I remember around Christmas when Bachmann released the news on their 2-8-2 light steam locomotive. I had thought that was good timing on their part as there was few if any 2-8-2’s being offered in the market and those that were were old stock that had been sitting on the shelves for quite a while.
I see on the Bachmann site some pics of the final locomotive. However, the word for release is still soon. Heard that before, many times if I remember correctly for this model.
It is now nearly summer and still no Bachmann Light URSA 2-8-2’s and now BLI has more or less predomonate in the market right now for that locomotive. At this rate it will be winter before the Bachmann offering hits the shelves.
This reminds me of having to wait for almost two years for Walthers to release their 90’ turntables. A super wait for a so so product, hope this is not a repeat.
In the past, Bachmann has announced a G-scale model in an apparent attempt to build up interest and perhaps even pre-orders, but the product never materialized.
Even the guy who owns most of the factories sometimes has problems or delays beyond his control.
That’s why back in the day, before all this “limited run” “preorder” @#$&@#@, manufactuers did not say much about new product until it was in production/ready to ship.
But of course back then they actually planned to provide it on a semi continious basis, not just make a batch and move on.
Bachmann and Athearn are the two manufacturers still making trains to “put on the shelf” of retailers, rather than trying to “pre sell” every piece in advance, but even they have fallen into the advance notice “marketing BS”.
I guess all this advance notice hype is part of the “collector” game - I find it very boring - but I’m not collector.
If I did not already have 95% of the model trains I want, I would not be in or get in this hobby with all this “limited” production marketing hype and hardly any product on the shelves.
Again, this might all be fine for “collectors”, but it really stinks for “modelers”.
BLI does not have corner on anything in my view, I have 130 locomotives, only 7 of them are BLI - but I don’t model the PRR, so that cuts out a large pecentage of their offerings.