http://www.wholesaletrains.com/Detail.asp?ID=200507756
Anyone seen this yet, G scale to boot! 
Well, after the Polar Express dissappointment 
, I’ll wait, but I do like the British profile! 
Oh yes, did you say Hogwash? Or are my ears playing tricks?
Victor Smith said:I think I'm going to puke.
http://www.wholesaletrains.com/Detail.asp?ID=200507756 Anyone seen this yet, G scale to boot! :D Well, after the Polar Express dissappointment :( , I'll wait, but I do like the British profile! ;)
Poor trainset. It has as much semblance the the real thing as Oprah Winfrey does to Halle Berry.
How’ja like to see a Pennsy K4 painted up in Southern ‘Daylight’ scheme? That’s what seeing a red-painted Great Western loco does to a train lover.
It will prolly sell a bunch, but only Stevie Wonder could love it.
tac
Yeah, thats why I want to see this before I consider it, the PE was pretty chunky looking. But this is the FIRST Brit profile engine (sans the ubertoy Thomas stuff) thats going to be in the anywhere affordable range.
Why is it that classic british profile engines have been ignored by large scale mfrs sans the uber-pricey live steam mfrs? It gets me that on Gscalemad most using 45mm guage are doing German or American lines, the only ones actually doing Brit lines are either doing NG tram lines where the selection is much better while the standard gauge guys have to use two grand steamers. ???
I still want a Single and a Jumbo and a…, well you get it, but I think the only way I’ll ever get one, is to scratchbuild them.
Besides if I get one it will likey be wifey who wants it, she was eyeing keenly an O gauge Hogwarts set in a shop recently until I explained it was on the wrong track
Victor Smith said:
Why is it that classic british profile engines have been ignored by large scale mfrs sans the uber-pricey live steam mfrs? It gets me that on Gscalemad most using 45mm guage are doing German or American lines, the only ones actually doing Brit lines are either doing NG tram lines where the selection is much better while the standard gauge guys have to use two grand steamers. ???I still want a Single and a Jumbo and a…, well you get it, but I think the only way I’ll ever get one, is to scratchbuild them.
Besides if I get one it will likey be wifey who wants it, she was eyeing keenly an O gauge Hogwarts set in a shop recently until I explained it was on the wrong track
The British market is VERY small by comparison with the enormous German and US/Can market, and moreover, we LIKE our Gauge 1 stuff. Bachmann is producing some beeeeoooootiful Gauge 1 sparkies of the smaller steam 0-6-0 locos that formed the backbone of our railways, and even a Class 03 diesel switcher, but they still are not cheap like you want - £5-700 or so. As a Gauge 1 model they are comparatively cheap [yes, I said cheap] simply because they are very carefully hand-assembled brass kits, rather than cheap plastic models from expensive moulds.
The only Stirling Single mass-produced was the Aster model - a SERIOUS collector’s item if you can find one, and the Jumbo model has just sold out - even so, the price was around £2000 or so as a kit.
Class 1 locos, of course, electrically-powered, are already with us - the Accucraft ‘Flying Scotsman’ is wonderful value for a Gauge 1 all-metal model of a famous loco - sells at around £1100 or so here. You get it much cheaper without our 17.5% sales tax.
Next year Bachmann will be producing the famous A4 streamliner, ‘Mallard’ and the ubiquitous ‘Black five’ ten-wheeler, both around £1100 or so. A plastic Class 37 dismal will follow - price as yet unknown but prolly around £700 or so
IMO there will never be any cheaper mass-produced British outline models - as I said, not only is the market too small to bear the cost, but the unbelievably diverse range of British locomotives works against the market.
We DO have a good few small-scale, one-man-band-type operations building both electric and live-steam outline, but deep pockies are needed, starting at around £1200-1500 and then moving up to the stratospheric heights of a coal-fired ‘Britannia’ or rebuilt ‘West Country’ class at around £6500-7500 plus three-year wait.
You see, here in yUK most of us build our own in Gauge 1, and 1/29th is not a scale we play with at all for UK stuff. The intermediate scale of 1/24th is not used, and so we then move up straight to Gauge 3 [1/22.3 scale] running on 64mm track, either with layouts [steam and electric], or at sit-on level, [steam on 2.5" gauge track].
Too much money at these levels should not be considered an embarassment, but a real necessity - without it, you are going nowhere, but as I said, most of us build our own at this level and up, or pay somebody else to do it. A ‘Mallard’ in G3, coal or gas-fired and ready to go, will cost around £9000 or more. Only one person in the UK builds them and waits until he has a batch of at least five to do.
If you want to carry this on in a similar vein, talk to me by pm so that we don’t bore the other guys fartless, eh?
tac
I posted a rather scathing review of this monstrosity on the GR section of Klambake’s website. I wonder how long it will stay up, though?
Simply put, Lionel COULD have done MUCH better. Molds for a good looking engine really don’t cost much (if any) more than ones to make garbage.
Hey TAC.
Quote:Don't let Bachmann find out, that after all the high priced advertising they have bought promoting the Class 66, you STILL don't know it exists. Didn't you realise that 1:29 was going to become the be all and end all of Brit outline LS modelling? Shame on you.
. SNIP. You see, here in yUK most of us build our own in Gauge 1, and 1/29th is not a scale we play with at all for UK stuff.
I think items like this could do a lot to bring kids into large scale trains if the quality level was there. I’m down to my last Thomas and no matter what, it draws the attention of kids any time he’s out on the layout. Adults even come over to see him run. I don’t know why but I’m sure it has something to do with the fact that he’s a celebrity of sorts. I was thinking about using Aristo running gear and scratch building a few of the Thomas engines. Gordon and Percy would be big hits around here. I’ve given up on finding a decent priced James in good condition so he might be another good one to build…
Jon.
“Kids”…egads are we pitching to the wrong “Animules” or what "
Kids are young goats…normaly young human beings are known as “Children”
TonyWalsham said:Dear Mr Walsham, not only did I know it existed, but I knew it existed in April 2006. Add to that that I have three of them, that is to say, one of each livery presently available, in boxes stacked not a yard from where I sit typing this note.
Hey TAC.Quote:Don't let Bachmann find out, that after all the high priced advertising they have bought promoting the Class 66, you STILL don't know it exists. Didn't you realise that 1:29 was going to become the be all and end all of Brit outline LS modelling? Shame on you.
. SNIP. You see, here in yUK most of us build our own in Gauge 1, and 1/29th is not a scale we play with at all for UK stuff.
I totally refute your suggestion that 1/29th will take over here in the UK as THE scale of choice for British outline - if that is so, why then has every other model brought out by, or planned for production by Bachmann been in Gauge 1 - 1/32nd scale? There is, so far, only this single example of a so-called British model, notwithstanding that the locomotive is actually Canadian-built, and is found on the tracks of most European railways as well as those of the big Island UK.
Over two thousand three hundred members of the Gauge 1 Association would argue strongly against your views, which is why the rather expensive etched brass and resin kit for the Class 66 continues to be sold simply because it IS made in the established large-scale for British outline - 1/32nd.
tac
…and there is me thinking you understood what irony is.
I shouldn’t have to explain it to a brother Brit.
If you had read any of my postings when the Class 66 was first announced you would realise my position is diametrically opposed to what I wrote above.
The Bachmann Class 66 is just another attempt to internationalise a scale that is simply wrong.
Jon Foster said:
I think items like this could do a lot to bring kids into large scale trains if the quality level was there. I'm down to my last Thomas and no matter what, it draws the attention of kids any time he's out on the layout. Adults even come over to see him run. I don't know why but I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that he's a celebrity of sorts. I was thinking about using Aristo running gear and scratch building a few of the Thomas engines. Gordon and Percy would be big hits around here. I've given up on finding a decent priced James in good condition so he might be another good one to build...Jon.
One of our club members, Bob Keeler has a Thomas setup with Airwire, batteries and a Phoenix P5 Sound System with a proper European whistle. He has had it running at the Home and Garden Show in St. Charles the last two days and brings great comments from the young people.
Fred Mills said:That's only one definition. Applying the term "kids" to human children may have started out as slang, but it is now common usage.
Kids are young goats.........normaly young human beings are known as "Children"
From Merriam-Webster:
Main Entry:
1kid
Pronunciation:
?kid
Function:
noun
1 a: a young goat b: a young individual of various animals related to the goat2 a: the flesh, fur, or skin of a kid b: something made of kid3: a young person; especially : child —often used as a generalized reference to one especially younger or less experienced
There’s no doubt Thomas and Friends are a huge hit with kids of all ages. We made a Percy Pine Wood Derby car to race in Cub Scouts many years ago just for fun and it was so popular that it won the best car/model/design awards. Of course it didn’t win the race but it wasn’t designed to be very fast… And it wasn’t the best job we had ever done either.
(http://home.comcast.net/~kookala/Percy.jpg)
Jon.
TonyWalsham said:
.......and there is me thinking you understood what irony is.I shouldn’t have to explain it to a brother Brit.
If you had read any of my postings when the Class 66 was first announced you would realise my position is diametrically opposed to what I wrote above.The Bachmann Class 66 is just another attempt to internationalise a scale that is simply wrong.
1:29 is wrong? Perish the thought! Think of the WOW! factor, Tony!
Besides, if you choose 1:32, why not just choose 1:48? There is a whole lot more available in that scale.
TonyWalsham said:
.......and there is me thinking you understood what irony is.I shouldn’t have to explain it to a brother Brit.
If you had read any of my postings when the Class 66 was first announced you would realise my position is diametrically opposed to what I wrote above.The Bachmann Class 66 is just another attempt to internationalise a scale that is simply wrong.
Mr Walsham - perhaps it’s because I’m not a Brit that the irony sailed way over my head. Sadly, I was away from the forum when you posted your original comments on the 1/29th Class 66, and so missed out on the comments that would have saved me the embarrassment of having to apologise to you for having misunderstood you.
Here is my apology.
I apologise.
Now, let’s move on.
tac [75% Irish/25% Anglo-Burgundian, and only born here.]
All I can say is…
"Angels and ministers of grace defend us!
Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damn’d,
Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell,
Be thy intents wicked or charitable,
Thou comest in such a questionable shape "
Rod Hayward said:
All I can say is..."Angels and ministers of grace defend us!
Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damn’d,
Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell,
Be thy intents wicked or charitable,
Thou comest in such a questionable shape "
‘Blithe sprit, bird thou never wert’.
tac
Terry A de C Foley said:Rod Hayward said:
All I can say is..."Angels and ministers of grace defend us!
Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damn’d,
Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell,
Be thy intents wicked or charitable,
Thou comest in such a questionable shape "
‘Blithe sprit, bird thou never wert’.tac
www.ovgrs.org
The world should listen then, as I am listening now.
Interesting. People trashed LGB because of “scale issues”. People trash B’mann over “quality” issues. Lionel produces a POS which appears to have BOTH problems, and few people seem to care. I’m not super picky employ the 3 foot rule when I model, but I don’t think that thing will pass a 15 foot rule if you’re blind in one eye, have cataracts and squint.
Second point, I sent Lionel an email 8 days ago voicing my displeasure with it, and politely explaining why I wouldn’t be purchasing the two sets I might otherwise have… So far I have received NO response, not even a “thank you for writing” form letter. Is this really acceptable either? As I said elsewhere… customer service and servicing livestock is NOT the same thing.