Hopping in with a suggestion, although to tell the truth I'd prefer it in N scale...

Printed cars based on customer image uploads.

We've seen it, or approximate methods (like this, this, or this), so why not Bachmann?

If it happened while I was away and I missed it, my apologies!

Quote from: bbmiroku on June 07, 2018, 05:21:58 PM
No idea what an IRC is... Wait... Internet Relay Chat!  Daggum it's been forever since I've heard that one.

Admit it. You Googled that.

No, although I have used that chat software in the past, in the context of self-addressed envelopes, I had meant this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_reply_coupon

They used to look like this when I last used them, but looked like these when last available.

The point of them being, that, sometimes, to get catalogs from sellers overseas (for Hornby, Marklin, etc) you had to include these with an SAE to get them, as an SASE wouldn't work without using their stamps. This accomplished that.

Quote from: bbmiroku on June 07, 2018, 03:22:46 PMAnd Trainman, I'm 25, so I don't know if you consider that a young'un, but I do know what a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope is... Even though I've never used one.

Ah, but do you know what an IRC is? That's the line in the sand.

Wow. Polk's...and a few others too, but I was never so hardcore that I had to delve much into specialty shops when KB and TRU had decent sections for hobbies, and my budget (or allowance) was so small. Well, I did press my face against the FAO Schwarz Marklin displays more than once.

These days, I can't complain having Trainworld and Red Caboose in my city when others don't have such resources, but those are almost outposts in a desolate land. Not that Bachmann or other brands of classic model rail are as plentiful as was in TRU in their heyday, but the loss of TRU is a death knell to chain or average B&M shops having classic stuff like this. You just don't see hobbies like model trains (AC), model kits, or entry-level hobby-esque toys like kites, having the shelfspace they did back in the day. It bothers me that these are all very American in tradition, as well.

The phone, tablet, game console and PC have supplanted the tangible, and I don't think it's going to get better unless the grid goes down.

Quote from: ACY on June 05, 2018, 02:14:17 PM
I would think that they might have some from the mid 2000's forward accessible in some capacity on the computer, but going back further than that is where it seems more unlikely, and it is possible that after they printed the catalogs for the year that they did not save the document in any computer accessible format, perhaps only saving one hard copy.
Someone can ring Bachmann or stop by Philly to ask...I suppose

Would be nice, but if they were going to do it, I think we would have seen it by now. Makes you wonder why we haven't (any rights issues?)

Oh, I get what you're saying, but so many companies get set in their ways that, even after others might be saving digital files, Bachmann might have still only kept them on film or microfiche...even into the early 2000s. Who can say, but I think it potentially adds to the reason why we haven't seen them uploaded yet.

Also, keep in mind they contract these things out too (example in 2006). The originals may have had to be submitted to Bachmann, but most wouldn't have been done in-house (likely still aren't, but that's a guess).

Quote from: dutchbuilder on June 05, 2018, 03:51:51 AM
Maybe ask Bachmann if they still have the original digital copy for the catalogues somewhere?

Ton
 

Going back far enough, there likely wouldn't be a digital copy. I'd expect they'd have to scan their hardcopies as well.

EDIT: Current list:

https://resources.bachmanntrains.com/1984/Williams_1984.pdf
https://resources.bachmanntrains.com/2000/Williams_2000.pdf
https://resources.bachmanntrains.com/2002/2002_bachmann.pdf
https://resources.bachmanntrains.com/2004/2004_bachmann.pdf
https://resources.bachmanntrains.com/2006/2006_Bachmann.pdf
https://resources.bachmanntrains.com/2007/2007_Bachmann.pdf
https://resources.bachmanntrains.com/2008/2008_Bachmann.pdf
http://www.williamstrains.com/2009/2009_bachmann.pdf
http://www.williamstrains.com/2010/2010_bachmann.pdf
http://resources.bachmanntrains.com/bachmann2011/offline/download.pdf
http://www.williamstrains.com/2011/2011_bachmann.pdf
http://resources.bachmanntrains.com/bachmann2012/offline/download.pdf
http://www.williamstrains.com/2012/2012_bachmann.pdf
http://resources.bachmanntrains.com/bachmann2013/offline/download.pdf
http://resources.bachmanntrains.com/bachmann2014/offline/download.pdf
http://resources.bachmanntrains.com/bachmann2015/offline/download.pdf
http://resources.bachmanntrains.com/bachmann2016/offline/download.pdf
http://resources.bachmanntrains.com/bachmann2017/offline/download.pdf
https://resources.bachmanntrains.com/bachmann_2018/offline/download.pdf
https://resources.bachmanntrains.com/Bachmann2019catalog/offline/download.pdf
https://resources.bachmanntrains.com/Bachmann_2020/offline/download.pdf

Quote from: ACY on June 04, 2018, 05:07:58 PM

Quote from: Radioguy on June 04, 2018, 04:14:26 AM
How can we find you the time?

As a civil engineer I get paid $45 an hour straight time, so if you want to pay me $45 an hour while I take off work to scan the documents for you...hahaha
In all seriousness, I am sorry friends, I am just too busy as I work about 70-80 hours per week. Good luck with the older catalogs.

I was rather thinking you ask your boss where he got his toupee, or something like that. Would've freed up plenty of time for this project right there.

Maybe we can get a kickstarter going...I'm an idea man, though.

Hopefully, someone else will pick up the gauntlet here?

Quote from: ACY on June 03, 2018, 06:53:55 PM
I have some older catalogs but don't have the time to scan them in and upload them.

How can we find you the time?

Likewise, I'm saddened by the news. Polk's was a frequent haunt of mine as a kid while others were vegetating in front of their game consoles. I only wish the store had stuck it out along within him until he passed, as no one should outlive their children.