SmartShanghai | [Covet]: Plasticville, PRC

[Covet]: Plasticville, PRC

By Morgan Short, Jul 28th, 2009 | In Shopping

"Covet" is a celebration of the mass accumulation of commodities. Basically, it's just seeing purchase-worthy stuff around Shanghai and sometimes purchasing it.

Item: "Entry level" model train set with option to upgrade to an expansive miniature plastic universe for said train set

Store: BachmannChina

Cost: Basic train sets: 650rmb - 1500rmb; Extra cars: 45rmb - 3,000rmb; Houses/ Buildings: 150rmb - 900rmb; Trees/ Grass/ Extras/ Tracks: 3rmb - 500rmb

BachmannChina is the world's biggest retailer of model train sets and the tertiary accessories, buildings, and structures you need to "enhance" model train sets. Basically, they sell out-of-the-package starter sets to bring new people into the hobby of model trains, but they also cater to the absolute fanatics who are keen on building entire worlds out of wood, felt, and plastic.

The Bachmann company was founded all the way back in 1833, and as the Wikipedia entry elucidates, the commercial vicissitudes of the model train world are as exciting as in the actual railroad industry. Apparently the company started out in the early 19th century specializing in Spanish combs made out of ivory, and then branched out into various other ivory products (walking cane handles... seriously). At the start of the 20th century they switched to plastics, and in World War II they became the first American manufacturer of sunglasses, which were then used by the US Air Force.

At the end of the second world war, they formulated the product that they would be known for: "Plasticville, USA" -- city infrastructure (stores, houses, tree, streets, cars, power lines) to compliment the thriving model train set industry. I would imagine at the time "plastic" was more associated with the futuristic and modern, rather than the current connotations of the false and simulated.

Apparently during the late '60s and '70s, model train sets were really popular. Maybe that's why anyone above a certain age retains the image of a highly involved model train set taking up the majority of a shag-rugged, pastel-coloured basement in Anytown, USA.

Model trains sort of fell out of style in the 80s, and now Bachmann is registered in Bermuda and owned by a company in Hong Kong.

Anyways.

The Bachmann store on Xiangyang Lu has about 15 different options for starter train sets, and they come with a remote control, some tracks, and depending on the model you choose, anywhere from 4 to 10 cars. They've got sets that span the ages of train technology, from old time-y steam engines to maglev-looking monorail things.

The one that stood out for me was the "McKinley Explorer", I don't know why.

Get the starter kit. Take it home. Assess how far you want to run with this thing. From this point, if you so choose, you can custom-build your own "enhancement" environment for your set. This involves a lot of custom carpentry to suit your own megalomania, but the store on Xiangyang can help you out with infrastructure both urban (buildings) and environmental (rocks and trees).

It would cost thousands -- tens of thousands -- if you really lost yourself in it.

It then can get even crazier when you get involved with specific makes and varieties of model trains and buildings (one-of-a-kind antiques, limited edition sets, collectors items, etc.).

But you're on your way for as low as 650rmb for a starter set.

One thing they didn't have? Engineer hats for perspective train owners. Seems like a bit of an oversight to me.

There are two locations of BachmannChina in Shanghai: one is at 100 Xiangyang Lu, near Xinle Lu. The pictures with this article were taken at that one. The other one is at 597 Wuding Lu, near Xikang Lu. That one has a members club with a massive in-house diorama that you can run your trains on. For real.