What about a limited edition where it is limited to less than 7500 ie 5000? Are they trying to say the deliberately produce something which they will not turn a profit on? I find that unlikely.
Bachmann interview in BRM
I had a chance to read an interview given by Graham Hubbard and Dennis Lovett in this months British Railway Modelling.
Did you realise that every Bachmann pre-production model gets tested to destruction to see which part fails first. And that part will be redesigned so that it does not fail. And that the typical Bachmann model costs between £80000 and £130000 to develop with the Class 9F requiring 40 moulds!
And that Bachmann have 1000 tampo paint machines in their factory with a typical loco requiring 30 to 40 seperate tampo print applications.
And the criteria for model selection is interesting and logical. There is no point in considering a loco if the motor will not fit in the body and if the body will not have enough room for weight to haul a decent load. A loco restricted to the highland lines of Scotland for example with an operational period of maybe 1910 to 1940 will have very little chance of ever being made. Bachmann need to sell a minimum of 5000 examples of one loco to break even on cost and 7500 before they start covering operational overheads and move into profit. If they feel unable to achieve this high level of sales for a design then they will pass.
An interesting read and a bit of an eye opener!
Happy modelling
Gary
Did you realise that every Bachmann pre-production model gets tested to destruction to see which part fails first. And that part will be redesigned so that it does not fail. And that the typical Bachmann model costs between £80000 and £130000 to develop with the Class 9F requiring 40 moulds!
And that Bachmann have 1000 tampo paint machines in their factory with a typical loco requiring 30 to 40 seperate tampo print applications.
And the criteria for model selection is interesting and logical. There is no point in considering a loco if the motor will not fit in the body and if the body will not have enough room for weight to haul a decent load. A loco restricted to the highland lines of Scotland for example with an operational period of maybe 1910 to 1940 will have very little chance of ever being made. Bachmann need to sell a minimum of 5000 examples of one loco to break even on cost and 7500 before they start covering operational overheads and move into profit. If they feel unable to achieve this high level of sales for a design then they will pass.
An interesting read and a bit of an eye opener!
Happy modelling
Gary
1 - 3 of 3 Posts
Well limited editions come after main production in financial terms if they have the model
or will be producing the model then a limited edition will be considered,
they wont just do a model to support one limited edition.
Pete
or will be producing the model then a limited edition will be considered,
they wont just do a model to support one limited edition.
Pete
1 - 3 of 3 Posts
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