Bachmann 2016 NMRA Announcements

[JoeD]

Something I've been wrestling with for a long time.  Several years ago I proposed an industry kit that would take up about 1' of space and the push back was no one had room for anything substantial.  I think differently...

Joe

Well, if N scalers want to model a shanty town, there are plenty shacks and out buildings available to model one; but real industries still elude the scale that needs them.

[thomasjmdavis]

Something I've been wrestling with for a long time.  Several years ago I proposed an industry kit that would take up about 1' of space and the push back was no one had room for anything substantial.  I think differently...

Joe

I'm with you...

In N scale, we model trains of 50 hoppers, pulled by mallets, that load at mines capable of 6 loads a day, and end their trip at a steel mill that might use 3 of the 6.

I'm starting work on a freight house that is 800 scale feet long.  I have room for something substantial.  Problem with the 1 foot kit from my point of view is that most manufacturers will sell something that size in HO for $50 to $100, but in N scale, same manufacturer will want the same price for something 6" square, and expect you to buy 4 of them and kitbash it together (or 8, if you want the same height)

[thomasjmdavis]

Along that line, I thought the MT army base kits were a good idea. You can build the base whatever size you need/want, the real thing occupies a lot of territory, and when a unit moves, it generates a lot of traffic- a good size train (or several sections) is quite believable. I don't have anywhere to put an army base at the moment, but at sometime in the future, as the N scale rails go west, might find a good location.

[asarge]

Well, if N scalers want to model a shanty town, there are plenty shacks and out buildings available to model one; but real industries still elude the scale that needs them.

I can think of a number of industries that need to be done in N, especially with all the class of modern cars.
Bakery = Tank Cars and Airslides/pressuraides
Corn Syrup distribution =  Tank Cars
Cement distributor = Cement Hoppers
New modern Grain elevator or Shuttle elevator
Recycling plant

And so on.

[VonRyan]

I was happily surprised to see that they have announced Rheneas for release in March of 2017, with slate wagons coming in February 2017. Looks like I'll be delving into OO9 after all.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I was similarly feeling snarky about the "new shacks".

Seriously. I need real buildings. I'm tired of this tiny and/or cutesy crap.

[OldEastRR]

I was similarly feeling snarky about the "new shacks".

Seriously. I need real buildings. I'm tired of this tiny and/or cutesy crap.

As we discussed in another thread, hope for new large N plastic industrial buildings may be forlorn -- the new thing coming out of Europe is any new type of large industries are being going to made in laser-cut versions.

Too bad N doesn't have somebody like Korber, who makes (made?) really big HO industrial buildings. Wish CMR would take a stab at it.

[OldEastRR]

and HEY!! Is that a PRR P-S "View" Obs? Sure the hell looks like it ...and makes perfect sense since I'm finishing up my kitbash of the KATO obs ...



So there ya go, SPFs ... the gods have pleased you again, while laughing derisively at single-window coach supplicants....

[thomasjmdavis]

Could the Bachmann coach be this:

[thomasjmdavis]

Just an idle thought- anyone remember a year or two ago, there being an announcement of similar cars that were going to be marketed by a company called TC Castings?  I remember something about a NYC coach and obs car. Well, never mind.... It was TR (not TC) Castings, and Walthers still has those cars listed.  Obvious in descriptions that the obs is a different car ("blunt end") and others are probably different as well.  Not sure if this is something to look forward to- all the Walthers listings give no indication of when these will be available, although a couple show as "special order."

[johnb]

Something I've been wrestling with for a long time.  Several years ago I proposed an industry kit that would take up about 1' of space and the push back was no one had room for anything substantial.  I think differently...

Joe

Make a prototype of the kit, send it to me, and we will show them the demand

[Cajonpassfan]

Yea, the size of the building kits is something we inherited from HO; many people still think N is a just small version of HO (only not as good) 
HO guys have hard time finding appropriate size buildings for larger layouts as well, I had to kitbash a couple of decent size citrus packinghouses for a friend. The one below is based on San Dimas Cal., and it's surrounded by smaller buildings. I think the combination works well, see below.
Otto K.

[johnb]

Along that line, I thought the MT army base kits were a good idea. You can build the base whatever size you need/want, the real thing occupies a lot of territory, and when a unit moves, it generates a lot of traffic- a good size train (or several sections) is quite believable. I don't have anywhere to put an army base at the moment, but at sometime in the future, as the N scale rails go west, might find a good location.

the military warehouse still makes a good warehouse in the private sector.

I just want a bigger building. I am thinking about taking a pair of DPM kits and combining them.

[jmlaboda]

Is that a PRR P-S "View" Obs? Sure the hell looks like it ...

If its like the other cars Bachmann is offering at best it will be a poor representation, likely having mirrored windows which just wasn't the case on the prototype.

Could the Bachmann coach be this:

Only right on one side.  Windows on the other side of the model are mirrored but that isn't the case with the prototype.

http://mrr.trains.com/-/media/Images/News%20and%20Reviews/New%20Products/2016/07/NTS%20report/MRRNP1016_126.jpg?mw=1000&mh=800

Once again Bachmann has missed the boat... too bad, they could have done them right...

[thomasjmdavis]

Only right on one side.  Windows on the other side of the model are mirrored but that isn't the case with the prototype.

According to the drawing on the MR page, the doors are on opposite ends of the car on the two sides (ie- half a vestibule at each end- the two sides literal carbon copies with the door always on the left no matter which side you are looking at)- could even Bachmann have screwed up that bad?  I may give them some benefit of the doubt until there is a 3 dimensional version.  I don't need a NYC coach in any case, so it is an academic question for me.

Oh well...  I've noted a couple of their fluted cars going for $20 "buy it now" on the big auction site.  If the prices fall far enough, Bachmann cars might make good kitbash fodder.  Of course, they also might not, depending on whether trucks are any good, etc.  Agree that its too bad that Bachmann could not just follow a prototype.  I wonder who the market is for these.  Nowadays, I would think anyone interested in a generic "streamliner" has plenty of options from Kato and others.  Those of us in the $50-60 per car passenger car market are demanding accuracy and a lot of detail.