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 Posted - September 25 2014 : 8:04:42 PM
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A while back on eBay I saw an auction for a boxed train set from Bachmann that was a Sears-exclusive set. Now, Sears-exclusive train sets was nothing new then: I believe Lionel had several, and in the late 1960s and early 1970s, there were Sears HO sets made by TYCO.
This Sears train set I found was made by Bachmann some time in the late 1980s, and also included landscaping material, very much like the store-exclusive Life-Like train sets of the 1990s (usually sold by J.C. Penny.) It makes sense Sears chose Bachmann to make this, as by this time TYCO was really shrinking in their train line and not doing so well, and Bachmann was much more popular then.
It was officially labeled as "Sears HO SCALE TRAIN SET NO. 49-91569," and item number 476. It included a double-oval 45x90 track layout that also had a dead-end siding. The train was hauled by a 2-10-4 "Texas" PRR steam locomotive and tender (I think the tender had an electronic chugging module as well), pulling eight freight cars, the crane car and boom tender (no caboose, it seems!) It also included a bunch of action accessories, like the "Gandy Dancer" handcar, electronic wayside steam whistle, railroad crossing with gates lights and bell, and lighted freight station. Also included were the Plasticville switch tower, signal bridge, barn, farm building set, water tank, gas station and school house, along with signs and telephone poles, a 17-piece bridge-and-trestle set, and a grass mat, trees, lychen and gravel for landscaping. It even came with two power packs instead of one (maybe to power all those accessories.)
This was literally a full model railroad in a single package, very much like what Life-Like used to often sell in the 1980s and 1990s. I think this might have been the only time Bachmann ever did a set like this, but I could be wrong. Too bad too, because even if it was pricey, it was still an easy way to start a very nice model railroad without buying all the parts separately. (But for me, my method for starting a railroad would be to buy a good train set, some additional cars and track, and the landscaping material and buildings and such separately; maybe even buying them all together if shopping online or something!)
I think it would be neat if Bachmann offered a package like this again as some online or store-exclusive thing, except this time it would probably be similar to the "Digital Commander" set, including their E-Z Command system and two trains. I mean, except for that locomotive and that admittedly crummy railroad crossing (with the unrealistically-strobing lights and super-fast bell with grinding motor noise), as well as the old-fashioned "sectional" track, pretty much everything in that set is still available!
Does anyone else have any information about this or any similar sets, if Bachmann made any?
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 Posted - September 25 2014 : 9:36:16 PM
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I agree, that honestly would be pretty neat for Bachmann to make a set like this, I mean come on. Why hasn't Bachmann done this since? Or any model railroad manufacturer for that matter.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
Edited by - kovacste000 on September 25 2014 9:37:08 PM
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Posted - September 25 2014 : 10:09:38 PM
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quote: I mean come on. Why hasn't Bachmann done this since? Or any model railroad manufacturer for that matter.
Originally posted by kovacste000Â -Â September 25 2014Â :Â 9:36:16 PM
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Well, I can think of several reasons. Everyone has a different take on what should be in the set, as to their favorite cars. If you chose Santa Fe stock, the C&O crowd won't buy it. And vice versa. I think road-name sets are kind of a dead-end marketing, as you limit the set's market once you pick and chose a single road name engine to put in it. That is why Tyco , Bachmann and Life-Like offered multiple sets with different road names, to cater to all tastes. In today's world, limiting the set to a single road name will not lead to marketing success, as you turn off all the others, and they will probably only market one set at a time, not multiples. Now, if you could ORDER your own set, say you have the basic track, scenery, etc. already boxed but you could order ti with BN, SP, B&O, NYC, etc then you may have a winner. But I doubt any company is going to offer that kind of personalized service to building a set. And I personally don't buy sets (or rarely do),I buy individual cars to suit my tastes, so starter sets will only appeal to beginners, not experienced or older modelers. Now, I would have bought that UA Turbotrain set, but I didnt have the $360 for it a few years ago, either. I still want one, too. Now all I STILL need is money....sigh.
A few other specialty sets I have bought? Tyco GI Joe, Tyco Transformers, Lionel Texas Special ( HO ), AHM Firefox, Monopoly train, Hershey train, NFL Superbowl set, among others. VERY specialized. Nothing realistic except the Texas Special.
For most experienced modelers, I doubt sets are the way to go, Hobby Lobby has started carrying Bachmann HO and N starter sets now. One of the few places that do carry any HO or smaller sets now, other than train shops. The sets are out there , but just are not carried frequently, even my Train shop only carries one or two HO sets, and I've had customers ask for them, too. My Boss is mostly O gauge, so he isn't gonna stock HO sets much at all. He sells individual engines and cars. That's the market now, and will continue to be I'm sure. He DOES stock Lionel complete sets, and sells those like no tomorrow sometimes. HO, not so much, if the demand was there, he'd probably stock them. Just sayin'....
Jerry in Va
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
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Posted - September 25 2014 : 10:12:11 PM
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quote:I agree, that honestly would be pretty neat for Bachmann to make a set like this, I mean come on. Why hasn't Bachmann done this since? Or any model railroad manufacturer for that matter.
Originally posted by kovacste000Â -Â September 25 2014Â :Â 9:36:16 PM
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Yeah, It would be interesting to see manufacturers making entry-level sets like these again.
I think part of the reason it hasn't been done is that these sets would be expensive, and people buying starter sets are only willing to spend a certain amount of money, especially the department-store sets which are traditionally intended for children. Hobbyists who are paying more than $200-$300 are probably not interested in starter sets, and most of the people buying these sets probably want to set them up on the floor, and aren't interested in the scenery materials. It seems like the division between "model" and "toy" trains is farther than ever, so most "toy" buyers don't need "model" trains, and most "model" buyers don't want "toy" trains. This set falls somewhere in the middle, and so would have less appeal than other, simpler sets.
Maybe, hopefully, manufacturers will start making these again. That would certainly be a sign of widespread renewed interest in the hobby.
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Posted - September 25 2014 : 10:19:54 PM
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| I'd like to find that Corning hopper & the PennCentral(?) log car(?)
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Posted - September 25 2014 : 10:27:40 PM
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quote: quote:I agree, that honestly would be pretty neat for Bachmann to make a set like this, I mean come on. Why hasn't Bachmann done this since? Or any model railroad manufacturer for that matter.
Originally posted by kovacste000Â -Â September 25 2014Â :Â 9:36:16 PM
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Yeah, It would be interesting to see manufacturers making entry-level sets like these again.
I think part of the reason it hasn't been done is that these sets would be expensive, and people buying starter sets are only willing to spend a certain amount of money, especially the department-store sets which are traditionally intended for children. Hobbyists who are paying more than $200-$300 are probably not interested in starter sets, and most of the people buying these sets probably want to set them up on the floor, and aren't interested in the scenery materials. It seems like the division between "model" and "toy" trains is farther than ever, so most "toy" buyers don't need "model" trains, and most "model" buyers don't want "toy" trains. This set falls somewhere in the middle, and so would have less appeal than other, simpler sets.
Maybe, hopefully, manufacturers will start making these again. That would certainly be a sign of widespread renewed interest in the hobby.
Originally posted by ChessieRRÂ -Â September 25 2014Â :Â 10:12:11 PM
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That's what I'm trying to say. If they made these kinds of sets for department stores and whatnot again, it would start getting more kids into model railroading. It has everything you'd need to start one in the first place. But then again, like you've said, those types of sets would, and probably were, very pricey.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - September 25 2014 : 11:02:29 PM
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well the old sets did include cars with their name on it too
I do has a few too
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Posted - November 04 2014 : 11:25:05 PM
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Here's something I saw on eBay, which I think appears to be a Target-exclusive train set from the early '90s...
Look at that! You get a huge 96x40 over/under figure-8 of track, the usual signs, poles and figures, railroad crossing, many Plasticville building kits including the suburban station, signal bridge, barn, farm buildings, schoolhouse, even the split-level house, along with the park accessory set and six autos! And instead of the usual crummy low-end Bachmann pancake-motor locomotive, you get the Mehano GP18 with eight-wheel drive that Bachmann sometimes used in their train sets in the late '80s and early '90s for better motive power. (Also note it has a Chessie caboose for some reason.)
This set gives you a LOT to work with. What made me sure it was a Target-exclusive set was the inclusion of a Target boxcar.
It also kind of reminds me of the mid-90s E-Z Track set the "Golden Star," which is similar but has a 56x38" oval of E-Z Track, the old Union Pacific GP40, no crossing (Bachmann did not have an E-Z Track version yet at the time), and no autos or split-level house, and it wasn't store-exclusive. (I'm getting one of those "Golden Star" sets for that model railroad museum!)
It sure would be cool if Bachmann offered a train set like this, coming with all those Plasticville building kits and accessories. It would certainly add to the play factor or the intention of starting a model railroad than just the suburban station and/or signal bridge!
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Posted - November 05 2014 : 10:51:02 AM
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kool I has that boxcar & 2 more Target ones
One time I saw a Target train set it had a loco Target boxcar a car & a caboose
So obviously the set shrank 
Edited by - microbusss on November 05 2014 10:58:08 AM
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Posted - November 05 2014 : 12:39:39 PM
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| My first set as a kid was a Life Like set. Received it for Christmas. Started as a 4x8. Added a used set from a garage sale a few years later. It was then boxed up through high school and collage. When I had kids it all came back out. At this point though I am into the hobby grade. This said it was the 'toy' grade that got me started.
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Posted - November 05 2014 : 3:54:07 PM
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quote:My first set as a kid was a Life Like set. Received it for Christmas. Started as a 4x8. Added a used set from a garage sale a few years later. It was then boxed up through high school and collage. When I had kids it all came back out. At this point though I am into the hobby grade. This said it was the 'toy' grade that got me started.
Originally posted by tkruger - November 05 2014 : 12:39:39 PM
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One of my favorite projects is to take the so-called "toy grade" piece and turn it into "hobby grade" and beyond. Some toy grade is a little more toy-like than others, but it's surprising what a little massaging can do (at least from 3 ft. away )
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - November 05 2014 : 4:57:06 PM
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In the 90s, President's Choice (a private brand name grocery chain here in Canada) offered "sets" every Christmas for a number of years. The cars were garbage but the engines were made by Mehano and were, still are, good runners. These sets are fetching a good price right now on EBay compared to what they sold for originally.
Update:
My wife and I were talking over supper and she mentioned the train set she got me for Christmas shortly after we were married. At the time she worked for Canadian Tire and CTC was getting out of selling electric trains. The local store had a complete train set including a completely sceniced mountain, a complete diesel train, track, foam roadbed, power pack and a number of accessories. I had completely forgotten about this set and now I can't remember if it was made by Bachmann or Life-Like but I tend to go with Bachmann as I still have a very old Bachmann diesel hanging around.
It was a company set, not something the store had made for display as I now recall it came in a large box and the 2 sections of the mountain layout had to be assembled.
The time I frame I am referring to here is either Christmas 1970 or 1971
Edited by - Retired Alex on November 05 2014 8:14:35 PM
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 Posted - December 06 2020 : 4:36:03 PM
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Blast from the past.
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