So far, we have seen the New Items Brochures from Piko, Maerklin, Roco, Fleischmann and Trix.
This thread will not so much list new items, but will look at how some of these companies fared in terms of new models and who may have scored big with New Items.

Off the top of my head, I have to give props to Piko. The Ae 4/7, which was announced for 2017 and released a few months ago is a very nice model. Piko has announced a version of the more common variant of this locomotive for 2018. If they had not gone with the MFO version initially, I probably would have just ordered the BBC version and skipped the other one, so by clever marketing, they got me to buy each of the models.

Piko has also announced a model of the SBB RBe 4/4 (540). As I have long been looking for a quality model in AC, this item drew my attention. It seems that the model was actually commissioned by Piko's Swiss distributor Arwico, who will have exclusive distribution on at least the first year's production. Perhaps, like the Ae 4/7, a version will be released for the general market in 2019.

It was assumed that many of the major brands would come out with models of the BLS Re 475. Piko and Roco were first out, with both companies releasing models in 2017. Maerklin and Trix will be following in 2018. The big surprise is that both Piko and Roco will be bringing out models of the LokRoll/SBB Cargo Vectron 193s in 2018. Piko will make three models, one with the crest of the German City Duisburg (HQ of SBB Cargo Germany), one with the crest of "Olten" (HQ of SBB Cargo) and one with the crest of the Italian City of "Gallarate" (HQ of SBB Cargo Italia). Roco will be making a model with the Crest "Gottardo".

Roco scored big with the announcement of the BLS Re 425. This model has been, like the Ae 4/7, long awaited by modellers seeking a model with top notch running quality. The most recent model was the Rivarossi model a few years ago.

Roco scored some points here by being the only manufacturer to jump on the special livery for the SBB Cargo/Retrack ES64F4s used for the Novelis trains between Sierre (CH) and Goettingen (DE). They will also bring out a set of the cars used to transport the steel. No other manufacturer has announced this model. Both the locomotives named for "Sierre" and "Goettingen" will be manufactured, but only the "Sierre" will be available in AC.

Piko and Maerklin have either released or plan to release models of the SRT (Swiss Rail Traffic) Re 487. Roco seems to have missed the boat with this.

Piko has announced a model of the SBB Cargo ES64 F4 with the "Rastattless" protest livery. So far this has been the only one.

So far, all of the companies have missed the opportunity to be the first to offer a model of the RailCare Re 476. This new locomotive has replaced the leased BLS Re 465 and would have been a nice surprise.

We are still waiting to see what will be announced by LS Models and ACME and a few other companies. It will be interesting to see if companies like Adam will offer new variants of the refrigerated SBB Cargo car and what will be coming from NME and B Models in terms of new versions of the silo cars.

Combinations of LSM and ACME coaches will allow modellers to complete just about any OBB Nightjet consist. Additional special models have been announced by dealers like Memoba in cooperation with the manufacturers.

I am very pleased to see Maerklin bring out the ABt pilot coach in the 1970s SBB+CFF logo livery. I would have liked to see the SBB WRm in the orange "Eurofima C1" livery, but I am patient.

It will be interesting to see if LSM gets the DB TEE coaches completed so we will finally see the 1/87 model of the TEE "Bavaria" WRm.

Now that Arwico has commissioned models of the RBe 4/4 (540), it will be interesting to see if KML pushes LS Models to push up the production of their model of this train. I suspect that it will in fact bump the RBDe "Mirage: models as they try to be first to market with the RBe.

Here is my challenge to each of the manufacturers...

Which one will be first to make a model of the SBB "Twindexx" (not to be confused with window cleaner)?
Who will make the model of the "Giruno"?
Who will make the model of the next generation Stadler trainsets (SOB, etc)?

The winner in the model train battle will be the company that gets the model to market first or who gets the best model to market in case of simultaneous or near-simultaneous release.

My preference would be Roco for the Giruno and Twindexx and maybe Piko for the SOB and BLS Stadler units.

In the meantime, I am looking forward to seeing the 2018 models come out...

Hopefully Maerklin will decide that not every new locomotive type has to be released as a hobby model. I would like to think that my Traxx, Tauri, Sprinters and Vectrons will be more than basic models with bells and whistles.

I would rather have more like the 37446 than like 36606, even if it means a plastic shell.
Maybe they could even come up with a metal shell for those locomotives, and one last thing...

I used to love how the milled lenses on the plastic light channels created the realistic look of a headlight on the ground in front of the train. Today's models just emit a diffused light that is not focused and does not create a beam. Please put in the effort to make models with milled lenses so that the light is focused.

Thanks for the models and for keeping my interest in this hobby alive.

Regards

Mike C

Mike-thanks for the summary and I hope all is well up north! This year's models will allow me to fill out a few holes in my collection. Definitely will get the SRT 187 and the pilot coach as this will go with a train full of matching Liliput cars that I bought a few years ago. Still thinking about the BLS Vectron as I purchased the Piko version last year. I will probably also get the Bertschi container cars.

mark

Thanks Mike!

Wow, 10 years ago, Piko were big in the ”hobby” segment with digital engines at less than 100 EUR, now they have a RBe railcar at >500 EUR

http://www.arwico.ch/123...-EW-II-NPZ-AC-SOUND.aspx

Actually, from what I can understand, the DC version will have four powered axles with one set of traction tires. The AC version will have three powered axles with two sets of traction tires.
As far as Re 425 or Re 4/4, AFAIR the loks still have the original number plates on them and have not be relabelled as Re 425 on the locomotives themselves. Perhaps some units did receive the new numbering in the past year or two.

Regards

Mike C

John,

the BLS Re 4/4, even though it was originally named the Ae 4/4II, has more in common with the SBB Re 4/4II than it does with the original BLS Ae 4/4.
Roco could probably have made a model using parts from the original Re 4/4II (first series) that came out around 2008, but it makes sense that they would have waited until now, both because the high detail of the latest SBB models made a new detailed model more interesting, but also because they can probably use a lot of common parts with the current Re 4/4II models.

I do not know for sure which locomotives will be used for the auto shuttles. Over the past few years, there has been a focus on using locomotives that can haul a train from point A to point B, meaning that BLS (and SBB) have prioritized locomotives that can work in NL, BE, DE, CH and IT, so locomotives that were limited to Swiss rails only became less important. This meant that there was fewer need for both Re 4/4 (425) but also for the Re 465. Some units were leased to other operators in exchange for locomotives those companies held that could be used in other countries but were only being used domestically. BLS could use the RailCare leased RailPool 186s outside CH while RailCare was happy to use the Re 425 and Re 465 domestically only. Now, BLS has ordered the Re 475, to replace those leased loks, but also to replace a portion of the Re 425s, which will likely be retired.

The Re 465 will still be used for ROLA between Weil and Domodossola, as well as for Regional Passenger duties. More and more, container traffic will be hauled by the Re 475s straight through, as well as by any Re 186s still leased by BLS. A few RailPool 186s are in use with BLS C in return for BLS 485 and 486 that have been leased to other operators (mainly on the Brenner corridor, but also in DE) as those were limited to CH-DE-AT or CH-DE-AT-I.

I have the Rivarossi set of Re 4/4s. The set contained one BLS Lok and one BN Lok. the BLS Lok will be used to pull a short EWI consist, the BN Lok will pull a mixed BN-SEZ-BLS consist built around the Lima 149783 set.
The new Roco models will be charged with pulling my Rivarossi GoldenPass EWIs and perhaps freight trains.
The Roco Re 420.5 currently pulls my Liliput EWI with Lima BDt and I have one Re 465 pulling my ex-Swiss Express consist.

My BLS freight consists of Re 485 with ROLA, Re 465 with Containers and Re 486 with Tank cars. The Re 475 should be entering service once it arrives in Canada. I still have no 186s or 487s.

Regards

Mike C