Bachmann 2024 Mid Year Releases

[jonklein611]

resources.bachmanntrains.com/NMRA-2024-NR/

EM-1 2-8-8-4
GP38-2
52' Auto Carrier with Sedan Load
52' Center-Beam Flatcar with Lumber Load
Siemens Venture Cars (Amtrak Midwest Coach / Business x2 each + San Joaquins Coach x 4)
1900's Era 60' Passenger Car
New McKinley Explorer Ultra Dome Set (Holland Cruise Eklutna and Talkeetna)

[packer]

Is it weird I'm sorta intrested in the bennet lumber car? It looks sorta close to some cars they had and I asked about. Just wish they used the older logo on the load

[crblue]

The drawbridge looks interesting. I wonder what the prototype is, or what it is based off of.

I'll probably pick up one of the auto carriers, maybe. The Scale Trains AC44c6m's and BLI B6sb are going to hit me hard this year.

[edwardsutorik]

Aug 9, 2024 10:59:09 GMT -8 crblue said:

The drawbridge looks interesting. I wonder what the prototype is, or what it is based off of.

On first look, I get the impression that there is no prototype. It looks like someone made it up.

Here's a link with some photos and a video of it in operation.

www.ebay.com/itm/296232842239

On second look, I'm convinced it's a fake.



Ed

[lvrr325]

The "center beam" car is just the same old 1972 flat car with newer tooled bulkhead ends and what looks like a wide tooth comb down the middle. I can't believe it represents anything real.

If the $400 44-tonner is any indication prices on these will be absurd

[prr 4467]

Wow, a new run of B&O EM-1 2-8-8-4's is tempting indeed. My wallet is not safe.

[cpr4200]

I wonder if a new run of EM-1's portends parts availability? Bachmann seems pretty good about that.

[hudsonyard]

LIRR E20s is certainly an interesting choice for them, a while back someone told me there was a LIRR guy somewhere high up there. I highly doubt they will do any of the specific LIRR details (at the *very least* those air filter boxes need to have sloped sides) but dozens of these things will pollute the local clubs.

[cemr5396]

Aug 9, 2024 12:08:10 GMT -8 lvrr325 said:

The "center beam" car is just the same old 1972 flat car with newer tooled bulkhead ends and what looks like a wide tooth comb down the middle. I can't believe it represents anything real.

It definitely 'represents' something real, but how good of a job it does at it is certainly up for debate. 

BC Rail and CN both had bulkhead flatcars with 'centerbeams' added to them and this appears to be Bachmann's half assed attempt at making those cars. And then putting a bunch of foobie paint schemes on the model, because of course they did.

The Walthers 'Canadian' bulkhead flatcar is essentially the same general prototype, just much more accurate and without the center posts. Someone could probably kitbash one if they had the ambition.

[Mr. Trainiac]

EM1 is definitely the standout release. A rerun has been a long time coming; those can go for pretty decent money on eBay. The wooden 1900's passenger cars (no images in the catalog of course) also could be interesting. I wonder how they compare to Athearn's Overland cars. I bet these new cars will go great with one of their Baldwin 'Modern' 4-4-0 locomotives. The Strasburg cars might indicate another steam starter set is coming?

[lackawanna1223]

The 60’ 1900 passenger cars have piqued my curiosity. MTH had similar cars in O and they’re gorgeous. Anyway, they’d be great for transition era shortline trains.

[redfish]

When I worked for Conrail in New Jersey in the 90's, we would deliver 50' bulkhead flats, similar to the Bachmann model, to Home Depot's warehouse in Dayton, NJ. Reporting marks were CN, DWC(DW&P), and BCIT(BCOL).

[edwardsutorik]

Aug 10, 2024 13:19:07 GMT -8 redfish said:

When I worked for Conrail in New Jersey in the 90's, we would deliver 50' bulkhead flats, similar to the Bachmann model, to Home Depot's warehouse in Dayton, NJ. Reporting marks were CN, DWC(DW&P), and BCIT(BCOL).

Sounds like these, from Walthers:








50' bulkhead flats aren't hard to find. 50' centerbeams ARE.




Ed

[wagnersteve]

August 10, close to 7 p.m., EDT

I don't see any prices at all in the catalog to which the first post in this thread has a link, or on Bachmann's ad on the back cover of the September issue of Model Railroader, which touts a new run of EMD-s BL2 locos with all-new body tooling, road-specific details, DCC installed but not sound, in four paint schemes, as usual just one road number per railroad: C&O 85, Monon 35, Rock Island 426, Western Maryland 82; these are supposed to ship this Fall. The detail on these may be better than on the old Life-Life model, which was, as I remember, the first of their Proto locos. Neither Bangor & Aroostook nor Boston & Maine is in this run. The BL2 shared many features with the F3.

As to the Bachmann center beam cars, there's a difference between 50' length between bulkheads and 50' overall car length. The renderings look shorter in length than most bulkhead flats, let alone center beam cars. Athearn's 40' bulkhead flat car is based on a Harriman type used by SP and IC as far back as the 1940s, maybe even before that. Some of those did sometimes carry wrapped dimensional lumber, and the models may be reasonably close to some cars that carried pulpwood logs before the cars based on GSC castings became common.

[edwardsutorik]

Here's a shot of the Bachmann Rock Island BL2:





I see the vent for the boiler. And I also see what appear to be the worst EMD trucks ever.


Her's the C&O:







Ed

[mvlandsw]

The Bachmann catalog shows a flat car with a fishbelly side sill. The Walthers car has a straight sill.

Mark

[edwardsutorik]

Aug 10, 2024 17:50:17 GMT -8 mvlandsw said:

The Bachmann catalog shows a flat car with a fishbelly side sill. The Walthers car has a straight sill.

Mark

I believe the Walthers car has an actual prototype. And the Bachmann does not.

The Walthers is a nice model. I have several. Unfortunately, they did not "flood" the US, so I don't need lots and lots.

Folks farther north might.


Ed

[mvlandsw]

I used to see a number of them in Pittsburgh. I scratch built three of the earlier version with the paired stake pockets. Walthers has evenly spaced stake pockets and I have a couple of those.

Mark

[crblue]

Aug 9, 2024 11:23:54 GMT -8 edwardsutorik said:

Aug 9, 2024 10:59:09 GMT -8 crblue said:

The drawbridge looks interesting. I wonder what the prototype is, or what it is based off of.

On first look, I get the impression that there is no prototype. It looks like someone made it up.

Here's a link with some photos and a video of it in operation.

www.ebay.com/itm/296232842239

On second look, I'm convinced it's a fake.



Ed

Oh. That's a wooden kit. That's not what I was expecting.

Thanks for the video.

[alcoc430]

Aug 9, 2024 11:23:54 GMT -8 edwardsutorik said:

Aug 9, 2024 10:59:09 GMT -8 crblue said:

The drawbridge looks interesting. I wonder what the prototype is, or what it is based off of.

On first look, I get the impression that there is no prototype. It looks like someone made it up.

Here's a link with some photos and a video of it in operation.

www.ebay.com/itm/296232842239

On second look, I'm convinced it's a fake.



Ed

Odd product, first look I thought it was part of the Thomas & Friends collection. Seems like a waste of development $. Looking at the video closer I guess those big circles is suppose to mimic counterweights and then the cables are only lifting a counterweighted truss span, so I guess something could of been built like it in the real world especially in the earlier 1900s. Still too toy like and too expensive to waste money on it.

[lvrr325]

So you're telling me there's real cars that look like this when empty?

shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=258_324_334_1179&products_id=7841

The center-beam is literally just a row of T-shaped bars webbed together that snaps into the stake pockets, like the old Tyco piggyback car cradles did.

[wagnersteve]

8/11/24, about 1:42 p.m., EDT

lvrr325, edwardsutorik and cemr5386, I agree with your skepticism regarding the Bachmann "center beam" cars. I also suspect that their bodies may ride too high above the rails.

[edwardsutorik]

Aug 11, 2024 9:03:41 GMT -8 lvrr325 said:

So you're telling me there's real cars that look like this when empty?

shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=258_324_334_1179&products_id=7841

The center-beam is literally just a row of T-shaped bars webbed together that snaps into the stake pockets, like the old Tyco piggyback car cradles did.

Here's the Bachmann model:






Here's the prototype:






Having bulkheads on the end and center prongs down the middle may make them look alike. Or not.


Here's some differences:

The prototype is about 8' longer.
The prototype doesn't have fishbelly sides.
The prototype doesn't have a "connector strip" between all the prongs.
The prototype has uneven spacing of the prongs.
The prototype doesn't have any stake pockets--it has tie downs.
The prototype has its bulkhead attached to the side sill, not sitting on top of a wooden deck.
The prototype doesn't have a wooden deck--it's steel.


Other than that, it's pretty close.


Ed


And a PS: The car isn't a centerbeam. A centerbeam is a structural member of the car. The prongs are not. That's why the "beam" is in there.

[valenciajim2]

Aug 10, 2024 15:32:07 GMT -8 edwardsutorik said:

Here's a shot of the Bachmann Rock Island BL2:





I see the vent for the boiler. And I also see what appear to be the worst EMD trucks ever.


Her's the C&O:







Ed

They had one of the rock Island locomotives on display at the National Train show.  It looked very nice--especially for Bachmann.  I did not see it run.  

[hudsonyard]

I get a laugh out of their new release coil cars being 50 dollars, who is the market for these at that price point??

[lvrr325]

Aug 11, 2024 11:32:55 GMT -8 edwardsutorik said:

Here's the Bachmann model:






Here's the prototype:






Having bulkheads on the end and center prongs down the middle may make them look alike. Or not.


Here's some differences:

The prototype is about 8' longer.
The prototype doesn't have fishbelly sides.
The prototype doesn't have a "connector strip" between all the prongs.
The prototype has uneven spacing of the prongs.
The prototype doesn't have any stake pockets--it has tie downs.
The prototype has its bulkhead attached to the side sill, not sitting on top of a wooden deck.
The prototype doesn't have a wooden deck--it's steel.


Other than that, it's pretty close.


Ed


And a PS: The car isn't a centerbeam. A centerbeam is a structural member of the car. The prongs are not. That's why the "beam" is in there.

ahh yes, other than all these differences, it's pretty close. No, I'm right. They just tooled up something that sorta looks like the divider on the real car so it snaps into existing tooling from 1972. Then they don't even call it what it really is.

And there's nothing wrong with that for a low end train set car, but for a $50-ish retail (the empty ones are $45) that's pretty wild.

[Mr. Trainiac]

Aug 11, 2024 14:49:08 GMT -8 lvrr325 said:

        And there's nothing wrong with that for a low end train set car, but for a $50-ish retail (the empty ones are $45) that's pretty wild.

Bachmann has the advantage of being a 'beginner' brand. These days, they are one of the only brands still making starter sets. For newcomers who may feel overwhelmed with choices, they will stick to Bachmann for their first few purchases because of the brand connection with the starter set.

That enables Bachmann to sell models at inflated prices. Parents buying stuff for their kids aren't researching every brand like Tangent and Scaletrains. They see the Bachmann logo, and they will buy at any price. They may not be knowledabe about fair prices or detail levels for different types of models. I see plenty of beginners asking if different brands are compatible with each other, and I think Bachmann takes advantage of that confusion to sell some of their lower quality rolling stock to consumers who are afraid to leave the Bachmann product environment.

[grabirons]

No prices. What's with that? That makes you already know you are priced out of those products. Even when bachmann had "spectrum", twenty years ago those prices were descent. Now? Sound value? How about no value! As one pointed out on this page, the 44 tonner. The flatcar with a comb down the middle ect.

[edwardsutorik]

Bachmann DOES make at least one neat little car:






The prototype was only owned by ERIE and PM, I believe. To me, the only "flaw" is the cast-on grabs; but there aren't too many to remove--that's good! I'm not going to et too anxious about the mostly hidden brake gear.

It looks just a little different than the common gons we can get from Tangent and P2K, so that's a plus.

Decals are available from National Scale Car. And paint matching is certainly not an issue: black.



Ed

[cpr4200]

Never took the time to compare them, but the Bachmann gon is not the same as the P2k? Looks like the ribs don't go all the way down?