I think Bachmann needs to fine tune when it announced new items. For the second year in a row a new ON30 item has been delivered in an overseas market without any official announcement in the USA or elsewhere. With the internet news travels fast, once an item actually appears somewhere in the world others elsewhere  will soon hear of it. This does however cause confusion, it would be better if Bachmann ensured that official announcements were made in all markets slated to receive an item before they were delivered to another part of the world.

And it is not just ON30 - I have seen an add from an overseas internet shop for an item in another scale that has never been officially announced.

Hamish

Various British internet sites have reported that Bachmann China has announced a JS class Mikado, a somewhat larger loco than the SY previously produced. A JS is in the US at the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad.

Also announced was a ND5 class diesel, these are a GE export loco, class c37-7.

Hamish

About this time last year the pulpwood cars turned up in the UK without any prior announcement.

I know that a  new loco is unlikely before the end of the year, thus a late summer announcement at one of the conventions is likely. But rolling stock has sometimes turned up earlier (e.g. last year) so is another announced surprise possible this year?

Hamish

I have posted on this before, but is there any thought of introducing some open sided excursion cars for On30? Some were promided for HO, but those seem to be on the back burner. I know there are some ON30 kits for these, and bashing one is possible, but ready to run would be nice. One possibility would be to base one on the exisitng freight car range. Converting freight cars to excursion vehicles was done quite a lot by real roads. Such open sided cars would not only be useful for modelling modern tourist operations but also historical operations as such cars were in use  during the days of regular steam operation before preservation.

Hamish

Dear Bach Man

The various 4-4-0s look great. Thanks for posting the photos. Could I trouble you  once more, this time to run a ruler over the models and tell us the main dimensions? I am particularly interested in the total length, over the couplers, including tender but other main dimensions would be useful as well.

I apologise if this information has already been given, but in a quick look I didn't find it.

Hamish

Dear Bachmann

I have just noticed that the Greenbrier and Big Run 0-4-2 Porter is listed in the on-line catalogue as Standard, not Spectrum. It is the only ON30 loco listed as standard and appears to be identical to to its Spectrum siblings.  Is this listing a mistake? or is Bachmann commencing a differentiation within the ON30 range between standard and Spectrum?

I apologise if this has been covered before, I only just noticed the listing.

Hamish

Given that Bachmann is now considering issues relating to Williams now seems a good time to express views as to where Bachmann should take Williams.

As I see it Bachmann will want to preserve Williams base of moderately priced 3 rail products, much of it "tradional" in style, i.e often a bit under scale and designed for tight curves. However there is I think scope for a small range of scale proportioned, more detailed, locomotives. I am unclear as to whether any of the existing Williams products fit this description. I note that the other major American O brands have both "tradional" and scale proportioned models so there is a market there. Scale proportioned models could also work for ON30 modellers who wish to add standard gauge.

I would like scale proportioned locos to include some steam, the Richmond 4-4-0 from HO strikes me as a good choice for a stating point. It seems, as far as I know, a bit different from other locos currently available for O and would also be a good loco for a mixed O/On30 layout as it is not too big for a line joining with a backwoods narrow gauge set up.

Ideally the scale proportioned locos would be available in 2 as well as 3 rail, 2 rail would broaden the market, and I suspect most ON30ers would prefer 2 rail as ON30 is two rail.

As I indicated however, I would see "tradional" 3 rail still being the major part of the product line.

Bachmann may want to introduce DCC or someother form of more advanced control, this would seem to fit with general market trends. However, if so, please also make versions without expensive additions - at least part of Williams current appeal is that they offer relatively well priced products without fanccy control systems.

I would like to see more O scale buildings etc. Relatively inexpensive but a bit more detailed than current Plasticville. These could appeal to both Williams and ON30 buyers. Possibilities include industrial (sawmill, mine, factory,(brewery decorated for the ON30 reefer roads?)  a new small depot and etc. 

On track, I see little need for Bachmann to introduce 2 rail track as this is available from other manufactures and I am assuming that 2 rail, if introduced, would be a smallish part of the total range. 3 rail track will no doubt continue. I would love to see dual gauge 2 raIL O and ON30 track  but I doubt very much that it will be made - such track looks quite different from dual standard gauge/3 foot prototype track such as in the USA although it does look like dual gauge standard/30 inch gauge track that existed in quite a number of countries, but not I think the USA.

Just my thoughts

Hamish

Dear Bach Man

Are there going to be any announcements of new products at iHobby, which is on this weekend? (I am in Australia, it is Sunday night here, but sometime Saturday there, I think.)

I am not expecting anything very much, as a number of major new announcements were made fairly recently, but I understood the next annpouncements were to be at the iHobby show.

Yours with a very mild dose of anticipation

Hamish

Dear Bach Man

When the HO Climax was originally announced both 2 and 3 truck Climaxes were to be made. However only the 2 truck ever arrived. Now that the 2 truck is becoming scarce (HO Climax thread below) will the 3 truck  be finally released?

Hamish

Dear Bach Man

I note that the 4-4-0 is listed in two versions (modern with steel cab and electric lamp and old fashioned with oil lamp and wood cab). Each version comes in 3 colour schemes. Will each version be the same irrrespective of colour scheme? or will there be detail differences between the different colour schemes of the same version (modern or old)? If so, do you know what any differences might be?

This information would help in deciding which one to order.

Hamish

I would be interested in hearing from Lee Riley as to the prototype for the 4-4-0. From the various photos published it appears to be not exactly a Mt Gretna loco (were all 3 identical?). We were told that it was similar to the Mt Gretna locos, not that it was a model of a Mt Gretna loco.

Also it appears to differ a bit from the Brazilian loco to which I posted a link. I didn't expect that that would be that prototype, I published that link as I had the URL and it was a generally similar loco. I know there were other small inside frame 4-4-0s that were exported to various places. Is the model based on a particular prototype? If it is a 'catalogue' loco are any details available, e.g. date of catalogue, known examples etc.?

Thanking you in anticipation

Hamish 

Dear Bach Man

On the ON30 board below you indicated that announcements of new items would be made at the NMRA convention in July. Is this for ON30 only or will it cover all, or at least some other, scales?

Will all the remaining 2007 new items be announced or will there still be possible later announcements after the NMRA convention?

As ever, anticipating anticipation

Hamish

I have just returned from Spain, where I travelled around by train. Went on the AVE (high speed train similar to the French TGV), various sorts of Talgos and others. All impressive, comfortable and often fast.  Perhaps the most interesting was the Altaria. These are a type of locomotive hauled tilting Talgo train. They are used for journeys that are part on the high speed lines and part on normal lines. The high speed lines are standard gauge whereas the normal lines are Iberian gauge (5 foot 5 1/2 inches).  At the connection points the locomotive comes off and the train is pushed through an adjusting station. This unlocks the wheels from the axles, moves them to the new gauge and locks them again. Then a locomotive of the new gauge is attached, and off you go. The process took about 10-15 minutes (I didn't time it). The passengers stay on board during the gauge change.

There are also unit trains (with attached power cars) that change gauges, but I didn't travel on one of those.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to experience Spanish narrow gauge or preserved steam, maybe on another trip.

Hamish

Dear Bachmann

There has been a lot of discussion about future ON30 locos, Heislers, 4-4-0s, 2-6-2s, 4-6-0s 2-8-2s and so on have all been suggested. These are all relatively moderate to large locos (for narrow gauge, especially 30 inch). Certainly there is a demand for such locos but I would also like to see further additions to Bachmann's small and less expensive locos such as the Porters and the Davenport. Some time ago a 2-4-2t Dinsey loco, which could be based on a modified Porter mechanism was suggested. Another possibility is a small 2-4-0 tender loco, which could also be based on the Porter mechaism. There were real life narrow gauge Porter 2-4-0s as small as 7-8 tons!

I am sure that more variety in the ready to run small "steam kettle" and critter fields would be much appreciated.

I am not suggesting this instead of producing some of the larger, and more expensive, options mentioned above, but as an addition. Given that it should be possible to adapt existing mechanisms the cost of making them shouldn't be too high.

Hamish

I am sure that further variety in the small ready to run critter and especially the small steam  "tea kettle" field would be much appreciated. I am not suggesting this instead of some of the more expensi I am sure.

Dear Bach Man

Are you able to give any indication as to when and where future policy announcements will be  made?

Will there be one set of announcements each quarter covering all scales or might spearate announcements be made for specific ranges, e.g announcements covering only Large Scale or ON30 items?

Will announcements always be made at shows? If separate announcements for different ranges are made, can we expect announcements at Large Scale and Garden Shows, or Narrow Gauge Shows and Conventions etc? I note that Bachmann do attend some specialist shows and conventions.

Just trying to get some idea of my anticipation timetabe.

Hamish

Dear Bach Man

What happened to the open excursion cars that were announced last fall? Other items announced then have either appeared or were in the lists you have just posted.

Hamish

As Melinda noticed, Walthers have put up a list of newly announced Bachmann items. Not much new for On30, a few new roadlnames for some rolling stock, and for the 2-6-0 (unlettered but in bumblebee livery) and the 0-4-2 (Greenbrier and Big Run Lumber).

No indication as to whether these locos are upgraded at all or simply new names, Bach Man can you enlighten?

The most intriguing listing is a new set "Spectrum Diesel On30 Northern Lights Limited" No indication as to what is in it or what the locomotive is - the Davenport? - but then that shouldn't be called a diesel. Bach Man, have you any information on this? I understand that if Walthers have jumped the gun you may not be able to comment on these announcements yet although I assume that they are in the catalogue that is being released.

Are there any further ON30 announcements to come in the near future? - I have not been expecting many major ON30 announcements at this stage as these items tend to appear at the end of the year and under my reading of the new announcements policy  they would not be announced yet.

Not anticipating just yet

Hamish .