B'mann gas electric doodle bug - Where is it?

[rogergperkins]

  I reserved one of these when I initially saw a new production run.  BLW said sometime ago November 2011 delivery.  My calendar now reads December 15, 2011.
Where are these?  What is the status?
Could not find anything on the B'mann forum last time I looked.
Thanks.

[bbussey]

You might have better luck getting an answer on their Facebook page, as they do tend to post and answer questions there on a fairly regular basis.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Its Bachmann. Their shipping schedule is measured in decades.

[sizemore]

I dunno let's look at the past year (bare with me here I suffer CRS)...they've released 4-6-0, RS-3, 2-10-2, and GP-9. They released a boxcar and caboose. Oh lets not forget all the HO stuff too. From their 2011 NMRA announcement, about the only things left are the tank car and doodle-bug for N. So they're two weeks late, doing better than Kato or Broadway...just saying...

The S.

[jmlaboda - RIP]

"So they're two weeks late, doing better than... Broadway..."



I don't think that vaporware counts...

[SkipGear]

I just saw an invoice at work today that they are on the way to the store. Should be in stock in a day or two. I have a B&O set aside for myself. I will post pictures when they arrive.

[bbussey]

I'm most curious about the trailer coach.

[Brakie]

Its Bachmann. Their shipping schedule is measured in decades.

That seems to be the norm for several manufacturers these days.

I keep wondering if we will ever see the Atlas coil car.

[Wardie]

The Boston and Maine aren't going to be close either, ibut once I see a photo of what they have done it will probably be close enough.

[wm3798]

The lettering on the WM version looks a tad funky, but not so far off that it's off-putting.  I'll be in line as soon as I get my allowance...

Lee

[SkipGear]

Pictures soon. Brought one home from the shop today. Haven't opened the box yet but looks pretty good. I want more coaches.

[SkipGear]

Sorry I haven't gotten the pictures up yet. Heading downstairs to do it now.

Quick review upon opening the boxes finally. The doodlebug is revised version of the original. Gone is the overly complex swinging rear coupler. The rest of the frame and body looks like my older version.

The coach has some very nice surprises. First and foremost, it has axle point pickups on the trucks. The thing rolls so free that I just set it on what I thought was a level TV table and it almost hit the floor as it took off rolling. Detail and paint is very good. Rivets are tiny. The coupler boxes are body mounted with a kinematic close coupling system built in.

Pictures in a few.

[bbussey]

Tony, it appears to be a paired window coach.  Do we know the prototype it's based on?

[SkipGear]

Here are the photo's. I really need a better camera but it's what I have....

Doodle bug:



Coach:







Comparison - Doodlebug - Coach - MT Observation


I'll try to do some better shots later when I can set up some better lighting.

[bbussey]

The coach looks very good, and includes a well detailed roof that is superior to the MTL heavyweight roofs (other than the RPO).  I hope they decide to offer the coach model separately.