Bachmann's new 4mm model of the Class 66 comes as a very pleasant suprise indeed. Photos of samples displayed at the Toy Fair earlier this year weren't very encouraging, but in the flesh things are a whole lot better. A whole lot better indeed...
To say a model 'captures the look of the real thing' is a phrase that, in recent times, has been worn out to the point of worthlessness, used as it is on a regular basis by the WeveNeverHadItSoGood brigade to excuse any old piece of junk that barely resembles a prototype. Yet, to my eyes at least, the Bachmann 66 looks very much like a 66 and I offer this observation as genuine praise, not as the vacuous toadying it often is. Certainly the model looks much more like it's prototype than Hornby's recent slab-sided Class 31 managed.
The tooling is much finer than Bachmann are renowned for. This isn't a chunky. There are a lot of nice touches, such as the knuckle coupler swung to the side (one end only) and the lift bars.
Much of the criticism levelled at the first examples seen centred around the front end. The windows were the wrong shape and ill-fitting components left a vulgar chasm across the face of the loco.
Regrettably these errors have not been corrected in the production models, however they are not particularly apparent under normal layout conditions. Shoving a camera under the model's nose tends to highlight these deficiencies, but they're not something I'm going to worry about in reality. The Freightliner liveried release, however, might be a different kettle of fish altogether, as the yellow front could emphasise the window shape.
A selection of separate components add relief to the busy and exposed underframe area, although a lot of detail is absent. Something for an enterprising aftermarket manufacturer to address, perhaps.
Some fine etching is a major improvement on Bachmann's infamous 'fishnet fanny' and again, when operating under layout conditions, looks excellent.
The paintwork is a little fuzzy in places, something I've noticed on a lot of Bachmann DMUs recently. Bachmann can do much better than this, and need to take steps to regain their previous standards in this area.
The roof profile is pretty good, if not perfect. This was the main failing of the old Lima model, which had a very pointed look to it when compared with the wide and flatter appearance of the prototype. The outer slopes on Bachmann's model aren't quite as steep as they should be, which means the other planes have been adjusted to compensate. Combined with the too square windows (higher than they should be, in relation to their width) this still gives a the model a little bit of a 'pointy' air to it which looked odd the first time I saw it. But there's a big difference between looking a little odd and looking bl**dy awful - for my money I've seen a lot worse and it's not a show-stopper for me this time around.
The NEM coupler pocket is actually at the correct height for a change. The model is driven on all axles (unlike previous releases such as the 37) although pick-ups aren't provided on every wheel. A standard DCC socket is fitted, as are both front and rear lights. The front lights use blue-white LEDs rather than the much better golden-whites now common on overseas models. Unfortunately the much heralded day/night time running is controlled by a switch underneath and merely serves to deactivate one of the lights. As the side lights are just painted on you don't get the characteristic effect you might have seen when watching the real things.
While this model doesn't come close to US or European standards and isn't without it's own selection of errors, it is certainly a colossal improvement over previous Bachmann diesels. The trick, I suppose, is to produce a model which satisfies as big a chunk of the market as is possible at a given price point. I suspect Bachmann have done well in this respect with the Class 66, offering a model that is going to sell to a lot more than just the established and undiscerning collector and train set sectors. I'm really pleased with my 66135 and eagerly want to buy more - the exact opposite of the 'blue box blues' I normally get.
I strongly recommend you cast your eyes over this release and see if it takes your fancy. But one word of warning, the screws holding the body onto the chassis seem to be causing problems for many. I've not been able to remove the body from mine in order to fit a decoder. If you get a faulty one don't force things - take it back to the retailer for a better sample.
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