If somehow an experienced model railroader from 1970 or so could time-travel to the recent present, their heads would be spinning from all the changes to the hobby but not the least of the jaw droppers for them would be what Life-Like (to its absorbtion by Walthers) and Bachmann became. Back then Life-Like was fairly cheesy landscape materials and low level trainsets; Bachmann was "Plasticville" and also low level trainsets.
The ambitions and achievements of both would be a cause for marvel. I won't even speculate about what our time traveling modeler friend would say or think about the entire notion of collectible-priced factory assembled Plasticville however. I think we'd use up a lot of smelling salts .......
Dave Nelson
Track fiddler, yes, I got the compliment, thank you. Just doing my best to slow down and like you, still keep my hands in things......
I worked in the hobby industry when I was young, and it would not make a bad retirement gig - working in manufacturing that is......
Sheldon
ATLANTIC CENTRAL Doughless joe323 I have several Bachmann locomotives the only real complaint I have is the DCC on Board decoders do have a loud hum which is why I suggest the Sound Value line as being a decent compromise between price and quality: Thanks to you for being one of the few who, like me, are annoyed by decoder hum. Their silent decoder is inferior to many other brand of silent decoder. I have a 2-8-0 with nonsound DCC on Board. Great looking loco, from the Specturm lineage, but it hums loudly upon speed step 1, doesn't move until speed step 8 (humming more loudly as the steps increase) then moves jserkily until about a scale 15 mph, merrily buzzing along. Great loco, great mechanicals, totally ruined by an inferior decoder. Same with the diesel line. OTOH, all Sound Value locos are equipped with competitive SoundTraxx decoders. My experience with their diesel line and a 2-6-0 Mogul is that their slow speed operation is silent (for the times you actually want to run silent), and smooth. So if OP wants onboard dcc, go with the red box Sound Value versions and avoid the blue box DCC OnBoard versions. I understand, I was always amazed that those decoders sold well on Ebay after I removed them........ But if it was me, and I decided to go DCC, on my older Bachmann models that came with the plug in decoders, I would remove the complete lighting board and hard wire a better quality decoder - problem solved. Sheldon
Doughless joe323 I have several Bachmann locomotives the only real complaint I have is the DCC on Board decoders do have a loud hum which is why I suggest the Sound Value line as being a decent compromise between price and quality: Thanks to you for being one of the few who, like me, are annoyed by decoder hum. Their silent decoder is inferior to many other brand of silent decoder. I have a 2-8-0 with nonsound DCC on Board. Great looking loco, from the Specturm lineage, but it hums loudly upon speed step 1, doesn't move until speed step 8 (humming more loudly as the steps increase) then moves jserkily until about a scale 15 mph, merrily buzzing along. Great loco, great mechanicals, totally ruined by an inferior decoder. Same with the diesel line. OTOH, all Sound Value locos are equipped with competitive SoundTraxx decoders. My experience with their diesel line and a 2-6-0 Mogul is that their slow speed operation is silent (for the times you actually want to run silent), and smooth. So if OP wants onboard dcc, go with the red box Sound Value versions and avoid the blue box DCC OnBoard versions.
joe323 I have several Bachmann locomotives the only real complaint I have is the DCC on Board decoders do have a loud hum which is why I suggest the Sound Value line as being a decent compromise between price and quality:
I have several Bachmann locomotives the only real complaint I have is the DCC on Board decoders do have a loud hum which is why I suggest the Sound Value line as being a decent compromise between price and quality:
Thanks to you for being one of the few who, like me, are annoyed by decoder hum. Their silent decoder is inferior to many other brand of silent decoder.
I have a 2-8-0 with nonsound DCC on Board. Great looking loco, from the Specturm lineage, but it hums loudly upon speed step 1, doesn't move until speed step 8 (humming more loudly as the steps increase) then moves jserkily until about a scale 15 mph, merrily buzzing along.
Great loco, great mechanicals, totally ruined by an inferior decoder. Same with the diesel line.
OTOH, all Sound Value locos are equipped with competitive SoundTraxx decoders. My experience with their diesel line and a 2-6-0 Mogul is that their slow speed operation is silent (for the times you actually want to run silent), and smooth.
So if OP wants onboard dcc, go with the red box Sound Value versions and avoid the blue box DCC OnBoard versions.
I understand, I was always amazed that those decoders sold well on Ebay after I removed them........
But if it was me, and I decided to go DCC, on my older Bachmann models that came with the plug in decoders, I would remove the complete lighting board and hard wire a better quality decoder - problem solved.
Agreed. Slightly OT, with all the advancements in the technology side of the hobby, my experience shows the only really true silent decoder is the fairly long toothed NCE DA-SR. Only the sound of the mechanical movement and motor is heard.
Newcomers like Lok This and WOW That give off a hum to my ears. I can't figure out what all the hoopla is about.
I still ran Atlas, Proto, and Kato diesels with an Aristo throttle when I wasn't running onboard sound. Sometimes you just can't beat the sound of ball-bearings-on-glass that a quality DC loco and throttle provide.
- Douglas
I still can't get into sound, it all sounds like static to my hifi trained ears.......
Agreed. My experience with onboard sound steam is much less annoying that a turbocharged EMD diesel, which can be as pleasant as fingernails on a chalkboard after a while.
That's why its important to me for the sound decoders to actually be silent when muted, because I do want to run them silently fairly often.
By my experience, the newcomers have a buzz problem in their OEM locos, as did the one TCS WOW I plugged in in place of the OEM decoder.
The Bachmann Sound Value, a Soundtraxx product, does not have that issue to the same degree.
The on board non sound the last I heard are low end Lenz that most replace.
NCE came up with a light board non sound for the Bachmann diesels there were so many complaints. The Bach-DSL with LED's.
Steamers, everyone just plugs in a quality decoder.
My Bachmann 44 ton and 70 ton I installed LokSound Micros.
My Bachmann steamers, Tsunami Micros and my Athearn Roundhouse steamers.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
richg1998 NCE came up with a light board non sound for the Bachmann diesels there were so many complaints. The Bach-DSL with LED's. Rich
I didn't not know that. Yes, the Bachmann diesels tended to have the lights molded into the board making it difficult to replace the boards without scratchbuilding light supports.
Glad to hear he folks at NCE came up with a product.
Doughless richg1998 NCE came up with a light board non sound for the Bachmann diesels there were so many complaints. The Bach-DSL with LED's. Rich I didn't not know that. Yes, the Bachmann diesels tended to have the lights molded into the board making it difficult to replace the boards without scratchbuilding light supports. Glad to hear he folks at NCE came up with a product.
On the GE 70 tonner I figured out how to remove the DCC and keep the board for the lighting, making it strictly DC.
Some years ago the 2-8-0 was moved from Spectrum line to the standard line.
I still have a link to the Bachmann forums and found this when someone asked about the motor in the 2-8-0. No idea if the same motor is used in other steamers. Never compared the part numbers. Dated 2008.
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Dear DR,The originals had a five pole motor. A running change was instituted that replaced them with a highly efficient three pole motor with he same rating. thus, if your locomotive is recent production, it does have a three pole motor.Have fun!the Bach-man
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Since I mentioned the Bach-Dsl decoder, below is the link to it. Some years ago when it was released, the photos showed it with LED's. Now they are not with it from what I can see.
https://ncedcc.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/200945019-BACH-DSL
richg1998 Since I mentioned the Bach-Dsl decoder, below is the link to it. Some years ago when it was released, the photos showed it with LED's. Now they are not with it from what I can see. https://ncedcc.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/200945019-BACH-DSL Rich
Maybe its just a matter of unsoldering the LED poles from the Bmann board onto the nce board.
My only experience with a Bachmann DCC locomotive was that in running it on DC, the chuff sound would take off even before the locomotives moved at all. I DO have one of their older DC 3 truck Shay locomotives that's a great runner. The DCC locomotive has been relegated back to its box for "future project status".
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
I own several Spectrum locos and have never had any problems with them except for a traction tire that spun off the main driver wheel on one of them. Other than that I have no complaints...
I have tried two Spectrum class locomotives, a 4-8-4 J Class for N&W, and a "heavy mountain" 4-8-2. I sold the J on eBay because it was a jerky model whose pilot leading edge would scrape badly on the rails...the only loco of about 22 I had at the time that did that.
The 4-8-2 is a nice model and it runs quite well...no real complaints. It is a bear for getting underway, though, in terms of the voltage it needs. Most of my steamers, BLI,Trix, Rivarossi, and Life Like, take a setting of 14 or less in CV2 where they can be tuned in CV2, but if I recall, the Spectrum needs close to 45. Even so, it's brand new, less than 10 minutes of running on it, and Bachmann's are known to require a solid breaking-in.
The original 2-8-0's - the one with smoke - were more of the train set quality and had pancake motors that had a tendency to smoke more than the smoke generator. But at least the released them lettered and numbered correctly for the actual prototype - Reading. Then they upgraded them to Spectrum with better mechanicals and better details. They seem to have shifted them back down again, but still at a higher quality than the originals.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
selector I have tried two Spectrum class locomotives, a 4-8-4 J Class for N&W, and a "heavy mountain" 4-8-2. I sold the J on eBay because it was a jerky model whose pilot leading edge would scrape badly on the rails...the only loco of about 22 I had at the time that did that. The 4-8-2 is a nice model and it runs quite well...no real complaints. It is a bear for getting underway, though, in terms of the voltage it needs. Most of my steamers, BLI,Trix, Rivarossi, and Life Like, take a setting of 14 or less in CV2 where they can be tuned in CV2, but if I recall, the Spectrum needs close to 45. Even so, it's brand new, less than 10 minutes of running on it, and Bachmann's are known to require a solid breaking-in.
Selector,
Seems you tried out Bachmann with the two extremes.
The N&W J, out of the box, is not really Bachmann's best effort. Not really sure why. I have one, it runs ok (on DC), but all verions of the Bachmann J are known for several minor issues.
Not sure why yours had a low pilot, that is not in the common list of issues?
I have kit bashing plans for mine, and some upgrades to thge drive line, we will see how it turns out.
As for the 4-8-2, being a DC operator, I quickly removed the decoders from all nine of mine, so I can't offer much help there. I consider the Spectrum 4-8-2 Heavy's among the best locos I own - that's part of the reason I have nine of them......the other is simply I model C&O (two are C&O) and as a teen it was a wheel arrangement I was fascinated with. Maybe because on the B&O, the 4-8-2's were so good, they never owned a 4-8-4........
rrinker The original 2-8-0's - the one with smoke - were more of the train set quality and had pancake motors that had a tendency to smoke more than the smoke generator. But at least the released them lettered and numbered correctly for the actual prototype - Reading. Then they upgraded them to Spectrum with better mechanicals and better details. They seem to have shifted them back down again, but still at a higher quality than the originals. --Randy
Randy, the current Bachmann 2-8-0 is EXACTLY the same as it was in a Spectrum box. There was a change in the moter design - before it left the Spectrum line. From what I understand the change was from a straight armature 5 pole to a skewed armature 3 pole.
There have been several running minor changes over the long production history of this loco, but none of them were a step down in quality. headlights changed from incandesent to LED, circuit boards revised several times, tender floor revised for sound verisions, etc.
The 2-8-0 was removed from the Spectrum lineup because it was decided that Spectrum locos needed to all be more prototype correct. While a nice model, and close to many of the prototypes it has been lettered for, it is still a "generic" Baldwin 2-8-0, and Bachmann never offered any real road specific detail changes.
I have had every version apart, they are all basically the same.......
PS - taking the 2-8-0 out ofthe Spectrum lineup was a major cost savings, keepingthe price lower - how you ask? Not by changing the model, but by eliminating the expensive package and reducing shipping cost.
The 2-8-0 now comes in a box no bigger than a long Athearn Blue Box.....
Compare that to the big black original Spectrum box or the blue/red Sound on Board window view Spectrum boxes. how many locos to case? How many cases in a container making its way from China?
Again, lots of money saved without lowering the product quality........but of course a few sales lost from those with big egos........no more "brass loco" looking boxes...
Wow that Ten Wheeler rebuild is epic!
As for my experiences with Bachmann... I only have one steamer from them, a GS4. The details are a bit sloppy but workable enough on that model, and it ran pretty well. I need to buy a new shell for it since some of the grab irons broke and I made the boneheaded decision to test my nascent weathering skills on it (I wasn't ready to detail steam it turned out!)At the hobby shop though, I can tell you some of the new Bachmann models on the shelf are looking mighty fine. I have a friend rebuilding a Bachmann 2-8-0 right now, and it really shows how some work can turn the good shells into spectacular models. A lot of them like the GS4 have older shells which don't look as good, but again could be a starting point for a modeler who wants to detail their stuff. However the newer Spectrum stuff and a lot of their retooled engines are on par with the best the hobby has to offer right out of the box.
I was mainly referring to the original one - I didn't check all catalogs but it's in the 1975 catalog on HOSEEKER. That one was a reasonable model of a Reading I-10sa - arched cab windows, dual compound air pumps, etc. I did see in 1979 they offered it also as GN and SF. They unfortunately went more generic with the Spectrum version, which otherwise is an infinitely better loco.
We have read about the quality of the quality of the Bachmann Spectrums but also it should be noted that Bachmann has an excellent service department. On one occasion I sent in a loco that was so old for repairs parts weren't available so they replaced it with the latest version for $25. Also the communication with them is good.
Bob
Don't Ever Give Up
My $0.02. I have a Sound Value Bachmann Alco RS-3. Light years better than the junk Bachmann's I had as a kid. Not the absolute best loco I have (that would be my brand new Intermountain GP-10), but for the price (less than half what I paid for the Geep) it's pretty darned good. Sound is pretty basic, only a couple functions available. And slow-speed performace is only so-so. But for a little over $100, it's a great value.
rrlcommish My $0.02. I have a Sound Value Bachmann Alco RS-3. Light years better than the junk Bachmann's I had as a kid. Not the absolute best loco I have (that would be my brand new Intermountain GP-10), but for the price (less than half what I paid for the Geep) it's pretty darned good. Sound is pretty basic, only a couple functions available. And slow-speed performace is only so-so. But for a little over $100, it's a great value.
And remember, the OP asked about steam locos, so most of the comments have been regarding steam locos.
Yes the new Bachmann diesels are much better as well, but my choices in diesels only include Bachmann for things like the GE 44 tonner and 70 tonner.
And again, I don't run sound or DCC, and I have found once I remove the dual mode decoders, Bachmann diesels run better and have better slow speed - yes the decoders are a little on the "budget" side, steam or diesel.....
Randy,
Are you certain they did the Reading I-10sa engine in the Spectrum line? I agree it was a pretty decent copy of that engine but I don't recall ever seeing one as a Spectrum. They did a few different versions of them with and without smoke and all of them I ever saw had "dummy" twnders with no power pickup. Bowser made a replacement drive for them which improved their pull but shorted them on looks.
oldline1
I have had several mechanical issues with Bachmann spectrum locomotives.
One was an older run 2-10-0 with a thump as if the valve gear was binding. I took the locomotive apart and found that the main drive gear had worn and it was causing the worm to skip a tooth. Motor ran smoothly when power was applied without drive train. I purchased new replacement parts from bachmann parts store. No issues yet. This was a used locomotive.
Second mechanical was a Bachmann Spectrum DCC and sound 2-8-0 (purchased new) which has had several issues over its life. The first issue with this loco was that the eccentric crank came loose and rotated 90 degrees while running, causing a bind in forward, thump in reverse. I asked on the forums then compared left to right and figured it out. The next thing that happened (admitedly my fault) was when I was investigating the thump I took the bottom cover off and didnt get it back on correctly. The some of the fingers that pick up power got jammed between driver spokes and bent. I ended up buying a new underframe piece. The third thing was a pin or screw on one the smaller rods (dont rember which) fell out one day. No idea where it went. I was able to manufacture a replacement.
I have also had various electrical pickup issues with both Bachmann locomotives and tenders. It is my opinion that the method of picking up power is poorly designed. I was able to fix some of the tender issues by swaping the position of the wiper fingers with the washer, so that the washer pins the wiper against the tender underframe. As recieved from the factory most of my tenders have had loose wipers that can work their way over the machine screw head.
A note on this, the tender trucks are held on by a machine screw and nut, on the 2-8-0 the nut on the inside of the tender can come off and result it the truck falling off. It is best to remove the tender shell before attempting to adjust tender truck pickups.
Other than these things, I have not had any other major issues.
oldline1 Randy, Are you certain they did the Reading I-10sa engine in the Spectrum line? I agree it was a pretty decent copy of that engine but I don't recall ever seeing one as a Spectrum. They did a few different versions of them with and without smoke and all of them I ever saw had "dummy" twnders with no power pickup. Bowser made a replacement drive for them which improved their pull but shorted them on looks. oldline1
They did not, the I-10sa was never done as a Spectrum loco. It was however a big step up for Bachmann and RTR in general in terms of detail and running quality even with its pancake motor.
The Spectrum 2-8-0 is a model of a similar sized "generic" Baldwin loco, the running gear and basic boiler of which was the ground work for a number of locos Baldwin built for various roads.
As explained above, the Spectrum loco and it current incarnation in the regular line are the same loco - no changes in production design or quality......just a less expensive box and a different selection of roadnames....
No, the pre-Spectrum train set one was an I-10, the Spectrum one went generic. There was at least one article I remember on repowering the train set one so you could have a reliable runner - I think Bowser made a chassis for it. The detail is a bit on the crude side, and to cut it out and replace it with nice cast parts, it would be easier to just make a new loco using methods like those shown by RDG-Casey.
I kind of want one, but then I have to watch what number I'd put on it, since I model a time AFTER some were converted to T1 class Northerns. Wouldn't do to have the I-10 that became either my 2111 or 2113 also running.
BMMECNYC I have had several mechanical issues with Bachmann spectrum locomotives. One was an older run 2-10-0 with a thump as if the valve gear was binding. I took the locomotive apart and found that the main drive gear had worn and it was causing the worm to skip a tooth. Motor ran smoothly when power was applied without drive train. I purchased new replacement parts from bachmann parts store. No issues yet. This was a used locomotive. Second mechanical was a Bachmann Spectrum DCC and sound 2-8-0 (purchased new) which has had several issues over its life. The first issue with this loco was that the eccentric crank came loose and rotated 90 degrees while running, causing a bind in forward, thump in reverse. I asked on the forums then compared left to right and figured it out. The next thing that happened (admitedly my fault) was when I was investigating the thump I took the bottom cover off and didnt get it back on correctly. The some of the fingers that pick up power got jammed between driver spokes and bent. I ended up buying a new underframe piece. The third thing was a pin or screw on one the smaller rods (dont rember which) fell out one day. No idea where it went. I was able to manufacture a replacement. I have also had various electrical pickup issues with both Bachmann locomotives and tenders. It is my opinion that the method of picking up power is poorly designed. I was able to fix some of the tender issues by swaping the position of the wiper fingers with the washer, so that the washer pins the wiper against the tender underframe. As recieved from the factory most of my tenders have had loose wipers that can work their way over the machine screw head. A note on this, the tender trucks are held on by a machine screw and nut, on the 2-8-0 the nut on the inside of the tender can come off and result it the truck falling off. It is best to remove the tender shell before attempting to adjust tender truck pickups. Other than these things, I have not had any other major issues.
Seven years ago (where does the time go?) I posted a thread about addressing some of MINOR issues with spectrum locos:
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/p/181314/2111587.aspx?
Not sure this link will work, but I will also bump that thread.
Anyone buying older new old stock Spectrum/Bachmann locos may have interest.
Making thread link clickable:
[Edit: Fixed - Thanks, oldline1!]
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
That clickable link doesn't work.
Fixed my link, how anoying.