Any suggestions for Bachmann's future models?

[Skarloey Railway]

Well, two reasons why not are catenary is a lot more substantial than telegraph/phone wires and the pantograph dips and flexes with the sway of the wires. It's also fascinating to look at, especially on a prototype as homely as the Ferrocarril Tocopilla al Toco down in Chile. Though I concede it will make maintenance harder.

What I'd like is a remote way of raising and lowering the pantographs. In that pic the second engine has both its pantographs lowered to save wear.

The Tocopilla Rwy is 42" gauge but I'm not fussy.

[BaltoOhioRRfan]

N&W / Strasburg 4-8-0 WITHOUT Dcc/sound

[electrical whiz kid]

With respect to those who would like to see their favourite road modeled.  
I have long advocated building of basic kits, package them "plain Jane", include some parts such as steam domes, stacks, etc.
As some of you know, I recently built another Mike using Bachmann's "RUSSIAN" body, and the  SY MIKE drive.  It was challenging-and interesting.  Now, one can take an approach like this and take it as far as they want to.  For discussion, I do not model any specific prototype; just based on New England; nor do I care to.  I have been doing modifications most of my life, and get satisfaction out of doing stuff like that-just my approach.
If Bachmann-or anyone, for that matter-would give the "basic stripped-down model a go, I bet it would go over.  Cal-scale, Cary, Sellen, etc., have a pretty good assortment of parts.
One other thing:  This would maybe bring back The building aspect of this hobby to what it was many years ago, before the "R-T-R" business really became the norm.  Also, I would bet a lot of modellers would be receptive to this.

Rich C.

[ryeguyisme]

N&W / Strasburg 4-8-0 WITHOUT Dcc/sound

I'm not a N&W modeler but I would like to have 3 N&W 4-8-0's on my roster with the 16k water buffalo tender

N&W Water Buffalo tenders seem to be really popular on online auction sites and used on a variety of roads. With the popularity of N&W as an eastern road, I'm surprised we don't see more plastic/diecast steam. If Bachmann made a Y-2, Z-1, M-1 or M-2 sign me up for few of any of those.

[rogertra]

With respect to those who would like to see their favourite road modeled.  
I have long advocated building of basic kits, package them "plain Jane", include some parts such as steam domes, stacks, etc.
As some of you know, I recently built another Mike using Bachmann's "RUSSIAN" body, and the  SY MIKE drive.  It was challenging-and interesting.  Now, one can take an approach like this and take it as far as they want to.  For discussion, I do not model any specific prototype; just based on New England; nor do I care to.  I have been doing modifications most of my life, and get satisfaction out of doing stuff like that-just my approach.
If Bachmann-or anyone, for that matter-would give the "basic stripped-down model a go, I bet it would go over.  Cal-scale, Cary, Sellen, etc., have a pretty good assortment of parts.
One other thing:  This would maybe bring back The building aspect of this hobby to what it was many years ago, before the "R-T-R" business really became the norm.  Also, I would bet a lot of modellers would be receptive to this.

Rich C.

I agree with Rich.  His Mike was a fantastic kitbash. 


Cheers

[Trainman203]

Southern Pacific is a favorite western road, a lot longer and far flung than many of the eastern roads.  Yet all we ever see of them model wise today is Daylights and the most modern Cab Forwards.... Both giant engines very unsuited to 18"radius layouts...... which whether we seasoned modelers like it or not, many engines run, suited or not to the toy train curvatures.

SP had many interesting  smaller engines like ten wheelers, consolidations and MacAthurs among others.  Being mostly Harriman engines, models of them would be  generic enough to be kitbashed into almost anything . .....    unlike an N&W 4-8-0 which is a small niche model if there ever was one, even more than a MoPac 2-8-0 which at least is not a rare wheel arrangement and not of peculiar proportions.

SP served an area heavily populated by model railroaders. Their purchasing power in numbers has never been well tested in the plastic steam locomotive market.

[Trainman203]

Rich C. sayeth:

"If Bachmann-or anyone, for that matter-would give the "basic stripped-down model a go, I bet it would go over.  Cal-scale, Cary, Sellen, etc., have a pretty good assortment of parts"

I said a pretty long time ago that Bachmann could sell their erstwhile Spectrum engines stripped down, but with the formerly already-applied details available as a separate kit. 

I got taken to the cleaners for saying that.   Don't know why.  I think it's a great idea.

[BaltoOhioRRfan]

N&W / Strasburg 4-8-0 WITHOUT Dcc/sound

I'm not a N&W modeler but I would like to have 3 N&W 4-8-0's on my roster with the 16k water buffalo tender

N&W Water Buffalo tenders seem to be really popular on online auction sites and used on a variety of roads. With the popularity of N&W as an eastern road, I'm surprised we don't see more plastic/diecast steam. If Bachmann made a Y-2, Z-1, M-1 or M-2 sign me up for few of any of those.

I'd like to get one for my Strasburg RR, also wouldn't mind 1 or 2 for a fantasy engine for my B&O RR.

[jward]

this thread comes up every year, and my suggestions remain the same:

update the old Bachmann u36b and f9 to fit the chassis of the f7 and b23-7 respectively. this shouldn't be too hard or expensive as the basic tooling for each should still be in Bachmann's possession.

as for new models, an emd cow-calf set would be nice. since Bachmann already has an nw2 in n scale, how about an ho scale version, with a calf to go along with it. the nw2 was one of emd's best selling models, and the cow calf version, the tr2, was the best selling cow-calf set of all time. as such, these models would be at home on almost any layout from the 1940s to the 1990s.

[Trainman203]

I say the same thing too, broken record......... .  Generic engines.  Harriman engines.  Small engines.  More steam engines.

[ryeguyisme]

I say the same thing too, broken record......... .  Generic engines.  Harriman engines.  Small engines.  More steam engines.

Rich C. sayeth:

"If Bachmann-or anyone, for that matter-would give the "basic stripped-down model a go, I bet it would go over.  Cal-scale, Cary, Sellen, etc., have a pretty good assortment of parts"

I said a pretty long time ago that Bachmann could sell their erstwhile Spectrum engines stripped down, but with the formerly already-applied details available as a separate kit. 

I got taken to the cleaners for saying that.   Don't know why.  I think it's a great idea.

Both these ideas are good.  I could see different western road style/Harriman 4-6-0's, 2-8-0's and 2-8-2's doing really well under the SP/UP roadnames. Have different versions both early and late w/boxpok drivers and clamshell stacks. Bachmann also has the tooling for SP and UP style tenders.

To have these engines with separately applied domes and detail parts would create more fun for those like myself looking to kitbash/modify engines to look like a different animal.  Imagine an undecorated version of these engines sold with different domes/smokebox fronts/pilots or snowplows/alternate stacks/doghouse/etc.

[electrical whiz kid]

Rye;
I do not advocate Bachmann getting  involved in an aftermarket pile of parts that may or may not sell for them, given the high resolution/quality of the brass parts, such as "Trackside Specialties", Cal-scale, etc.  The "parts" thing is a whole separate market in and of itself; and for Bachmann to get directly involved in this part just might be spreading themselves a bit too thin.  Considering that their product mostly comes from Kader, they would be pretty much hobbled to what Kader says.
Like you said, guys like you would be a natural for this market as you like to modify, and really get into building what appeals to you...  I know, being a part of that same market myself.
Rich C.

[Trainman203]

Rich C, I hear that side very well too. Maybe the Bach Man could include some super detailing guidelines, with a list of the appropriate parts from other sources.

The tooling already exists for the parts though, sad to not use them.  Maybe make one bag of parts for every 100 engines and see how it goes.

[J3a-614]

Fix the mechanical problems with the Russian decapod, put a powerful motor in it , and reissue it.

Reissue the 63" driver 4-6-0.

Reissue the USRA mountains.

All of those are beautiful engines and presumably the tooling is still there.  Wouldn't take much.  

THEN ...... do some Harriman engines.  The Vanderbilt medium oil or coal  tender tooling already exists.

Interestingly, the Harriman and some other engines could be pretty close, thanks to Bachmann going with the USRA light 2-8-2.  The reason--and I've mentioned this before--anything fairly modern in steam--which is to say anything with a trailing truck--will have, for a given driver size, an equally consistent axlw spacing that's about three or four inches greater than the driver size.  I think this is a minimal spacing to accomodate flanges and brake rigging, which in turn minimizes wheelbase. 

What this means is that anything with, say, 63-inch or 64-inch drivers--which would be most 2-8-2s, including USRA engines in both light and heavy versions, Harriman engines, NYC H-7s and H-10s, C&O K2s and K3s, and who knows what else--will have the same axle spacing and same driving wheelbase, very possibly a close overall frame length and total wheelbase.  What this means is you can use the same mechanism for all of these models, possibly only changing out valve gear, cylinders, and the trailing truck, plus of course a different superstructure and tender.  Bachmann already does this with its 80-inch drivered 4-8-4s (the Daylight, the Niagara, and the ATSF Baldwin), and Bachmann and another manufacturer offered what would have had to be interchangeable valve gears on USRA light and heavy 2-10-2s. 

Other possibilities would include variations on the USRA/C&O H4 2-6-6-2 (the C&O engine was apparently copied by a number of roads if the specifications for grate area, wheelbase, cylinder dimensions, and overall weight are any indication), and other 4-6-2s that would be based on the existing PRR K4s mechanism (one that comes immediately to mind is the B&O P-7, the famous President class, which had nearly idendical mechanical specifications, very similar if not identical looking valve gear, the differences being a radial stay firebox and 250 psi boiler pressure vs. 205 on othe K4s). 

So, so much that might be possible with a lot of what's already in the parts bin. . .

[Trainman203]

The Harriman 2-8-0 would only need a new boiler on top of the existing 2-8-0 mechanism. And omit the Bsker valve gear on some models.  They did that once before.

The SP oil and UP coal vanderbilt tenders are already there.  I do wish that the new engines would come with screw-.on domes though.  Not having a big hole to fill on top of the boiler makes mods so much easier.  It really can't add "that much" expense.