Bachmann "shorty" passenger cars are back?!

[Maletrain]

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Bachmann-N-24026-The-Broadway-Limited-Set-PRR-p/bac-24026.htm

Just saw this on MBK website.  Thise "shorties" must be new manufacture.

For some time, I had been suggesting that these would fill a void in the N scale available rolling stock.

But, with similar length cars available from Atlas soon (if on schedule), I now wonder how well these will do in the market.

I guess these folks don't communicate to avoid competing with each other on nearly identical items.

[wcfn100]

Looks like the ore cars are finally showing up too.

Jason

[johnb]

I wouldn't mind a coach or two to kitbash into a pseudo PE Blimp...about the right shape and size...

[Chris333]

But are the PAX cars actually rolling stock. Do they have new trucks?

[thomasjmdavis]

Well, Bachmann does seem to bring out copies of a lot of Atlas and Kato locomotive production.  And it hardly seems a surprise, given that the had the tooling, and they would want to get a cut of Atlas business in the new cars. "Broadway limited"????  If that is a Broadway Limited, I suppose the next thing we will see is a Super Chief with a 4-4-0 and those 1880s cars they used to make.

I'll wait for the Atlas cars.  If Bachmann keeps up with their recent pricing trends, their 60 footers will sell $15 more than an Atlas, and have 1/3 of the detail.  That, and all I was planning to buy were baggage and RPOs.

[peteski]

If Bachmann keeps up with their recent pricing trends, their 60 footers will sell $15 more than an Atlas, and have 1/3 of the detail.

But they have flush-mounted window "glass". 

[Dave V]

I'll wait for the Atlas cars.  If Bachmann keeps up with their recent pricing trends, their 60 footers will sell $15 more than an Atlas, and have 1/3 of the detail.

And come with only one road number per road...   

[Joetrain59]

No mention of being released separately.
 Joe D

[thomasjmdavis]

But they have flush-mounted window "glass". 

Flush glass for their heavyweight coach http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/dwg/dwgs/N814X__Doodlebug2.pdf, but I have read that the streamliners all have windows similar to a MT heavyweight- ie flat sheets of clear acrylic. I admit I do not own any to take apart to check. Bachmann does not have either drawings or parts for these cars up on their website (or I can't find them if they are there).

Too bad that they don't have parts available for their heavyweight coach.  The underbody boxes and details are separate parts- I would be happy to buy several sprues for use in detailing other cars, as well as interiors, that look pretty good in the drawings.

[Maletrain]

Bachmann steam locos also have a lot of nice detail parts that are separately applied, but not sold separately.  If Bachmann did decide to sell all of those detail parts separately, they would become the go-to source for scratch building and kit bashing.  But, there does not appear to be any hope that will actually happen.

[peteski]

Bachmann steam locos also have a lot of nice detail parts that are separately applied, but not sold separately.  If Bachmann did decide to sell all of those detail parts separately, they would become the go-to source for scratch building and kit bashing.  But, there does not appear to be any hope that will actually happen.

The manufacturers are asked about this lots of times and the answer is usually the same: It would be a huge logistical nightmare (and a resource hog) to keep a large inventory of detail parts. A money-losing proposition. I guess we should  be glad that some manufacturers do offer spare parts service.

[Maletrain]

As I said, I don't think it will really happen.  However, there are companies that sell detail parts.  If one or more of those was willing to make a substantial purchase of, say steam domes when Bachmann ran a new locomotive, and then sell those like they sell windows, it might be workable for Bachmann.  It just requires a different mind-set and business model for the people selling the detail parts.  But, I'm not holding my breath for that.  I was just commenting that the underbody details from the passenger cars are a small part of the potential if Bachmann ever made their separately applied details directly available.

[peteski]

As I said, I don't think it will really happen.  However, there are companies that sell detail parts.  If one or more of those was willing to make a substantial purchase of, say steam domes when Bachmann ran a new locomotive, and then sell those like they sell windows, it might be workable for Bachmann.  It just requires a different mind-set and business model for the people selling the detail parts.  But, I'm not holding my breath for that.  I was just commenting that the underbody details from the passenger cars are a small part of the potential if Bachmann ever made their separately applied details directly available.

Just to again play a "Peter-downer" again, the ratio of N advanced scale modelers (who actually custom detail their models and would buy those extra details) to the out-of-the-box-runner modelers is so low that even if model companies made those detail parts available, they would not make much money on them (as compared to their bread-and-butter offerings of locos and rolling stock).  And companies need to maximize profits.

Sure, there are some decent-size model companies like Atlas (ex. BLMA) and Tranworx which offer photoetched detail sets and few other details. There are also several cottage-type manufacturers (including Shapweays vendors) offering that type of product, but if you ask any of them, they aren't making a killing selling those detail items. I suspect that it is more like labor of love.  That is how I see the N scale detail parts market.   

[brokemoto]

B-mann offered only a combine, coach and open deck observation car.  The first two are based on Northwestern prototypes.  The "observation" is actually the coach with an observation deck's replacing one vestibule.

Atlas is offering the first two the same as B-mann.  It also is offering a baggage and an RPO, which B-mann did not.  In fact, more than one of us did cut up two Bachpersonn combines and butt together the baggage ends to make a full baggage.  I have one such car.  Someone was selling cast resin versions of this, but I forget who it was and do not know if he still sells them.  I am not sure on what prototype Atlas is basing the head end cars.  I do wonder if you will be able to cut up a baggage and an RPO, butt together one baggage end and one RPO end to make two baggage/mail cars (or you could cut up a combine and a RPO and make a baggage/mail and passenger/mail)

The open deck observation is based on a CNJ prototype.  It is basically a shrunken version of it.  It is single window(!).  It looks like you could cut up two and make a CNJ coach.  A Delay, Linger and Wait Boonton coach would also be a possibility (someone did do that to the B-mann "observations many years back--which rendered paired window "Boonton" coaches, but, he did make the best out of that with which he  had to work).  I suppose that you could cut up two and restore the car to its prototype length.   It is based on a car that ran on the Blue Comet.  At least one of those cars still exists.

I plan on buying at least one set.

[thomasjmdavis]

There are also several cottage-type manufacturers (including Shapweays vendors) offering that type of product

And many of those "cottage-type manufacturers" are more than willing to work with you to produce a part, especially if you can get together others you know who are willing to commit to purchasing a couple, and provide a drawing. The real upside is that instead of having the steam dome from, say, a Bachmann 2-8-0 that is close to what you want, you get the steam dome for the prototype you are building.