I'm sure anyone who purchased a Bachmann train set in the late 1980s or early 1990s will recognize this. As one way for them to try and step ahead of the competition at the time, Bachmann had a clever means of an instruction manual, done as a comic book; this way kids could also easily get into model railroading, and there's lots for them to get into. This may have also been the debut appearance of the Bach Man!
OK, so the story opens on a stereotypical "perfect" comic family (complete with a pet dog that thinks his own thoughts ala Snoopy and Garfield!), purchasing a Bachmann train set...
See what I mean by the "perfect" family? The "boxcar full of cookies" reminds me of how they sometimes did that with the model trains on Gumby.
Though the scaling isn't entirely accurate, I think they are supposed to be trying to set up an HO-scale train set here, probably one of Bachmann's "starter" sets.
Of course, the family is initially baffled by their attempts to get the trains going, even the father! I do find the boy's "Is that IT?" reaction amusing, as if he feels they were ripped off.
LOL at "No! Rugs are trouble." That's the case when using standard model railroad track, and this was before Bachmann developed roadbed track in 1994 with their "E-Z Track." I know back then, the only real option for playing with the trains on a floor was with some kind of layout board on the floor, regardless if it's a piece of plywood set on the floor, the layout mat included with Bachmann's old "Powerhouse" train set of the mid-1980s, or their arch rival Tyco's "TycoScene" layout board.
Bachmann changed the Simplimatic plug design some time in the early 1990s, and still uses that design today. Also back at this time, their train sets would always use a curved terminal rerailrer track, unlike the E-Z Track sets using an oval that come with a straight terminal rerailer. Also note the track in this looks like it's brass, though I think by the late 1980s all of Bachmann's train sets came with steel track...
LOL at the "All the other cars" sign.
Even though I use a more advanced MRC Tech 4 280 power pack on my train layout with an on/off switch, I still unplug it when my trains are not in use anyway.
Many of those accessories and buildings are still available today. Though some of their more interesting operating accessories, like the tri-level auto carrier, log loader/unloader, action depot and action caboose were discontinued once E-Z Track hit the market. (I think Bachmann should have made E-Z Track -compatible versions of the action caboose, etc. Some of those were pretty cool!)
I'm sure many of you will enjoy this trip down memory lane. I myself am into vintage (1970s - 1990s) model railroading products and accessories of the time, including what Bachmann had to offer back then!
Too bad this wasn't updated to reflect the new E-Z Track in 1994, if they did at all. I wonder what a more contemporary take on this would be like?
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