potential locomotives for BACHMANN to consider for future mfg.

[kewatin]

I took a look at MARK'S excellent &up to date website called spookshow,showing all locos mfg since approx 1968.after looking at all the BACHMANN  releases,there are a number of locos that they have not produced for one reason or another . example 4-42 atlantic,4-6-2 pacific,4-6-4 hudson. diesel  pioneer zephyr,sd7&9's, fairbanks morse erie built locos,and the baldwin shark rf-16a&b which bachmann mfg for MR.AL MUNIZ ER MODELS these were real good locos &excellent runners &dcc ready.but apparently they ended up in litagation &he claimes the existing stock back from bachmann in 2008. would be great to see bachmann revisit this model for  mfg,but not sue of the legalities involved.one thing in looking at spookshows site is bachmann has revisited there models ,refined ,improved and updated and or re-released them so kudos to bachmann for this.i have just scratched the surface on this topic and am sure there will be a lot more suggestions&thought  posted which is good ,because any company worth a salt will read these topics &produce accordingly.thanks again to all the effort mark put into his spookshow website as i use it before making any purchase to make a decision to buy or not buy,based on his evaluation.
regards&later  KEWATIN

[inkaneer]

I got the Pennsy K4 in HO made by Bachmann.  Its the only thing in HO that I own.  I would love to see Bachmann make one in N scale.  I know this has been requested by others in the past.  There are a lot of older passenger cars made in the sixties and seventies by Atlas, LifeLike, Lima, Model Power, Rivarossi as well as Bachmann that are painted for PRR.  I see these at flea markets and garage sales all the time.  I have bought more than my share at $1.00 or $2.00 each. People are still buying the old Minitrix K4's and it has not been made in about 25 years.  So there has to be a market for it. The B&O EM-1 was a big hit for Bachmann.  I would imagine that the K4 would be likewise.

[kewatin]

 yes inkaneer ,most of the mfg's you mentioned are long gone .i guess i am showing my age as i too have many of the old product lines.gave most of  locos to my son as he is dc,i did keep all my cn&cp passenger cars from rivorossi as you can't get them any more,especially at the prices i paid yrs back,just converted the trucks to M/T.lifelike had some really fine detailed locos &were fine runners yes i had one of the old minitrix k-4's.yes there have been some heavy discussions on other boards about the pennsy k4 s as to  why no one will produce it.the best chance is for bachmann to make one as they are heavy into producing east coast prototype locos.again this is just my observation& others may differ.looking forward to any of the new releases to come from NMRA SHOW in portland later this month.not really expecting any new steam from bachmann this yr as they haven't even delivered their ho mikado from last yr 's. announcement.

[Desertdweller]

In another post on this subject, I suggested Bachmann produce N-scale Erie-Builts.  I did not know a previous run done as a subcontractor was the subject of litigation.  Nonetheless, I believe these would sell.

The fact remains that there has been a dearth of streamliner-era passenger cars for the past 40 years.  Most of the cars currently available are models that were introduced prior to 1975.  Not the prototypes, mind you, but the models themselves.  Most of these have been improved over the years only by the addition of knuckle couplers.

These 1970's-era models (of 1950's-era cars) form the backbone of my N-scale passenger fleet, and see regular service.  Most of these were converted from Rapido-type couplers to MT couplers around 1998-99 (just before the MT patents ran out).  I converted 350 passenger and freight cars and locos at that time.

This lack of streamliner-era models has led to the strange situation that most of my passenger car models are in fact older than the cars they were modeled after at the time I bought them.  About the only exception I can think of are the complete passenger train consists from KATO: the California Zephyr and the Silver Streak Zephyr.  I had a CZ about half completed by kitbashing Con-Cor cars when the KATO version came out.  The Silver Streak had a couple sleeping cars added to it and serves as the Texas Zephyr.

Walthers releases a few streamlined cars every once in a while, but not enough to model a complete train.

We really should not have to depend on 40 year-old models.  There must be a latent demand for state-of-the art passenger train models if only someone would step up to the challenge of producing them.

Les

[spookshow]

Actually, the most noteworthy Erie-Builts were made by Life-Like (now owned by Walthers) back in 2002. I'm not sure if they were poor sellers or what the deal was, but they have not been re-run since and are very hard to find now.

Con-Cor also made some Erie-Builts using V-Line shells and modified PA mechanisms. But that was a one-off experiment (with very low production numbers) and is unlikely to be repeated.

As for the E-R Models Sharks, I don't know that there was any litigation involved there. I think the back and forth movement of the models between Al and Bachmann was simply due to Al going out of business and then getting back into business. Checking his models11 website, I see that he is still selling them.

As for the topic of this thread - I would love to see Bachmann do a 4-4-2. There's never been a mass-manufactured Atlantic in N scale and small steamers are right in Bachmann's wheelhouse. Armed with one of those, I could finally model the C&NW's early Minnesota 400 passenger train :-)

Cheers,
-Mark

[Desertdweller]

Mark,

First, I want to say you have a great website that is a resource for the hobby.  It is very through in its scope.

I don't think I ever saw the Bachmann-produced Erie-builts.  I did see some Con-Cor-V Line UP Erie-builts at a model train show in Amarillo in the 1990's.  I was tempted to buy one, but passed it up in favor of a Con-Cor 5-car MP passenger car set.  Then as now, only so much money to spend on a hobby, and it was one or the other.

The MP set was more important to my plans than the UP loco.  I think it would have been a good loco, as I have a two-unit Con-Cor PA set that is only on its second power chassis since 1979.

Although the Erie-builts were low in numbers produced, they were widely used by railroads in the East and Midwest.  I can think of examples operated by UP, ATSF, KCS, MILW RD, CNW, NYC, PRR, and possibly more.
CP in Canada.  Some of these railroads operated them in freight as well as passenger service.

Les

[spookshow]

I don't think I ever saw the Bachmann-produced Erie-builts.  

Bachmann never made Erie-Builts. Just Life-Like and Con-Cor. I was fortunate enough to pick up the Life-Like C&NW E-B's back when they first came out and they're very nice models. Rare as hen's teeth now, though (and selling for crazy prices).

Cheers,
-Mark

[kewatin]

 MARK  i thought you were close to getting your much sought after 4-4-2 atlantic when jason from tomball loco works was in the process of doing one and gave you info on whose running gear to use etc.did that not pan out. for those that don't know jason on this website ,he is a really talented individual whom makes locomotives shells &tenders with 3d printing process and uses bachmann or who ever's running gear will fit his prototype.he was turning these models out in a really short time frame.come to think i have not seen any postings or new product from him in a while. now and hope that health issues have possibly returned.he normally posts on railwire when active and one can only dream at all the amazing locos he has turned out&made available to people interested in buying his product.understand you do need skills to finish his creations.i guess ourlast hope of obtaining a ATLANTIC rests with BACHMANN. again thanks to all your time &effort and research on your website which for me is the bible on what to buy or what not to buy.you have gave so much to so many in this hobby  for free just for the looking. many thanks and well done.regards&later KEWATIN

[TJ]

These would be a welcome a N-SCALE FORNEY or a Fairlie Locomotive.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Forney044.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairlie_locomotive#/media/File:TNFairSCol.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairlie_locomotive

TJ

[spookshow]

MARK  i thought you were close to getting your much sought after 4-4-2 atlantic when jason from tomball loco works was in the process of doing one and gave you info on whose running gear to use etc.did that not pan out.

Sadly, no. Jason is a genius, but he also has a fairly short attention span and quickly moved on to other things before ever really doing anything with that project. I guess I didn't hound him enough :-)

Cheers,
-Mark

[brokemoto]

I wish that B-mann would do its Climax in N.

I would not mind seeing the Russian decapod that it cancelled because it stated that it could not find a motor that would fit.  Now that there is a motor for the ten-wheeler, mogul and switcher that will fit, why does Bachpersonn not do the Russian decapod?

WKW never did the Erie after it bought LL?  I know that WKW did the C-liners, but never the Eries?  Maybe I should list mine somewhere, if they go for that good a price.

[spookshow]

WKW never did the Erie after it bought LL?  I know that WKW did the C-liners, but never the Eries?  Maybe I should list mine somewhere, if they go for that good a price.

So far there's been just the one production run on the Life-Like Erie-Builts. Making matters worse, that was a "limited edition" run, so the numbers were lower than normal to begin with. I haven't checked lately, but I've seen them go for $300+ in recent years (for a single engine). So, yes, now is as good a time as any to sell 

Cheers,
-Mark

[kewatin]

revisiting my earlier post stating i didn't think bachmann would consider making a pacific because of the upcoming new release of mrc-model power's pacific because why go into direct competion with another mfg, i have changed my mindset after seeing the video on trainworld of their up coming release and to say it got my attention,it did not/
to much voice over and not enough info to garner an informative portrayal of the demonstration.also they have stuck to their cast in boiler wires etc. bachmann would do a much better job in this area.now the reason behind my change of thought is so many versions could be made from a single good basic running gear platform, ie basic pacific,semi streamlined and fully streamlined  just by changing the body shell&tender bodies. the cost to make molds based on a recent article from rapido is about $70to $80,000  plus advertising etc. a mfg would see a dramatic cost drop in mfg for just a boiler &or tender change only that would fit on or over the basic running gear.i would think a mfg in this case could keep coming back to the trough time and again for a new model and these would sell quite well, so many possabilities, hiawatha,cpr g3j,lehigh valleyk5,southern alco by otto kuhler,b&o royal blue,reading crusader.the list is endless as to what could &can be produced.
regards&later KEWATIN

[Maletrain]

I agree.  I too was really hopeful for the new Model Power Pacific, since that company had made their more recent Americans and Moguls with separate hand rails, etc.  But, other than adding DCC and going to the better wipers on the tender, there really isn't much new with the Model Power product.  I decide to NOT buy one. So, I think the door is open for Bachmann to make a Pacific frame  and put all sorts of shells on it with all-wheel pickup tenders and simply dominate the market for Pacifics.  Other than perhaps for the Heavy USRA version that Kato did so well, there is a large unfulfilled market for all sorts of Pacifics.  The K-4s are probably the most conspicuous hole, but there are just so many desired versions in that wheel arrangement that I can't understand why it is not being produced.

BTW, I finally broke down and bought an EM-1, hoping to someday have a layout with radii that make it look right. I have wanted one since my HO modelling days 45 years ago, and Bachmann's model was just too good to resist.  I tried for quite a while, but as soon as there was a glimmer of hope for a layout room big enough to handle it, I succumbed to the desire.

I have only had a chance to test it on some 15" radius sectional track on the dinng room table.  What a fantastically smooth low-speed performer.  It creeps at the lowest power step with no jerkiness.  It was so slow that I did not have time to measure the speed, but seemed about 2-3 smph. 

So, basically I am sold on Bachmann steam engines at the Spectrum grade.  But, for my actual operations, I am looking for nothing larger than Pacifics and Mikados.  The Consolidation, Mogul and Ten Wheeler are my main interest because they look best on the radii that I can fit into my space.  (That EM-1 is going to have to come through on the interchange road with the largest radius curves I can manage for just the visible section.) But, I really want a Pacific that looks good and performs well, and will buy at least one when I see one.

[jmlaboda]

So far there's been just the one production run on the Life-Like Erie-Builts.

You all are forgetting about the Erie-builts offered by Concor.  They were designed and tooled by a company called V-Line and were intended for use on the Concor PA/PB models.  Were pretty good for their time but may not have sold very well... Concor has never reissued them.

Spookshow's write-up on them can be found at the link below...

http://www.spookshow.net/eriebuilt.html