IF YOU WERE BACHMANN'S CFO

[ASIANLIFE]

If you were Bachmann what would be your next loco in On30 ? This means your head [profit] has to rule your heart. Which loco would make the most money.?

USA is their largest single market, but their non-US business is developing, and they want to appeal to a wider audience.

Personally, I think a larger non-tender loco is missing from the roster, like a Baldwin 4-6-0 or Alco 2-6-2, which were widespread after WW1.

But probably a 3-truck Shay would please the boss.

So, based on a one loco suggestion it would be the Shay.

What do you guys propose ?

[Chatzi473]

The 3-truck shay would be nice. i would make it able to change the type stack on it and to change where it is wood oil or coal. like the 2-8-0.

The 4-6-0 would also be a good idea. You can make the 4-6-0 in many different road names. From Railroad one the east coast like the ET&WNC to the Rio Grande Southern in Colorado. It would come with a stright stack but would be able to change too. It would also come with different oil wood are coal for the tender to cary.

a third idea would be a mallet that would come in two tidderent versions like a 2-6-6-2 with a tender or a 2-6-6-2T tank engine. These would make good logging railroad engines.

[Hamish K]

Asian Life referred to a larger non

[Hamish K]

Sorry, hit the wrong button just as I had stated.

To continue

Asian Life mentioned a larger non tender 4-6-0 or 2-6-2, was this a reference to the WW1 2 foot gauge locos? If so the 2-6-2t would be the better bet as it was operated by the USA army (made by Baldwin but similar to the ALCOs) as well as the Britsh and  French Armies and various postwar operaters. The US army did not I think have any Baldwin 4-6-0ts and I expect that a USA army lettered version would be desirable for the US market. Despite the wheel arrangement these are  smallish locos, (about 16 tons) between the Porters (about and the Forney (28). They could be a good choice, but they are not that well known in the USA. The larger 4-6-0 tender locos mentioned by Chatz473 are better known in the USA but do not really fit the stated Bachmann policy of only making locos plausible for 30 inch gauge (they are really 3 foot only gauge locos) and would be rather large compared to the other Bachmann offerings.

Another possibility is an outside frame 2-6-2 tender loco similar to one of the Maine locos, these are well known in the USA and similar locos were exported to a number of countries in various gauges, including 30 inch. Should appeal to Maine modellers as a companion to the Forney and would look well with the 2-8-0 and the new 4-4-0.

However if I was Bachmann I think my next loco would be a Heisler. Well known and popular in the USA and there were at least two 30 inch gauge examples (Lukens steel).  A 3 truck Shay would probably be the alernative, also very well known and there were, in Chile, 60 ton 3 truck Shays on 30 inch gauge track.. Both of these should have wide appeal, but as a (granted  very different) Shay already exists the Heisler would seem the choice for the next loco. The Maine 2-6-2 would be the third choice, for the reasons I mentioned above.

I am not Bachmann, so who knows? but I would not be surprised to see the 3 locos mentioned above appear in the next hald dozen years or so. My personal choice, a "Puffing Billy"  2-6-2 tank from Australia . However I can't see Bachmann making these as they are not North American, or well known there, despite being designed by Baldwin and of typical American appearance.

Hamish

[Hamish K]

Sorry again, not my afternoon. I don't know why the face appeared, i meant that the Porters were 8 tons.

Hamish

[ASIANLIFE]

Hamish-

correct - a non-tender, i.e. tank loco.

re the WW1 locos you are right, they are 2 foot gauge- As such a much more personal choice- would scale up nicely to 30 inch, but as you say not necessarily fit the Bachmann philosophy- As [imaginary] CFO I wonder if I could change that ?

I did think about the Heisler, partcicularly given the various comments posted on this site.

On a separate issue have you bought any stuff from Ozsteam- looks pretty good stuff on website.

[Hamish K]

ASIANLIFE
I believe some ex WW1 locos were regauged to 30 inch so I see them as suitable, but probably not familiar enough to US buyers.

I haven't bought any of the OZSTEAM stuff although I too am considering some of the kits - I have seen on other lists nice things posted about them.

Hamish

[Dusten Barefoot]

I propose the 4-6-0. I would have the engine in different road names, as well as different stacks, tender, cab and piolets.
Caped Stack for the ET&WNC
The Staight stack on the RGS 20
Wood cab with 2 windows for the RGS
Steel Cab W/3 Windows for ET&WNC
I would have the 2 different tenders for the engines, I do not know what the thin one is called for the RGS, nor do I know what kind of tender is on the Old ET&WNC 4-6-0.
I would have the regular cow catcher piolet on both Locos, but have an optional show plow, also the Tweetsie Ten-wheeler will have an air perserve on it, and the RGS will not.

Just my suggestions
Rock On & Live Strong
Dusten Blake Barefoot

[Tomcat]

Definitely would go for the Shay, modern Type, 3-Truck - not only to please the Boss,...

Or - a Heisler, just taking the Drawings of the G-scale Heisler, that´ll do.
Bachmann loves Geared Engines, that´s for sure. So, give all those Loggers out there, some more useful equipment...

Kind regards, Tom

[ossygobbin]

SRRL 2-6-2 no 24 obviously

[kendoitall]

You know how many here would love to have the original 2-6-0 mogul with DCC and sound? It's just about perfect in size and configuration. Just about everyone, I would think. So perhaps they could work on that and someday produce one. Meanwhile, we can play with the new 4-4-0's and the rest of the magnificent Bachmann On30 line of locos.

Ken

[hoscaleuk]

Afer ww! American N G ttank locos spread acros europe and  some UK NG lines bought some (Acouple have been restored and running today)I seem to decall that they were 4 6 0tank locos and were in the main 24 inch gauge
So Food for thought Mr Riley ?
If not as aresult of a G scale loco of yester =year how about the American built 2 4 2 tank loco that ran on the Lynton and  Barnstable rly with some similar styles sold to various British ex Colonies
you must still have the Draeings so little research needed
Best regard s
Brian

[Hamish K]

A good starting point for information on the WW1 light railways is http://www.wdlr.org.uk/WDLR/

This thread is drifting a bit into personal wish lists and away from its focus of what Bachmann should make to maximise profit. As I see it the ideal loco for Bachmann is one that is popular with americans but also has appeal to others, is plausible as a 30 inch gauge loco (although may not be a model of an actual 30 inch gauge loco), as this picks up those who regard their layout as30 inch as well as those regarding their layouts as 3 foot or 2 foot, one that fits in well with Bachmann's existing range and is not too big as many ON30 layouts are small with tight curves. While the WW1 locos meet many of these criteria how popular they would be with americans I am not sure about, they seem to be better known in the UK and europe, probably because they were extensively used on anarrow gauge lines there after ww1 and some are preserved.

The Bachmann 4-4-0 shows this thinking, a type popular with americans, a prototype with an american connection, (close to the Mt gretna locos) but also similar to exported locos, and small so as to look right with existing products. While it is not the choice of every-one  it may well have a wider appeal than a larger 4-4-0 that would only be suitable as an american 3 foot gauge loco and might have trouble with tight curves.

MMI is producing larger, specifically 3 foot gauge locos but their operation is different from Bachmann's, higher priced, smaller production runs of limited edittions - they can afford to concentrate on one market segment (provided it is a reasonable size).

A Heisler seems to me to fit the above criteria well, what else might? What different critweria would also maximise the potential market for a loco?

Hamish

[Royce Wilson]

Yes!   The original Baldwin 2-6-0 with the uneven driver spacing. could use the same boiler and tender from the 4-4-0.  Royce

[C.S.R.R. Manager]

If I were the CFO, I would do whatever Mr. Riley wanted to do.  He has a really great batting average.  In terms of what would make the most money, any CFO is going to base his/her decision on past performance.  My guess is that they would make a spreadsheet, showing each loco, the profit margin on each, and the total number sold, and make decisions based on that.  My guess is also that the current a strategy, which was explained so well by Hamish K., is working well, and is likely to continue.  That probably means more mostly metal, highly detailed locos from the Baldwin catalog, which work in the US but also have some international appeal.

In terms of locos from other countries, I think Bachmann could duplicate their On30 success in the UK and Germany, working through their brands already active in those countries.  I was surprised to find that the UK arm of Bachmann already has a line of HOn30 trains that look very cool.