Links to some scenic railroads on US site?

[raveoned]

In looking at the UK site for the amazing Branch-Line and Graham Farish lines of trains, I noticed a nice page with links to a few of the UK Heritage Railways.

What do people think of something like that on the US Bachmann site, listing such railroads as Strasburg, New Hope and Ivyland and East Broad Top among other railroads and museums?

Could that be done on the Bachmann US site?

[raveoned]

It was just a thought, since Bachmann's UK site has these kinds of links, if you read the context of my post before a short and not very kind answer.  I know programmers aren't cheap, but they have programmers anyway updating the site all the time, correct?

I did say that Bachmann's UK site (which, I would assume, is about Bachmann's UK products, since it's their site) had these links, didn't I?

I posted this here since I didn't realize there should be another spot to post it.  Since you're the authority on the forums, maybe it would have been better to direct me to a better spot to have a conversation on the subject?  I believe the tag on the forum index for "General Discussion" says to talk about anything train related.  I think talking about real trains (you know, the things they base the models off) is train related, correct?

[Skarloey Railway]

There are individual threads dealing with prototype RRs and locos, etcetera, but I agree it would be nice to broaden the forum a little. As you say, If Bachmann's UK site has links to real railroads there can't be any reason for Bachmann's US site not to. It would be especially useful when there is a connection between a Bachmann model and the railroad that the prototype runs/ran on.

http://www.bachmann.co.uk/branchline.php offers an interesting comparison to Bachmann US

[jward]

have you tried http://www.railserve.com? they have links to many tourist lines and museums.

[Skarloey Railway]

I don't think the issue is whether or not the information about tourist/museum railroads on the net. The question is whether there's some value in Bachmann US doing what Bachmann UK is doing and providing information and/or links to them.

I'd go further than the OP and suggest there'd be a great benefit in having a Discussion Board where we can talk about the present-day, historic, and tourist railroads where the prototypes of Bachmann's models worked. A lot of the discussion here seems to be about what Bachmann might or should produce (Colorado prototypes on the ON30 board, for example) and precious little about the prototype railroads that could be modelled with what Bachmann is producing now.
Colin.

[jward]

with diesels anyway, most of the classic railroads could be modeled. the f7 and the gp series were very common types used on just about every railroad in north America. the alco rs3 and s2/s4 were almost as common in their day. and the sd45 and sd40-2 were also used extensively. for the diesel era up to the mid 1980s we are very well covered. 

later than that it starts to get tricky. the c40-8/c40-8w sold well to major railroads, but few if any went to smaller lines. in fact, some of the biggest railroads of the 1990s passed on these types, notably Burlington northern and southern pacific.

for an idea of what can be done, consider the western Maryland railway. it used f7s, fa2s. rs3s, s2s, gp7s, gp9s, gp35s and gp40s. if you modeled wm in say 1972, the only non Bachmann locomotives you'd need would be sd35s and sd40s.

[Skarloey Railway]

But I hate dismals 

How about steam locos for a typical standard gauge shortline circa 1910?

Or a first class railroad circa 1950?

Or a Latin-American 30" gauge railroad?

Or Maine 2' gauge?

Or nineteenth century railroading in any gauge?

Some of what Bachmann produce is useful for modelling the above, but I bet there are many more modelling possibilities with Bachmann's models, perhaps augmented by the products of a few other manufacturers, than meets the eye.
Colin.

[jward]

seriously....

steam locomotives were not standardized designs for the most part. and that means outside of the usra types, any steamer produced is going to have a much more limited market than a diesel.

[Skarloey Railway]

seriously....

steam locomotives were not standardized designs for the most part. and that means outside of the usra types, any steamer produced is going to have a much more limited market than a diesel.

Well, much the same applies over here with standardized steam engine designs not appearing till the late 40s/early 50s, but Bachmann UK produces a very decent range of steam locos many of which are specific to certain routes in certain eras.

I just look at what Bachmann UK produces for the steam era and see far more diversity compared to Bachmann US. Maybe steam era modelling is just much less popular in the US than here in the UK.

Colin.