A topic reguarding European models

[superthomasfan]

Do you think  Bachmann would be able to make an engine model like this?

http://www.steamlocomotive.info/vlocomotive.cfm?Display=850

[Hamish K]

Of course Bachmann would be able to make one, but I would be very surprised if they did. To date Bachmann Industries (Bachmann in the USA) has concentrated on USA made prototypes, and shows little sign of changing. Bachmann in the UK and Europe has shown no sign of being interested in making O scale narrow gauge, although Liliput (Bachmann Gerrnany) does have a small range of HOe models (the european equivelent to HOn30) based on Austrian and German prototypes. They inherited this when they bought Liliput, and have kept it on.

Even if one or both of the European branches did decide to move into O narrow gauge I suspect that Irish 3 foot would not be a high priority. In the UK the well known Welsh lines would be more likely, and in Europe the well known  German or Austrian protoypes more likely. However, as I said, so far Bachmann in Europe shows no sign of doing so, although I wish they would.

There is a scale issue, in  the UK O is 1:43, in europe 1:45 (sometimes 1:43)   and of course 1:48 in the USA. The respective narrow gauge combinations, using HO gauge track are O16.5 (UK) Oe (europe and of course On30 (USA).

Hamish

[ksivils]

Not being too familiar at all with European narrow gauge the prototypes (have recently become very interested in Garratt locomotives), how much narrow gauge modeling is done in Europe?  Is there a market for more narrow gauge models?

Or, if there is a large narrow gauge modeling fraternity, what scale do they work in?

[Hamish K]

There are european narrow gauge modellers and there are commercial models available. The UK perhaps should perhaps be considered separately from continental europe. There has been very little ready to run narrow gauge for the UK in any scale, although Roco have announced an OO9(1:76 scale on 9mm (N gauge) track)  Ffestiniog double fairlie. There are quite a few  kits and the occasional brass model in both  OO and O scale. The main scales are OO9 and O16.5 (1:43.5 on 16.5 mm (HO) track). Some purists use 14mm track for 1:43.5mm scale 2 foot gauge prototype models. Bachmann ON30 seems to be selling well in the UK, so there might be room for ready to run O16.5 and also for OO9.

For Contitnental  Europe there are a few ready to run ranges available of Austrian, German and Swiss prototypes) in HO, both HOe (9mm track representing 750 and 760 mm gauges, both of which are close to 30 inches) and for HOm (12mm gauge track  representing metre gauge). There are also kits etc. O scale is less well supplied. There is a ready to run Om (1:45 scale on 12mm track) line of Swiss prototypes. Until recently Fleischmann made Austrian and German Oe (1:45 on 16.5mm track) but this has been discontinued following Fleischmann's merger with Roco following financial problems. There are specialist (i.e expensive small scale producers) and kit makers for Oe and Om. Generally the scale is 1:45 although some model in 1:43.5. The end of the Fleischmann "Magic train" Oe line might indicate little room for mass produced ready to run Oe, however Fleischmann never really developed the line (it remained small with limited choice) and Bachmann On30 appears to sell quite well there. Some see Fleischmann not developing their line because of Bachmann's success.  So prehaps there is room for an Oe line that is cheaper than the specialist producers.

European based members might have more information and be in a better position to judge the potential market than I am from Australia.

Hamish

[Woody Elmore]

Name of the RR is Cavan and Leitrim - sounds like Ireland to me. Maybe there's a British company producing something like that engine.