and williams by Bachmann was listed and takes you to the old wiliams site and then if you enter and click they have all the bachmann numbers to order and for suport. http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/index.php
I am glad they are up. I have dealt little with Backmann in more than a decade, but I do hope that they continue the Williams quality that many of us have become accustomed to.
Dennis
I’m suprised they left the old site instead of building a new one or putting the trains on the Bachmann site. Still, it’s exciting that they’ve got Williams back up again. I wonder if they’ll improve the sound system any? Who knows, maybe they’ll install their engines with TMCC & RailSounds like Atlas does.
SchemerBob, according to what I’ve been hearing, Lionel is not interested in anymore licensing of TMCC.
Bachmann has also hired on Larry Harrington formerly with Williams. Williams always resisted iincluding more electronic options with their locos, and for many of us who like Williams just as was, hopefully they will continue to resist. There is more than enough selection of new expensive product with the added electronics included. The reason I don’t buy MTH products is that I refuse to pay more for features that I will only pull out of the loco.
Along the same lines of your thinking Bob (but on the opposite side) I keep hoping MTH would issue the Rugged Rails SD90MAC without any additional features. And price it accordingly, not charging more for less. But MTH seems to have little interest in doing this. The SD90MAC was issued a few years ago iin a horn only version and then cancelled. But they also raised the price $30 for the horn-only version. So I simply do not purchase their products for that reason alone. For me, added electronics = no sale. But I know there are others who feel the opposite.
And because of that, there are now plenty of companies offering after-market upgrade circuit boards so that a customer who wishes to have the added electronics in a Williams/Bachmann product can have them, without the rest of us who absolutely do NOT want them not having to pay more for options we do not want. There are upgrade electonics for even the RMT BEEP.
Williams had a winning formular. There only real fault was not having the capital to promote their products and having a larger dealer network. Bachmann can do these things, and hopefully will leave the product line as was - basic, simple affordable quality, oversized stamped metal handrails and all!
I like williams trains as an afordable train and hope Bachmann see this. The only change I would like is in there sets make them either rtr or without track and transformer so someone starting out can get a complete set in box that is an excellant set I think the Virginian set would be an awsome rtr set acually any of them would that they offer.
Williams has previously released train sets that had no tracks or transformers. They were affordable sets that offered good value for the money. And add-ons were available. This wasn’t in the distant past either. They were offering these sets right up until the end.
I don’t see Bachmann radically changing anything about the Williams line. The old axium “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” certainly applies in this case. I think Williams by Bachmann will continue to offer the same trains we’ve grown accustomed to. But they will make them available in more outlets. Look for them in more hobby/train stores. They might also start to offer versions of some Williams trains with upgraded sound systems and or command control at some point. But my guess is that’s not going to be immediately done.
Jim
I just hope they don’t do like Lionel did with the first K-Line items where the jacked up the price on the K-Line engine to like $200 buck for the same train I bought at a hobbie shop brand new for 75. Williams was a good product at a fair price hope they live by that.
It was the K-Line by Lionel Sante-Fe Pacific MSRP $259.99 (6-38619)
I bought the same engine except Erie for $75 brand new
I have heard from at least one dealer that Bachman will be shipping Williams in time for Christmas. But I don’t see anywhere on the website where they will allow a mere commoner such as myself to place an order. They list dealers. I emailed Bachman to ask if they have a list of Online Dealers, but have no reply yet. In the past, I ordered direct from Williams.
JusTrains is a Williams dealer. And they have great pricing. They also ship incredibly fast. I bought a set of Williams F3s from them and was extremely pleased.
Jim
I wonder how much this buy will actually affect Bachmann. Maybe many Williams customers, relizing that their trains are no longer produced by the old Williams, will no longer want to buy them from Bachmann. Maybe to some people its not a concern. To me, its almost similar to Lionel gaining control over K-Line. I wouldnt mind having a original K-Line, or Lionel made K-Line, its all the same to me, all produced in CHINA. Just my [2c]
Grayson,
Not all K-Line stuff was made in China.
Most of the trains made in the 80’s were made in the good 'ol USA.
Carl T.
Hey I just remembered something…I looked at the O scale model train display at “Big River TrainTown” in Hannibal, Missouri in late October and they were operating some Williams locomotives…one of them was a C&O A-B-A diesel set with matching passenger cars (I think the Sportsman?). They also had O scale locomotives for sale in their gift shop which I could tell were Williams, too, and many Willams engines on display. I was impressed at their appearance. Apart from the sound system which is pretty basic, I wouldn’t mind having a few of those engines myself…they look pretty good. I probably wouldn’t have known the C&O diesels were Williams if I hadn’t have seen them while browing the Williams website. They look good enough to be MTH Premier.
HEY did anybody know Williams is making UP Heritage locomotives? They’re only $229!
SchemerBob
The question is, has anybody bought one and how do they like it. They look great.
Does anyone know if the WILLIAMS NYC HUDSON that JUSTTRAINS have listed for $295, has CHUFF, Bell and whistle?
laz57
My Williams Berkshire has whistle & horn only,would think the Hudson is the same.
Looks like a lot of the Williams stuff at JustTrains is now backordered. Has anyone spoken to them as to when they expect to get their new Williams stuff?
A whistle AND a horn?
Just kidding I knew you probably meant whistle and bell. Didn’t you? [(-D]
I saw that also but said no I’m not going to pic but did laugh at some of our simple but great mistakes that we all do .
Um…[B)][:D]
Did I ever tell you about the time I …
Oh, never mind.