Opening the box

The immediate reaction when faced with a new model is to compare it with the real thing. But how often do you look at a model as a model? How often do you just bask in the glory of these marvels of miniature engineering? I had the privilege of seeing production samples of Bachmann’s forthcoming SECR ‘Birdcage’ coaches at a gathering of the model railway press at its Barwell headquarters on July 5. They are simply beautiful. Three processes have been used to produce the lining around the ventilators: tampo printing, digital printing and good old-fashioned spraying. Even though they were inside a cabinet, they already felt like a contender for the best ‘OO’ gauge ready-to-run coaches ever produced. But the good stuff didn’t end there. Bachmann has taken a fair bit of stick for the length of time it has taken to get its ‘OO’ gauge Mk 2fs, among others, to market. The problem has been a technical one. It’s all very well announcing something; working out how to actually make the thing - and then make it work - is a very different matter. Two long-standing projects are moving forward, and both suggest that they’re going to be superb models. The Mk 2fs, along with the Class 90, are crammed with really cool features that you can see on page 11. The bad news is that the Mk 2f DBSO will set you back £74.95. That sounds like a lot of money for a ‘OO’ gauge coach. But before everyone throws up their hands in horror, consider this: with the amount of engineering involved, the DBSO is essentially a locomotive, just without a motor. The forthcoming Class 90 features some cool stuff too, such as a moving pantograph - a first for a British-outline model. Technical innovation such as this costs money. There will be some who will undoubtedly say that they’d rather do without, but surely the aim of railway modelling is to produce something that recreates the real world in miniature? Bachmann is making models that allow you to do this. It’s also making no apologies for offering the models at such prices. If you want the best, you’re going to have to pay for it. That automatically leads to images of corporate fat cats greedily gobbling up cash, but that’s the complete opposite to Bachmann’s philosophy. That £74.95 goes towards not only paying to make the DBSO, including its electronic wizardry, but also for the labour in the factory. There are 54 people at its Barwell HQ that need paying too, distribution costs and paying for licences (or preservation/owning groups for the privilege of measuring the real thing). Bachmann, as with any other business, needs to make a profit, as do the retailers that it supports. This is not just a Bachmann issue; Hornby, Dapol and Peco, for example, also have to factor similar costs into their prices. We should celebrate technical innovation and recognise that we have to pay for it. The hobby can’t survive if it can’t attract new blood, and young modellers raised in a 21st century world won’t be satisfied with 1950s technology. And finally, let’s just recognise the skill and craftsmanship that goes into a modern model. We’ve never had models so good - surely that’s something worth celebrating?