I would suggest you not buy a "set."  Go to a hobby shop (hopefull there is a good one reasonably close) and have the people there show you quality locomotives, power packs and track and then build your own set.  Most prepackaged sets don't have good products throughout.  Buy the largest radius curve track that will fit in your space.  Start simple so that you don't get overwhelmed and frustrated.  Expand at your own pace (and budget.)

Read as much as you can.

Good luck

If you're doing a favour for someone and all they do is complain about what you are doing, then maybe "We'll stuff 'em then - we won't bother" is an appropriate response.  However, Bachmann isn't doing us "favours," Bachmann is running a business.

Any of you that have been in business know that it is nice to hear good things about what you are doing.  But you also know that you learn more about how to improve your business by listening to your critics -- those are the people some of you call "negative" or "whiners."  The negs and whiners are much more valuable to Bachmann than those of you that think everything is wonderful.

Yes, the world is in recession.  But there are enough of us that will continue to buy model trains if there are things to buy.  Not likely, though, that we are going to buy more of the same -- hence my original point that there was not much new On30 this year for Christmas.  (And absolutely nothing with sound.)

When times are tough. retailers need new things to sell.  When everyone cuts back, the downward spiral continues.  There are already too few hobby shops.

Don't just sit there; go out and buy some On30 trains.  But what?

-James Thomas 

Last new item released with sound was the Forney -- 2 years ago?
 
I'm not bashing Bachmann (I love On30); my point is that they have lost the momentum they had going at a time when the hobby industry needed a shot in the arm.

The Railbus and OF 2-4-0 are interesting, but those of us that got hooked on sound (by Bachmann) have had nothing new. 

Please tell me there is not an optical sensor in the 2-6-6-2.  The mechanical contacts in the shay and
2-8-0 worked flawlessly.  Is the 2-6-6-2 going to be son of K-27?

-James Thomas

Just to be safe, don't eat the trains.

I think Bachmann's lack of On30 Christmas releases let the steam out of any remaining On30 momemtum and really let their retailers down when the retail hobby industry needed a shot in the arm.  Items that should have been released in time for Christmas:

Both 4-4-0's with sound,

Upgraded 2-6-0 with DCC and sound,

A long caboose (or any new rolling stock.)

Hopefully next year will be more interesting.

-James Thomas

As I recall, Bachmann began producing properly sized large-scale rolling stock before producing the K-27.  I have a MMI K-28; the Bachmann rolling stock looks very small and out-of-place behind it.  I also can't run the K-28 on my railroad due to having only 22" curves.

I don't see Bachmann producing a product that is not compatible with Bachmann's other products.  The main advantage of Bachmann's On30 products is the ability to have O Scale in a relatively small space.  The K-27, K-28 and K-36 are really aimed at On3 people with more space.  (Same with San Juan rolling stock.)  Making these products available in On30 was an afterthought to increase sales.

I think Bachmann should stick to making products that fit with their base market.  Even producing locos that require 22" curves was difficult for many of us.  I was lucky to have enough space to convert from 18" to 22".

By the way, where is the sound version of last year's 4-4-0 that was supposed to follow a year later?

-James Thomas

Seems like a lot of "scale specific" items are posted in the General Discussion board.  I think you would get quicker responses if you posted on the correct board for your scale.

I am very surprised to hear nothing exciting about the Convention.  I thought this was THE convention.
No news?

I would love to see a 2-4-4-2 w/tender in On30 (and large scale too.)  It would be perfect for those of us with tight curves.

-Jim

Terriffic idea Frank.  My local hobby shops still have non-sound Forneys they can't sell since the sound versions came out.  Still waiting for the original 4-4-0 to come out with sound.  If I knew plug and play sound systems were coming down the road I would be more inclined to buy the new products when they come out.

Let's do it.

-Jim

Mr Bach Man,

The new releases "sound" terriffic, except I don't see any sound versions.  Is sound a thing of the past in On30?

-Jim

Jim,

Your video is terriffic.  What a piece of property for a railroad! 

-James Thomas

I enjoy watching your videos and appreciate the time people take to make them.  However, I would like to make one comment:  The up-close, eye-level shots really don't show us much that we can't see by looking at our own trains up close.  (I assume you are trying to make the trains look real?)

I'd rather see overall shots of your railroads so that I can see trackplan, scenery, and structures.

Thanks.

Do we really need to repeat (copy and paste) the post we are replying to?