Butler Henderson

Re what lights are fitted the descriptions on the Model Rail Offers web page now, if not previoiusly, list working exterior lights for all models bar

MR-501 70271 - War Department olive green

MR-502 878 Basra - Longmoor Military Railway

MR-503 7120 - LMS pre-war black

MR-504 7128 - LMS post-war black  (which seems to an error from the photos above)

MR-506 15101 - BR WR Green

MR-507 15106 - BR WR Green WEATHERED does have exterior lights

Anyone have MR-509 12131 - BR Black - WEATHERED ?  Wondered how weathered it is as its only one otherwise passable as a genuine preserved loco

1 hour ago, Chiltern Junction said:

 

They said several times in the video that more Mk1s are coming this year as part of wider developments in the range so no doubt there will be more variants and liveries accounced

 

Pure speculation on my part, but I wonder if they are re-releasing these ahead of Accurascale announcing a Mk1 run.

Whats the odds come the Winter 2024 announcement of, say, BCKs and RFOs theres a posting complaining no TSOs or BSKs ?

3 hours ago, G-BOAF said:

Nice to see the Mk1s back, but shame the release is so limited (TSO and BSK only, basically mirroring the long-announced WCRC run). Will be interesting to see if the pickup-fitted bogies are released as spares as that would be useful for a few projects I have in mind.

 

I really don't understand the price of these coaches. The core tooling costs are long paid off. When released in 1999 these were around £21 I believe (give or take). With inflation, this should be around £38.50 today. Instead the RRP is 59.99, reprasenting a 'Bachflation' of 55% above real inflation accounted price. If we allow for a 15% retailer discount, that still gives a 32% 'Bachflation'.

Now I'm normally critical of those whinging on about price rises (e.g. S** T***** on Youtube) as they seldom account for real Bank of England Inflation in their assessment. However my calculations do account for this. Yes there are increased costs in China and some raw materials, but a good chunk of that that will already be factored in to the assessment of Bank of England inflation (allowing for the fact that total UK inflation is a mix of internal and external factors, while Bachmann's costs are primarily external). I would expect to see some skew above real inflation, but by 55%????!!!!!

 

I do feel that the model is not worth the RRP. Especially when Hornby and others are producing coaches with separately fitted door handles, roof vents etc for a similar price. Not that the Bachmann Mk1 would be significantly lifted if these features were present; while moulded they really do look the part assuming the factory have got the lining around them properly printed.

As Andys posting point to the Mk1s were released at a time labour costs where neglibile, and costs of Chinese produced products have rocketed in the meantime. Between 2010-2021 there was a 37.9% increase  labour costs. Kader embarked on costing each assembly point of a models production and it was found for example the original, now highly expensive on the second hand market, release of the C 0-6-0 in fully lined SECR livery (31-460 no. 592) had been made at a lost. Some models designed when labour costs were largely irrelevant have fiddly construction and hence the price is high to cover the labour involved.  Away from Bachmann this might explain Hornbys pricing of the M7 which always seems rediculously high.

18 minutes ago, Daddyman said:

Can anyone clarify the use of the word "new" in this announcement? It (the word) seems to be doing a lot of work, being used for both all-new tools and for things that seem to be reissues of old models. Is the key to Bachmann's use of the term that "brand-new" (as used for the Class 31) means "newly tooled" whereas simply "new" actually means "old model"? 

Basically, are the Mk1s being retooled? They're described as "new" but from the photos it doesn't look like it, with the window frames still missing, and the gashes where the ends meet the sides still seemingly visible in the small shots on the video. There just seem to have been some bogie tweaks and the end steps removed. "New" seems to mean "old" (and also "tired") where these carriages are concerned

New is commonly used for any new release be it from a new or existing toolng, The Mk1s have new bogies and end steps removed for as further tweaks to the existing tooling which previously had the heavy roof ridges removed.

9 hours ago, Nova Scotian said:

For an extra 10 quid a coach I want the fitted passengers to stand up 2 minutes before arriving at the station, stand in the vestibule, then exit the coach at the station, to be replaced by waiting passengers on the platform. Otherwise there's nothing in this for me.

You are getting £17 worth of passengers fitted. However are they being varied in their painting as a rake of coaches with the exact same passengers in each could look a bit weird.

Use a decoder that is designed for a stay alive to be fitted to it. The R8249 is a cheap nasty decoder not worth any where near it's price.

39 minutes ago, MikeParkin65 said:

Pretty sure the V2 (still being widely discounted) was more recent than the 1P and the 94xx

Not that surprising given the appalling tooling twix cab front and smokebox. Ripe for another attempt.

1 hour ago, gismorail said:

Ref Heljan spares 

I have often bought spares from GM without any ongoing issues. However I was surprised to hear the other day that Heljan do not supply GM with any screws or metal parts and this has been the case since GM took over the spares supply. I’ve been trying to source the long screws that secure the body of the 0 gauge locos to the chassis which considering the weight involved are fairly vital components. I’m a big fan of Heljan 0 gauge locomotives but do find the lack of backing from this manufacture somewhat frustrating.

Have you tried contacting Heljan https://www.Heljan.co.uk/contact

Would think the screws are some standard thread whch they could probably tell you what it is if unable to supply the actual

24 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

Haven't Kader always made stuff like that though?

 

A bit like Palitoy, who made Mainline, also made Action Man and Star Wars toys.

Kader made Mainline for Palitoy, in terms of main content of the range hence the use of the toolings for the origianl Bachamnn Branchline range

Just now, Gwiwer said:

Only a year later than originally planned then.  By industry standards that's not so bad however frustrating it is at this end.  I wonder why, though, they have gone for multiple previously unannounced liveries first rather than those their retailers have got orders for?  Keeping the customer waiting is never good business practice.  Other commercial consideration aside I might have run the announced ones first and come back later with the rest.  

Its quite normal of Bachmann to annouce additional liveries for a new tooling when its entry into production is imminent  - save factory time to produce the whole lot as the tooling is set up. The originals will no doubt turn up around the same time.

On 05/02/2024 at 23:56, LittleRedTrain said:

My LMS 7120 arrived this morning. Definitely a massive step up from my old Lima model.

 

It was a little hesitant starting at first, but much happier after a little bit of running in.

I presume the lack of front/back lighting is correct for this model in its as-built form, with lamp-irons provided instead. (Photos suggest that in preservation it has acquired top headlamps).

 

In Modern Locomotives Illustrated 217 it is stated "From new, electric, front and rear marker lights were installed, which were fitted with a white element over which a red shage could bne adfded for rear end use"  This photo of a line of them with the rear of 7130 visible shows such lights were completely different to those used later by BR

https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/mrsalt661.htm

There is also a limit to how much the factory can produce - have heard it often said the USA market dominates the output and what factory time Bachmann Europe products get is limited.

Noticable there were no EFE Rail additions.

2 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

The much-anticipated BD 4wDM shunters in OO9 are finally coming although apparently not the green one which I have on order; their operation through points and haulage capability will be interesting to see.

As I posted earlier the video is just the Feb 2024 additions

https://www.Bachmann.co.uk/category/model-railway/narrow-gauge/locomotives?page=2 quite clearly shows the green one amonst others due May/June

Don't forget this announcement is only the Feb 2024 new additions to the range. There are still a number of previously announced models still awaited as covered in this thread

notably including LMS 5XP 'Patriot' 5551 'The Unknown Warrior' LMS Lined Crimon and A1 60163 'Tornado' BR Lined Green (Late Crest)

The Genesis coaches seem to be like the P and Barclay - Hattons own doing without any input from other manufacturer. I was half expecting after Accurascaleds announcenment that they had gone to Dapol.

2 hours ago, Ravel said:

Maybe there is other new toolings and they wanted this to be stand alone to not overshadow them..

They did say in the video they had new toolings to announce in all scales.

1 hour ago, TomScrut said:

 

I completely agree. Those who are suggesting Bachmann copied Accurascale must think that Bachmann have the ability to develop models faster than them, which I doubt. Especially given the same happened with the 37, that's a lot of string pulling.

 

I fully expect that both companies saw an opportunity and ended up meeting in the middle.

 

In the video the development of the model bloke is referenced as picking it up when he joined two years ago. So the 31 was planned more than two years ago and under the old annual announcement of what we will release in the next 18 months (er make that 3 to 6 years) I expect in would have been in such a 2021 announcement or if not 2022 just before Accuracale announced theirs.

40 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Anyone know what happened to the Hattons 48XX tooling? Did they vanish in the DJ Models demise? If not an Accurascale upgrade could be winner.🙂

 

Um.. new chassis and body errors corrected (overlarge splashers). Might be simply to start anew.

I emailed Hornby re the eras and today got a response which I followed up re the cab on "GWR D1",  to which they asked for a photo - fllick link sent. Maybe they will change the descriptions and cab as applicable..

On 05/02/2024 at 02:40, BR60103 said:

Somewhere someone talked about gluing the Kadee shank onto a cutoff Bachmann shank.

The wrong height boxes are randomly distributed through the range.

 

I've done that - unless someone manages to find a glue that strongly welds the two together then IME the joint needs strengthening - I use a small nut and bolt. HAs the advantage compatred to the alternatives of not having to carry out any physical work on the coach.

On wagons there is usually the simple of option of sliding the NEM box out of its mount the required amount, adding some padding between the box and chassis if desired to retain the height.

18 minutes ago, meatloaf said:

https://www.kmsrailtech.co.uk/4mm-oo-gauge/39-class-03-03026-br-blue-dcc-sound-803393046651.html

Thats a DCC Sound fitted one  31-368DS

41 minutes ago, meatloaf said:

They deffo did a blue one - albeit a sound fitted one

Have been non sound fitted ones

31-362 03066

31-362A 03045

31-363 03162

31-365 03170  - one currently on ebay

31-368 03026 - one currently on ebay

I did try Prime for a month; nothing arrived any faster and one order was cancelled by them. Always take care to avoid it now,.

A further alternative is to use these on the coaches

https://mademe.co.uk/product/Bachmann-oo-mk1-mk2-nem-pockets-14x-stepped-coupling-fix/

4 hours ago, Fredo said:

Hi,

I am intending to get R60238 GWR Loriot Y, on the website the wagon is said to be era 4, but is the wagon carrying a pre tops number?

Thanks Fred

It not the number more the TOPS code in it which they have as ZXP while Rapidos has ZXO

https://rapidotrains.co.uk/product/loriot-y-machinery-truck-no-dw41990/

The PCB regulates to 5 volt and the relays have 5 volt coils. I had connected a variable PSU which I supplied 12v to the PCB.

2 hours ago, SHMD said:

I think the simple answer is that you have bought a "latching" relay as the replacement to replace a "bog standard", (but bigger), original relay.

Flip your right, I thought the original was a latching relay. I'll dig out a normal one.