NS Road #'s

[NS7698]

It seems that Bachmann has the wrong road #'s on some of the loco's. I just bout acording to the box is a GP50 but the road # is for a SD60 2 totallt different loco's

[Yampa Bob]

I have 2 Bachmann GP40s with no number at all. I'm surprised they can keep track of all the numbers, it must take a lot of research by the development department.

If anyone knows what they use as a "master database reference", it would be interesting reading.

Bob

[modlerbob]

This is an issue that serious railroad modelers bring up when they criticise Bachmann products.  For example, the CSX GP38-2 offered by Bachmann has a number that upon initial examination looks correct.  But closer inspection shows that the road number is of a GP38-2 with the headlight in the nose not above the cab and with the newer Blomberg M trucks not the older Blomberg B trucks on the model.

Road number reseach is not difficult today.  Anyone that can reach this forum has access to all the data that is needed to depict a correct road number.

The bottom line is that Bachmann must feel that the market that they are targeting doesn't care about detail at that level.  If their product didn't sell and it was found that it was because they got the road number wrong they would jolly well get it right the next time.

[Conrail Quality]

This seems to be an issue throughout the standard line. Their new E60CP's, for example, used E60CH numbers, which have a different rooftop vent araingment and pulled different cars. The #974 even has the wrong paint scheme altogther; it never wore phase III until it was rebuilt into an E60MA and renumbered. Still, it's far better to have inacurate paint than inaccurate tooling.