better. That 70s era was still similar to the steam era, in the sense of how the railway look, felt and operated. However i have less interest in the rationalised post privatisation system. Each to their own.

Edited February 7 by alastairb

[Geep7]

10 minutes ago, Halvarras said:

Of course in the Old Days in such a situation we'd have been detailing and repainting Lima models to meet those requirements.......😉!

Indeed, I think i've lost count of the number of locos i've had to renumber back to a D or E number, and not just from Bachmann......

[Willie Whizz]

Not one steam locomotive in OO?  Not even ONE re-run?

 

P-poor IMHO.

[Fair Oak Junction]

2 hours ago, Stuart A said:

Have searched but can't find any prototype info in the ICI narrow gauge Drewry, i.e. where it worked, what it hauled etc.  Does anyone have any links?

 

I've been trying to do the same with the BIS one, but am having no luck. Even if it's fiction I'll still get one because it's such a nice little thing.

[Graham_Muz]

6 minutes ago, Willie Whizz said:

Not one steam locomotive in OO?  Not even ONE re-run?

 

P-poor IMHO.

 

Once again it needs repeating that this is the first of at least four announcements to be made by Bachmann this year!

[woodenhead]

2 minutes ago, Graham_Muz said:

 

Once again it needs repeating that this is the first of at least four announcements to be made by Bachmann this year!

“At least four”

 

You tease, Mr Muz 😀

[Graham_Muz]

Just now, woodenhead said:

“At least four”

 

You tease, Mr Muz 😀

 

Just hedging bets...

[davidw]

5 minutes ago, Graham_Muz said:

 

Once again it needs repeating that this is the first of at least four announcements to be made by Bachmann this year!

Sounds like you're in "the know".

[Graham_Muz]

Just now, davidw said:

Sounds like you're in "the know".

 

Nope just going on past years...

[woodenhead]

4 minutes ago, Graham_Muz said:

 

Just hedging bets...

Well I am hoping the Farish Twins are the first in a line of interesting diesel loco classes which Efe will be assisting with…..