All the same loco's

[Balrog21]

I've been watching pretty hard now since school has kicked back in gear and it's the beginning of train season again. I've noticed that most manufacture's do the same loco(s) for their big release(s) of the year.
since I'm new to the hobby is this standard practice or is it some rule the NMRA has set in place that they have to abide by?
I figured that each company would benefit more if they didn't do all the same type of locos...guess I'm wrong in this...

I do know that dummy engines are pretty much a thing of the past, but I wish they would do them again..anywho, I noticed only a few companies do the undecorated version of their models. I know the yardmaster stated that undeco'd loco's don't sell well, but they must somehow or the other companies would be doing them right? or is because Bachmann sells so much the sales don't justify the quantity they would normally produce?

Just rambling and thinking this morning.....

Best,
Bal

[phillyreading]

Not sure what scale you are referring to, but O gauge has not gotten many new engines in many months. WBB has been producing very few new engines. Seems that some are re-painted for Norfolk Southern; SD-90's instead of SD-70 ACe's.
While I am not into counting rivots as it is called, but want a somewhat prototypical engine modeled after real life locomotives.
While I realize that 3 rail track is not 100% prototypical according to the admin on here, the models should be closer to what was actually used by the real railroads in order to sell better; my 2 cents!

There are 3 rail railroad lines, some are cog railroads and some are standard gauge with a third rail for electric power. So there is a prototype for 3 rail track.

Lee F.

[Bucksco]

The problem lies more in investing in tooling that will lend itself to enough road names or popularity of a single road name to justify the high investment dollars. Contrary to popular belief production numbers in the model railroad industry are very low compared to the toy industry in general. In other words you need to sell quite a few production runs just to pay for the tooling. Most of the locos that have never been done are very limited in appeal - which basically means some folks really, really like them but not enough to justify the investment. Also keep in mind that there are no set rules as to who can produce what. In other words when something interesting comes along like the Norfolk Southern Heritage units all of the manufacturers are naturally going to be interested in producing models of them. And yes, Undecorated models have a tendency to sit in the warehouse until we have to sell them to distributors at blowout prices.

[Doneldon]

Bal-

The decisions about what loco to build, or anything else for that matter, are made by each manufacturer with the prime determinant being the potential profit. In that respect, model trains are like everything else which is made by every company. Some might view this as base or money grubbing but it's a simple fact that companies which don't make money don't stay in business. The NMRA has nothing to do with manufacturers' decisions beyond whatever costs are driven by the manufacturers' need to build items which are NMRA compliant. That applies mainly to DCC because other things, like gauge and rail height are already matters with which the companies must comply if they are going to sell anything.

What all of this means is that you and I, and our fellow MRs, drive the manufacturers' decisions about what models to produce. If enough of us wanted to run a Garrett or an obscure one-off experimental narrow-gauge steam engine there would be one in the pipeline. But most of us want F-units, big recent diesels and steam engines which are way too big for our layouts (Guilty!) so that's what we find on the shelves at our beloved LHS.

The reason that there are so many versions of F-units or big modern diesels is that all of the model manufacturers are reading the same data about what people (we) want to buy. This really hasn't changed since I've been a model railroader which goes back nearly 60 years. Modern CAD/CAM design and improved manufacturing techniques have allowed major manufacturers to venture into steam engines more than they did years ago but the issue of merchantability still applies. As I'm sure you know, models of unusual or at least not-on-every-railroad locomotives were made by the Japanese and then the Koreans but they sold in very limited numbers at astronomical prices. And a person might wait years for a given item to be manufactured. Early steam models were generally announced well in advance of their release date and the companies built only a few extra units beyond what were reserved. This meant that modelers without plenty of cash (read: my brother and I) had to be satisfied with diesels, a few poorly operating and poorly detailed steam engines, kits from the likes of Model Die Casting/Mantua or Varney, or scratch building. The latter wasn't  a realistic possibility for young modelers (read again: my broth...) who lacked the requisite skills and equipment, or the money to buy the numerous brass details needed to equip a steamer once the basic chassis and superstructure were finished.

Today's market is filled with things I could only dream about as a young boy or young man. Additionally, I can afford brass models except that I'm still intimidated by the prices of the few newly constructed brass locos. I could buy them if I wish but I just can't force myself to spend the kind of money demanded for hand-built steam engines.

                                                                                                                                                   -- D   

[Balrog21]

thanks for the replies, guys, and thanks yardmaster. I'm sure that tooling isn't cheap.

[rogertra]

The problem lies more in investing in tooling that will lend itself to enough road names or popularity of a single road name to justify the high investment dollars. Contrary to popular belief production numbers in the model railroad industry are very low compared to the toy industry in general. In other words you need to sell quite a few production runs just to pay for the tooling. Most of the locos that have never been done are very limited in appeal - which basically means some folks really, really like them but not enough to justify the investment. Also keep in mind that there are no set rules as to who can produce what. In other words when something interesting comes along like the Norfolk Southern Heritage units all of the manufacturers are naturally going to be interested in producing models of them. And yes, Undecorated models have a tendency to sit in the warehouse until we have to sell them to distributors at blowout prices.

However, this does not prevent manufacturers of North American locomotives from painting locos in the colours of railroads that never owned that class or type of locomotive.  The Alco 2-6-0 in CNR colours springs to mind as I was looking at one the other day.  CNR never owned any of those 2-6-0s.  Yes, they did own 2-6-0s but not those.

This is not something that Bachmann nor any other manufacturer does in the UK as UK modellers just wouldn't put up with it.  You do not even see UK locos carrying liveries they never carried in real life.  For example, you'd never see a Great Western Railway 2-6-0 painted in the colours for the Southern Railway, or the LNER or the LMS, it would never sell.  Just different acceptable standards, I guess.

[Hamish K]

Actually British makers have released locomotives in liveries they never had, currently Bachmann's main british competitor releases small tank locos in liveries of railways that never had that class, or in liveries the railway had, but did not apply to the locos concerned.

The difference is in the prototype situation, from 1923 Britain had 4 main railways, and  from 1948, one (British Railways.)  Thus it has been relatively easy for makers to provide a varied roster for each company.  In America there were many more railroads, making varied rosters for each railroad a lot more difficult unless the same loco is produced for several roads. Not surprisngly  makers cheat a bit to do this. In Britain makers do offer the same loco with different liveries, usually those worn at different stages of its life, e.g. the post 1923 company (GWR, LMS, LNER, SR), and British Railways. A class may have had more than one livery in the same ownership, adding to the variations possible. Occasionally a suitable locomotive is offered in pre 1923 livery, as well as later liveries. The aim is the same , increase sales by offering several different versions from the same tooling.

Hamish

[rogertra]

Actually British makers have released locomotives in liveries they never had, currently Bachmann's main british competitor releases small tank locos in liveries of railways that never had that class, or in liveries the railway had, but did not apply to the locos concerned.

Without mentioning the name of the company (I know who it as I'm also a UK modeller   ), what locos does it produce in liveries of companies that never had the class of loco.  Exclude the Thomas range as they are toys, not models.

BTW, I've not heard of this before.

As Google is my friend, I can soon track them down. 

[jward]

I understand tooling costs for new models are expensive. so what's to stop Bachmann from re-releasing some of their older tooling, on upgraded drives? in HO, the u36b and f9 come to mind. in both cases, the bodies should fit on existing chassis.

[Hamish K]

Rogertra

The ex GWR 101 0-4-0t  has been released in LSWR and Southern Railway liveries (as well as numerous fictious private owners, which I am not counting). The inside cylinder industrial 0-4-0t has bee released as LBSCR. The Caledonian Railway 0-4-0st has been released as Highland Railway. This list is probably not complete and only includes relatively recent releases. Nor does it include the wrong livery from the right company.

Hamish

[rogertra]

Rogertra

The ex GWR 101 0-4-0t  has been released in LSWR and Southern Railway liveries (as well as numerous fictious private owners, which I am not counting). The inside cylinder industrial 0-4-0t has bee released as LBSCR. The Caledonian Railway 0-4-0st has been released as Highland Railway. This list is probably not complete and only includes relatively recent releases. Nor does it include the wrong livery from the right company.

Hamish

I know the ones you mean.  The Holden GWR 0-4-0T, the short lived experimental Swindon shunter and the freelanced 0-4-0T.  All use the same chassis and are really aimed at the toy train market not the scale model market.  But yes, technically you are correct.

[Skarloey Railway]

Given the number of new releases by Bachmann UK I am still a little bit puzzled. Presumably, the tooling costs, etcetera, to produce a UK loco are, size for size, about the same as that to produce a US loco, yet Bachmann is giving the UK market 4 new steam locos, plus two diesels and an inspection car and has just announced a fifth engine.

Whether railroad modelling is less popular in the US per capita than in the UK or the US is more interested in modern era modelling than the UK (which is mainly still modelling the steam era), or whether there is some other factor or factors at play, I don't know. 
http://www.bachmann.co.uk/prod1.php?prod_selected=branchline&prod=3 shows what Bachmann currently or is soon to offer in British OO gauge.

[Bucksco]

How many scales does Bachmann UK produce compared to Bachmann in the U.S. ?

[Skarloey Railway]

In British outline, it produces OO and N gauge. Narrow gauge modelling in the UK is something of a minority pursuit and usually follows British outline using kits based on mechanisms 'borrowed' from N or OO/HO. That said, Bachmann's On30 and largescale range is readily available in the UK through a number of retailers.

I am not trying to have a go at Bachmann over this. I assume Bachmann is aware what the demand is, therefore my question is why does there appear to be less demand for steam locos in US HO than there appears to be in British OO.

[Bucksco]

Bachmann U.S. produces N scale, HO scale, On30, 3 rail O and Large Scale as well as our Thomas the tank and Chuggington products. It is not possible to concentrate on one or two particular scales. It is better business to spread the new items over all the scales.The average is usually at least one steam and one diesel loco a year.