some_guy5's Full Review: Bachmann Ho Bertie The Bus
I bought Bachmann’s HO scale Bertie the Bus for exactly one reason. It was $5. I was placing an order already, the shipping was flat rate and with a retail price of $14 I just decided that $5 was enough of a deal to go ahead and throw it in. My daughter actually really likes playing with Bertie on our HO scale layout, but from an adult’s perspective I don’t see much to justify a $15 price tag.
Item Description
Bertie has exactly one advantage over his (or her, I just can’t tell) wooden alter ego. He is more detailed. Bertie is a red bus made from a combination of plastic and metal. In the very front, on the front of the engine is Bertie’s face, which is brightly smiling. His face is bookended by headlamps. When facing Bertie, above and to the right of the engine is open with a wheel hub, to which is affixed one of the headlamps. To the left of the engine is enclosed, presumably where the driver would sit. To the right of the engine, again assuming you are facing the face, is an entry to the bus, complete with steps and a hand rail. There isn’t much more to it. Bertie the Bus has windows all around and sits on four wheels.
A Father’s Impressions
I don’t see all that much interesting about Bertie the Bus. I would have been mad if I had paid $14 for him. He actually reminds of toys from when I was very little, the ones Grandma used to pull out of the closet when you came over to visit, that used to belong to your aunts, uncles and parents. He just rolls around. He is a pretty good likeness of the character on the Thomas and Friends television show but he doesn’t have much going on. If you are actually trying to recreate the Island of Sodor HO scale Bertie is a good addition to your set.
Children Playing with Bertie
For some reason my daughter took an immediate liking to our HO scale Bertie the Bus. I guess that just goes to show that a toy doesn’t need to be very complicated to be fun. She rolls him all over our “Island of Sodor” (4 x 8 train table with multiple track layouts). She has him talk to the engines, survive narrow misses by just getting out of the way, and for some reason she has Bertie always interacting with Cranky the Crane. I don’t know why and I don’t know what else to say but, my daughter really liked Bertie the Bus.
Conclusions
At $5 I have no qualms whatsoever about having bought this toy. That is probably about what it is worth. At $14, I just can’t really recommend this toy, not unless your child is a big Bertie fan or something. Ironically, I paid less for this Bertie than our little wooden one. Well the HO scale Bertie has more detail and looks more true to “life” but the wooden one is a lot more durable. A drop of Bachmann’s HO scale Bertie on a hard surface would likely break him. Bertie is an OK, if somewhat overpriced toy. I give him a mild recommendation under certain circumstances. Bertie gets three stars for good details and my daughter’s affection for him.
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