Bachmann Forum

The Thomas narrow gauge locos are based on Talyllyn Railway prototypes (mainly) and some Ffestiniog. The mountain locos are based on Snowdon Mountain Railway prototypes. There are kits available for quite a few of the locos from a number of makers but no ready to run British outline narrow gauge.

I would have thought that there might be scope for a British maker to make a ready to run range of narrow gauge prototypes offering both prototype and Thomas versions of the locos. A difficulty for Bachmann doing this is that they don't have the UK rights for Thomas. Hornby has the UK rights, but not the US ones so neither company could cover the prototype market and the Thomas market in both the US and UK. This might make it less likely that either company would attempt such a range.

If such a range were introduced it would probably be in OO9 or possibly O16.5. OO9 is Britsh OO scale (1:76) running on 9mm (N) gauge track. O9 is British O scale (1:4.5) running on 16.5mm (HO) gauge track. These are the two main British narrow gauge combinations. OO9 equals 2 foot 3 inch gauge, which coincidently is the gauge of the Talyllyn Railway. (O16.5 is about 2 foot 4 inches).

Bachmann USA probably wouldn't introduce such a range unless Bachmann UK wanted a prototype narrow gauge range in which case Thomas versions might be made.

I would love to see a ready to run British outline narrow gauge range, but I don't really expect to see it happen.

Hamish