Bachmann Deltics

Apparently not. :o(

John.

From what I've been told, neither the "Peaks" nor the 55's are fitted with lights....perhaps they want to charge more for the extra's...??

Colin.

More like they were trying to keep the price down, according a FOAF.

Anyway, it's not that they would want to charge more, they would actually *need* to charge more. Bachmann appear to be positioning themselves as reasonable quality at a reasonable price, ie the Lima replacement, certainly cost wise. Add on the lights, 6-axle drive, extra mouldings for variant details, and you're soon up with the Heljan and Hornby (50) prices.

Someone was moaning the other day about duplication (Hymeks I think). The more the merrier as far as I'm concerned. Roll on the £90 Heljan Deltic with lights, co-co chassis, etc. Then people have the choice. No need for argument. Everyone can be happy!

Simon.

aha! my FOAF said that it was because Bachmann were absolutely desperate to have new models ready for Warley knowing that both Hornby and Heljan were about to launch new products. Fitting the models with lights (and ETH for the Deltic) would have added months to the final release date.

Pete

Assuming they had not even thought about such things in the months / years before 'accepting' the tooling for production - seems unlikely to me but stranger things happen...

Well if they keep the price down by offering less then it will cost more in the long term by having to purchase the lights and fit them....it would have been much cheaper, easier and convenient to have fitted them during production.

Colin.

[ re Bachmann deltic ]

You are looking at this from the wrong side of the counter, it costs extra for Bachmann to have those bits on the model [1], with every chance that some purchases will be lost due to the higher price they would then need to ask to recoup the investment in the same time period - if they don't charge the extra it's a double whammy for them, higher production cost and longer to break even.....

[1] even if they are 'purchaser to fit' items packed along side the loco in the box.

So why do manufacturers have production lines.... (no pun intended). Perhaps the manufacturers should only supply in kit-form and leave the modeller/purchaser to fit everything, don't forget the paint and tools....?? They could also supply plain cardboard containers with ordinary bubble-wrap, which would reduce costs again ;-)

Colin.

Colin.

Then they'd lose sales to people who want RTR out of the box. Besides, it probably costs more to pack all the bits and bobs separately than to assemble the item. Whatever they do, someone is bound to complain.

bubble-wrap,

Some do, I think they call them 'Kits' !... :~)

Not as light-hearted a suggestion as it may seem; Tri-ang offered models in part-assembled state during the '60s and early '70s, marketed as "CKD" (which stood for "completely knocked down"); Trix did much the same with their "Footplateman" series.

David E. Belcher

This is what Tri-ang found with their CKD range, on top of which they offered a testing service for locos assembled by the purchaser.

CHeers, Francis K.