The topic ongoing about trains received sixty years ago has me thinking of something again. A while back there had been a discussion, in which in had asked about early 1970's Bachmann N Scale Catalogs. I can't seem to dredge that topic out of our files. Thought I had downloaded something, maybe a catalog page, but cannot find such on my external storages. My first N scale was a Bachmann set received at Christmas fifty years ago. Plastic case, cardboard sleeve. Complete with track and transformer. The engine was one of their oversized Burlington Northern GP40 units. If anyone knows of a catalog showing this, the set number, etc. I'd sure like to know. Or find that thread again. Or something.
Did it look something like these sets? https://www.ebay.com/itm/115534584987 https://www.ebay.com/itm/325250434721 These 1968 and 1969 catalogs at Trovestar might help you nail it down: https://trovestardata.com/Assets/Collections/4/Catalogs/Bachmann/Bachmann+1968+N+Catalog.pdf https://trovestardata.com/Assets/Collections/4/Catalogs/Bachmann/Bachmann+1969+N+Catalog.pdf
Yes. Looked just like those sets, except BN. Of course in 1969 there was no BN. So that set was made probably after mid-1970 at the earliest. Mine came home in 1972.
I just checked my 1973 JMC catalog to find the BN GP-40 alone was Item 4609 Powered / 4629 Dummy. Priced at $15 Powered and $6 Dummy! They didn't show train sets in the JMC catalog that year. By 1975, Bachmann's 1975 catalog continued to show your locomotive, but no BN set.
"Hi, Bachmann?" "Yes." "I have a locomotive I would like to return." "Is it dead?" "Yes" "If it is dead, it is no longer guaranteed. Sorry. They are only guaranteed for life." Doug
Ah, the Bachmann Canadian Pacific GP-whatevers... I once purchased a case of dummy units - I believe six to a case - from the Sal Marino Corp. on Staten Island. SMC was well known at the time for their multi-page advertisements. There was an actual brick and mortar store on Greenleaf Road, north of Forest Avenue. A group of us would occasionally make the trip (and pay the Goethals Bridge toll) to visit the place. I think I paid $10 for the entire case, which was probably $10 too much. You impulsive child!
Good old SMC. A group of us would make the trip up and blow $50 apiece. I bought my first MDC Roundhouse kits there, a pair of Railbox freight cars. Sal's daughter came in the RR Museum of PA a couple of years ago, and we reminisced about the place. One of the things we liked about SMC was we didn't have to pay for parking like we did at AHC in Manhattan. Sepp
I bought my pair of LV Atlas FA-1s at SMC in the early '80s. Same as you, we gathered up a small group (from NJ) and went. Used to visit Hi-Way Hobby House (aka "Highway Robbery House") in Ramsey, NJ, also an MR advertiser and now gone, along with Totowa Hobby ("See Us Any Day But Wednesday") in Wayne, NJ, also gone. Good shops all.
Used to go to Hi-Way Hobby when they were winding down operations. Every week they would find something in the basement. Ahhhh...Marshall at AHC in Manhattan..."You want this or not?!".
I remember seeing the SMC ads in MR and it seemed they always had the lowest prices, sometimes a LOT lower, along with Hobbies for Men. Doug
I had quite a roster of Bachmann steam back then and most all of it modified to represent NP and GN steam. All of them now since gone because of cracked and split gears at about the same time in the 80s.
With the sale ads, you wanted to make sure they said something like "10 Atlas cars" or "10 Aurora cars" for whatever money and not just "10 cars". Then, you at least you knew you were going to get that brand and not whatever they decided to ship. Doug
Seeing the older catalogs from this topic, and in the "Nostalgia" thread, I am surprised by the lack of early 1970's Bachmann catalogs. Which are exactly what i need to locate!
Trovestar has two Bachmann catalogs on line, but they're from 1968 and 1969 which predate the era you seek. https://www.trovestar.com/blog/article/328
Yup. I saw those. Also, Googled a few different ways, but nothing turned up. I know there are folks who collect N scale catalogs, but where are they hiding themselves?
