Bachmann: when will they realize that we want varid road numbers?

[Doc Frankenfield]

I am amazed that Bachmann continues to release new runs, specifically the new New USRA 55-Ton 2-Bay Hoppers, with nly one road number per road... Don't they realize more could be sold with varied road numbers?
Why buy ten for a consist with all the same road number?   
still "toy train marketing"

[JoeD]

I know a company that releases multi number runner packs of different cars every month 

Joe

[sd45elect2000]

I am amazed that Bachmann continues to release new runs, specifically the new New USRA 55-Ton 2-Bay Hoppers, with nly one road number per road... Don't they realize more could be sold with varied road numbers?
Why buy ten for a consist with all the same road number?   
still "toy train marketing"

I don't know how it happened, but I got two of the 10,000 gallon tank cars for Spartan oil in two different numbers 8753 and 8757. In real life there were only 4 of the real cars ... they look OK [ Guests cannot view attachments ] . I likewise wish they would do a plain black UTLX or a SHPX car in multiple numbers.

Randy

[sd45elect2000]

I know a company that releases multi number runner packs of different cars every month 

Joe

Is the MT trains car a 8000 gal or a 10,000 gal? I ask because they don't match (not even close) the dimensions of either the IM tank (is MUCH smaller) as is the Bachmann 10,000-Gal tank. My best guess is that the tank is closer to 11,000-12,500 gal? I do have many of the MT three dome cars, I three of them are SHPX with different numbers.

Randy

[Missaberoad]

Is the MT trains car a 8000 gal or a 10,000 gal? I ask because they don't match (not even close) the dimensions of either the IM tank (is MUCH smaller) as is the Bachmann 10,000-Gal tank. My best guess is that the tank is closer to 11,000-12,500 gal? I do have many of the MT three dome cars, I three of them are SHPX with different numbers.
Randy

The 8k and 10k ACF type 27 tanks are both on a 36' frames. The MT car is definitely closer to a 12k car. There is a few cars used by western roads that are close. I haven't looked closely enough to find an exact match, but I would start with SP cars and look for cars featured in Car Builders Cyclopedias or the Newton K. Gregg reprints. They seemed to be used by Kadee alot in that era.

I am amazed that Bachmann continues to release new runs, specifically the new New USRA 55-Ton 2-Bay Hoppers, with nly one road number per road... Don't they realize more could be sold with varied road numbers?
Why buy ten for a consist with all the same road number?   
still "toy train marketing"

Not trying to bash Bachmann but Bluford Shops makes a much nicer usra hopper in more roadnames with multiple road numbers each, at a better price point... I would spend my money there...

[thomasjmdavis]

I am amazed that Bachmann continues to release new runs, specifically the new New USRA 55-Ton 2-Bay Hoppers, with nly one road number per road... Don't they realize more could be sold with varied road numbers?
Why buy ten for a consist with all the same road number?   
still "toy train marketing"

I think I bought my last Bachmann hopper before 1980, so I haven't noticed.

As noted by Missaberoad, a much better choice exists if you want accuracy and multiple numbers: http://bluford-shops.com/bluford_93_036.htm  In addition to USRA hoppers, they have offset, war emergency, rebuilt war emergency, and 8 panel, and that just counts the 2 bay options.  MTL and Atlas also make some very nice hoppers (although I don't think either has a model of a USRA 2 bay), if looking for a variation on a theme.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but is there a roadname from Bachmann that is accurate for a USRA hopper that has not been released by Bluford, which usually releases 6 numbers at a time?  You get a better product, with more accurate schemes, and save yourself having to replace wheels and couplers.

Sorry for piling on, but, essentially, buying an overpriced second rate product only encourages Bachmann to make more overpriced second rate products.  Whatever reasoning, it is clear from some of their steam locomotives that they understand how to make a top of the line, reasonably priced product.  Which means their production of crappy freight and passenger cars is intentional- and assumes we will buy them anyway.

[C855B]

Outside of select locomotives, model railroaders and railroad modelers are not Bachmann's market. They do trainsets for big-box discounting retailers. They're not interested in cultivating the distribution challenge that comes with multiple road numbers of otherwise identical models. They severely overprice their separately-packaged models to make market disinterest a self-fulfilling prophesy.

The last serious attempt I'm aware of at multiple numbers for a specific Bachmann model was the 3rd-gen DDA40X, where they produced 8 different numbers in three runs, several years ago.

[learmoia]

Don't the spectrum locos get multiple numbers?

.... Funny thing is... For a company that wants to keep things simple and release 1 sku per roadname.. No road number is an ideal marketing solution..
Only 1 sku
The train set market who just want 2-3 pretty train cars don't care.
The model railroader market who get triggered by duplicate road numbers can buy as many as they want.

~Ian

[Lenny53]

Surprised they have not done this already so they could up their MSRP.     

[Doc Frankenfield]

just to be clear: I am not in the market,,,but, I have even seen them do re-runs decades apart... with the same road number, really with the minimal cost of changing a few elements of the graphics..

[SkipGear]

Bachmann does production runs of 10,000's units or more of each road name/number at a time. Atlas and MTL are more like the 1000's. Those 10k batches last a long time. Bachmann has been paying attention. A few of their recent re-runs of newer tooling actually advertise new schemes and road numbers so when they currently re-run the same scheme, it is coming with a new number. It wasn't so long ago that MTL was only releasing one number at a time and it was years from release to release. Bachmann may figure it out eventually but they also are not in the unit train business, not many of their releases need to duplicated in different road numbers, and at the pricing, who could afford it.

[JMaurer1]

With all of the problems and mistakes that Bachmann makes, you want to start with 'why don't they vary the road numbers?'... I would rather they decide if they want to make bad trains sets or make rather nice rolling stock and engines. Pick a lane and stay in it...

[Bill H]

Bachmann does production runs of 10,000's units or more of each road name/number at a time. Atlas and MTL are more like the 1000's. Those 10k batches last a long time. Bachmann has been paying attention. A few of their recent re-runs of newer tooling actually advertise new schemes and road numbers so when they currently re-run the same scheme, it is coming with a new number. It wasn't so long ago that MTL was only releasing one number at a time and it was years from release to release. Bachmann may figure it out eventually but they also are not in the unit train business, not many of their releases need to duplicated in different road numbers, and at the pricing, who could afford it.

Tony - as much as I am a serious MTL fan, let's not forget Intermountain, who for years and years gave us sometimes ten different road numbers in a single release.

Kind regards,
Bill

[mu26aeh]

Tony - as much as I am a serious MTL fan, let's not forget Intermountain, who for years and years gave us sometimes ten different road numbers in a single release.

Kind regards,
Bill

In terms of Intermountain,  I think the number of roads and number of numbers actually hurts them giving too many options and then don't meet production quotas etc

[amato1969]

In terms of Intermountain,  I think the number of roads and number of numbers actually hurts them giving too many options and then don't meet production quotas etc

Tough to argue with this...  but as long as their 10'0" and 10'6" undec boxcar kits remain available, there are plenty of detail/paint/decal projects ahead of me.

  Frank