New Bachmann 2021

[sundowner]

Catalog price a mere $439.00 each.

So O scale prices for a Nscale loco, yeah no I will wait for Kato to make there better model.

[kscessandriver]

So O scale prices for a Nscale loco, yeah no I will wait for Kato to make there better model.

Bachmann stuff usually has a crazy high MSRP. IIRC, the EM-1 they put out was an MSRP of $499, but I picked it up as soon as it was released from a large online retailer for $289. So, if I had to bet, I'd say street will be around $250 on the SC-44. Which isn't terrible considering what Kato gets for DCC/Sound P42s.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Visually, even the previous iteration of Bachmann Amfleets wasn't bad (these are probably using the same molds), but I suspect that they still have those high-friction trucks, and it will be difficult for a loco to pull more than 5-6 cars.  Even Kato's version of those trucks isn't as free rolling as we would want (but better than Bachmann).

The previous version, which was all new tooling  was actually quite good and mixed well with Kato Amfleets. Even the tinting on the windows matched pretty well, though the paint is more silver than stainless steel. The only big difference was that the Bachmann had truck mounted shocks/snubbers while the Kato had them mounted to the body. Bachmann gets points for a pivoting diaphragm.

But all of these cars are sleds. The Bachmann cars can be brought up to parity with the Kato models by adjusting the bearing surfaces. But any prototypical length train is going to need two engines unless your running the NE Corridor.


For those who know better than I... Is there any major differences between the SC-44 and ALC-42 besides fuel tank? Maybe the nose on the SC is more angular? I wonder if these will be adopted in mass by transit like the F40PH, or just be a fairly proprietary design for Amtrak like the P42.

[peteski]

The previous version, which was all new timing was actually quite good and mixed well with Kato Amfleets. Even the tinting on the windows matched pretty well, though the paint is more silver than stainless steel. The only big difference was that the Bachmann had truck mounted shocks/snubbers while the Kato had them mounted to the body. Bachmann gets points for a pivoting diaphragm.

Yes, the Kato paint replicates the look of stainless steel very well.  However, I don't get the points given for Bachmann's diapghrams.  They never even touch on the models, so why make them pivot? The Kato's are closer to scale.  IMO, that is one for Kato.

Also, without digging out the Bachmann model, didn't Kato's trucks have much better rendered "sideframe" details?  What is not so good on kato's are the wheel faces with 4 holes in them. All the Amfleets I have ever seen have solid wheel faces (no holes).

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I'm pretty sure they touched with the factory Rapido couplers. I have to dig mine out to check.

[greenwizard88]

For those who know better than I... Is there any major differences between the SC-44 and ALC-42 besides fuel tank? Maybe the nose on the SC is more angular? I wonder if these will be adopted in mass by transit like the F40PH, or just be a fairly proprietary design for Amtrak like the P42.

I believe that there's a different nose, as the HO version of #301 is advertised as having a different nose than the SC-44's.

[Lemosteam]

I was just thinking that.

Plus streamlined PRR K4 for those that didn't get the @Lemosteam  KD kit.

Still no C&O H-8 Allegheny though.   

This streamlining was known as the Skyline and is NOT anything like the 3768, which was one of a kind.

There were even versions of the K4 that ONLY received the upper Skyline fairing atop the boiler and none of the rest, not the cab, nose or side fairings, see PRR 1188.

[peteski]

This streamlining was known as the Skyline and is NOT anything like the 3768, which was one of a kind.

That is such a beautiful engine. Right up there with the NYC Dreyfus Hudson

[propmeup1]

I'll take the Bachmann streamline K4 but would rather have the Lemostream type.

[nickelplate759]

Shoot. This year just got expensive. And unlike Rapido and Atlas. Who seem to have perpetual supply problems, I thoroughly expect bachmann to pull through. Along with Atlas and Rapido, at the same time.

Hopefully they do a run of fleet of modernism cars next.

Bachmann has announced FoM paint on their smooth-side cars for 2024.

[dem34]

Bachmann has announced FoM paint on their smooth-side cars for 2024.

Might have to spring for that. T1 needs something more accurate to pull.

[nscaler711]

Might have to spring for that. T1 needs something more accurate to pull.

Well... there is the Centralia Car Shops versions... but the paint is... I don't even know how to describe it... they don't look right.

[peteski]

Well... there is the Centralia Car Shops versions... but the paint is... I don't even know how to describe it... they don't look right.

I know what you mean.  There seem to be multiple  runs  of the FoM cars and at least on the early ones the 2 tones of brown/maroon were noticeably different, and the gold striping was also nicely visible.  The later run looked terrible. The 2 colors  were not very different, a nd gold stripes are so dark that they blend into the car colors.

[nickelplate759]

I know what you mean.  There seem to be multiple  runs  of the FoM cars and at least on the early ones the 2 tones of brown/maroon were noticeably different, and the gold striping was also nicely visible.  The later run looked terrible. The 2 colors  were not very different, a nd gold stripes are so dark that they blend into the car colors.

They're doing another run, wonder what they will look like?

[Sokramiketes]

I know what you mean.  There seem to be multiple  runs  of the FoM cars and at least on the early ones the 2 tones of brown/maroon were noticeably different, and the gold striping was also nicely visible.  The later run looked terrible. The 2 colors  were not very different, a nd gold stripes are so dark that they blend into the car colors.

Ron Sebastian is turning over in his grave right now.  I was working for him when he started the series.  I have the original painted sample of FOM in my collection.  (Sample had black ends which we corrected)  Ron loved researching Pullman painting and lettering, was a Font guru, and dug up all sorts of great paint samples. 

Without his guidance, Intermountain has lost prior knowledge and hasn't been matching to prior runs.  There's also clearly been some formating issues with the artwork files, where missing fonts that Ron meticulously made from railroad drawings had not been converted to curves and therefore end up with someone's random computer looking for a close font and messing up the whole works.  I get that those things happen, but they used to be caught on samples.  Now Intermountain just ships and hopes.

I hadn't been keeping up with the FOM releases between the first beautiful run of 16 sleepers... until I picked up the long awaited diner.  Gold lettering instead of dulux... silver window frames instead of outlined dulux... color shift.  Dang. 

The Bachmann observation, aside from being undersized, is actually the right FOM era observation.  So if the paint matches the good Intermountain cars, it could still be exciting.