This thread is about dream locos, i.e. the loco you would really like, whether or not it is a likely project for Bachmann to make. Mine are the "puffing billy' 2-6-2 tank and the K1 Garratt,and  no I don't really expect either.  Some however have turned this into a what Bachmann should make thread and seem to assume that their interests are everybodies, e.g. assertions about a proper 4-4-0. All locos are proper! and not everybody wants large 3 foot prototypes. I want and need (space reasons) small locos.

Hamish

Dear Bachmann

That new technology sounds interesting. But I hope it doesn't mean that we will end up with only sound versions of locomotives. I have no problem with sound being available for those who want it and are prepared to pay for it, however I don't want it and am not prepared to pay for it (the new Porters are listed at 50% more for sound).

On another matter - is there any chance of announcements of brand new ON30 items prior to the NMRA convention nest year? I guess the next opportunity would be iHobby in October. I can't say I am hopeful as ON30 seems to be getting low priority from Bachmann now.

Hamish

As a small locomotive man myself, and as I live in Australia, I would love, in order

(1)  the Puffing Billy 2-6-2 tank locomotive, note that there was a similar, although not identical, Hawaiian 30 inch gauge loco.

(2) a garratt, preferably K1 the original garratt that operated in Tasmania, Australia and is now preserved in Wales, although I would buy any reasonably small garratt, and

(3) a world war 1 narrow gauge loco such as the ALCO, Baldwin etc. 2-6-2 tank (used by the British and US forces) or the Baldwin or Hunslett 4-6-0 tanks.

Hamish

Note that, as well as the Manning Wardle (British built) locos the Lynton and Barnstaple had a Baldwin 2-4-2 tank locomotive, the prototype for the Large Scale 2-4-2t that is being re-introduced. (The Lynton and Barnstaple become part of the Soutern Railways (England) and the locos were then painted green).

Hamish

Fascinating stuff! Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Am I the only one who thinks that Bachmann should release some On30  WW1 models to mark the centenary of WW1? (2014 for the UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, France etc.  and 2017 for the USA) - but if they came earlier I wouldn't mind.

Hamish

Only the Porters - very disappointing and nothing like we were being led to expect. No brand new items at all. While I welcome the re-introduction of the Porters, On30, like any scale, needs regular new items to keep up the interest. I accept that production difficulties may have delayed some projects - but other scales have more new items, it seems as though On30 is low priority for Bachman. We got nothing at the Toy Fair, we were told then to expect great things at the NMRA convention. Lets hope there really are further new announcements in the near future - but I am not holding my breath. It would be a great pity if On30 were to wither and eventually die because of Bachmann not giving it sufficient priority, but there are worrying signs that this may happen.

To keep faith with the On30 community I think Bachmann needs to announce, by Christmas, a brand new locomotive and one or two items of rolling stock.  If this happens I will accept that Bachmann remains committed to On30, even if the items are not what I would choose.

Hamish

In view of all the speculation elsewhere, the basic situation should be understood. SDK acquired the tooling and right to use the name for K-Line as a result of the bankruptcy proceedings against K-Line (K-Line owed SDK a lot of money). This was before SDK was bought by Kader.  At that  time SDK was a manufacturer for other companies and did not have their own brands. They licenced the right to market K-Line to Lionel, SDK made them. After these licences were granted Kader (Bachmann's parent company) bought SDK including the licence arrangements. The licences were due to expire at the end of 2010 and are not being renewed (whose decision that was is not clear).

Thus Bachmann's parent company, Kader, own K-line although this was not a decision of the current company. They have inherited the situation, not created it. I hope they can find a course of action that benefits both them and the train consumer.

Hamish

I doubt that the list published in Model Railroader is the full story, this has happened before, a list appears before the official announcements, people complain about what is not in it only to discover when the official announcement comes that there are more items, possibly including what they want.

Good to see the Porters back so soon, I was expecting them to be  re-issued a bit further  down the track.

Hamish

In addition to my above post

There will be more 3 foot prototype larger locomotives and possibly rolling stock at some stage, I have no idea which. Probably not this year.

My guesses for this year - the H (see proviso in above post), if not the H the OF 2-6-2 tender loco. Could be both.

Both the excursion car and flat car with skidder.

Hamish

The H - IF Bachmann are convinced that the redesigned replacement  gears for the Climax and Shay have solved the problems with the geared locomotives - they may wait a year or so to see how the new gears perform.

A 2-6-2, OF Maine prototype or similar "catalogue" locomotive.

Possibly a 2-6-2 or 0-6-2 tank locomotive based on one of the Hawaiian prototypes or a similar "catalogue" locomotive, this is more likely to follow in a year or two after the release on an OF 2-6-2 tender loco using the same chassis.

A reintroduced Porter, whether altered or not, probably the 0-4-2 as it has more space for a decoder and possibly sound

An excursion car, probably similar to the new HO version

A flat car with log skidder load, similar to the HO and Large Scale versions.

I expect that all of the above will be released by Bachmann sometime in the next few years, but exactly when and in what order I am not sure.

Hamish

Egger-Bahn was the brand that popularised HOe in the early 1960s. The original Eggger-Bahn line is long gone. The range, or some of it,  was later produced by Joueff, but this too finished some time ago. More recently some items, and parts to re-motor original locos, have been made by a small company that includes one of the original Egger brothers.  As far as I know this is still current, but I have little information. I recall that the prices for this revival seemed rather high. Egger-Bahn, especial original pre Joueff, models are popular with collectors.

Hamish

Note that the German branch of Bachmann (Liliput) does produce ready to run HOe (HOn30 in USA terminology) models. Liliput makes 2 different classes of 0-6-2t steam locomotives and 3 different types of diesel locomotives as well as some rolling stock. The prototypes are Austrian, with some also available in German liveries. There are also other European makers of ready to run HOe.

I would have thought that it might be viable for Bachmann to produce some of the On30 models in HOn30 as well, especially now that the reintroduction of the Minitrains range may increase interest in HOn30.

Hamish

The only scale for which Bachmann did not announce new sets at the New York Toy Fair in February was ON30, and the number of ON30 sets available has certainly reduced. It does seem time for new ON30 sets, without fresh sets attracting new people to the scale/gauge combination becomes harder.

Following Large Scale and introducing Davenport based sets seems an obvious course, however I would have expected this by now if it was to done. Can we hope that the reason for the lack of new ON30 sets is that Bachmann has a new locomotive designed  for sets coming, and that announcements of new sets are being delayed until that new locomotive (whatever it might be) emerges?

Probably wishful thinking, but I do think that Bachmann needs more ON30 sets, whatever they are.

Hamish

30 inch gauge prototypes for the Bachmann locomotives is an interesting question. Many of the models are of standard or "catalogue" locomotives that could be made in different gauges and with different details. Thus a broadly similar 30 inch prototype could have existed, somewhere, for just about any of them. As well sometimes locomotives were re-gauged after they were built. However about the least likely to have a 30 inch gauge prototype is the 4-6-0. This is based on a 3 foot gauge prototype and most large 30 inch gauge locos were outside, not inside, frame.

To run through the other Bachmann On30 steam locomotives:

Both the 0-4-0 and 0-4-2 Porters (may they return) were built for 30 inch as well as other gauges.
Small Shays, at least broadly similar to the Bachmann model, were built in 30 inch gauge as well as other gauges.
One 30 inch gauge Climax is known, it is about the same size as the Bachmann model, but has later features (currently being rebuilt at the Puffing Billy Railway, Australia)
The Bachmann OF 2-8-0 is based (with some changes) on a 30 inch gauge prototype, currently at the Alder Gulch shortline, Nevada, it originally operated in Mexico.
The 2-6-6-2 is a model of a 30 inch gauge locomotive that operated in the Dominican republic.
As mentioned above the OF 4-4-0 is very similar to locomotives preserved in Brazil on the EFOM, see http://www.internationalsteam.co.uk/trains/brazil45.htm#EFOM
The inside frame 4-4-0 is based on a 2 foot gauge prototype, but Baldwin did build small IF 30 inch gauge 4-4-0s, one (not identical to the Bachmann model) was at one stage at the  EFOM in Brazil.
There were 30 inch gauge Forneys, I don't know of any very close to the Bachmann models, but they may have been one somewhere (the ones I know of were 0-4-4s).
The 2-6-0 is from a 3 foot gauge prototype but, as other posts have shown, broadly similar 30 inch gauge locomotives were made, although by other makers than that of the Bachmann prototype.

Hamish

I agree, Colin Peake has done some  wonderful modelling. I haven't seen the layout myself, but it looks great on the website.

Hamish