what is the status of the spectrum 4-6-0 and 2-8-0?

[blwfish]

(This is HO, by the way.) My guess is that they are now out of production, but I really cannot tell for sure. I snatched a 4-6-0 with 63" drivers, but it was about the last one I could find.  The Bachmann's web site certainly still shows both the 52" and 63" drivered 4-6-0's as current, but there are essentially none available from any of the usual sources, LHS or otherwise.

By now I thought that the 2-8-0's were transitioning from Spectrum to "regular." But even these are hard to find, although not as hard as the 4-6-0's.

Are these still in production? Is there some way to tell the true status from the Bachmann web site?

[the Bach-man]

Dear Fish,
They're both current models, and will continue to be available.
Have fun!
the Bach-man

[richg]

(This is HO, by the way.) My guess is that they are now out of production, but I really cannot tell for sure. I snatched a 4-6-0 with 63" drivers, but it was about the last one I could find.  The Bachmann's web site certainly still shows both the 52" and 63" drivered 4-6-0's as current, but there are essentially none available from any of the usual sources, LHS or otherwise.

By now I thought that the 2-8-0's were transitioning from Spectrum to "regular." But even these are hard to find, although not as hard as the 4-6-0's.

Are these still in production? Is there some way to tell the true status from the Bachmann web site?

I found the 4-6-0 and other steamers at the Favorite Spot, ebay and their new on line shop. No 2-8-0's. They will be selling the EM-1.

Rich

[richg]

Model Train Stuff has a bunch of 2-8-0's.

Rich

[blwfish]

Thanks Bach-man.

I was suspicious as my LHS ran out of 4-6-0's about six months ago, a couple of big retailers also are out, and I have watched the stocks dwindle for the past several months.  I'm stretching my toy budget in the startup of a new layout, including a transition from straight DC to DCC and sound, so I haven't been in the position to snatch up any items beyond these startup costs. Several months ago the 4-6-0's were easily located at four or five online places, now it's close to impossible to find.

Is it safe to assume that items like the 4-6-0 are produced only in batches?

@richg: yeah, I know about those two sources. In fact, I got my 4-6-0 there. I watched them disappear at modeltrainstuff, then at trainworldonline, and also at a couple of other sources.

Without the Bach-man's comments I think it's certainly a plausible theory that one or more of these would be going the way of the USRA 4-8-2's, and so many other items in this new world of limited-run models.  As an example I bought what appears to me to be the next to last Proto2k 0-8-0 painted for C&O on the Internet... I found one place that had five, then they had four, then three, then two - so I ordered one. They still have the other one. 

[lilpuu]

The Favorite Spot has them but if it does not work or any other problems you have to pay for the return, I purchased one and it did not work and had to pay the return $12.50.
No lights or motion.

[jonathan]

It occurs to me that perhaps we need to read the tea leaves just a little bit.

Without a doubt, the ever popular 2-8-0 (now standard) has been, and will continue to be, one of the better selling steam locomotives that Bachmann produces.  It has survived the Plus era, the Spectrum Sound era and now the Standard era.

With the introduction of "Sound Value" locomotives, how long will it be before this sound value option is added to the Standard 2-8-0?  Seems like a perfect fit, from a business and customer standpoint.  Pure speculation on my part, but I think if you can be patient for perhaps a year or two, you will get your 2-8-0 with sound and at a price point that makes everyone happy.  I have held off collecting any more Consolidations for a while to see what happens next.  Lord knows I have enough of them to keep me happy for a while.   

As far as the deep discount suppliers of equipment are concerned, buyer beware.

Regards,

Jonathan

[Pacific Northern]

I Have noted that Spectrum locomotives sometimes become scarce and that at times a replacment locomotive is given back to the owner when sent in for repairs/replacement.

So, on certain locomotives I did a bit of hoarding with the Bachmann Heavy Mountains and the Spectrum 4-6-0's. I run these locomtives a lot, they have taken a lot of use and just keep on rolling. But I want to be safe, hence the spares.