Bachmann OO Announcements July 2014

[Colin]

Have I missed something somewhere, or have Bachmann missed the golden opportunity to turn out their superb O4 in WW1 R O D livery?

To me it seemed like the proverbial no-brainer - excellent model, simple livery, considerable historical significance. AND it would complement the 009 Baldwin!

[wirey33]

My thoughts (in no particular order).....

 

The whole 25th Anniversary angle seems to have been over-hyped (and not necessarily by Bachmann themselves) but very under-played; the only thing that celebrates this milestone seems to be the wooden box set which had already been announced. In fact the whole thing seemed like going to the unveiling of a new Ferrari only to find an electric car behind the velvet curtain; interesting but a bit ‘hmmmmm’.

 

I can understand the slow-down of new models, a lot of stuff in the pipeline doesn’t seem to be progressing that quickly. Better to work on the backlog rather than fill a catalogue with items which won’t be available before the following year’s catalogue comes out?!

 

I’ve come to view these announcements with half-interest as the items unveiled are typically 18+ months away from hitting the shelves. I’m far more interested in what has been previously announced and when that will be available.

 

 

For me as a BR Blue / BR sector era modeller I was very interested to hear more about the Class 37s and the livery variations announced in March 2013, including the budget sound model. Nothing, nada, zip, naff all. [MISS]

 

Some body types of class 37’s are fetching good prices on eBay particularly un-refurbished ones (37035 and 37239 in particular), modellers are obviously crying out for these body styles but Bachmann seem to be unaware? [bIG MISS]

 

I’ll have one of each of 37706 & 37796 – [HIT]

 

Class 20 : 20118 another disc version in Railfreight. We had 20090 recently but the centre box 20132 was years ago and with the old 8-pin chassis. [MISS]

 

The news that the Inspection saloon will be hitting the shops soon is great news. Notably much faster than other items announced around the same time, I guess in part because it was already part-developed from the N gauge version. [HIT]

 

 

 

Now, any company wants to maximise cash-flow and to do this they must offer products that customers want to buy.

 

Class 40 - why no new livery or bodystyle variations? Of the three issued so far the blue one is totally sold out, the green one is almost gone and the sound fitted one is heading the same way. Bang out a few liveries with different nose ends – instant win.

 

Polybulks – fetching up to £75 on eBay for a model that was on the shelves for £25 just a few months ago!! Surely someone at Bachmann is aware of the prices these are now shifting for? Another easy win.

 

Un-refurbished class 37’s are much in demand on eBay, another one that requires little work, just livery variations from tooling that already exists.

 

It can be done – Late January we had the announcement about the Highlander train set with a class 37/4, a re-livery of an existing model, which is due in late summer; 9 months.

 

I don’t pretend to fully understand the situation in China and Bachmann’s position in the Kader priority list, but if I was Bachmann UK I’d be screaming out for product that is obviously in demand and would sell quickly.

 

Is the lack of production slots so desperate?

 

 

 

Regards from a dedicated but frustrated Bachmann customer.

[Dunsignalling]

Just spotted the 14t. anchor-mount tank wagons. All is forgiven (well, nearly all!)

 

John

[Andy Y]

What's to disagree about? The post is factual.

 

Because you're being plagued by the same two asshats as I am today.

 

I've just given one of them the month off as he carried on with button wars whilst ignoring an earlier PM.

[Dunsignalling]

I really enjoy my hobby but when it comes down to it, its not going to be long before a small fleet of locos numbering as little as 5 will have cost £1000, and for me that's scary.

Certainly 6, in the quite near future, anyway. Rising prices are certainly teaching me (and, I suspect, many others) the meaning of the word 'focus'.

 

My days of buying such 'wide-of-scheme' delights as the L&Y Tank and the 'Dukedog', which I can only run by invoking 'Rule 1', are probably over. 

 

John

[The Stationmaster]

Have I missed something somewhere, or have Bachmann missed the golden opportunity to turn out their superb O4 in WW1 R O D livery?

To me it seemed like the proverbial no-brainer - excellent model, simple livery, considerable historical significance. AND it would complement the 009 Baldwin!

They've still got another 3 years to do that Colin and perhaps - if they are thinking of it - the centenary year of the ROD ordering or receiving its first purpose built locos of the type might be a lot more appropriate.  

 

Notwithstanding a lot of what we are seeing and hearing this year the centenary will not be over by Christmas.

[ThaneofFife]

i think i need to find the number for The Samaritans. From the sound of some posters theyre on the verge of committin' arry karry

maybe a new thread needs to be started to enable posters to continue saying the same things over and over. its detracting from what has been released.

[Ozexpatriate]

Well, lots of cats and pigeons over the weekend.

I do understand the sense of being underwhelmed that many people appear to be feeling. By moving the date to the 25th anniversary (even though that is very pragmatically explained by the cancellation of their earlier venue*) Bachmann Branch-Line did create an expectation that this year's announcements would be special.

* Thank you Andy.

Having said that, anyone who participated in the prognosticating thread was clearly warned by the suggestion that new tooling announcements might be thin on the ground - as is the case this year and there are all sorts of understandable business reasons that explain this.

The 009 announcement is exciting. It is something new for a major RTR supplier and the choice of a prototype consistent with centenary commemorations of the 'Great War' will appeal to many.

There are a few suggestions I'd like to make for us here.

If the relative sparsity (compared with recent years) of Bachmann Branch-Line's announcement makes you feel truly despondent, consider expanding into additional hobbies that entail lots of new product releases. I'll suggest LEGO. They have something new costing many tens to hundreds of pounds every month or so. If you buy enough of them, they take up even more room than model railways and I guarantee that your grandchildren will love them more than trains.

Andy, could you include links to your product-specific threads in your OP? In past years you have listed everything new in the context of the announcement thread. In this OP you managed the information differently and while all the information is available, perhaps some people missed that, increasing their sense of disappointment.

Additionally, perhaps we should apply a set of ground-rules for beginning Bachmann prognosticating threads consistent with what we do for Hornby. I can't help thinking that the let-down some people felt here was a result of too much indulgence in getting ourselves spun up.

[southernelectric]

Hi,

 

Totally agree about the Deltic...I emailed Bachmann in the Spring and asked about more Deltics in this livery.   I suppose by not releasing it this year I can let my wallet recover from this years spending!!   But a 55 in that livery would have been nice!

 

Which livery are you referring to? 

[The Stationmaster]

Certainly 6, in the quite near future, anyway. Rising prices are certainly teaching me (and, I suspect, many others) the meaning of the word 'focus'.

 

My days of buying such 'wide-of-scheme' delights as the L&Y Tank and the 'Dukedog', which I can only run by invoking 'Rule 1', are probably over. 

 

John

Quite agree John.  I don't know how much of the market that will affect but in some areas it is bound to have an impact.  I started to back off the 'out of the usual for (modelled) place some time back although, APT-E apart, I am sticking with the Swindon 'Steam' and  NRM Exclusives thus far as they have some 'special traffic' appeal (occasionally by stretching things a good bit) and they do put money into the museums.  But that's it - e.g. no Garratt for me; several Bachmann locos waiting their appearance so time to save; and the last Hornby one I will buy this year was collected last week.

 

Provided sales, even in limited numbers, continue to make a profit I doubt we'll overall see much beyond a gradual change.  This Bachmann announcement is, I think, unusual for several reasons - notably the backlog - but there is also a new range appearing which must have some impact.  

 

But whatever we do or say the days of underpriced/cheap highly detailed models from China have come to an end.  We can but hope the flow will continue, possibly with even higher standards in some cases to match the value we hope for from rising prices, but one thing we can be sure of is that prices are unlikely to fall.  Just take a look at the revised list price for the new 'Warship' - up around £30-40 since first announced last year so I doubt the Class 90 will be any cheaper, and probably a lot more because of extra fittings such as the panto etc.

[Ian Hargrave]

What's to disagree about? The post is factual.

If it's any consolation ....it probably isn't....I too have suffered a plague of 'disagree' icons ,starting yesterday and continuing today.There appears to be a kind of bacillus at large. Two individuals particularly have been royally indulging themselves,trying to backdate many of my recent postings with the mark of Cain.

I am tempted to post " Today is Monday" in order to see if they are tempted out of the woodwork again.

By all means have a difference of opinion....but let's try to be sensible and resolve things by reasoned and constructive argument.

[Waverley West]

If it's any consolation ....it probably isn't....I too have suffered a plague of 'disagree' icons ,starting yesterday and continuing today.There appears to be a kind of bacillus at large. Two individuals particularly have been royally indulging themselves,trying to backdate many of my recent postings with the mark of Cain.

I am tempted to post " Today is Monday" in order to see if they are tempted out of the woodwork again.

By all means have a difference of opinion....but let's try to be sensible and resolve things by reasoned and constructive argument.

 

If it's any consolation 2...

 

I had my first disagree in 1200+ posts today on this thread. No mention as to why he disagreed with what was basically a light-hearted attempt to lighten the mood as Andy Y was involved in a seemingly endless task of fire-fighting from post to post.

 

C'est la vie I suppose. C'est la RMWeb, anyway, in all its rich variety.

 

Dave

[t-b-g]

Quite agree John.  I don't know how much of the market that will affect but in some areas it is bound to have an impact.  I started to back off the 'out of the usual for (modelled) place some time back although, APT-E apart, I am sticking with the Swindon 'Steam' and  NRM Exclusives thus far as they have some 'special traffic' appeal (occasionally by stretching things a good bit) and they do put money into the museums.  But that's it - e.g. no Garratt for me; several Bachmann locos waiting their appearance so time to save; and the last Hornby one I will buy this year was collected last week.

 

Provided sales, even in limited numbers, continue to make a profit I doubt we'll overall see much beyond a gradual change.  This Bachmann announcement is, I think, unusual for several reasons - notably the backlog - but there is also a new range appearing which must have some impact.  

 

But whatever we do or say the days of underpriced/cheap highly detailed models from China have come to an end.  We can but hope the flow will continue, possibly with even higher standards in some cases to match the value we hope for from rising prices, but one thing we can be sure of is that prices are unlikely to fall.  Just take a look at the revised list price for the new 'Warship' - up around £30-40 since first announced last year so I doubt the Class 90 will be any cheaper, and probably a lot more because of extra fittings such as the panto etc.

 

You are not alone in your buying choices. Perhaps it is this sort of purchasing trend that has helped form the strategy of manufacturers or maybe it is the other way around.

 

It seems to me as if modern marketing policy isn't based on lots of people wanting a particular model.

 

Small batches, enough to sell out quickly at prices with a sensible profit margin and not leave stock sitting on shelves is the order of the day.

 

I am no accountant but maybe the business model of smaller batches selling out at higher prices is more profitable than bigger batches at lower prices with a potential for unsold stock hanging about for ages.

 

Reduce the number available, demand exceeds supply, price charged can be higher. That sort of thing.

 

If it makes the manufacturing side of the hobby more secure for the future, I don't have a problem with that approach.

 

Tony

[knobhead]

A bit off topic, but I must ask; Who is the RMweb record holder when  it comes to dishing out disagrees? We have seen some fine efforts in this thread and it just crossed my mind.

 

Regards,

 

Stefan

[Andy Y]

A bit off topic, but I must ask; Who is the RMweb record holder when  it comes to dishing out disagrees? We have seen some fine efforts in this thread and it just crossed my mind.

 

 

Pah; these have been amateurs. There are some departed souls who managed to rack up totals well into three figures.

 

If I click on your profile and look at the Ratings tab I can see you're not just someone whose content people like but you also dish out a lot of praise.

[Ryde-on-time]

i think i need to find the number for The Samaritans. From the sound of some posters theyre on the verge of committin' arry karry

maybe a new thread needs to be started to enable posters to continue saying the same things over and over. its detracting from what has been released.

Perhaps they should be directed to any of the Dapol O gauge wagon threads, they should fit right in

[durham light infantry]

 as Andy Y was involved in a seemingly endless task of fire-fighting from post to post.

 

Dave

 

While we are on that subject, someone was questioning the timing of Graham Hubbard's retirement. Gobsmacked.

 

The man is 72 or 73, and has spent the last 25 years bringing Bachmann Europe from nothing to where it is today. I wish him well for his retirement, hopefully spent trackside watching his beloved saloon cars.

 

Mike

[WD0-6-0]

Having involved myself in the crystal ball thread I'm as guilty as anyone for helping hype it up and while I still like the idea of a way to say what models we want, I now understand why Andy doesn't allow wish lists it causes this kind of disappointment.

 

Having said all that, to throw my pennies worth in on the model front the 90s not for me but I like the 009 and many of the deliveries/numbers.

 

Have I missed something somewhere, or have Bachmann missed the golden opportunity to turn out their superb O4 in WW1 R O D livery?

To me it seemed like the proverbial no-brainer - excellent model, simple livery, considerable historical significance. AND it would complement the 009 Baldwin!

 

Maybe this is the NRM Exclusive, no new tooling so cheaper for them to make, and 63601 is in the national collection (I have no idea if 63601 actually served which could be a reason not to do it) even if it didn't serve it could be the NRMs way of commemorating.

Probably not but not impossible.

Rhys

[griffgriff]

Graham Hubbard retiring is truly the end of an era.

Without him our hobby wouldn't be what it is by any measure today.

 

Back in the late 80's early 90's most of us thought the hobby was dead, mainline/airfix gone forever and only Dapol to sell the left over stock.

 

Hornby was considered to be the toy, the tender drive loco's were and Dapols efforts were decidedly interesting.

Replica tried to make a go of it but, at least in my opinion, it just seemed too much of a clique that was a bit too protectionist.

 

I remember today still the day the 4MTs, Jubilees, J72 were announced and many that followed.

 

Ultimately the management of Graham Hubbard has shown how China would feed our hobby and technology has provided 25 years of unbelieved quality from many manufacturers.

 

I do think Bachmann has some hard times to come, and without him things may be troubled, whoever follows him has deep shoes to fill and a rocky road to walk.

 

I hope he has a good retirement, its well deserved anyone having bought a 00 gauge model since 1991 has in some part him to thank, regardless of manufacturer.

To be fair a little harsh on Hornby. Bachmann did need a little push to move on and that came with a certain Bulleid Pacific. I do agree that Bachmann have given a good deal of pleasure to many over the past 25 years so much so that we might have become a little spoilt. Not with quality I might add (the US and the rest of Europe had that in spades already) but value.

[7013]

I retract the 'party line' comment Andy, and appreciate that people work hard to bring this news to us. It must grate when people make negative unsubstantiated comments, but that said we do not have to be grateful for what companies produce, yes we appreciate good models but we pay for them and can therefore have an opinion on them. Hopefully those opinions are constructive though and there is healthy debate. If I were modelling modern scene I would be overjoyed at a top class CL 90. But I am firmly in the ' nothing for me this time' camp. That said there I are going to be a lot of narrow gauge quarry / WW1 layouts in the near future which I would love to build.

[Lord Summerisle]

It's nice to see a DRS 37 as a general release, and not a limited edition. Though not the most numerous they must be the locomotive with the widest geographical spread of operation at this point in time. Shame they are only releasing one of them!

[S.A.C Martin]

The NRM announcement will undoubtedly be a new model, it'll be ready for sale sooner rather than later (I'm expecting the 29th to be release day) and it's going to be something brightly coloured and much loved in the national collection.

 

Why do I say this? It's been the same on every model released thus by the NRM.

[stewartingram]

Just a thought....

 

Graham Hubbard retiring, Simon Kohler out of Hornby, DapolDave now DJDave....now if these three all got together!!!!!

 

Stewart

[Ozexpatriate]

Just a thought....

 

Graham Hubbard retiring, Simon Kohler out of Hornby, DapolDave now DJDave....now if these three all got together!!!!!

Got together for what? A pint to reminisce about 'the good old days' of Chinese manufacturing when high-fidelity models came cheaply and on-time?

[The Black Hat]

Just a thought....

 

Graham Hubbard retiring, Simon Kohler out of Hornby, DapolDave now DJDave....now if these three all got together!!!!!

 

Stewart

 

You'd get "Barnbol" models...