Spectrum Passenger Cars

[Jose Morais]

I like the big hauler passenger cars, but they look too small behind the Connie or the Shay - they look fine behind the 2-4-2 and the Indy tough.

I would like Bachmann to do a simple rescaling to 1:20.3 of the existing big hauler cars, with a similar level of detail (maybe even the same trucks) a one piece sketch interior and no lighting. A MRSP double that of the old big hauler cars seems reasonable.

Upgraded interiors, lighting and metal trucks could be added by us (or supplied separately by Bachmann for the all thumbs brigade).

I could then park 1:22.5 and 1:20.3 trains on different sidings and no one would notice they are not to the same  scale (forced perspective anyone?)

I would order half a dozen today.

Thanks for asking     

[charon]

Yes;
I also agree completely with Alec.
Chuck

[Chastity]

Certainly within the aforementioned AMS cars but the question is, is there really room for that?  I think Bachmann has done a wonderful job on its large scale line and Spectrum 1:20.3 passenger cars would certainly be hard even for the other company to beat.

The only thing that I could see would be to move from Jackson and Sharp to something a little different, perhaps Carter Brothers or other builder.

Instead what I would suggest would be to do a Spectrum quality drovers caboose.  In 1:20.3 scale there is nothing available.  It could even be something like the Pacific Coast caboose that is now residing on a full scale trestle at the Sacramento rail museum.  Generic enough to fit with almost anything.

[chuckger]

What about a Jsckson Sharp car with a duckbill roof?? This would give a product that would be different from what is curently on the market but would work along with it, give the buyers a choice resulting in more sales.

Check the book Narrow Gauge Varnish, I belive the Drango & Silverton rebuilt a few cars all with Duckbill roofs.
Maybe a car like the Denver would work with the 4-4-0 & 2-6-0. Just another idea to think about.

Chuck

[Kevin Strong]

How about a Billmeyer & Smalls 13-window coach? Particularly one with panel siding as opposed to tongue-in-grove? They were fairly common all across the country, changing hands and sometimes configurations as railroads closed down and passenger equipment went elsewhere. Also, a nice visual contrast to the Accucraft car, but still looking great in a train.

Whatever may be produced, make the roof removable without having to disassemble the entire car. That's my biggest pet peeve with the Accucraft cars--you can't simply do an interior because the roof isn't removable. Royal pain!

In terms of price, I'd like to see it under $200. Once the AMS cars crossed that threshold, I stopped thinking about buying more. Ideally, I'd love to see a street price around $150 - $170.

Later,

K

[steamrusty]

Hey,
I would like to see overtons, just like the Sierra types Aristo made, but in 20,3. These cars were wonderful short and it's possible to run more than two-car-trains on smaller layouts.
steamrusty

[Ron Tremblay]

I would love to see something like the sierra cars, only 2 windows longer

[Dwight Ennis]

I'd LOVE to see some West Coast Carter Brothers duckbill cars - along the lines of those David Fletcher did for his MasterClass.  It seems like just about everything produced for the narrow gauge market from HOn3 to On3/On30 to large scale is almost always based around Colorado prototypes, and with the possible exception of Maine 2-footers, very little being produced for narrow gauge elsewhere.  The west coast was full of narrow gauge (and so was the east coast), but if this is one's preference, he's kind of out in the cold and has to build it himself - especially when it comes to rolling stock.

I think On30, in which Bachmann has been VERY successful, shows that there's a place for non-Colorado prototypes - not the central and southern American stuff Bachmann seems to have (or at used to have had) a preference for, but American prototypes from areas other than Colorado.  As On30 has demonstrated, there's a lot of free-lancers out there that don't want to model the D&RGW or the C&S or the RGS.  MHO.

[Chris9017]

The problem with the Accucraft coaches isn't only the price but also the weight of the brass is too heavy for a Spectrum 4-4-0 or 2-6-0 to pull, and the big Haulers are nice but not as good as what we could get with Spectrum.    They can use the truck designs the 4-4-0 and 2-6-0s have on their tenders, nice burgandy ones too, and the pick ups can lay on top of the axle rather than skim the wheels like they do on the big haulers.  Skimming the wheels adds more friction and reistance, oiling them just makes the tracks too slippery and will cause the locomotives to slip.   Spectrum coaches would be wonderful, Jackson Sharp, Kimball, McKee, Overton, there are a lot to choose from.   We can really have beautiful coaches.    Also road names

Denver & Rio Grande Western

Colorado & Southern

Rio Grande Southern

Eastern Tennessee & North Carolina Western

East Broad Top

South Pacific Coast

North Pacific Coast

Nevada County Narrow Gauge

Eureka & Palisade


As well as painted unlettered in Green, Golden Yellow, Roset Red, Or Creamy white. 

The cost would be about $350 for the normal retail, but the average price per coach out there would more likely be $150-$235.   So that would not be bad, and they would look great behind the C-19, K-27, 4-4-0, 2-6-0, 2-8-0, Forney, and even the Big Haulers 4-6-0.

[gardendepot]

I would love to see a spectrum passenger car in 1:20.3 scale, I think a short style would look great with the 4-4-0 and 4-6-0 locomotives, if it ran around $300.00 retail and sold for around $200.00 to 225.00 would be great. Rio Grande is a must in a roadname. Please go with the spectrum caboose style of add ons, grab irons, lights, stove and stack, and etc.. One can wish

[R. J. Raleigh]

If Bachmann manufactured Carters Brothers coaches in 1:20.3 scale, they wouldn't be competing with AMS.
Carters Brothers coaches would be a more accurate choice for pulling behind the Centennial 4-4-0 and 2-6-0.
No manufacturer currently produces Carters Brothers coaches.

[Skarloey Railway]

If Bachmann manufactured Carters Brothers coaches in 1:20.3 scale, they wouldn't be competing with AMS.
Carters Brothers coaches would be a more accurate choice for pulling behind the Centennial 4-4-0 and 2-6-0.
No manufacturer currently produces Carters Brothers coaches.

Yup. Agree with that. No point repeating what another manufacturer already produces.

[Chris9017]

Carter Brothers sounds nice.

Hopefully The Bachmann Reads our ideas.

[laxrebel]

Large scale $$$$ is getting out of hand, at least for me. Mostly out of the box too, with little assembly needed. Not much of a hobby for those like me who like to build rather than just operate.  With so many different passenger car types and configurations, I wonder if a basic frame and roof and ends with component sides (slabs,  various windows, baggage doors, etc.) plus interior parts like seats and etc. would would sell? Also, truck frames to match specific types and railroads. Prototype length would be a problem, unless even the roofs and floors were different. I bash a lot of Big Hauler cars - especially kits - to get close to what I want, such as Durango & Silverton cars. The G market is probably not large enough for this. Dick

[Jose Morais]

Large scale $$$$ is getting out of hand, at least for me. Mostly out of the box too, with little assembly needed. Not much of a hobby for those like me who like to build rather than just operate.  With so many different passenger car types and configurations, I wonder if a basic frame and roof and ends with component sides (slabs,  various windows, baggage doors, etc.) plus interior parts like seats and etc. would would sell? Also, truck frames to match specific types and railroads. Prototype length would be a problem, unless even the roofs and floors were different. I bash a lot of Big Hauler cars - especially kits - to get close to what I want, such as Durango & Silverton cars. The G market is probably not large enough for this. Dick

I'm with you about Bachmann supplying components to make different cars, but I'm afraid it's not going to happen. They tried it before with their kits and their last boxes are still gathering dust at stockists shelves. I enjoyed bashing them, but most modelers now have nor the time nor the inclination to build things. That's why I think that, to keep costs down, Bachmann could produce new cars with a maximum of existing parts (trucks, etc), finished on the outside but with simple inside detail, which is difficult to see anyway - who can see the Spectrum caboose interior? If someone wants inside detail it can build it, or order it separately.