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.
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