any new steam production planned

[Big4Man]

I heard Walthers is going to announce a re-release of their 0-8-0 and then cancel them a week later because of lack of interest   

[Specter3]

I am interested in how the K4 does. Rumors have it there is one in tooling now. The chassis could be adapted to a New Haven I-1 or I-3/4. I think there is a B&M loco or two it would work for as well. If you could shorten the chassis it would make some of the large driver Atlantics that plied the NE possible.

[towl1996]

I am interested in how the K4 does. Rumors have it there is one in tooling now.

Really?!? N scale? Rumors? As in plural, more than one source??? Please, do tell. I've heard nothing, not that I know any body any way.  Seriously, if you know something, lets hear it.

[Mark.S+10]

"What really escapes me is what more than one vendor has told me:  the EM-1 has outsold the Challenger, Big Boy, Van Sweringen Berkshire and GS-4."

I think the key to the EM-1 is that Bachmann built a great looking, great running, DCC installed, locomotive that pulls like nothing else.  To paraphrase Victor, "Bachmann built a loco worth owning."  I bought one and I model AT&SF, this thing has no place on my railroad but I couldn't resist owning one.

Have fun, Mark

[Mark W]

What really escapes me is what more than one vendor has told me:  the EM-1 has outsold the Challenger, Big Boy, Van Sweringen Berkshire and GS-4.

Challenger: Sold out
Big Boy: Sold out
Berkshire: I don't know
GS-4: Sold out
EM-1: Still available in bulk/On clearance shelves.

The standing evidence dose not support this claim. 

[Chris333]

So the last locomotive on that list to be produced and they still have some?

As much as I hate Big Boys and Challengers I did at one time own an HO scale Bigboy... 


If I can find a good deal on an EM-1 I'll buy it. And since I can't find and LL Berks for sale I'd buy them as well.

When does Bachmann usually announce? The NTS?

[jdcolombo]

Challenger: Sold out
Big Boy: Sold out
Berkshire: I don't know
GS-4: Sold out
EM-1: Still available in bulk/On clearance shelves.

The standing evidence dose not support this claim.

Actually, all the evidence shows is that Bachmann made a bunch of EM-1's.  We don't know what the sales figures are, and the fact that there are EM-1's available is simply because Bachmann runs large batches so that they stay in stock for some period of time, instead of running only the number of pre-orders.  For all we know, Athearn sold 100 BigBoys from a run of 100; Bachmann may have sold 1000 EM-1's from a run of 2000, which is why there are still EM-1's available.   Your interpretation is like saying "well, I can't buy a Ferrari off the lot, but there are plenty of Chevy's available, so Ferrari must outsell Chevy".

We'll never know what the actual sales figures are/were for any of these locos; I'm inclined to believe retail store owners' reports regarding sales, since that is the only real evidence of sales volume we have.

John C.

[brokemoto]

When I stated that the Bachpersonn EM-1 had outsold the others, I was going on what the dealers and vendors told me.  I am not in the hobby business.  I have no reason to doubt what they told me.  Further, we do have posters here and on other fora that are in the hobby business.  At least one of them has posted a statement on the subject that agrees with what the vendors have told me.

The GS, Berkshires, and other Big-Uns have not been run in a while.  The B-mann is the most recent.

[Mark W]

For all we know, Athearn sold 100 BigBoys from a run of 100; Bachmann may have sold 1000 EM-1's from a run of 2000, which is why there are still EM-1's available.

Good point, which then makes this a completely meaningless statement.  Suppose the demand for Big Boys was 3000 units.  We will never know because what was produced is sold out. 

[SkipGear]

The last batch of Big Boys and Challengers was a pretty short run. I'm thinking barely in the 500 units or so area because they sold out of Horizon in less than a week. Meaning there was little to no overrun and they just built to pre-orders. Our shop never sold more than one of the Big boy or Challenger to any one person. GS-4's lasted a couple years at Kato but really only sold well with the Daylight sets. Our shop didn't sell too many individual GS-4s, except the war time black which inexplicably never came back. That was the one loco that we could have sold more of. I have had 2 different customers buy all 4 road numbers of the EM-1, and a couple customers with at least 2 of them. I think we went through about 20 of them when they first arrived but sales have come to a halt now that everybody has what they want.

From my past experience, a typical run for any loco from Bachmann is in the 3-5000 piece run. I was told by a key person at Bachmann that the original 2-6-6-2 went through 4 production batches and sold somewhere in the 15,000 piece range. They lost count of how many 2-8-0's have exited the factory. I know EM-1's have gone at least two production batches so far. There was a distinct time about a month and a half after their release that they were sold out and gone everywhere. There was a little panic buying because there were no indications that there would be more, then they magically appeared again.

[wes_sutton]

FVM Hiawatha.

That is all.

[Nato]

         The next release will be the first steam sound model in N for Bachmann, a EM1 with Tsanumi (spell check) or Lok Sound. Gentleman do not buy any more expensive "Brass Steam" that needs tuning up. The current crop of ready to offerings are far superior. I wish Walthers would bring out again  the 2-8-8-2 with sound, never bought one only the first run no sound, non puller. Hey I got all the 0-8-0's I will never need, two of them. Bob G. you may have me beat on Athearn Big Boys ,but the Athearn Challengers and Bigger Boys I have if combined may equal the number you have of just BB's . In closing yes someone (Jason are you out there listening) does need to do a UP or SP/UP 2-8-0 shell for the otherwise very nice Bachmann Connie. Nate Goodman (Nato). 

[robert3985]

Well, I guess with all the information about how stupid it is for companies to produce N-scale steam, we won't be seeing any more.  What company would possibly produce a product that doesn't make a dime, and is so easy to figure it all out beforehand?

Contrary to the prevailing entries on this thread, I predict more Big Boys in the future (because of the 4014), and a UP FEF-3 in both oil and coal within the next three years (makes good marketing sense).  With the success of the big Bachmann EM-1, I think we'll see mo' steam from the Bachmann too, and it'll be smaller stuff, like a good Consolidation and a good heavy Mikado.

If Athearn would follow its HO marketing in N-scale, we'd see an FEF-3 soon, then an SP MT4, then, although not steam, a Standard Turbine, then a Veranda.  As prices rise and salaries fall, less expensive N-scale will continue to take a larger share of the model railroading market, 'cause it IS less expensive than HO...along with its other advantages.

As for the eastern model railroaders, I believe that many of the smaller engines that'll be produced will follow eastern roads' prototypes...and that UP specific MacArthurs and Harriman era 2-8-0's as well as other western roads smaller steam will probably not be produced for the next decade.

Us western railroaders will just have to get along with Jason's resin castings and his chassis mods for what we want...which, truthfully, is NOT a bad choice!

[peteski]

This thread is nuts!

Why all those models of unusual and unique models sell so well?  Because they are models of usual and unique locos!  There are lots of N scale modelers out there (including me) who have absolutely no need for those models, and yet we buy them because ... they are unusual and unique. How does that grab all of you puzzled people? 

[robert3985]

...Bob G. you may have me beat on Athearn Big Boys ,but the Athearn Challengers and Bigger Boys I have if combined may equal the number you have of just BB's . In closing yes someone (Jason are you out there listening) does need to do a UP or SP/UP 2-8-0 shell for the otherwise very nice Bachmann Connie. Nate Goodman (Nato).

Nate, I have three other Challengers which weren't in that photo.  HOWEVER, I've seen your steam engine collection.  No way is mine anywhere CLOSE to what you have!