Two Can Play At That Game

The secret is out - and what a secret!

Bachmann has pulled off quite a coup with its 009 Double Fairlies revealed today.

Bachmann

 

They have raised the bar in ready to run narrow gauge yet again with what appear to be a collection of exquisite models.

The firm has blindsided the 009 community which has been sitting drumming its fingers ever-more impatiently for the Quarry Hunslets to be released, only for these Spooner masterpieces to come steaming down the tracks.

I can imagine there is consternation - and that's putting it mildly - in the boardrooms in Devon and Japan today.

Bachmann 

 

You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to work out what's going on here.  

This is Bachmann striking back at Peco and Kato parking their tanks on its lawn with their England and Fairlie projects a couple of years ago.

They say don't get mad, get even, and I think that's just what's happened here.

What astonishes me is how Bachman has managed to keep it under wraps for so long?

It takes years to develop a model like this, especially when you set out to do it with this level of authenticity and fidelity.

To make models like these, showing Livingston Thompson and Merddin Emrys in various historic conditions, plus the Collectors Club special edition DLG,   takes a lot of research, and making contact with the people who know these engines inside out.

 

Bachmann

 

 

 

These are a very different concept to the England engines we saw previewed a few weeks back.

There are no compromises here.

There is no turning a blind eye to differences to save on tooling.

It's clear the team behind this project have set out to make a point and demonstrate how they think it should be done.

Now, it's up to us, 009 modellers, to vote with our wallets. Which approach do we prefer?

It will also be fascinating to see how Peco and Kato respond.

Will they dump their Double Fairlie project?

I don't know how far down the development path it is because all we've ever been shown is an extremely rough 3D print of the body, and nothing about the chassis.

Do they still believe that there's a different market to be exploited - one that demands Japanese norms like traction tyres and doesn't bother about added extras like DCC sockets and sound - to carry on developing it and go head-to-head?

What is clear is that Bachmann has made a big statement of intent here.

They weren't dabbling in 009, this is now a serious part of their strategy and we can only wait and see how their rivals will respond.