Bachmann GG-1 N Scale

[GN Fan]

 Yesterday I received my July 2016 NMRA Magazine.  On the rear cover is an ad from Bachman about a sound equipped GG-1.  Actually it has 2 versions with and without "Sound Value Sound Traxx"decoders.  MSRP is $399 and $349 each respectively.  Working pantographs.  One road number per scheme.  Shipping Fall 2016.

Models are:
Brunswick Green Single Stripe,
Tuscan Red 5 Stripe,
"Black Jack" Brunswick Green 5 Stripe,
Silver with Red Stripe "Congressional", and
Penn Central Black with White Lettering.

Enjoy and let the bashing begin

Tom Todd

[wazzou]

Why? 

[Dave V]

This came up before when they were first announced.

I have no idea how good these thing will be, but the Kato GG1 was a home run in every sense of the word with a current street price of roughly $100 and robust availability.  Even at Bachmann blow-out prices it'll still be twice the price of Kato.  I guess they're banking on the sound decoder making it competitive.  It has to run like a Kato G first.

Without bashing I think its's safe to say that Bachmann does what Bachmann wants and it doesn't need to make sense to us.

[Englewood]

Working pantographs?

[Missaberoad]

Le sigh... Why not bring their HO scale 45 ton center cab to N?

"This just in Bachmann releases their prototype research library."

[bbussey]

I'm just hoping they will make the pantographs available.

[GN Fan]

Working Pantographs?

The add says, "twin operating metal pantographs that can operate from overhead wire if desired." (emphasis added)

Tom Todd

[peteski]

I'm just hoping they will make the pantographs available.

Those will probably not look as good as the fine Kato Dummy ones. It is really too bad that Kato chose to go with non-operating ones.  It would not have taken much more to make them sprung and equalized.

[Tom L]

I wonder if "working pantographs" means that they will be producing some sort of commercially available overhead wire system? I mean, how many N scalers have live overhead wires and how many of them would want to buy a bachmann GG-1?

Tom L.

 

[Dave V]

I wonder if "working pantographs" means that they will be producing some sort of commercially available overhead wire system? I mean, how many N scalers have live overhead wires and how many of them would want to buy a bachmann GG-1?

Tom L.

I doubt it...  If they haven't done it n HO, they're probably not going to do it in N.  The Bachmann HO GG1 has working pantographs, so they're probably doing the usual thing where they reproduce their HO product in N.

[nscaler711]

They have produced working pantos in N scale, the HHP-8.
there is a switch on the roof you can flip for overhead power, I actually built a small layout and catenary wire to run them for the hell of it... So it would be a cool addition to N scale traction/electric modelers if the GG1s could draw power from above as well... Hell if they do, I'll buy one... Already have two HHPs... 

[peteski]

If modeled correctly, the GG-1 pantos are quite distinctive. They are large conventional pantographs, not the more modern single-arm HHP-8. Not an off the shelf item.

The old Arnold GG-1 used standard small generic European-style pantos (fully operational) but then Kato made the GG-1 with a correctly modeled GG-1 pantograph which looks so much better than the Arnold one.  Like I said, it is really too bad that is is not fully functional (ad I just mean spring and equalized - it wouldn't have to actually pick up current - just follow the catenary wire).

[nkalanaga]

The working pans aren't that surprising.  Bachmann sells a lot of stuff in Europe, and working overhead is fairly common there. 

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Bachmann: even more duplicity than Exactrail.

Ugh

[peteski]

Bachmann: even more duplicity than Exactrail.

Ugh

But unlike Arnold or Kato, they come with DCC and sound, and maybe even no traction tires to be thrown off its wheels. But will it pull the entire Kato BL consist up a hill without spinning its wheels?