Bachmann USA OO9 2018 Announcement

[Michael Melton]

Bachmann USA's Thomas range surprised and disappointed many with their announcements for OO9 modellers. 

We are getting Talyllyn coaches.  Red and Blue variants. 


I have a friend emailing a representative to confirm they are indeed a new tooling and not GVT repaints. 

No new engine or updated pictures for Midlander (Rusty)

[Elmgate]

The pictures certainly look like the TR original coaches (three compartments, nos 1 - 3) and not the GVT (two compartments) which came to the TR in the 1950's. In any case, the GVT's are made Peco, and I guess that the early use of Peco wagons by Bachmann US has been overtaken by their own offerings. :)

[rod335]

Somewhere on the Bachmann US site I found a picture supporting their model of Rusty. It was a photoshopped picture of Midlander in 60s  style taken at Pendre with a face grafted on and an awful orange paintjob. The advance catalogue pictures of the proposed model do not however augur well. There was also a longshot showing what I took to be a mockup of Peter Sam. Most unpleasant. Bright green with what appeared to be a fairly long wheelbase 0-4-0 chassis with a pair of dummy trailing wheels mounted immediately behind the rear axle. I have looked for these pictures again but cannot find them now. I had hoped they would keep up the accuracy of Skarloey and Rheneas. Time will tell.

[Hobby]

The pictures certainly look like the TR original coaches

The pictures Bachmann have used are taken from the books, so they would be the TR coaches as those are the ones he drew...

[danny]

I highly doubt any model of Rusty will be a scale model of Midlander due to the small size of the real loco. Are they going for dummy trailing wheels to decrease the minimum radius?
Danny

[rod335]

Total wheelbase of Edward Thomas/ Peter Sam is considerably  less than that of Talyllyn/Skarloey so I can't see that as being though necessary. There are, however, other problems with modelling this loco accurately and getting it to work, especially when it is intended to be a toy. As for Rusty/Midlander, smaller locos have been made to work, for instance the Arnold and Ibertren Kofs.

[danny]

Total wheelbase of Edward Thomas/ Peter Sam is considerably  less than that of Talyllyn/Skarloey so I can't see that as being though necessary. There are, however, other problems with modelling this loco accurately and getting it to work, especially when it is intended to be a toy. As for Rusty/Midlander, smaller locos have been made to work, for instance the Arnold and Ibertren Kofs.

I was thinking in terms of Rusty/Midlander being a toy as well and being made bigger to make it a bit more robust.

[John Murrell]

Looking at the 2018 Bachmann USA catalog, page 21 shows the 2 coaches as already illustrated and also Rusty, item no 58603, with a recommended price of $135.00.

[rod335]

Doesn't look good though. Might be just an illustration from the books or CGI as it is not shown with couplings.

[Michael Melton]

For Rusty and the coaches, they are illustrations.  Honestly, with the Talyllyn slate wagons that came out in the USA prior to the Bachmann UK ones, I feel like something is going on Talyllyn-wise.  For a Thomas model, Skarloey and Rheneas have too many rivets and details!  :D

[Hobby]

Rod, see my earlier post, the illustrations are from the books!! I had a couple of copies a while ago and recognised them!;)

[Michael Melton]

I just got an email from Hattons saying the slate wagons are due April/May 2019.

Strange, seeing the tooling already exists!