When is Bachmann going to remake some of the missing older Plasticville

[gmhtrains]

It was Halloween, 2009, when Rocco asked about the availability of older Plasticville dies. Bach-Man replied the next day that he would look into this. Rocco asked for an update in January, 2011, and this topic has been dormant ever since.

Perhaps the questions should be related to the factory conditions in China. Does the factory have the manpower to to search among thousands and thousands of dormant dies to find the Plasticville tooling? If everyone is needed on the production line, do the occasional American visitors have the time to take inventory of long stored tooling? Are the dies that have not been run since being sent to China sufficiently labeled so as to be identifiable? Most American forget that Bachmann's British and German lines also contribute to the inventory of stored dies. Even if the Plasticville dies are found and are useable, is the production schedule filled months or years in advance, allowing little chance for low priority items to squeeze in?

The popular Revell HO building dies of the 1960's have changed hands several times. Would selling the tooling to a small U.S. manufacturer be the best chance for some of the older Plasticville dies to be rerun? Has Bachmann ever sold any of its out-of-production tooling to any other company? What U.S. injection molder would even consider buying 40-year-old tooling for which the demand is unknown?

Gil Hulin

[railtwister]

To add even another question to Gil's list, would the Chinese government allow the tooling to be sold and/or leave the country? I recall reading at some time that Chinese government regulations forbade any tooling from ever leaving the country, in order to prevent a foreign company from resourcing their products outside of China in case less expensive labor markets were to become available somewhere else.

Bill in FL

[the Bach-man]

Dear Gil.
All existing tools are in China. In some cases all the tools for a given building are not accessible which makes that particular building impossible to re-run.
I really doubt that the tools would ever be sold.
Sorry I don't have more specific information.
Have fun!
the Bach-man

[RoccoP]

Bachmann,

Gil had some great questions.  It has been almost 2 years since I asked about some of the older items.  I had hoped that we would get some answers.  I love the plasticville my family purchased when I was growing up.  Every Christmas we would unpack the buildings and set up our American Flyer train layout and put together the buildings.  I hoped that many of the older items would return. 

It seems with the number of people replying to this thread that others have a similar interest in the return of some of the older items.  Is Bachmann actively looking at this or is this a lost cause?

I am still holding out hope for some of the older items to return.

--Rocco--

[ACY]

It seems with the number of people replying to this thread that others have a similar interest in the return of some of the older items.  Is Bachmann actively looking at this or is this a lost cause?

It is a lost cause because Bachmann can't make what they don't have access to, unfortunately.

[RoccoP]

I guess I don't understand why Bachmann could not get to their own tooling.  I think this is a lost opportunity.  There are a significant number of people who grew up with Plasticville that would want these old items brought back.  I would even like to see some new tooling that snaps together like the classic Plasticville.  It is a shame that such a great brand does not even have a chance to reach its full potential.

Rocco

[RoccoP]

Bachmann,

In October 2009 I gave a list of older Plasticville buildings not made in years and you said you would look into it.  Later you responded to Gil that all tooling is in China and some tooling may be unavailable to complete certain buildings.  I was hoping for something more specific unless you are saying my entire list is missing pieces of tooling which seems highly unlikely.

Can we get a detailed reponce as to the list saying:

A) No Interest in reissuing
B) Tooling under investigation
C) Under possible consideration to reissue
D) Tooling available

I just feel that this topic has been ignored yet it is one of the largest threads under Plasticville so there is obvious interest in a relevant reply.

Thanks for your patients in reading all of this and good luck getting the answers we have all been waiting for.

--Rocco--

[the Bach-man]

Dear Rocco,
There are no buildings we are disinterested in. In fact, we just reintroduced two HO buildings. When Mr. Riley travels to Hong Kong he is always on the lookout for possibilities, so things are always under investigation.
When tools come to light we will consider them seriously.
That's the best I can tell you from here.
Have fun!
the Bach-man

[RoccoP]

Thanks for getting back to me Bach-man.  I hope when Mr. Riley next sets out he takes a list of the O-S buildings that have been missing for decades with him so he can come back with some good news for all of us.

--Rocco--

[RoccoP]

I just saw the 2013 Catalog.  Unfortunately no new Plasticville in O/S scale.  Any chance if they do not have the old tooling they would be willing to recreate it?  I would suggest the Signal tower be redone as it was issued to AC Gilbert as a painted piece.  With all the new "S" Gauge
from Lionel and MTH if you remade it in the Original colors it might be a big seller.

--Rocco--