Bachman 221

[lrbvoyager]

Hi there, does anyone know the best place to buy Bachman 221 00 gauge, and also best place to get them repainted into avanti livery.

 

[19Gnasher69]

I’d expect that you’d be best off looking on eBay. Or the second hand sections of model retailers - Rails of Sheffield appears to have one.
As for repainting, check adverts in model railway magazines or search on-line for places offering such a service.
Be warned though that pre-owned 221s are expensive and the painting of five coaches won’t be cheap!
You may be better canvassing Bachmann to reintroduce the model!!

 

[lrbvoyager]

I’d expect that you’d be best off looking on eBay. Or the second hand sections of model retailers - Rails of Sheffield appears to have one.
As for repainting, check adverts in model railway magazines or search on-line for places offering such a service.
Be warned though that pre-owned 221s are expensive and the painting of five coaches won’t be cheap!
You may be better canvassing Bachmann to reintroduce the model!!

You think they would reintroduce it? I already have a 221 that I managed to get brand new of fb marketplace a couple of years ago for around £150 so I’m looking for another so it can run in 10 coach formations.

 

[stadler]

You think they would reintroduce it? I already have a 221 that I managed to get brand new of fb marketplace a couple of years ago for around £150 so I’m looking for another so it can run in 10 coach formations.

As far as i am aware the couplings on the Bachmann 220/221 do not work. There is no way to couple two units. The couplers on the ends are just aesthetic. So you would have to carry out some work to modify the Bachmann 220/221 units you purchase. You would probably have to cut off the existing aesthetic couplers and solder on some working couplers.

 

[lrbvoyager]

As far as i am aware the couplings on the Bachmann 220/221 do not work. There is no way to couple two units. The couplers on the ends are just aesthetic. So you would have to carry out some work to modify the Bachmann 220/221 units you purchase. You would probably have to cut off the existing aesthetic couplers and solder on some working couplers.

I guessed as much! Do you think there is a chance Bachman will reintroduced the 221?

 

[19Gnasher69]

You think they would reintroduce it? I already have a 221 that I managed to get brand new of fb marketplace a couple of years ago for around £150 so I’m looking for another so it can run in 10 coach formations.

I’d like to think so given that they have a few different liveries to play with these days.
Well done on that purchase - sounds like a bargain!

 

[lrbvoyager]

I’d like to think so given that they have a few different liveries to play with these days.
Well done on that purchase - sounds like a bargain!

Thank you! They did the same with the 350, introduced the TPE livery to N gauge them 00 gauge with the new livery’s so hopefully since they have done a recent range of 221s in N gauge they will do 00 counterparts.
!

 

[Ted633]

I guessed as much! Do you think there is a chance Bachman will reintroduced the 221?

It would need quite a retool to be brought back unfortunately. The original model isn’t DCC friendly (especially the lights). You’d need all the electrics to be reworked to enable single decoder operation. I know some people don’t do DCC, however releasing a model that would cost upwards of £400 that is only good for DC is a no go.
Bachmann are far more likely to prioritise the Turbostar (and possibly the Turbos) for a retool prior to the voyagers.

 

[lrbvoyager]

It would need quite a retool to be brought back unfortunately. The original model isn’t DCC friendly (especially the lights). You’d need all the electrics to be reworked to enable single decoder operation. I know some people don’t do DCC, however releasing a model that would cost upwards of £400 that is only good for DC is a no go.
Bachmann are far more likely to prioritise the Turbostar (and possibly the Turbos) for a retool prior to the voyagers.

Thank you! That’s a shame as the voyagers are amazing trains.