At the national train show Bachmann has announced they will be coming out with an HO scale GG1 in their “Sound-Value” line, as well as non sound versions.
I’m not a PRR modeler, but finally, after several decades, there will be an affordable GG1 that does not require a preorder. You know, from Bachmann, one of the few companies that makes the trains first, then sells them.
It is almost enough to make me want to model a short section of the North East Corridor - almost. Maybe when I expand the layout in the retirement house?
So, Sheldon, Bachmann already released the GG-1? And they also released the SD70ACe and the GEVO which they also announced at this year’s NMRA show? Or did they just announce them, just like everyone else does, and it will take some time (months, at the least, since they don’t even have painted samples yet) before they hit the market?
And for your general knowledge, neither BLI nor MTH’s GG-1 “required” a pre-order. Heck, I recall seeing dozens of the BLI’s for sale at the Springfield Show for 50% off the MSRP (with sound) about a year or two after they first came out (it was at Des Plaines Hobbies’ booth). AFAIK, the only non-brass model that I’ve ever heard of that “required” a pre-order was Rapido’s “The Canadian” train set. There was nothing before that and nothing since in plastic.
The only HO items announced by Bachmann that interest me, is that they are releasing a series of 72’ HW coaches.
At present there are only a few roadnames but hopefully they can take a lesson from Con-Cor and also release some painted but unlettered versions in Pullman Green and Tuscon Red. These can be re lettered quite easily into a number of road names.
The 73’ coach was a common sight on Canadian trains.
Bachmann is currently giving an October shipping date - they generally are pretty close with their actual ship dates.
October is by any measure only 65 days away, that means they have likely already made thousands of them, or are about to as we speak, without asking for preorders, taking peoples money, "measuring the demand, etc, etc.
They will simply bring 5,000 or 10,000, or more here and start selling them. And make more right away when those sell out. And they will be discounted 30% or more from the day they hit the streets, not a year latter after they have been picked over.
MTH - no thank you on any count.
BLI - gee they lost their GG1 tooling that they never owned…
Someday, after I’ve retired and moved to a house with a train room large enough to support it, I’m going to have an electrified main line so I can run a GG-1. It’s always been one of my favorite engines. I had a Lionel one when I was a kid. But now, it just wouldn’t fit on my layout, and I don’t have a main under wire for it.
This is coming close to the Big Boy, although at least there were a lot more actual GG1’s than Big Boys. How many do we need?
The BLI one was never limited in availability, that was before they learned and they made way too many of them, so the only people who paid full price for one of those were those who had to have it on launch day, kinda like the latest smartphone, or video game, or whatever. Anyone who waited a bit got them at 50% off. Great runners and they could actually pull a full length passenger train, even one made up of older Walthers carts, without resorting to gimmicks liek traction tires, because they were all metal bodies. Used to have access to one, it was a great runner.
The Mehano ones aren;t bad either, but the single motor ones actually pull more, because they have more weight. The dual motor ones run nice, but need to be doubleheaded or else run with a shorter consist.
Of course there were probbaly millions of the Tyco ones made - if you can stand a GG1 on Alco 6-wheel trucks (with only 4 wheels in each). Hmm, freelance streamlined version of an E44, anyone?
Generally I would agree, I have never thought it made sense for all these different comapnies to make the same thing.
BUT, the Trix unit is not readily available and suffers from a high price and euro coupler conversion.
The Mehano has been hit and miss in availablity.
The BLI tooling now belongs to MTH with their “proprietary” electronics and high prices.
Just try to buy a BLI GG1 right now - maybe there was plenty of demand, maybe I am right about BLI and their “dump” marketing and lack of working capital.
It is rediculous to expect that every consumer who wants a given product is going to be able to buy it i
Yes, some unlettered versions would be nice. This is a retooling of the coach they sold before in the Spectrum Line. It has better coupler pockets, allthough still coupled too widely spaced for my tastes, and I suspect better trucks since the 4 wheel truck versions with the current doodlebugs have redesigned trucks.
The rivet detail is also better/finer than the old version. Could be these are just the first two in a whole new line of HW passenger cars?
The price has not been announced, but you can bet it will be lower than Walthers - also due in October.
Well, I don’t have sound in any of my models, but, a GG1 does make some noises. In addition to the obvious bell and horn sounds. The GG1 had large powerful blowers that cooled the traction motors, as do diesels. But with no prime mover sounds, you can actually hear the blowers on many electric locos - GG1’s are known for that sound.
Sign me up for a few if they did[Y]…UP and CP please Bachmann. I have been really enjoying Bachmann’s new EMD F7a and b “DCC Sound Value” models that I got a month ago. Solid runners, strong, reliable, adequate detail (which I added to here and there), sound that is more then fine to me considering the price, but more importantly…I can get the A and B loco’s with DCC and sound for less then I can an A with factory DCC from one of the higher end companies. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Athearn Gensis factory equipped DCC and sound locomotives, but if Bachmann keeps chalking up these well priced DCC and sound models I would have no problems supporting them.
