Bachmann 2015/16 Speculation ... or Divination 101 as it is known on the Hogwarts Express

[Ian J.]

OT, but talking of S&DJR sets, I do hope Hornby do more releases of their S&DJR Maunsell set (with different numbers, natch).

[Skinnylinny]

Talyllyn is a very shrewd guess I think.

 

(From the Skarloey thread):

009 is an interesting sub-category.

 

We've seen the Baldwin 4-6-0 announced last year.

Bachmann offers this Baldwin 2-4-2 narrow gauge beauty (Lyn) in G, they could do 009.

And now a very possible Talyllyn.

 

March just got more interesting to me. I wonder when Heljan will show up with the Manning-Wardle they promised?

 

Anyone mind if I have another stab in the dark? Ok, given that our colonial cousins across the pond are to be blessed with 'Skarloey' to run on 9mm gauge track, I wonder if at last the various tentacles of the Bachmann empire might get their collective sh!t together for long enough for a parallel UK model of Talyllyn to appear? 

Having spoken with the gents on the Bachmann stand at Model Rail Scotland, I am not going to get my hopes up for a 009 Talyllyn (though I'd love to be proved wrong). Witness the Bachmann Junior range, which originally started as repainted "Thomas" and "Percy" models, before HiT Entertainment found out and put a stop to it. That being said, it does seem to my untrained eye that the chassis tooling is still being used, so never say never...

 

One of the people on the stand also told me that the wagons might look like Peco's, but that they were being done in-house by Bachmann.

[Combe Martin]

Referring to post 327 above from Ozexpatriate, it's worth pointing out that Bachmann's current 4F can't be used as a 60s or even late 50s Somerset & Dorset loco (even with renumbering).  The Fowler tender is of the wrong type !  None of the S&Ds right hand drive 4Fs (refered to as the Armstrongs) plus non Armstrong 44102 had the 'coal door' type tender modelled by Bachmann (and indeed by Hornby with their left hand drive 4F).  They all had the earlier Fowler tender where the tender front just had a 'coal hole' below a full width toolbox, similar to the front of the earlier Johnson tender as attached to the 3F.  I'm hoping Bachmann will make the correct (for the S&D) earlier type Fowler tender.

 

This is also the correct tender for 7F 53807, if Bachmann were to produce it.  The current 7F model of 53806 is also wrong, it too should have this tender.

 

Regarding the 3F, the current Bachmann model is not correct for an S&D Bulldog.  Only one (43218) was attached to Bachmann's large(ish) Johnson tender.  The rest had various smaller tenders. But also, all the Bulldogs had an additional sandbox in front of the leading driving wheels with a protruding filler 'spout', and a sandbox operating lever on the right hand side above the brake lever . 

 

With all 3 of the above models, I'd love it if Bachmann were to 'do it right' for the S&D !      

[Ian J.]

We need an S&DJR commissioner, not unlike Cornwall having Kernow Models, so that we can get some of these variants made!

[locoholic]

To complete the Somerset & Dorset menagerie, I wish Bachmann would make a 1P 0-4-4T.

[Dunsignalling]

Referring to post 327 above from Ozexpatriate, it's worth point out that Bachmann's current 4F can't be used as a 60s or even late 50s Somerset & Dorset loco (even with renumbering).  The Fowler tender is of the wrong type !  None of the S&Ds right hand drive 4Fs (refered to as the Armstrongs) plus non Armstrong 44102 had the 'coal door' type tender modelled by Bachmann (and indeed by Hornby with their left hand drive 4F).  They all had the earlier Fowler tender where the tender front just had a 'coal hole' below a full width toolbox, similar to the front of the earlier Johnson tender as attached to the 3F.  I'm hoping Bachmann will make the correct (for the S&D) earlier type Fowler tender.

 

This is also the correct tender for 7F 53807, if Bachmann were to produce it.  The current 7F model of 53806 is also wrong, it too should have this tender.

 

Regarding the 3F, the current Bachmann model is not correct for an S&D Bulldog.  Only one (43218) was attached to Bachmann's large(ish) Johnson tender.  The rest had various smaller tenders. But also, all the Bulldogs had an additional sandbox in front of the leading driving wheels with a protruding filler 'spout', and a sandbox operating lever on the right hand side above the brake lever . 

 

With all 3 of the above models, I'd love it if Bachmann were to 'do it right' for the S&D !      

They'll probably announce a 4F with the "right" tender just after I get round to altering mine!

[SDJR7F88]

As they've done pretty much everything they can with the existing 7F, how about a RHD one from the earlier batch?

 

John

That would be superb! Would get me tempted to get the whole fleet! Or even the larger boiler variant 

[SDJR7F88]

Referring to post 327 above from Ozexpatriate, it's worth point out that Bachmann's current 4F can't be used as a 60s or even late 50s Somerset & Dorset loco (even with renumbering).  The Fowler tender is of the wrong type !  None of the S&Ds right hand drive 4Fs (refered to as the Armstrongs) plus non Armstrong 44102 had the 'coal door' type tender modelled by Bachmann (and indeed by Hornby with their left hand drive 4F).  They all had the earlier Fowler tender where the tender front just had a 'coal hole' below a full width toolbox, similar to the front of the earlier Johnson tender as attached to the 3F.  I'm hoping Bachmann will make the correct (for the S&D) earlier type Fowler tender.

 

 

With all 3 of the above models, I'd love it if Bachmann were to 'do it right' for the S&D !  

 Too true!   Though I thought the running number of the BR Early 4F, 43875, they have made with the other style of tender, ran on the line?   

To complete the Somerset & Dorset menagerie, I wish Bachmann would make a 1P 0-4-4T.

Top of my list too! 

[D9020 Nimbus]

I'd probably look out for a 114 DMU (small, commonplace and similar(ish) to the 108) and add another vote for the A5.

 

Commonplace? Only in Lincolnshire! If a DMU is to be modelled a 120 (or perhaps 104) would be a better bet—more widespread and a distinctive appearance compared to the 108.

[GordonC]

Commonplace? Only in Lincolnshire! If a DMU is to be modelled a 120 (or perhaps 104) would be a better bet—more widespread and a distinctive appearance compared to the 108.

 

I'd have to agree, I think a Class 114 may be a bit away, With more than a passing similarity to the 108 and 116/117 which are either out or on the way then I'd be surprised if the 1st Generation Units that look 'different' weren't tackled first - Class 104 and 120 would spring to mind as being better bets first - I could even see a Class 129 being announced first if Heljan can swap the body on its 128!!. Not sure how much interest a 114 would stir up

[brushman47544]

I'd have to agree, I think a Class 114 may be a bit away, With more than a passing similarity to the 108 and 116/117 which are either out or on the way then I'd be surprised if the 1st Generation Units that look 'different' weren't tackled first - Class 104 and 120 would spring to mind as being better bets first - I could even see a Class 129 being announced first if Heljan can swap the body on its 128!!. Not sure how much interest a 114 would stir up

 

I've always known 104s as Buxton units. Other than towards the end when they did fly their wings a bit, I thought their sphere of operations was relatively limited. A 120 would be much more useful and could spawn a 119 later.

[PaulRhB]

One of the people on the stand also told me that the wagons might look like Peco's, but that they were being done in-house by Bachmann.

Chap from Peco on NGRM said 'don't believe all you read on forums' in response so I think those on the stand might have been misinformed/ing

[Ozexpatriate]

... it's worth point out that Bachmann's current 4F can't be used as a 60s or even late 50s Somerset & Dorset loco (even with renumbering).  The Fowler tender is of the wrong type ! 

...

 

With all 3 of the above models, I'd love it if Bachmann were to 'do it right' for the S&D !

They did the 7F and the 4F in Prussian Blue. Not prototypically correct of course, but beautiful models all the same.

 

I'd like a 3F and I'd buy one that wasn't accurate, but if they can make one that is spot on with their existing tooling, that would be nice.

[The Stationmaster]

In view of Hornby's Farcebook page I reckon an air-smoothed MN is now a definite from Bachmann!

[farren]

I would find a Class 114 dmu useful.

[Andy W]

I'd have to agree, I think a Class 114 may be a bit away, With more than a passing similarity to the 108 and 116/117 which are either out or on the way then I'd be surprised if the 1st Generation Units that look 'different' weren't tackled first - Class 104 and 120 would spring to mind as being better bets first - I could even see a Class 129 being announced first if Heljan can swap the body on its 128!!. Not sure how much interest a 114 would stir up

I know that a Class 128 is a 63ft underframe unit(as is the 114) but isn't the 129 a 57ft underframe, so making it more suited to Bachmann than Heljan?

[GordonC]

Ah ok, I didn't know they were different lengths ... I assumed they'd be the same length

[Ozexpatriate]

In view of Hornby's Farcebook page I reckon an air-smoothed MN is now a definite from Bachmann!

That's a logical conclusion.

 

It was simply a matter of time for a 00 air-smoothed Merchant Navy to be announced. But who would do so first - Bachmann had the CADs with their Farish version and Hornby the essentials of a chassis with their rebuilt version?

 

The question now is who will do what incarnation? Bachmann is almost a dead certainty for the third series with 35021, 35023 and 35024 in the Farish range.

 

Will someone step up and do Channel Packet as built? That's now the question.

[wombatofludham]

I've always known 104s as Buxton units. Other than towards the end when they did fly their wings a bit, I thought their sphere of operations was relatively limited. A 120 would be much more useful and could spawn a 119 later.

 

The 104 began life operating in the North east, around Birmingham and the Midlands, and Manchester/North Wales and later widened their sphere to East Anglia in the 1970s and Scotland in the late 70s and early 80s.  I even caught one on the Heart of Wales line once, and some of the last units worked in NSE livery on the "Goblin" line.  They were famous at one time for working the Blackpool North line where they once (allegedly) incurred the wrath of Violet Carson, the actress who played "Ena Sharples" in Coronation St who used to commute from Blackpool to the Granada studios in Manchester, who complained publicly about the poor quality of the stock on her morning commute.  Apparently, it led to the regular scheduling of a Trans Pennine unit on the prime commuter run out of the town to offer a better standard of accommodation.  Clearly the LMR of British Rail were as wary of crossing the famously acid-tongued Ena as the characters in the soap!

 

So they were far more widespread geographically right from their introduction through to their final years, probably as widespread as the Class 120 with the exception of use on the Western which the 120s enjoyed.

[Dunsignalling]

The MN I want is 35006 'Peninsular & Oriental S.N. Co' as running in the summer of 1959; the only one I remember seeing in air-smoothed form and the last-but-one to enter Eastleigh works for rebuilding. 35028 'Clan Line' went in a couple of weeks later. 

 

Nice photo on P.131 of 'Bulleid Power' by A.J. Fry

 

John

[Ozexpatriate]

The MN I want is 35006 'Peninsular & Oriental S.N. Co' as running in the summer of 1959; the only one I remember seeing in air-smoothed form and the last-but-one to enter Eastleigh works for rebuilding. 35028 'Clan Line' went in a couple of weeks later. 

On the subject of P&O S.N. Co., here's Graham Muz's lovely version of 21C6. From his excellent and informative MN page.

[brushman47544]

In view of Hornby's Farcebook page I reckon an air-smoothed MN is now a definite from Bachmann!

Indeed, although with Bachmann's current lead times from announcement, we won't be seeing it in the shops for perhaps three years. Hornby's would seem likely to appear well beforehand.

[SamTom]

Left-field wildly unrealsitic suggestion: a J70/Y6 Wisbech and Upwell tram!!

Why so unrealistic to rtr model(in commercial terms)?

 

Okay, very limited geographically BUT:

 

1. Hardly more restricted, in pragmatically current terms, than say an Adams Radial.

 

2. Loved by everyone who grew up with Thomas, therefore a ready market among 'first train set' customers.

 

3. Almost unique in design and appearance. Unlike anything made at present.

 

4. Externally very simple, far easier and cheaper to manufacture than almost any engine rtr at present: easier to manufacture >accurately< than any other steam engine, I'd have thought. Not unlike the prototype!

 

5. Able to operate ralistically on a small / toy layout (especially with a couple of wagons/cars). And, being fen country, NO HILLS!

 

6. Lots of space for dcc, smoke...

 

7. And I want one. (At present I run an old (1950's) white metal thing, way past it's poor - at - the - best - of - times best on my >SR< layout, as a farm tractor. Sugar Beets. Great conversation piece.)

[phil gollin]

......... with caprotti valve gear ...........

.

 

Have any RTR models ever done a good quality capriotti gear ?

[The Black Hat]

To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the closing of the S&D?

 

The S&D isnt shut. The original route between North Road and Dinsdale is lifted, as is Eaglescliffe to Stockton Dock, but the 142s and 156s between Bishop Auckland and Saltburn still ply their trade like many other before them. Including Locomotion No. 1.

 

All these S&D locos, but no coaches ?

 

Theres a lot more than you think.

 

Bachmann do a nice BR Standard 4MT, with a WD 2-8-0, as well as thing migrating into the region such as Ivatt 4MT, 2MT and Fairburn tanks. Hornby come in with the L1, B1 and now the superb K1. Plus you can top link pacifics from the relavent manufacturer. DJM have announced a Q6, so Id hope the B16, J21, G5 or J27 joins such a list. Of course the most likely one is BR Standard 2MT - which would be lovely.

 

As for stock, theres a lot of Gresley coaches, Bachmanns Thompsons are good still and the recent Hornby suburban stock would go quite nicely. Some regional NER stock for the more rural branches would be good. Bachmann offer some great bogie wagons and 16T hoppers. Hornbys new 21T wagon looks very nice. Whats next a chaldron wagon?