Bachmann announce Class 90 (OO)

[Pete the Elaner]

5 hours ago, ThaneofFife said:

Are the falling out bogies now sorted by Bachmann?   Havent clocked every page to know.....

 

I have not heard of such issues with the 2nd batch of models.

[Johnson Street IEMD]

40 minutes ago, 60800 said:

 

Hi Kat,

  My other two are Intercity and RFD, although 90037 does have her DB name 'Christine' applied;

 

 

 

Cheers,

  60800

 

 

Ahhh gotcha ... 

 

[Matt]

7 hours ago, ThaneofFife said:

Are the falling out bogies now sorted by Bachmann?   Havent clocked every page to know.....

I had a couple of issues on first batch models but have bought rather a few from second batch and no issues at all for me.

M

[adb968008]

Ive nearly 10 class 90’s.. no issues with bogies since the original trio (Intercity/Rfd and Freightliner power haul).

 

Replacement bogie towers are available from Bachmann, its easy enough to replace,

ive done 3 of mine…

 

Remove the body first: 4 screws for the top roof section, 1 screws on opposites sides of each inner bogie for the main body, and  one screw each end under the drivers cab area. No need to remove the skirts/couplings… (and not reccomended either.. there's a very thin spring wire here ).

 

unclip the JSTs for the lights / pantograph and speaker and put the body to one side.

 

unclip the bogie frame, remove wheels, unscrew the pickups.. it drops out.
 

I use tweasers and a screwdriver to undo the remains of the screw pinion.

Then insert the new tower, clip in the drive shaft, seat the pinion and put in the top screw. Refit the pickups, Finally insert the wheels and refit the bogie frame… then the body.

 

One of the things I like about Bachmann, is under the hood, the models are well engineered for easy assembly / disassembly.. using connectors, screws instead of soldering etc as well as bearings for pickups etc… gives for a longer life imo.

 

The issue was over tightening that screw I recall, breaking the pinion.

Edited November 28, 2022 by adb968008

[andyman7]

Help appreciated - pantograph on non-DCC model now sprung 'down' rather than 'up'!

 

Between us my son and I have several Bachmann Class 90s. Mine are DCC fitted (a mix of factory sound fitted and earlier batch models fitted with the earlier dedicated Bachmann decoder). As supplied, the Pantograph is clipped 'down' and springs up when released; the DCC servo control then allows it to be lowered/raised via the relevant Function key.

 

Non-DCC fitted examples are supplied in a similar condition except of course there is no control of the pantograph unless a suitably programmed decoder is installed; this means that the pantograph is simply raised by unclipping it and lowered by clipping it back into place. However, on my son's non-DCC fitted 32-620 Freightliner version (from the second batch), the spring seems to have spontaneously reversed, so that the pantograph is now behaving as it does when retracted on DCC and it remains in the lower position when unlatched. It can be pulled up but springs back down. The model has never been decoder fitted and never operated on a DCC layout - his layout uses a Gaugemaster Model D.
 

Doe anyone have any idea how this might have happened? And is there a suggestion of how to reverse this? I don't have any spare decoders for the second release model and given this has happened without being near a decoder I might hope it can be reversed without having to source one.  

 

Thanks as always for any ides/thoughts/suggestions!

 

*UPDATE*

My son has established that when full power is applied it can trigger the Servo motor - on a non-DCC model fitted with a blanking plate! It happens in his estimation about 25% of the time.

 

I have been aware that electronic controllers can in certain cases inadvertently replicate DCC commands when using a decoder fitted loco on 'DC' power. But this is a first for me in managing (albeit sporadically) a DCC command on a non-decoder fitted locomotive!

Edited December 17, 2022 by andyman7
Update

[adb968008]

On 27/11/2022 at 09:17, 60800 said:

Just taken delivery of my third Bachmann 90, DB 90028. It's interesting to see just how close the shades of red are between this and the Hornby 91

 

 

 

Cheers,

  60800

The LNER 91 is a little more faded..

[James90012]

23 hours ago, andyman7 said:

Help appreciated - pantograph on non-DCC model now sprung 'down' rather than 'up'!

 

Between us my son and I have several Bachmann Class 90s. Mine are DCC fitted (a mix of factory sound fitted and earlier batch models fitted with the earlier dedicated Bachmann decoder). As supplied, the Pantograph is clipped 'down' and springs up when released; the DCC servo control then allows it to be lowered/raised via the relevant Function key.

 

Non-DCC fitted examples are supplied in a similar condition except of course there is no control of the pantograph unless a suitably programmed decoder is installed; this means that the pantograph is simply raised by unclipping it and lowered by clipping it back into place. However, on my son's non-DCC fitted 32-620 Freightliner version (from the second batch), the spring seems to have spontaneously reversed, so that the pantograph is now behaving as it does when retracted on DCC and it remains in the lower position when unlatched. It can be pulled up but springs back down. The model has never been decoder fitted and never operated on a DCC layout - his layout uses a Gaugemaster Model D.
 

Doe anyone have any idea how this might have happened? And is there a suggestion of how to reverse this? I don't have any spare decoders for the second release model and given this has happened without being near a decoder I might hope it can be reversed without having to source one.  

 

Thanks as always for any ides/thoughts/suggestions!

 

*UPDATE*

My son has established that when full power is applied it can trigger the Servo motor - on a non-DCC model fitted with a blanking plate! It happens in his estimation about 25% of the time.

 

I have been aware that electronic controllers can in certain cases inadvertently replicate DCC commands when using a decoder fitted loco on 'DC' power. But this is a first for me in managing (albeit sporadically) a DCC command on a non-decoder fitted locomotive!

 

I have a few 90s, and at least one of them (90004) on my DC loop I noticed the pantograph was trying to raise and lower randomly. My DC controller is the cheap Hornby type. On DCC all is well so i haven't had need to pursue!

[adb968008]

15 hours ago, James90012 said:

 

I have a few 90s, and at least one of them (90004) on my DC loop I noticed the pantograph was trying to raise and lower randomly. My DC controller is the cheap Hornby type. On DCC all is well so i haven't had need to pursue!

Good to know, ive a lot of low hanging hazards on my layout.

The good thing is Bachmann used a jst instead of a soldered wire, so you can disconnect it.

[Ncarter2]

2 hours ago, Willoughby Glen said:

Interesting to see that the collectors club edition of 90128 in SNCB livery has made it out to shops now

Very much so, but a nice bonus for some, been wanting the model, but didn’t want to have to join the collector club to do so, duly ordered! 

[adb968008]

I always found it a bit niche, so moved it down a step, but suddenly my interest peaked.

[Bonniedundee]

Is the sound version of 90128 SNCB getting shipped to the shops? 

[cairnsroadworks]

On 22/12/2022 at 21:55, Ncarter2 said:

Very much so, but a nice bonus for some, been wanting the model, but didn’t want to have to join the collector club to do so, duly ordered! 

You’ve almost got the set ;-)

[Ncarter2]

9 minutes ago, cairnsroadworks said:

You’ve almost got the set ;-)

May have to treat myself in Jan to the Kernow model 😬

[Pete the Elaner]

7 hours ago, Bonniedundee said:

Is the sound version of 90128 SNCB getting shipped to the shops? 

 

Did they do a sound version? I got 2 from the 1st batch & sount fitted them with Biff's chips, then 2 sound fitted ones from the 2nd batch.

I prefer Biff's projects to be honest. Bachmann's ones ship with static brake enabled. This does nothing except being an irritant. It stops it moving (which not starting does anyway) but one in motion, it has no effect.

Biff's also have a multi tone horn which sounds great.

The other main differences I can think of is that Biff's project raises the pan when you turn sound on (although height can be adjusted with CVs). Bachmann's project has 'pan up' as a separate function.

[Ncarter2]

Yes, a sound version of 90128 was, and still is, available. £270 from Bachmann, not seen any at retailers, yet.
I’ve seen the odd one on eBay, generally selling for less or on the mark. Maybe they want to shift excess stock, better to let some select retailers sell as opposed to having stock sat about. Waters down the collectors club IMHO, but I guess as a business, they don’t want stock sat. 

[adb968008]

Hard to believe its been in the collectors club 3 years now.

 

A thought for the future, it may be good to have discounted at the collectors “practically perfect” day.

[e30ftw]

just need the sncf version now, dosnt look good if they are floging the unsold Belgium ones though.

[Ncarter2]

2 hours ago, e30ftw said:

just need the sncf version now, dosnt look good if they are floging the unsold Belgium ones though.

Agreed, I have had one commissioned as I didn’t expect it to be produced. The only one I really would like is 90136, but I suspect this may need to be a refinish of another. 

[TomScrut]

10 hours ago, adb968008 said:

A thought for the future, it may be good to have discounted at the collectors “practically perfect” day.

 

The thing that's weird about it is that they went from having them sat at above RRP (for a normal release) to pretty much giving them away via retailers. I'd have thought either selling them at a lesser price on the CC site, or at RRP (for normal release) via retailers could have been an interim step. As a member of the club, I hadn't bought the 9F just because I had other stuff to worry about, but when I saw it at £113 in TMC I had to get it!

 

To me it just seems a pretty abrupt move, although it could be that they are clearing the way for more models next year. They don't have that many (loco) models in stock now really.

 

I'd have definitely had the SNCB 90 had it been in era for me. I like it and the price it is at the moment is an absolute steal.

[adb968008]

10 hours ago, e30ftw said:

just need the sncf version now, dosnt look good if they are floging the unsold Belgium ones though.

Makes the DB one an outlier, DC ready was £50 more expensive than the SNCB one this sale.

 

it is £113 more than TMCs now, (£95 more using Kernows site as a comparison).

 

I always considered this trio nice, but a bit niche. 

Edited December 25, 2022 by adb968008

[andyman7]

This starts going down the rabbit hole of what something is 'worth', but from what I can see, Bachmann has taken a few items where the balance of stock is not shifting having been available for a number of years, and essentially clearing it. That doesn't necessarily make other liveries worth 'less' or 'prove' that model railways are overpriced, it's just standard business practice. I have bought one of the blue-grey CEPs because at £209 it was now pitched broadly at the prices blue-grey ones trade for; and having done 3 runs I suspect we will see no more for some time if at all. As to the question 'why not reduce them gently', there can come a point where the trade of in value of gradually trickling out the remainder is outweighed by the cashflow and space benefit of just clearing the lot, as well as providing dealers with some 'bargain' stock to help them through hard times. Remember, Collectors Club models don't actually devalue any existing retailer stock so must be quite welcome.

[TomScrut]

36 minutes ago, andyman7 said:

As to the question 'why not reduce them gently', there can come a point where the trade of in value of gradually trickling out the remainder is outweighed by the cashflow and space benefit of just clearing the lot

 

I agree, but selling at a reduced price 6 months ago direct and then having the fire sale to dealers now might have made them more money perhaps?

[GordonC]

18 hours ago, e30ftw said:

just need the sncf version now, dosnt look good if they are floging the unsold Belgium ones though.

 

The SNCF Sybic one would be the one I'd be interested in, I was never keen on the other Freightconnection liveries

[97406]

6 minutes ago, GordonC said:

 

The SNCF Sybic one would be the one I'd be interested in, I was never keen on the other Freightconnection liveries

 

I was quite fond of the Belgian one, but yes, the Sybic one with the yellow ends applied looked pretty splendid.

[298]

On 25/12/2022 at 07:13, TomScrut said:

 

The thing that's weird about it is that they went from having them sat at above RRP (for a normal release) to pretty much giving them away via retailers. I'd have thought either selling them at a lesser price on the CC site, or at RRP (for normal release) via retailers could have been an interim step. As a member of the club, I hadn't bought the 9F just because I had other stuff to worry about, but when I saw it at £113 in TMC I had to get it!

 

To me it just seems a pretty abrupt move, although it could be that they are clearing the way for more models next year. They don't have that many (loco) models in stock now really.

 

I'd have definitely had the SNCB 90 had it been in era for me. I like it and the price it is at the moment is an absolute steal.

 

But is it? Considering Bachmann had them at £179 with the specialist chip for free, £130-something means they're only loosing the retailer's markup. 

 

On 25/12/2022 at 08:13, adb968008 said:

I always considered this trio nice, but a bit niche. 

 

Are they? Back in the day when Hornby 90s were 2 for £30 and Shawplan had the paint and transfers it didn't take me long to complete the set. There wasn't a question that I could only have one or two. The Belgian one was my favourite livery but certainly rarer on passenger and sleeper workings, certainly compared to 90029. 

 

90136 would be a good choice because of its use with Anglia and prior to it's repaint into Red it was one of the longest lived liveries still in use, albeit with a few minor variations.