Curious

[betageek]

When I buy a Bachmann ON30 rail equipment, I get super-detailed, danged near flawless accuracy of a piece of equipment, especially Bachmann On30 engines.
But when I take a look at the Bachmann O scale Plasticville structures, I see small-child toys. Sure a couple of the structures could be hacked to pieces to create something akin to the rolling-stock level of detail, but generally nothing that I would put in the farthest dimmest corner of my layout. And the vehicles: ughhh.
Why can't we get the ON30 level of accuracy and detail on your O scale buildings Mr. Bachmann? It would sell 100x what your current selection is selling.

[the Bach-man]

Dear Geek,
The Plasticville buildings are still popular with Tinplaters, as well as Plasticville collectors. We are approaching their sixtieth anniversay, and as they represent the first model railroad products made by Bachmann, I hope they will continue for another sixty years!  I would, however, love to see some new buildings as well, and I'll pass along your thoughts.
Have fun!
the Bach-man

[ole]

I do realize that the Lionel and American Flyer guys (and girls?) still buy and use these vintage products on their nostalgic layouts; they are the same as I had as a kid. But I also think that there is a market today for revamped O scale people, cars, trucks and buildings. Bachmann could even clean up some of those old molds and come out with a series of revamped kits. While I have used parts of certain 'old' plasticville kits (farm buildings) to create other railroad buildings, there are many that I won't touch for any use on my On30 layout; they are simply way too toy like for me.
Lee in Tucson

[Hamish K]

I would like to see Bachmann make a new range of plastic O scale buidings. There seems to be a bit of a gap in the market between the toy like buidings for tinplate and similar toy like trains and craftsman kits that are often expensive and require a fair level of skill to build. I am aware of only a few O scale buildings in the middle, unlike the many available in HO scale.

The Plasticville range does have potential to be devloped. While some are toy like the Bach Man's efforts on his ON30 display layout, especially the saw mill, show what can be done with Plasticville mouldings.

What I have in mind is a small range that includes some industrial structures e.g. a saw mill, some mine buildings, loading bins or bunkers (could adapt the Plasticville coaling tower as the Bach man did on his layout) and perhaps a small factory. A new small depot would also be nice.

These would be usefull for many ON30 modellers but should appeal to others as well.

I would prefer kits because of the ease of modification, but I recognise that the trend is to built-ups.

Hamish

[David Meashey]

While the original Plasticville structures are very basic, they make good "kitbashing fodder" for other projects.  I'd love to see some of them offered in 1:24 scale.  It is also nice to have structures that will disassemble and store practically flat. 

Those of us who grew up with the Lionel, Marx, and American Flyer trains were glad to have buildings that could survive being dismantled on New Year's and still look good when reassembled for the next Christmas.  Similar structures would store better when brought inside from the garden railway for the cold months.

I shamelessly converted my 49 year old O/S Plasticville coaling tower into a 1:24 rock bin for my (now diamantled) garden railway.


Front


Rear

Any hope for some 1:24 Plasticville structures Bach Mann?  Those Masonite structures your company tried a few years ago just did not pack the "pizzaz" of Plasticville.  Just a thought.

Hoping to anticipate,
David Meashey

[Paul M.]

I wonder if the supposed Williams Trains acquisition by Bachmann will have any affect on the O scale Plasticville line.

[BIG BEAR]

   I would love to see Bachman start with the Trolley Barn for "O"n30 and HO. They could also use the "O" with the new O scale barn with the EZ track O Guage 2-Rail set, that I am here forth suggesting they start producing.
   I really do NOT like the cheap, run down look of the roof on these barns.
I put a park bench along side, & a wreath between the windows to help dress up, or in this case distract attention from the crappy roof.

   Barry

[railsider]

Plasticville is economical. That said, it cuts corners on detail and quality, notably the bright colors that just don't look realistic (see the yellow ladder in the photo sent earlier!).

The answer is the same as for rolling stock: paint, weather and detail. The good news is, plastic takes most paint easily, and there is a lot of molded detail already in place. Tone down that yellow ladder to a real-looking wood tone, or the color that the rail-line paints their stuff, weather it, and it looks pretty good. Add weathering to the sides, paint on a few climbing vines or weeds around the base, glaze those windows inside, and you have a fairly respectable (or disreputable, if that's what you're looking for!) structure.

Railsider