A look at Bachmann's train catalog from 1997

 In past blog entries I've talked about MTH's train catalogs for HO scale and One gauge, but today I want to shake things up. While I am doing anther catalog look over, it's going to be from good old Bachmann trains. 

Like I said in my blog responding to Maybe Train Enthusiast video on weather or not Bachmann is a bad company, I have a soft spot for Bachmann. Yes their trains were more rougher around the edges and had springs that when cracked, would make the trains not work, but they've come a long way since then. 

I also stand by the belief that them still releasing model train sets is doing more good then bad for the model train industry. With all that said, I wanted to go over their 1997 catalog as I do feel this was when Bachmann was starting to turn the gears and go from toyetic company to model railroading company, while also giving folks trains that were more reliable. 

Like MTH's catalogs I'll be going over not everything, but things I found the most interesting in the catalog, alongside things I wouldn't mind Bachmann bringing back. One final note is that I'll be taking photos of the catalog via Iphone, so apologize for not using PDF's or scanning the catalog. 

The first set that greets those that open the catalog is the Cannonball express, which has a Santa Fe carrying 5 freight cars with a hand car running away from it. I wouldn't mind seeing this come back as a set, but I can see Bachmann choosing the EZ command set with two diesels over this one. 

One more thing to note is the E-Z mate couplers that are advertised. From the looks of it, Bachmann was getting ready to switch over from using the nob couplers to ones that were more realistic. 

Nothing against said nob couplers, but not realistic aside, they weren't always reliable... 

I have a soft spot for the Casey Jones set. Yes it's basically the Chattanooga set that Bachmann sells but with a green engine and green caboose, but I still think the set looks neat. Wouldn't mind Bachmann swapping the Chattanooga out for this set just to switch things up. 

The Rail King set is note worthy to me because this is the set that Bachmann sold before replacing it with Track King. I do find it interesting that Bachmann swapped out the white box car for the Frisco one in later editions of the set. 

On one hand, I do like the current lineup of Christmas train sets that Bachmann has. On the other, I do kind of want to see The White Christmas Express come back. The set looks nice with the green and golden train, and I can't help but think of Bing Crosby's "Dreaming of a white Christmas" when I hear the name of the set. 

I do find some humor in the fact that this is the only Christmas train set in the catalog, when in later editions Bachmann would dedicate at least one part of the catalog to Christmas train sets. To be fair, folks looking to buy train sets for their Christmas villages/put around the tree is still a thing. 

Speaking of things that are still around, Bachmann's Overland Limited. I gotta hand it to Bachmann for being dedicated to sell this set for years now. That being said, I do wish they'd update it a bit. From what I hear the 4-8-4 locomotive and tanker don't connect well, and I'm down for Bachmann replacing the set with a Big Boy if they ever decided to make one in the future. 

Next, we go onto the Silver Series train sets. The best way I can describe the Silver Series is that their basically what Bachmann's Amtrak/DCC sound ready train sets are. The sets included Spectrum trains and cars (for those who are curious, Spectrum was Bachmann's high end line), and offered everything you needed to start your railroad off on the right foot. 

Truth be told, I wouldn't mind seeing some of these train sets come back. The Patriot being one of them. 

And yes Bachmann I know, you have at least 3 Amtrak train sets already, but I do miss the regular diesel Amtrak trains. 

The Pioneer I like because it comes with two powered trains instead of one, though I have a feeling a modern Bachmann F7A and F7B unit set would be a $500 and over train set. 

Speaking of F7A and F7B units, when is the Southern Pacific Daylight F7A and B diesels coming back Bachmann? 

Final thing to note is the Tri-level car transporter, which I wanted to bring up since Bachmann did announce they were bringing these back onto the market. While not the most realistic looking cars, I don't mind the cars that are shown on the transporter. They certainly look a bit more realistic then Tyco's. 

Not too much to comment on Bachmann's N-scale sets, other then the Empire Builder. Yep, Bachmann's N-scale version of the Overland Limited first made it's debut in this catalog, and as of the 2025 catalog has still been offered. 

Onto O scale is Plasticville, which was celebrating it's 50th anniversary in 1997. There's not much to really talk about in this section outside of some new buildings that were offered: 

Bachmann's Big Haulers (AKA G scale) offers more train set selection in this catalog then it does in today's catalog, starting with a train set that I'd like to see make a comeback in the Blue Comet. 

Like I said in the "Train sets I'd like to see get remade/released" blog, the train may not be the same engine or cars that the real Blue Comet had, but it still looks like a nice train set worth buying and having run in the garden or basement. 

Here are some of the other train sets that Bachmann offered in G scale in the catalog, and spoiler alert: there's a lot:

Again, Bachmann, I know your busy trying to add modern diesels into the G scale line, but it would be nice if you also would add some train sets as well. Though maybe that should come after you guys make G scale track that can better withstand the elements...

Final thoughts: 

Unlike MTH's HO line, Bachmann trains are still ongoing, so it was interesting to see trains and train sets that Bachmann was selling back then, still be sold today, not to mention this was Bachmann's turning point. 

1997 Bachmann may have had a fair share of problems with it's trains, but it's their Silver Series Line, Spectrum line, and overall desire to move from Toyetic trains to Models (with a capital M), while still keeping things fairly pricy. 

What was Railroad's at Work? (World's fair train display)

Now-a-days, it doesn't feel that difficult to come across a giant model railroad display. A simple search for "large train layouts" on Youtube will get you results of video's of anything from massive train club layouts, to exabits like "Minature Wunderland" or "Northlandz". 

While I'm not about to tell you guys that massive model railroads weren't a thing back in the early days of model railroading, some weren't as well documented as they are today, simply due to the fact that camera's weren't something everyone had in their pockets. It's a shame, because I imagine there's plenty of giant model railroads out there that haven't been well documented for one reason or anther, case in point, today's topic: Railroad's at Work. 

What was it? 

 Debuting at the New York's World Fair in 1939, "Railroads' at Work" is a train exhibit that isn't nearly as well documented as it should be, simply because of how massive it was. Most of the information I found on the train layout was from  www.rgusrail.com, which has the program that was handed out about the exhibit digitally archived along with other happenings at the World's Far that year.  

Dubbed the largest model railroad at the time, the train layout was sponsored by railroads in the east, such as Lehigh Valley, Baltimore & Ohio, Norfolk & Western, and Pennsylvania. 

The massive layout had just about everything, mountains, towns, factories, rivers, and even waterfalls. 

The water features of the layout are what I find most impressive as the water on the layout is real. Having real water on a layout can be risky as water and electricity don't exactly get along with one anther, yet the Railroads at Work layout had 7,000 gallons of water in it. 

As for the gauge, the layout was O scale and double O for train in the background. It should also be noted that the layout isn't 3 rail O scale like Lionel, but 2 rail instead, which I find amusing. Lionel's 3 rail O scale is well known and manufactured these days, yet one of the earliest and at one point largest train layouts there was to see was in 2 rail O scale. 

Speaking of the trains, the layout had 500 pieces of rolling stock and 60 locomotives on it. 

Going back to the scenery, the layout had 1,000 buildings, 7,000 trees, and 250 lights in the buildings. 

Alongside trains, ships on the layout would move by an intricate mechanism below the surface of the water. 

The Layout was 160 feet wide and 40 feet deep, and guest would view it in an auditorium which was said to have speakers that would play train sounds, since this was long, long before the days of DCC sound ready trains. 

So what happened to the layout?

I'd love to tell you guys that this massive layout is currently stored in a museum somewhere that can be viewed in all it's glory, that's sadly not what happened to the layout. According to Youtuber Leonard Williams in a video showing off one of the engines and cars from the world fair (and spoiler alert, despite it being over 70 years old it still runs great), after the 1940 World Fair exhibit, the layout was disassembled and then reassembled in a Macy's for Christmas. 

After that, all rolling stock and engines from the layout were sold off. Only thing was the engines and rolling stock were vastly different from anything on the market. 

Again, the trains were 2 rail O scale, and the couplers didn't look anything like the real ones in real life.

Screenshot from Williams video showing the engine from the exhibit 

Screenshot from Williams video showing off the cars and the couplers. 

 

Still, I'd imagine the trains were built well. Again, referring to Williams video, the train he runs makes it's way around his layout pretty well for an engine that's old and already has a decent amount of milage on it. Even the cars it's carrying behind it do well on the track. 

It does sadden me that the layout couldn't be saved or stored in a museum though. Again, at the time this layout was one of the largest ones in America, not counting any layouts hidden in the mansions of toy train loving billionaires. It would have been nice to see it placed in a model railroad museum or even turned into an train exhibit people could visit. 

Railroad's at Work's successor? 

As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, it's not hard to find a massive train layout these days, weather it's a museum or train club, but what about one that's similar to Railroads at Work? One that's not only massive but also shows people what's in store for a train on it's way from and to somewhere? 

I'd have to say that the closest successor to Railroads at work would be "The Great Train Story" at the Museum of Science & Industry. 

Now before anyone calls me out on it, yes, I know that "Railroad's at Work" and "Great Train Story" have a laundry list of differences, starting with the fact that one is in O scale and the other is in HO. But the reason why I believe the "Great Train Story" is a successor to "Railroad's at Work" is because both educate the public on the railroad industry. 

"Great Train Story" covers a train's journey from Chicago to Seattle and all the stops in between, while "Railroad's at Work" showed a train's journey from the crack of dawn into night. 

That said, I do think "The Great Train Story" has an advantage, in giving folks the ability to walk around the layout instead of just sitting and watching it in an auditorium. 

Conclusion

As much of a bummer as it is that Railroad's at Work wasn't preserved, it is because of the layout that interest in model trains continued to grow. I also imagine it inspired other model railroaders to try and make their own "largest train layout". 

I just hope they had deep pockets and a lot of time. Making a massive train layout doesn't happen over night, even if you do have a team of men to help you out...

 

 

Train sets I'd like to see get remade/re-released

 I can't help but have a huge soft spot in my heart for train sets. They are what help get someone into the world of model railroading, giving one a train, some cars, enough track to make a loop, and a transformer. 

In this blog, I'm gonna be going over some train sets that were once released and or offered in train catalogs, but are no longer available to purchase (except for on Ebay) that I'd like to see get made again, or re-released. 

Lionel's Texas Special (HO scale) 

Photo provided by Esty 

While I'm well aware that the Texas Special has been done in HO scale to some extent by companies like Athearn, IHC, and Broadway Limited, it still bothers me how rare it seemingly is to see the train done in HO scale these days. 

90% of the time I see the train only released in O scale and by one of the most well known model train companies: Lionel. 

Funny enough, Lionel was one of the first ones to take a crack at bringing the Texas Special to HO scale. This was during Lionel's first run of HO scale trains when the company wanted to jump on board the HO scale bandwagon as smaller scales started to become more and more popular. 

While I know Lionel still has some ways to go with their HO scale line, I would like to see them give us a Texas Special HO scale set when they introduce diesel's into the line. Having a train not normally done in HO scale would give Lionel an advantage over it's HO scale competitors (and make people forget about the lawsuit with the owners of the molds Lionel was using). 

Bachmann's Hershey's Express 

Yes guys, I know that brand focus train sets are basically advertisements disguised as train sets, but I can't help but have a soft spot for some of these train sets. If done right, you've got a charming little train set based off of your favorite brand that you can run around the layout. 

Bachmann's Hershey Express from their 2007 catalog is one that I really want the company to remake again. 

Photo provided by Walthers 

While the train set isn't anything too special, it has enough charm to it that I can't help but fall in love with it. The EMD Hershey Diesel looks like a paint scheme an actual EMD diesel would have, and the pink Bubble Yum box car looks better then it should being a pink colored box car. 

Other back-catalog remakes I wouldn't mind Bachmann doing are a remake of the Chocolate Town USA set that included 6 cars instead of the usual 4, and a remake of their limited edition set that included a steam engine with 2 fright cars and a passenger car. 

Photo provided by "We R toys" 

Photo provided by Ebay 

Though I can't help but wonder if the Hershey Express was a limited edition set to some extent. It only appeared in the 2007 catalog and is hard to find even on Ebay...

Bachmann's Blue Comet 

Photo provided by EJ's auction & appraisal

Moving away from HO scale and moving up to G scale, you have the Blue Comet, and G scale train set that was released by Bachmann. While not the same steam engine or passenger car type, the set still looks as nice as any other Blue Comet train set. 

While I know Bachmann has been busy expanding their G scale line with Diesels and more modern day fright cars, it would be nice to see them remake/release a G scale Blue Comet train set again. It is getting kind of tiring seeing them only offer the "Night Before Christmas" train set in the G scale section of their catalogs after all...

NASCAR train sets (Lionel, Lifelike) 

Photo provided by Lionel Trains 

Yes guys I know NASCAR has dipped in popularity a bit, but it kills me how NASCAR train sets, let alone NASCAR box cars and cabooses aren't a thing. I remember looking at Lionel catalogs of the past and seeing NASCAR train sets based on drivers such as Tony Stewart or Jimmy Johnson. 

Considering the fact that Lionel has the rights to do NASCAR diecast cars, I'm surprised that they haven't considered giving the public more Lionel train sets. True, said train sets would have to be updated with modern drivers as opposed to older ones (although I wouldn't mind seeing that), but I think it's something Lionel is capable of. 

Photo provided by Dallas Model Works 

Or better yet, instead of making a train set based on one drive, why not do what Lifelike trains did and have it be a train set with boxcars of multiple drivers? 

Athearn's Coca Cola train set 

Wanting Athearn's to do more train sets to give Bachmann some competition aside, I really do like their Coca Cola collectable train set. In spite of the train set being mostly white with some red here and there, it still looks like a nice looking train set in my eyes. 

Yes I know collectable train sets are supposed to be just that: collectables that are going to be rare or harder to find, I still don't see any reason why Athearn's can't give us anther Coca Cola train set, maybe this time around with different types of cars or ones that are based on other brands from Coca Cola Co. 

And no Bradford Exchange I do not want your Coca Cola Christmas train set that only cost $69.99 a month. Especially when I can ironically get the Athearn's Coca Cola train set for cheaper on Ebay (at the moment).