Hi Jerry:

" Norman, I really do appreciate your interest in no-scale, toy trains. That in itself is a hobby. "

For myself as long as the model is a scale model ( with an incorrect track gauge ) I am happy. So my interest is in 1:24 scale models with the compromise of an incorrect track gauge enabling the model to turn on  R1 curves.

I do not like compressed models as per the Lionel 0-27 locomotives. But this compression served a purpose of enabling Lionel to sell locomotives which would run on 0-27 track in a confined space. Exact scale Lionel locomotive models were of greater length and hence required greater track radius thereby reducing total customer sales. It is all a marketing compromise.

Even the track gauge of HO scale ( half of O scale ) is not exact.  

All of these model railroad products are toys regardless of scale and regardless of price. The model railroad products offered differ in their approximation to the prototype but all of these products are toys.

Only the non powered engineering prototype models originally built as a " one of " by the locomotive manufacturers to present to the end customer to generate sales of the prototype are not toys as these models are static.

We are all playing with toys regardless of scale, price and if the model is electric powered or live steam powered. This is just a hobby to relieve stress through the distraction of playing with toy trains.



Norman

 

Dear Mr. Yardmaster:

A clerk at a mail order dealer explained to me that when LGB went bankrupt the sales of the other large scale products simply froze up.

I guess that when the LGB collectors realised that their collections were not a financial investment, but rather were only an investment in fun, the LGB collector sales market collapsed.

I still do not understand why the other large scale manufactures also suffered but there it is.

I hope that you will expand your 1:24 / 1:22.5 product line and add piston rods to the Little Hauler loco with tender while also moving the smoke stack forward in line with the steam cylinders.

The Little Hauler loco with tender has the components required for the Baldwin forney presently on the Disneyland RR as loco No. 5 .

At present, I have been purchasing locomotives from the HLW product line as they produce product in the 1:24 / 1:22.5 scale.

I hope that you can improve the Gandy Dancer drive and re-release the model in yellow and once again offer reasonably priced products in the 1:24 / 1:22.5 scale. I have bought several Spectrum 4-4-0 and 2-6-0 locos but not all product is required to be designed at that extreme level of detail. The 1:20.3 caboose is excellent but again this caboose is positively huge and is of no use to myself. Detailed models in 1:24 / 1:22.5 scale would be attractive to a large segment of your former customers wishing to again return as a customer of Bachmann  if new 1:24 / 1:22.5 product was offered.


Norman

Dear Mr. Yardmaster:

This is not a Disneyland locomotive. This is a Baldwin locomotive. This is only a Disneyland locomotive if you apply Disneyland logos. Minimal investment for Bachmann to produce something really nice.

My belief is that your move to 1:20.3 scale torpedoed largescale.

1:22.5 ( actually 1:24 with the LGB rolling stock, USA Trains narrow gauge and HLW product ) was an excellent product size for both interior and outdoor layouts.

It is of course your financial investment at to what scale you chose to produce your locomotive molds in. But I really think you folks blew it. Never the less, I have purchased many 4-4-0 locos as the model could still be used with your 1:24 scale J&S coaches ( if one does not look at historical photos to view the correct size relationship as the  J&S coaches dwarfed the 4-4-0 loco )

Ok so fine, I will bash my own Baldwin Disneyland type #5 loco which is of course what the hobby is supposed to be about.

Do not misunderstand, I really appreciate what Bachmann has offered in the past. I just deeply regret Bachmann having moved away from 1:24 scale as the 1:20.3 rolling stock and the other 1:20.3 locomotives are simply too large for my uses. The 1:20.3 diesel did not sell simply because it was far too large for even the 1:20.3 scale total converts.

LGB had the correct product concept using R1 curves. Bachmann should have followed the wisdom of the LGB train founders.



Norman

Dear Mr. Yardmaster:

The Baldwin locomotive currently at Disneyland ( Ward Kimball no. 5 ) could be modeled with components of the former 1:22.5 2-4-2 re released as a 1:20.3 2-6-0 loco.

A 1:22.5 version of the Baldwin Disneyland ( Ward Kimball no. 5 ) lettered for a non Disney railroad would sell well. Place the 1:20.3 headlamps and market the model as 1:20.3 which will then serve the two markets as the 1:22.5 group can simply replace the large 1:20.3 headlamp.

Producing locos which can handle the R1 curves may restart the large scale sales.



Hoping for a  1:22.5 version of the Baldwin Disneyland ( Ward Kimball no. 5 ,

Norman

Dear Mr. Bachmann:

Will Bachmann letter the present product Jackson and Sharp coach as  Grizzly Flats  ?

Close enough for me in scale to run with the new 2-6-0 Grizzly Flats Mogul .


Norman

Hi Vic:

Lionel made an 0-6-0 and another loco with the rear fuel bin which you could bash together to build the DRGW tank loco. Just need to fabricate the water tank over the steam boiler.

Norman

Dear Mr. Bachmann:

I would like to submit a Little Haulers loco request for a model based on the Baldwin 2-4-4T loco now presently running at Disneyland numbered as loco #5.

You presently have the components with the 0-4-0 loco with tender Little Hauler although the boiler is oversized in diameter.

If you rerun the Little Hauler 0-4-0 loco can you add cross heads, cross head guides, piston rod and move the smokestack forward and centered above the steam cylinders ?

Thank you,

Norman

Hi Chris:

Best buy one now from Aristo Craft if you can.

1:24 and 1:22.5 scales are now rejected by the industry.
These are my favourite scales, but I think I am almost alone. No longer enough customers to buy 1:24 and 1:22.5 product.

1:20.3 has replaced 1:24 and 1:22.5 scales.

So Chris, buy yourself an Aristo 1:24 scale C-16 now if you want one.

Bachmann is not going to produce a 1:24 scale C-16 in competition with their latest 1:20.3 scale C-19 locomotive.


Norman

Is the top right hand car in the paint of the Toronto Transit Commission ( TTC )

Hi LUCY1:

You have the Bachmann Columbia loco.

The next version of this loco is the Indie 2-6-0 loco.

The draw bar between the loco and tender may be the same part for the Indie loco.

Telephone Bachmann parts dept and ask to speak with someone in largescale parts.

Asl Loco Bill of Mr. Bachmann for the 800 telephone number.

There is a "lifetime" warranty on this loco. Maybe the Bachmann parts dept will swap you a 2-6-0 Indie loco for your mail in of your 2-4-0 Columbia loco.


Norman

Hi Mr. Bachmann:

1)
The NMRA pdf annoucement front page appears only momentarily and then disappears followed by an error message.

Can you fix this?

2)
Bachmann's entry into 1:29 is a great announcement.

Maybe a 1:29  NYC J1 loco with NYC heavyweight coaches could be a future offering?

3)
The tender version of the Little Hauler offered as a Baldwin 2-4-4T with valve gear in the price range of the Indie loco would be another great future offering.

Norman

Hi again:

Possibly a contributing cause of the drive malfunction is excessive speed. Maybe a voltage regulator should be installed to limit the maximum voltage and speed of the hand car.

Here is a tin plate version of the Gandy Dancer, still runs !

http://www.ebay.com/itm/360622070781?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_929wt_1170

Dear Mr. Bachmann:

TrainWorld has been sold out of the YELLOW 96202 hand car for some time.

Will there be another production run of the YELLOW hand car?

Could you have Barry, of Barry's Big Trains, design a new drive for the hand car so that customers will be happy.

The Gandy Dance hand car and the Trolley are two of the nicest products you produce and unfortunately both products have the worst drives.

It can`t be that difficult to design a drive which will last at a reasonable retail price point.


Even with the bad drive design, I still would like to buy a YELLOW hand car.


Thank you,

Norman

Hi Bill:

The product numbers make sense.
The grey car replaced the defective drive of the first productin run yellow car.
Then the yellow car is again produced.


Norman

Dear Mr. Bachmann:

Is there a different product box number for the second production run of the yellow Gandy Dancer with the improved drive?

How does the customer know which version of drive exists in the yellow Gandy Dancer when ordering on line through the internet?


Thank you,

Norman