http://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=258_259_261&products_id=5905 :D
Excellent news! Looking forward to finally getting this model and sharing my thoughts on it! Great job Bachmann :)
There is a video on Bachmanns Facebook page. Looks pretty good.
At last.
Can't wait for him to arrive on my doorstep. Now a real question, why isn't he available on the website, or anywhere...
All I can say is, it's about time. Had him on preorder so very excited to see him very soon.
Quote from: HLC Railroad on March 09, 2017, 05:53:37 PM
Now a real question, why isn't he available on the website, or anywhere...
Oliver just arrived at the Bachmann warehouse. I'd say give them about a week or two until hobby shops finally receive the model and are able to ship them to consumers who already preordered him.
HOORAY! Hopefully, he'll arrive before my 23rd birthday, yet I ordered it for Christmas 2015. However, I have to give credit where credit is due for Bachmann. Well done!
After two years, Oliver is finally ready!
Rosie might get released this summer.
Video review of Bachmann Oliver:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uOL-v-5pZGk&feature=youtu.be
In case people want to get a better look at him.
With comparisons to Duck and Toad.
It would appear that people should be getting their models now! That's exciting, can't wait for a more high quality review.
Just got an email from ModelTrainsOnly that my pre-order should be here within the next two weeks...
Kinda a shame that its taking so long, but we've made it this far I guess.
Better Quality Review: Check
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8UwJcHYCdT8
Very well received reviews Oliver got in those two videos.
Literally just received my Oliver today, haven't inboxed him yet but even in the packaging he looks exquisite.
(http://i.imgur.com/DWABJlB.jpg)
CRACKING! Looking forward to your test run video of Oliver.
Well once a product arrives in their warehouse, they try to ship it out as quick as they can. plus this also depends on how often your dealer purchases product from Bachmann. They probably didn't order Oliver right away. Your dealer probably waited until there was a low amount of Bachmann stock to place an order for some more products. Oliver's probably on their next order, and, depending on what state you live in, it might take a while for your dealer to get whatever they ordered, in stock. Everyone will be able to get their model soon.
There's no doubt that Oliver will soon show up on the bestsellers list. Duck is currently #8 being the number 8.
I received my Oliver two days ago, and may I say is he stunning! Excellent job, Bachmann! Here's a photo of him (it looks as though he has teeth lol):
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C8K7dfAV0AAFvCf.jpg)
Quote from: ThomasFan247 on March 31, 2017, 11:24:07 AM
(it looks as though he has teeth lol)
I wonder where you got that from ;) :P
Oliver is finally here, so as promised here are some photos and my thoughts on the model!
(http://i67.tinypic.com/2qb7vvk.jpg)
There is one really important thing I would like to talk about before I talk about the Bachmann Oliver, which is how everybody wanted a model of Oliver for a long time. After Donald, Douglas and Duck were announced the demand and hype for Oliver and Toad was undeniable and hard to avoid on this forum (or anywhere for that matter). To add to that, Bachmann managed to carry the same quality from its predecessors from these models to their Oliver model, and knowing that Bachmann bothered to make these characters at all before doing any character before anyone introduced after season 7 is just incredible by itself. Looking back, I'm honestly surprised Hit/Mattel actually approved of this decision.
(http://i67.tinypic.com/nvwcok.jpg)
The first thing I would like to talk about is the Bachmann Oliver's design choice. I am going to judge my views on the model for what it actually is rather than what it isn't. I do agree that the classic style of Oliver looks a lot nicer than the CG render that Arc made, and I would even go as far as to say if that if they went with the classic style, the model would've been out a lot sooner as it would've been easier to make. However, Mattel always has the final say when it comes to decisions, so it's not like Bachmann actually had a choice if they had to choose which era to base it off of. If I complain about it not being in it's classic form, and talk about how horrible Arcs render is of the character, I'm going to find myself to be very disappointed with what's in front of me. For what it is, there are a lot of positive qualities behind it.
(http://i67.tinypic.com/j10odc.jpg)
So regardless of what era the model is based off of, the fact that Bachmann made the characters that fans actually wanted and made them in terrific quality, it makes loyal collectors like myself very happy to finally have engines 1-11 finally completed by Bachmann.
(http://i66.tinypic.com/ofdcll.jpg)
In terms of aesthetics, Bachmann really did an excellent job of capturing Oliver in his CG form. The attention to detail such as the rivets, whistle, lamp irons, just to name a few are all present thus showing accuracy and details to the model - possibly the most detailed model in the HO range (not including narrow gauge).
(http://i67.tinypic.com/fckv38.jpg)
My favorite feature about Oliver has to be the lamps. These are by far the most accurate lamps on a Bachmann model, and are superior compared to the marshmallow shaped design with the lamps on Thomas, Percy and James models and I would love to see this carried over to future models, or possible revisions. I will be adding custom LED lights to both lamps, and when I do so, I may post more pictures!
(http://i66.tinypic.com/2vskzmt.jpg)
One thing I want to talk about is the scaling done with the model, which is something that Arc failed to do properly with their render which has sadly made it onto the Bachmann Oliver, but not as badly. I'm sure the scaling of the model was probably the most difficult issue with the model and especially what made the model take so long in production. He might look a little off compared to some other engines and rolling stock, but I think it honestly could've been a lot worse. Despite this, and maybe a missing detail or two, there is one other flaw on the model I'm surprised no one on here made a comment about...
(http://i65.tinypic.com/351g4nc.jpg)
I am honestly surprised that when it came to the coupling hooks on the model that instead of going with the smaller, more accurate hooks like on some of the previous engines they went right back to the larger and thicker ones for Oliver. It doesn't really detract from the model that much, but when they haven't added hooks like these to models since Bill and Ben, it really does make you wonder why they made this choice with Oliver.
(http://i64.tinypic.com/2m4r40g.jpg)
But aside from those two nitpicks, I'd say Oliver is a pretty great model in terms of looks and already has me won over regardless of what era it's based off of. While the scaling is probably the biggest issue with the model that can't be fixed I'm glad the difference isn't as apparent as Arcs render.
(http://i66.tinypic.com/2iiy7g0.jpg)
Now in terms of running, I would say that there is definitely a quality motor inside the model. Oliver is not a heavy duty model, in fact he's probably one of the lightest models I think I have had in my collection. Almost the same as Bill and Ben. This doesn't seem to affect its performance all that much as despite that he is surprisingly a really smooth runner, especially when running at slower speeds.
(http://i68.tinypic.com/eg8qr7.jpg)
Hauling power was very interesting, as while he is a lighter model he didn't do very well in terms of pulling heavier trains. I've had to replace two of my loaded trucks with empty ones on an average as I expected he would have done fine with heavier ones. This isn't a bad thing by any means, I would say a couple of coaches/trucks with Toad should really do the trick as that's what most fans would have him pull anyway.
(http://i65.tinypic.com/2dt0tvl.jpg)
Overall, I wouldn't go as far as to say that this is the best model in the range, but it is definitely above average and met and even exceeded a few expectations. It's amazing detail and running are really what win me over and I know he will be popular at my model railroad clubs Easter show! If you are a fan of the character, you are going to be very happy with what you get. If you are an older fan who prefers characters to be in their classic form than you will inevitably be disappointed with this model. But to those who simply just want to have the last classic character that Bachmann will probably do in HO then I think it is worth the investment regardless of its design. It's selling out like crazy for a reason and words can only do so much so take a look and see for yourself!
(http://i64.tinypic.com/vncbbt.jpg)
So now that engines 1-11 are now completed, it'll hopefully be a matter of time before we see Bachmann announce/make the rest of the original Skarloey Railway engines!
Great Detailed Review, Chaz. But another good thing about Bachmann Oliver, it is taller than his brake van Toad, as he should be.
Nice review. I learned a few details along the way. I appreciate the time it took to investigate and pass along this info. Good job! 8)
Awesome review Chaz. I had heard that he was incredibly small- did you feel he was out of scale size-wise with engines such as Gordon or Duck?
Compared to Duck, there is a notable size difference, but again it isn't as bad as Arc's scaling. I wouldn't say he is out of scale, but if they had made him in Arc's actual size then he easily would have been too small. The hook and loop couplers wouldn't have lined up properly with other engines and stock if they made him in Arc's size. Just to give you the right idea:
(http://i68.tinypic.com/jue0i9.jpg)
"Oliver! What are you doing on my track?"
"Your track? Who says this is your track?"
"There are two ways of doing things, Oliver: The Great Western way, and-"
"The wrong way, I know... and you're doing it the wrong way!"
I've seen both a 5700 class and a 1400 class in person and the scaling Arc did is just awful, the Bachmann model is more decent but still looks weird. Both classes are about the same height and width.
As I speculated some time back, compared to both model and CGI the scaling is right about in the middle. Still good job to Bachmann for the painstaking effort considering that Oliver's scaling must of been a total nightmare.
Quote from: TrainFan97 on April 01, 2017, 06:14:40 PM
"Oliver! What are you doing on my track?"
"Your track? Who says this is your track?"
"There are two ways of doing things, Oliver: The Great Western way, and-"
"The wrong way, I know... and you're doing it the wrong way!"
This made me laugh. xD
https://youtu.be/qCboKm3QEoU
My look at Oliver with music by yours truly.
My Oliver model has arrived today. He's smaller than I imagined. He's also very weak.
I wouldn't say the model is bad. It's what I've waited years for. Oliver may be small, but not scaled down to the point to where open wagons are taller than him. His face is smaller than Thomas'. The black running board is an easy fix if bothered. The size, however, is not fixable. It's just something we have to deal with. At least it's still better than Arc's scaling. Kind of in the middle between model and CGI eras. Duck, on the other hand, is rather big. Duck is also quite long.
I have nothing against Oliver being made in his CGI design, since I know that Mattel has the final say on how it's done. Duck's model was made before his CGI render was revealed. With Duck in his model design, and Oliver in his CGI design, it's kind of weird. I'm glad Oliver's not as small as Percy, or Bill and Ben. Oliver is a great model. I'd like to thank Bachmann for making Oliver. His lamp looks WAY better than Thomas'.
Oliver's already had more reviews than 'Arry and Bert ever got. I enjoyed 'Arry and Bert too. I might be getting Rosie if she gets released this summer. Oliver is the first engine in the HO range that's a different character since 'Arry and Bert in 2014. I'm really looking forward to Paxton. If Paxton gets delayed, he might suffer than same fate as 'Arry and Bert, who didn't get released until over a year after they were announced, despite being recolors.
How strong would you say Oliver is? How many wagons can he pull with Toad?
Is the Bachmann Oliver an equivalent to the Bachmann Mavis size wise?
Bachmann Oliver and Mavis are pretty much the same size.
Now that I think about it, I don't think it's that Oliver's undersized. If anything, Duck could be oversized. Considering how long he is. He's bigger than Diesel.
I thought so. Thank you for answering my question. I've always wondered that.
No, actually I don't think so. Bachmann made Duck how he was in the TV series. Bachmann makes all their characters, rolling stock, buildings, etc. accurate to how they are in the TV series from their most current form as possible whenever they made them including their size which they do very precisely. Duck is just kind of a big tank engine. I'm sure Duck was bigger than Diesel anyway. I know Duck was that much bigger than Thomas. You can tell that by a brief moment when Thomas rolls by Duck in the episodes "The Runaway", and "The Missing Christmas Tree".
I don't have Bachmann Oliver yet, but from what I've seen he isn't too bad size wise really. He might be just a little small, but again not too bad. He's just a touch smaller than the Hornby Oliver. I think Bachmann tried to make Oliver in his scaling from the CGI series, but they couldn't, because he would be considered too small to be an HO locomotive. So they just made him as small as possible to still be considered an HO locomotive while making all the proportions right. With that being said, I agree with everybody that Bachmann Oliver's scaling is a mix between the model series scaling, and the CGI series scaling. I'm glad he isn't entirely in his CGI series scaling, but that's just me.
I've been enjoying Bachmann Oliver. Thank you Bachmann for making Oliver. It may have took two years just to get him out there, but it was all worth it.
Like I said before, I may get Rosie if she comes out this summer. There's still no video of her in action yet. I'll still think about Rosie, and if I decide I don't want her, I'll definitely get Paxton, the first CGI character in the HO range, but he's a likeable one.
Since Rosie's image was revealed a few months ago, there's no doubt her release timing will be this summer. Oliver's image was revealed in the fall, and he got released this spring.
Oliver is selling so well, he may show up on the bestsellers list eventually.
In general, Duck is just a huge engine. Even after his CGI "rebuild," he's still quite large.
(http://i65.tinypic.com/28gs1at.png)
(https://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/ttte/images/7/74/ToadandtheWhale7.png/revision/latest?cb=20160524113654)
(https://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/ttte/images/8/8f/RyanandDaisy86.png/revision/latest?cb=20161122155027)
Even in the model series, he's quite large. Just compare the size of the humans to both engines and you should see what I mean.
(https://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/ttte/images/e/ef/Duckwithnameboards.png/revision/latest?cb=20140522174947)
(https://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/ttte/images/4/48/Thomaswithnameboard.png/revision/latest?cb=20161110071111)
In my opinion, Duck is Bachmann's...ok-est model. He's a good runner, has a good hauling capacity, and for the most part is accurate to his TVS counterpart in terms of detail. The main problem is that his length and height don't scale well to HO/OO, and the inconsistency regarding his size leads to him being a pretty hard model to nail. Not a knock on Bachmann at all, though.
Duck has always been oversized, even his classic series model. Class 5700's are not that large.
He's not a Class 57xx. He is an imaginary talking train with a face. How realistic are they really ever going to be?
I never said I hated Bachmann Duck. I enjoy him too.
Thank you for pointing out that he actually is that big.
Quote from: Titanic5972 on April 08, 2017, 03:55:39 PM
He's not a Class 57xx. He is an imaginary talking train with a face. How realistic are they really ever going to be?
Realistic enough that they are not horribly oversized.
Quote from: Titanic5972 on April 08, 2017, 03:55:39 PM
He's not a Class 57xx. He is an imaginary talking train with a face. How realistic are they really ever going to be?
Ok fine, his basis is a 57xx. Happy now. And they should be slightly realistic considering the original stories were mostly based on actual events or events that could happen, just with the trains talking.
Now that Oliver's out of the way, Bachmann's next focus is getting Rosie out there, and then Paxton.
Since the tooling already exists with three other models, I wouldn't be surprised if Paxton will be released later this year. However, I will patiently wait if that is not the case.
Quote from: HLC Railroad on April 08, 2017, 05:54:38 PM
Quote from: Titanic5972 on April 08, 2017, 03:55:39 PM
He's not a Class 57xx. He is an imaginary talking train with a face. How realistic are they really ever going to be?
Ok fine, his basis is a 57xx. Happy now. And they should be slightly realistic considering the original stories were mostly based on actual events or events that could happen, just with the trains talking.
if you are all so worried about bachmann duck being oversized to some and no to others, why not do a size comparison between the bachmann duck and a n OO gauge 57XX class tank engine, similar to someone else did with Oliver.
Quote from: sean1994rail on April 09, 2017, 04:40:17 PM
Quote from: HLC Railroad on April 08, 2017, 05:54:38 PM
Quote from: Titanic5972 on April 08, 2017, 03:55:39 PM
He's not a Class 57xx. He is an imaginary talking train with a face. How realistic are they really ever going to be?
Ok fine, his basis is a 57xx. Happy now. And they should be slightly realistic considering the original stories were mostly based on actual events or events that could happen, just with the trains talking.
if you are all so worried about bachmann duck being oversized to some and no to others, why not do a size comparison between the bachmann duck and a n OO gauge 57XX class tank engine, similar to someone else did with Oliver.
00 Gauge is bigger than H0.
Please stop arguing about Duck.
Just to get the Duck complaining over and done with:
Bachmann Duck only has two real problems (Compared to his original model from the show):
-The cab is slightly too long.
-He's a bit short, due to his wheels being smaller than they should be, due to clearance issues as his funnel is quite tall. (As it should be)
(http://i.imgur.com/hBhC4bs.png)
Bachmann Duck photo from @SodorRyModeler on Twitter
Another problem is that Duck's whistle looks inaccurate to his TV series model. That's pretty much it.
As for Paxton, it's possible that he MAY get released by the end of the year. That's if he doesn't get delayed of course. We managed to get Celebration Thomas by the end of 2015, though his prototype was already shown when first announced.
Quote from: TrainFan97 on April 08, 2017, 01:25:16 AM
Bachmann Oliver and Mavis are pretty much the same size.
Now that I think about it, I don't think it's that Oliver's undersized. If anything, Duck could be oversized. Considering how long he is. He's bigger than Diesel.
Are they sort of the same size in length, height or both?
In just one month, Oliver already outsold Duck! :o That's phenomenal!
My Review of Bachmann Oliver
Pros
Head Lamp more accurate to the TV Series than on HO Thomas, Percy and James, and the tail lamp is an added bonus!
Taller than Bachmann Toad, as he should be and buffer beam, lining up with most of the rolling stock. kudos for you Bachmann for overcoming the CGI render size problem on Oliver.
Cons
Nitpick: Lack of front tank handrail, but can be fixed with a bit of fuse wire.
Final Rating: 11/10! Well worth the two year and one month wait! Well done Bachmann.