Bachmann Online Forum

Discussion Boards => Thomas & Friends => Topic started by: Michigan Railfan on March 05, 2009, 07:28:34 PM

Title: Hornby and Bachmann scale difference
Post by: Michigan Railfan on March 05, 2009, 07:28:34 PM
I recently watched a video and it obviously had both Hornby and Bachmann frieght cars. I seen that OO gauge is 1:76 or something like that and HO is 1:87. In the video, I noticed that there was practically no difference in size. I was just wondering, because if I find a Hornby retailer in the USA I might buy some stuff from there.
Title: Re: Hornby and Bachmann scale difference
Post by: the Bach-man on March 05, 2009, 11:40:55 PM
Dear Indy,
OO Scale is 1:72, and, since many Thomas items are based on British Outline equipment in our line, they are similar in size to Hornby.  Hornby's characters seem to be scale locos with faces; ours are characters created from drawings, hence there will be differences in size among them.
Have fun!
the Bach-man
Title: Re: Hornby and Bachmann scale difference
Post by: Cheeky_ULP on March 06, 2009, 12:14:43 AM
Made from drawings? Well that actually explains a lot about the scales now.
Title: Re: Hornby and Bachmann scale difference
Post by: StanierJack on March 07, 2009, 04:06:00 PM
To the original poster, Hornby do not sell their Thomas products in the USA due to liscence issues. Both ranges are to the same scale, but as The Bach-Man has said, Hornby used existing toolings for their range, bar Percy and Edward.

You will probably be able to get normal Hornby items though...
Title: Re: Hornby and Bachmann scale difference
Post by: DreamFiend_633 on March 08, 2009, 09:40:10 AM
I'd take Bachmann's models to Hornby's any day. The only problem is that Bachmann needs to design their engines with open cabs. The motor and wiring takes up too much room. That, and they need to make more! ;D
Title: Re: Hornby and Bachmann scale difference
Post by: Michigan Railfan on March 08, 2009, 12:16:55 PM
Quote from: StanierJack on March 07, 2009, 04:06:00 PM
To the original poster, Hornby do not sell their Thomas products in the USA due to liscence issues. Both ranges are to the same scale, but as The Bach-Man has said, Hornby used existing toolings for their range, bar Percy and Edward.

You will probably be able to get normal Hornby items though...

Yeah, I know I can get normal Hornby items over here in the U.S.. I went to Bachmann's find a retailer, and found a retailer in Washington state. Maybe one day if I go there, I can buy some items and build some models of my own.
Title: Re: Hornby and Bachmann scale difference
Post by: buzz on August 07, 2009, 03:39:33 AM
The Bachmann is correct.
Hornby Thomas is scale models this is possable as the original Thomas trains are based on very real locomotives that Hornby already manufacture.
So for Hornby its easy make a face to fit the smoke box change the markings and there is another in the Thomas series on the market.
Bachmann had little choice but to start from scratch and chose I believe to work from the Thomas art work, they could not use any of there existing scale models because Hornby and Bachmann make compatible ranges of UK scale models but for rather obvious reasons not the same ones.
However the differences in Thomas size are not that great as to be
a problem there are you will find variations in size in the real railway world as well.
regards John
Title: Re: Hornby and Bachmann scale difference
Post by: jlschai on September 09, 2010, 07:03:30 PM
i bought a hornby gordon a few months ago and he fits perfectly on my ho track. :P
Title: Re: Hornby and Bachmann scale difference
Post by: ZeldaTheSwordsman on September 10, 2010, 07:07:04 AM
That's because 00 and H0 use the SAME TRACK GAUGE.

The Bachmann Thomas products are 00 scale items sold as H0. Much of the rolling stock is recycled Branchline toolings.
Title: Re: Hornby and Bachmann scale difference
Post by: thomasforever1 on October 12, 2010, 09:12:32 PM
Bachmann Thomas models have moving eyes and horby Thomas models don't have moving eyes


:) ;) 8) ???
Title: Re: Hornby and Bachmann scale difference
Post by: ZeldaTheSwordsman on October 12, 2010, 09:13:30 PM
That has nothing to do with the scale.  ::)
Title: Re: Hornby and Bachmann scale difference
Post by: PerfectPercy on October 13, 2010, 03:30:19 PM
Quote from: thomasforever1 on October 12, 2010, 09:12:32 PM
Bachmann Thomas models have moving eyes and horby Thomas models don't have moving eyes


:) ;) 8) ???

Zelda beat me to it. Once more that is another unconstructive comment. We don't need that here.

Sometimes it is also good to not have moving eyes, well sorry, what I mean is that some Hornby Thomas faces are almost... more TV series like. I'm happy with Bachmann's faces. I have no complaints, but even if you do have a complaint that doesn't mean you should say it in a thread that relates nothing to the faces!

There is also the fact that this is an ancient thread, but that wouldn't be a problem if something relating to the topic was actually posted! Grr...
Title: Re: Hornby and Bachmann scale difference
Post by: Cheeky_ULP on October 13, 2010, 08:53:43 PM
Constructive Criticism is nice, but come on guys, it's not a necessity here. We're being way too uptight.  ::)