Among the many Bachmann Thomas and Friends items I have bought, some of them have been labeled premium. In some cases this bothers me because it will be the exact same as another car, but with a better paint job and a higher price tag. Despite the fact that I don't like feeling ripped off, I can't argue that the premium items aren't nicer. That is the case with the Bachmann's HO scale Cream Tanker. It is exactly the same as the many other tanker cars I have bought, but it has a different paint job. The thing is, it is also more fun.
Item Description Bachmann's Thomas and Friends HO scale Cream Tanker shares its shape with every other tank car I have seen in this line, with the only difference being in the paint job. I have looked closely, and all of the tanker cars look physically identical. The car is a small white tanker car with pictures of blue cans of cream on the sides. The white tank sits in a black frame and there are painted and raised bands on the tank, as though they are strapping the tank to the car. The Cream Tanker connects to other cars by means of hook and loop couplers. At both the front and rear the Cream Tanker has both a hook and a loop. When the Cream Tanker and another car are pushed together the hook on each raises and falls into the loop of the other. To disconnect them you actually have to push the hooks up. The tip of a pencil works well for this job. Connecting the cars is easy, but getting them apart can be a little difficult.
Value I'd have a very hard time justifying Bachmann's HO scale Cream Tanker at the full retail price of $20. I was able to get mine for less than half of that, which I think is a reasonable price. It is readily available in the $12 to $14 range, with is getting kind of in the gray zone I my opinion. It is nicer than some of the more basic tanker cars. Given that I kow own six of these tanker cars (in five variations) you'd think I'd be in for a free one or something.
Use Assuming you have an HO layout, using the Bachmann's HO scale Cream Tanker is very simple. You simply place it on the rails and roll it into another car. The hook and loop couplers will connect automatically. It may be because I am getting older but I do sometimes have trouble getting even a car this small onto the rails perfectly. A quick run through Bachmann's EZ track rerailer piece takes care of that.
Impressions I said above that Bachmann's HO scale Cream Tanker is more fun than the other tanker cars, and I stand by that. It is just a slightly different paint job, but that seems to make a big difference. To my daughters, cream must be a lot more fun than oil or fuel. The cream tanker is almost always connected with the raspberry syrup tanker. My daughter likes to pretend that she is delivery ingredients to the "ice cream factory" or dairy to the rest of us. There is also at least one episode of the Thomas and Friends television show, where they do the same thing. It may just be that adding the idea of ice cream makes the difference, but I can't argue with the results. Bachmann's HO scale Cream Tanker is much more popular than our other tanker cars. I recommend it, especially if you can find a deal.
Conclusion I don't like the idea of overpaying for the same car with a different pain job, but the different paint job has made the car that much more fun. Based on our experience I would suggest you pay up for Bachmann's HO scale Cream Tanker and the raspberry syrup tanker and maybe save your money on the cheaper tanker cars. I recommend Bachmann's HO scale Cream Tanker and I really recommend you shop around to beat that $20 retail price tag.
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