NEW STUFF...

[joegideon]

AM I CORRECT IN thinking that Bachmann is going to release an NKP/Kanawha/just-like-everyone else's Berkshire??  I tell myself that, no... it simply can't be, that the people at Bachmann are at least as sharp as I am in realizing that LIFE-LIKE- OR WALTHERS- OR WHOMEVER- HAS BEEN FIRE-SAILING, GIVING AWAY AND LEAVING ABANDONED AT GOODWILL, THE LAST 2-3 THOUSAND NKP/C&O/VIGINIAN 2-8-4S THEY MADE... Please tell me that they didn't waste all that effort.  What?... is brand name that important to model railroaders?  ('Ahm a Bachmann man, muhself... Paw had 'em and I remember that Maw liked 'em...' Don't Lahf Lahk mean, 'Found on tracks DEa...NO?') Never mind.  They couldn't have done that.  I had made a suggestion thaT maybe the A-1 2-8-4, the EARLY Superpower Berk might make a good candidate... This thing's going to cost about the same as the old(-and beautiful!) PFM brass versions on eBay- which, by the way, they can't give away!

C'mon, Guys! 

I'll be SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO disappointed!

[SteamGene]

Joe,
I have two of the Proto 2000 C&O 2-8-4s.  They don't pull well at all.  What's more, I haven't seen them being given away - at least not the current run with DCC sound.  If you know of a source, please let me know.  In addition, the Bachmann has a MSRP of $160.  I figure I'll pay a lot less for one. 
Don't forget, there is still the release in - when - October.  I'll bet that if they release a bunch of Harrimans, there won't be as many "Thank you, Mr. B" as there have been "Not another Van Sweigeren(sp)"
Gene

[Pacific Northern]

Hi, I am also quite surprised that Bachmann will release the Birkshire. 

The pictures posted of the unit certainly indicate it would be of equal finish to most of the steam Spectrums.  Wonder why it will be marketed as a "Standard" model? Could it be something concerning the drive mechanism?

I would have thought that the next company to release a Birkshire would be the Hornby-Riverossi company.  As they have the original tooling and have allready re-released the Big Boy, the Allegheny and the Hudson last year. I expect that they would also be releasing the new, updated Bershire in the not too distant future.

http://www.hornbyinternational.com/

I certainly will be looking to obtain one of the Bachmann models when they become avialable though, just thought it more likely it would be one of the new revamped Hornby-Riverossi units instead.

[lanny]

Hi 'Joe',

Being a 'foaming at the mouth, crazy ICRR fanatic' I agree with you. But economics are economics. The modern 2-8-4s (NKP, C&O, etc) have a greater chance of selling to a lot more modelers than the early super power Berks such as ICRR used.

Do I wish Spectrum would come out with some Harriman model steam? You bet! Will they do that soon? My guess is 'no' (and I hope I'm wrong). There just doesn't seem to be enough market (as far as mfgs are concerned) to support marketing Harriman steam.

So, I probably will buy an undecorated Spec 2-8-4 and get my 'kit bashing' tools out and begin performing 'surgery'. It may not be an exact model like that $1000 brass ICRR Berk I saw recently up for sale on the internet, but I bet I can make the Spec. resemble pretty closely, an ICRR Berk. We'll see.

If only Spectrum would come out with a Harriman 2-8-2! (sorry Gene, I know that's about 600 times now  )

lanny nicolet

[SteamGene]

Lanny,
I've been flying the Harriman banner wherever I can!  In fact, since I learned that Central of Georgia had Harriman locos, I could see the VT&P owning one or two. 
OTOH, this Bachmann 2-8-4 issue has me in a dither.  I have four 2-8-4s - three C&O and one VT&P.  The C&O are two Life Like and one PFM.  The VT&P is a Mantua. 
I guess I need to get one Bachmann 2-8-4, maybe an udecorated, try it out, and determine what to do with the others, if anything. 
I really don't need more than four 2-8-4s, but the VT&P buys steam the C&O is retiring. 
Gene

[lanny]

Gene,

I've also found that there is a pretty good market on eBay for steam that is in good condition and runs . I have done a lot of thinning of my 'collection' of nice locomotives to 'pare' my layout down to 1940-1958 or so, steam on the ICRR. I also am completing a hidden staging yard that will hold 2 or 3 trains and modern freight cars that don't fit that era, but will see exhibition 'run' time on my layout on various occasions.

In any case, your P2ks and the PFM at least ought to go for good prices, giving you the means to purchase some new Spec 2-8-4s if they look good. I had an undec P2k Berk that was a beautiful, quiet and smooth runner ... but absolutely horrendous at hauling loads.

Well, maybe ... just maybe ... Bachmann (or some mfg) will come out with a nice Harriman ... there I go, 'dreaming' again

lanny

[SteamGene]

I'll wait and see what the Bachmann 2-8-4 can do before getting rid of the PFM or the P2K. 
Gene

[cmgn9712]

Everyone assumes Hornby has all the Rivarossi tooling. Maybe, maybe not. It may not be in shape to run even if they do have it. Also it looks like the prices are quite high.  I think you will see a slowing of product from Lifelike as the market and Walthers can only handle so much. It looks like the Bachmann Berk will be a good unit at a popular price point. I think it a good move by Bachmann. PM 1225 and Polar Express made a huge impression on the general public .A lot of people whose kids saw the movie will likely be  a sale. Licensing will prevent Bachmann from marketing it as "Polar Express" (even the 1225 can't use that marketing any more).

[martin_lumber]

The one thing that Bachmann did, that Proto 2000 didn't, is that they released the engines in numbers that actually still exist (i.e., 1225, 765) and not in some dumb numbers that people will not buy.

I model a HO tourist railroad, and I would rather buy a Bachmann that has the flywheel motor and good details with a good number, than a expensive P2K that has a number that no 'casual' modeler would want to buy.

Another example is the Walthers P1K RSC-2. The only MILW engine that exists in that paint scheme is the 988, at Mid-Continent RR museum. Did Walthers produce that number? No. Did Kato, who released the engine in the exact (incorrect) paint scheme as the 988 release it in that number? No, but they did produce a un-numbered version with a dry-transfer set that included the 988.

It's the difference in numbers that has always bothered me. If a company can not produce the famous engine in a number that still exists, they can have the product for themselves.

Thanks Bachmann, for the good numbers!

Phil

[SteamGene]

The only problem with people jumping on the PM 1225 for the Polar Express is that very few people know that PM 1225 was the model for the Polar Express locomotive.  In fact the film maker only noticed the number much later and it never appears on the loco on th film, AFAIK.   In additon, the tender is lettered for "Pierre Marquette" and not "Polar Express." 
This is not to say that people might not build a similar train....
Gene

[Virginian]

P2K actually produced and released accurate renditions of the unique VGN Berkshires, for which I had waited about 30 years, and I will always be grateful.  A long time ago I bought a bunch of brass in the pursuit of prototypical fidelity, but I drew the line at what they were asking for the VGN Berks.  I was not willing to pay collector price for a model to be operated.  I am quite happy with the P2Ks, but if Bachmann does an ACCURATE VGN rendition, I may get one of those too.

[ryeguyisme]

heyyy you got my flag waving for harrimans, ever since Athearn bought Roundhouse all the harrimans stop coming from them and i loved those kits, but they never made a mike or a pacific so obviously all the more for b-mann to do it