Have seen the expected rrp of the OO version of this six coach train - £324.95!! Why is this so expensive? This is almost double the cost of an eight car Kato Eurostar and more than a ten car Thalys. I am interested in running the n version of the Blue Pullman as a heritage train on my layout - but the price is madness. Maybe I am missing something?

Big problem with the Blue Pullman is that almost every vehicle is unique, requiring a staggering investment in tooling. At a guess, Bachmann are setting the price fairly in order to recoup that investment and test the market for higher-priced train packs.

This is the same reason that the Dapol Pendolino is now on the back-burner - there are six different configurations for a nine-coach train - they probably wouldn't sell enough sets to recoup the cost of tooling.

Perhaps a return to a Farish-style printed bodyshell with interchangeable roof modules would be the answer for the Pendo.

Owl and myself talked to the Farish Technical Director at TINGS about the N gauge version of the Blue Pullman. Believe it or not the biggest delay in bringing it to market was they weren't sure whether the seating colour was blue or red All interior shots I have seen show the red and blue alternating down the carriage, but at least it shows a devotion to detail by Farish. I suspect any prospective buyer will need a second mortgage to own one though

Quote from: captainelectra on October 13, 2011, 07:37:54 PM
Big problem with the Blue Pullman is that almost every vehicle is unique, requiring a staggering investment in tooling

Each half is basically the same so its three, but the three vehicles are completely different even needing multiple bogie mouldings.

Thanks, I understand a bit more now. Dapol are missing a trick with the Pendolino - marketed correctly it could introduce a whole new audience to N. I have deliberately left two sidings empty on my layout. One is intended for Pendolino and the other for Blue Pullman. I suspect they are going to remain empty for some time - unless the lure of seeing a Thalys, ICE or bullet train rip round the track proves irresistible.

The seat colour conundrum is a case of either knowing too much or too little! Written records indicate there were two different colour schemes for first class (they boil down to blue carpets/red seats and red carpets/blue seats) but no-one seems to have bothered to say which number carriages were in which scheme!
Yes, three different bodyshells for a Midland Pullman only one of which was identical for the Western version, and two types of bogie, but nowhere near as many different vehicles as a Pendo.

Quote from: BernardTPM on October 13, 2011, 08:24:25 PM
The seat colour conundrum is a case of either knowing too much or too little! Written records indicate there were two different colour schemes for first class (they boil down to blue carpets/red seats and red carpets/blue seats) but no-one seems to have bothered to say which number carriages were in which scheme!
Yes, three different bodyshells for a Midland Pullman only one of which was identical for the Western version, and two types of bogie, but nowhere near as many different vehicles as a Pendo.

Three bogies types actually although the differences are subtle and I guess would be part of the same tool - the leading bogies are not quite the same as the other non powered.

So many people wanting the Blue Pullman that I guess they can charge what they like.

Quote from: EtchedPixels on October 13, 2011, 08:38:46 PM
Three bogies types actually although the differences are subtle and I guess would be part of the same tool - the leading bogies are not quite the same as the other non powered.

The leading bogies are basically the same as the motor bogies, but without the motors - not sure if that would be noticeable on an N gauge version though.

This is a good point, how much would people really notice fine details on N scale e.g. the bogies or the colour of the seats? The other thing that I am concerned about is the motor. Realise that having trains whizz round at max speeds is not prototypical, but the 4 car Grafar Voyagers pootle round the track at about the third the speed of 8 car Eurostar. My heart would like the Blue Pullman for sentimental reasons but if I was going to spend £300+ then my head is pointing me towards Thalys, ICE or Hayate - and pocket significant change!

What is the price of a loco and 5 coaches?  Over 200 quid RRP - more depending on the coaches you chose (remember the first run Dapol Gresleys with the 30 quid buffet?)  TBH I don't think the N one will cost as much as the OO one - unless it will be fully lighted with DCC in every coach which I doubt.  I would imagine 250 quid - and I started saving when they announced it!

If the Blue Pullman has coach lighting then it is slightly cheaper than the Thalys (with the interior lighting packs)

2 hst power cars and 2 coaches is £130
6 mk3 coaches is probably £90 or more, so call it £220+ for a train.

a new class 47 would be about £65, +7 mk2s would be about £90, so £155 for a train.

anyway as has been said, the blue pullman vehicles are more specific than mk2 or mk3 coaches...

i'm not really bothered about having a blue pullman, i never saw one in real life and none are preserved...


tim

Quote from: Pendy on October 13, 2011, 06:52:10 PM
Have seen the expected rrp of the OO version of this six coach train - £324.95!! Why is this so expensive? This is almost double the cost of an eight car Kato Eurostar and more than a ten car Thalys. I am interested in running the n version of the Blue Pullman as a heritage train on my layout - but the price is madness. Maybe I am missing something?

The OO version can be pre-ordered from Hattons for £290 which seems far more reasonable than the RRP!

http://www.ehattons.com/stocklist/results.aspx?searchfield=blue%20pullman

and only £265 from the Signal Box!

http://www.thesignalbox.co.uk/index_new.php?pg=3&p_cat_id=4&p_sub_cat=4&prod_id=12248

I'll only get one if they do it in Network SouthEast