Bachmann Online Forum

Discussion Boards => HO => Topic started by: jettrainfan on August 05, 2012, 11:34:35 AM

Title: Dear Mr. Bachmann, the new 2012 locomotives
Post by: jettrainfan on August 05, 2012, 11:34:35 AM
Mr. Bachmann, i have been looking at the NMRA announcement page for a bit now, and i can't help but realize that there are different railroads for DCC ready & DCC sound value, but both descriptions say "available in DCC ready and with DCC sound value", yet there are 8 roads listed, 4 in the sound value and 4 in the ready. Does this mean that 4 roads will have sound and the other 4 wont? I know its early but any info on this would be great.

Thanks for releasing so many great items this year, as usual! ;D
Title: Re: Dear Mr. Bachmann, the new 2012 locomotives
Post by: WTierce1 on August 05, 2012, 08:59:38 PM
Quote from: jettrainfan on August 05, 2012, 11:34:35 AM
Mr. Bachmann, i have been looking at the NMRA announcement page for a bit now, and i can't help but realize that there are different railroads for DCC ready & DCC sound value, but both descriptions say "available in DCC ready and with DCC sound value", yet there are 8 roads listed, 4 in the sound value and 4 in the ready. Does this mean that 4 roads will have sound and the other 4 wont? I know its early but any info on this would be great.

Thanks for releasing so many great items this year, as usual! ;D

You must have been looking at a different product announcement brosure. All I saw was a new high railer and 1 new diesel. All Bachmann did was come out with more road names in locomotives they already had or just added a more affordable sound decoder to stuff they already had. I was extremely disappointed with Bachmann's Ho product announcements. EXPECIALLY NOT HAVING ANY NEW STEAM LOCOMOTIVES!
Title: Re: Dear Mr. Bachmann, the new 2012 locomotives
Post by: jettrainfan on August 05, 2012, 09:09:55 PM
I enjoy they released something new, mainly the S2s.
Title: Re: Dear Mr. Bachmann, the new 2012 locomotives
Post by: ryeguyisme on August 05, 2012, 11:51:00 PM
Quote from: wtierce on August 05, 2012, 08:59:38 PM
   I was extremely disappointed with Bachmann's Ho product announcements. EXPECIALLY NOT HAVING ANY NEW STEAM LOCOMOTIVES!

They sure had us steam fans howling, I'm definitely thinking next year will be a big year for new Ho steam, we just have to show them what would be the best product idea from our inquiries.

I haven't even bought the 3 sound value moguls I planned on getting yet, but I'm waiting for a more slightly depreciated market price as well
Title: Re: Dear Mr. Bachmann, the new 2012 locomotives
Post by: jward on August 06, 2012, 08:11:45 AM
looking at all the sound diesels, there goes my train budget for the next year. if the f7z sound as good as the alcos then i am going to have to expand the railroad to accommodate all the new locomotives.
Title: Re: Dear Mr. Bachmann, the new 2012 locomotives
Post by: railtwister on August 06, 2012, 02:23:56 PM
Quote from: jettrainfan on August 05, 2012, 11:34:35 AM
Mr. Bachmann, i have been looking at the NMRA announcement page for a bit now, and i can't help but realize that there are different railroads for DCC ready & DCC sound value, but both descriptions say "available in DCC ready and with DCC sound value", yet there are 8 roads listed, 4 in the sound value and 4 in the ready. Does this mean that 4 roads will have sound and the other 4 wont? I know its early but any info on this would be great.

Thanks for releasing so many great items this year, as usual! ;D

It sure looks that way, the folks that want sound equipped F units in WM, DRGW, C&O, B&O, or ARR are likely to be disappointed, as are those wanting DC only or DCC ready silent F units in ATSF, NYC, NS (executive?), SP Black Widow, and Pennsy.

Most of the other "New" locos aren't that new exactly. The major difference between the S2 & S4 is the truck sideframes, and the On30 2-4-4-2 looks like it is factory kitbashed from the 2-6-6-2 (using less parts and a $100 higher price). Given the state of the world economy, it looks like Bachmann has tried to create some new items with minimal new tooling costs, and that's OK, I think. Still, I find their decision on which roadnames get sound and which don't is somewhat confusing.

The HO MOW railtruck, On30 shorty freight cars, G scale "Mini Big Haulers", Emily (sweet), & C-19, plus the two N scale Alcos (2-6-0 and S4) are truly new, and look like good items. While I can't say I'm frothing at the mouth over the announcements, I can't say I'm disappointed either.

Now, about that overdue On30 Heisler...

Bill in FtL
Title: Re: Dear Mr. Bachmann, the new 2012 locomotives
Post by: ryeguyisme on August 06, 2012, 10:58:27 PM
If they want to go the route of saving against newer tooling they should've done something with the N&W auxiliary tender and made it into a N&W 16,000 gallon coal tender, there's so much more that can be done with just the tender alone you're talking about at least 10 different roadnames and dozens of steam prototypes. I wish I was a producer in development of new products, I could make things more revolutionary...
Title: Re: Dear Mr. Bachmann, the new 2012 locomotives
Post by: railtwister on August 07, 2012, 08:50:26 AM
Quote from: ryeguyisme on August 06, 2012, 10:58:27 PM
If they want to go the route of saving against newer tooling they should've done something with the N&W auxiliary tender and made it into a N&W 16,000 gallon coal tender, there's so much more that can be done with just the tender alone you're talking about at least 10 different roadnames and dozens of steam prototypes. I wish I was a producer in development of new products, I could make things more revolutionary...

That would have been a good idea to have been incorporated in the original design, but to do it now, even with a minimum of changes, what you would have at the end of the day would still be just a tender, and are there really that many modelers who are looking for just a tender? More new tooling would be required for the locomotive to put in front of the tender, but at least then the market for a new loco would be bigger.

Bill in FtL
Title: Re: Dear Mr. Bachmann, the new 2012 locomotives
Post by: ryeguyisme on August 07, 2012, 05:05:58 PM
The N&W Z1 class were almost identical in chassis to the USRA and h-4 c&o 2-6-6-2 and they used these tenders, so tooling wouldn't be far off for that engine for sure and two roads had that engine the N&W and DRGW.

You can also make a PRR K-3 4-6-2 and you can have a N&W version with this tender as well.

Numerous DRGW engines were equipped with this tender in the postwar era, the 2-10-2's, 2-8-2's, 2-6-6-2's and 2-8-8-2's

You can make a USRA 2-8-8-2 with it, you can reissue the heavy USRA 4-8-2 mountain with this tender for N&W


That tender alone has huge possibilities for marketing HUGE, yet would keep tooling costs down simply because the auxiliary tender is based on the N&W 16,000 gallon tender.

Why do you think the p2k 2-8-8-2 with the shorter 16k tender is more sought after than the 20k tender behind it?

I don't know maybe I'm going off on a tangent based on my model railroad market studying.
I sell trains to make a living at the moment. LOL