what are your thoughts on HO Bachmann steam locomotives? DC, DCC and sound. Do they run smooth? Is the sound ok or just bad?
Locos in the Spectrum series are generally pretty good runners. From what I have read the decoders supplied by Bachman in the ready to run items are a bit more problematic than decoders you can buy individually.
Locos not in the Spectrum series are problematic and, for me, are to be avoided. But I'm sure there are exceptions.
Have one of the newer 2-6-0's and it has performed well. I haven't used it a lot as I am working on a larger layout. It runs well and the sound is quite good (especially for the price). I have only one other steam loco to compare it to, thus not a wide variety of experience in my answer.
When I get the larger layout running, I'd have no qualms about getting another one.
Good luck,
Richard
The last Bachmann locomotive that I purchased was one of thier 4-6-0 Spectrum, this was the version with the smaller drivers. Had it at the local model RR club as I had asked to take a few pictures of the locomotive on their layout, which is a terrific mountain layout.
The guys at the club who were mainly into brass (old timers) really were impressed. A few of them tried to buy some but could not find any of that model for sale. Too bad, you would think such a desireable locomotive would stay in production but the availability of their models comes and goes.
You may be interested to know that any time now, a lot of people have been waiting Bachmann will be releasing a URSA 2-8-2 locomotive. The pics in their catalogue sure look good. If it runs anywhere near as good as their Spectrum 4-6-0 then they will have another winner. Let us hope
I have a 2-6-0 Mogul from the Sound Value line which ran smooth as silk straight from the box and continues without incident. The Spectrum steamers are also great runners (have two 4-4-0's with Tsunami Sound and a Pacific 4-6-2). The Pacific required a break-in period and additional weight to the tender.
All the best.
Reinhard
Joe F
I have 3 of the Bachmann steamers ,the 2-6-0 the 2-10-0 and the 2-6-6-2 articulated each one a smooth runner and imho are winners , keep in mind the 1st two are rather light footed pulling only 8 to 10 40ft freight cars.
The sound decoders are by Soundtrax and for the money an excellent value.
I have a 2-6-0 Sound Value that runs fine and has the Tsunami "lite". I don't like that as it's the only loco I have where I can't use the CV to prevent sound startup on power-up as that CV is disabled.
I have two 2-8-0s that I purchased, with the intent of converting to DCC sound. The first I got was a used Spectrum, and it ran very poorly (I can't blame Bachmann as I don't know its history), I believe because the drivers had got out of quarter. So I paid the fee and they sent a new DCC non-sound, I think. It also had running problems, but I got a next one converted ok. I purchased a new non-sound one and it had horrible running problems so I sent it in. They sent one back (same number) and said it (which was new) had no lube whatsoever. Sorta like I had not done something right. So presumeably they lubed it and sent it back. Ran fine and I converted it, no issues. Because it had run so poorly (like horrible quartering) I have a suspicion perhaps they just sent me another that worked, but I have no proof of that.
So I'd put them in general significantly below (of course, cheaper) than BLI or Genesis steamers IMHO. If they were more likely to be reliable runners all but a small percentage of the time (which i doubt), I'd say they were a good value given price and reasonable detail for the money. But my poor experience with some, decent but not great running with others has me steering clear unless it's an offering I can't otherwise find in my desired UP roadname. Or if I want to take the chance to save $ but maybe have to ship back and forth until I get one that's right.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
I have some 20+ Spectrum steam.Only problems have been with the three 2-10-0s as on all three the wiring harness wires pulled free. Other then that, they all run great.
Cheers
Roger T.
Home of the late Great Eastern Railway see: - http://www.greateasternrailway.com
For more photos of the late GER see: - http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l99/rogertra/Great_Eastern/
I have two HO locos, a 4-8-2 and a 2-6-6-2. The tender to loco wiring is a weak point but should be OK if not handled too frequently. Other than that they are fine locos considering the purchase price.
Hi,
I've had several over the last 40 years, and can easily say you get your money's worth. I currently have three of them - two converted to DCC, and one bought that way. They are not as good performers as my BLIs, but they cost half as much. You can't go wrong with them.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
The Staten Island West has 3 Gees that run flawlessly and one 2-6-0 that is a smooth runner but always seems to derail at the same turnout. Still trying to figure that out early out.
Joe Staten Island West
I've got 4 Bachmann units, a 2-6-0, an 0-6-0 tank engine, a Peter Witt trolley and a GG-1. I'm very happy with all 4 models. They run smoothly, and the sound from the 2-6-0 and the GG-1 is very good. Considering that these are all priced well below comparable models from other manufacturers, I think they're a bargain.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I bought the 2-8-0 Consolidation back when it first came out, 1990 or so. At that time it was the best steamer on the market. In fact it was so successful that it started the current crop of nice plastic steamers. Lots of eye catching small detail, good runner, adequate weight. Mine is still one of my best steamers. Back then Bachmann needed to differentiate their new line of really nice steamers from the trainset steamers they had been making for years. So, the really nice steamers were called Bachman Spectrum and came in big fancy all black boxes. This policy continued for 10-15 years, and then Bachmann backed off on the fancy black Spectrum boxes. I have seen my Consolidation, which started the Spectrum line, marketed in a smaller plainer box without the Spectrum name on it. Whether the change in packaging makes a difference in the quality of model I don't have clue.
Only thing I would say about Bachmann, there is still a lot of their trainset stuff around, whether they still make it or it's just hanging around I don't know. Before buying, I would open the box and take a good look at what I was buying. I can tell by eye the nicer better stuff from the older, plainer, cheaper trainset stuff.
Anyhow, assuming that the nicer Bachmann stuff is still made as good as my 20 year old Consolidation, you cannot go wrong with it. Looks good, runs good, pulls good, lasts a long time. And the price is right. Me, I cannot afford $400 HO steamers. Most of my steam fleet is rebuilt trainshow antiques, Mantua and Rivarossi, like this one.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
My Bachmann is all DC and non-sound Spectrum line, and smooth running and trouble-free. I've got a 2-8-0, 2-10-0, 4-8-2 and 2-6-6-2 and they've all been fine runners and good pullers. The 2-6-6-2 is a compact little powerhouse, and will outpull my larger Proto 2-8-8-2 which cost about twice as much. I've got no complaints about Bachmann whatsoever.
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
I'm of the same opinion as Tom, and have a Bachmann USRA Light Mountain, a USRA 2-6-6-2, two Ten Wheelers, and seven Consolidations. I also have an older 2-8-0 (with the pancake-style motor) which still runs decently and had one of the original Santa Fe Northerns, too. Mine are all DC, and I've eliminated the sometimes troublesome plug set-up and the now-unnecessary circuit boards. In my opinion, Bachmann locomotives are probably among the best-for-your-money ones available.
The USRA 4-8-2 (known as a Mohawk on my layout):
The ex-Santa Fe Northern:
One of the Consolidations:
...and one of the 10 Wheelers:
All of my locomotives have been modified, of course, and a few of them are yet to be done.
Wayne
Thank you to all responders, you all have made my mind up to buy some Bachmann steam locos.
Thanks again,
dave
Doc Wayne,GN. Here.
really curious about EGE 501' that's one handsome looking Northern ..1st,the all weather cab...is that a PSC unit? Or scratch built 2nd the centipede tender possibly a brass one? Or also one of your builds?
Also what mechanism is under it! Bachmann?
Thanks for your kind remarks and for your interest, too.This loco started out as the Santa Fe version, with a very long 8 axle oil tender. The main reason I bought it was because it was the first affordable Northern that I had ever seen. It had the infamous pancake-style motor and eventually suffered from out-of-quarter drivers (corrected before it went to a friend), but it looked decent and ran not all that badly when I first bought it - Hobbies For Men, in Beacon, New York, by mail order, when those locos were first released.
I realised that making it into a Canadian National locomotive was beyond my skills, especially since CNR's 203 Northerns were comparatively small locos. Instead, I chose to redo it for my freelance Elora Gorge & Eastern. The vestibule cab is .015" sheet styrene - I filed and sanded any three dimensional detail from the original cab's sides, then simply cemented the new pieces over it. Once the cement had cured, any of the original cab which showed through the windows was trimmed away with my X-Acto. I had previously removed the cab roof, which allowed me to add sliding windows and window "glass", and the roof was modified to be a snap-on fit, allowing access should any be required.The front end got a Cal-Scale GSC cast steel pilot, air pump radiator, new headlight, Mars light, and front-mounted bell, plus a new steamboat-style whistle.The tender was actually more work than the locomotive. I first cut a section out of the body to make it a more reasonable length, then removed the oil bunker's top and added a more-or-less fully modelled coal bunker - I use loose coal in all my locos, and the bunker can be shown anywhere from full to almost empty.For the pedestal-style frame, I traced the pretty-much full HO scale photo of one from an ad for a brass loco in an issue of Model Railroader, then cut it out, transferring the outline to .030" sheet styrene. Next, I sliced up the sideframes of those 8-wheel trucks, spacing the cuts so that, when re-assembled, the position of the journal boxes would match those of the styrene pedestal sides. All other raised detail on the original sideframes was filed off, then the parts assembled using lacquer thinner as a solvent cement. I added leaf springs built-up from parts cut from Kadee couple box covers, and installed them with spring hangers fashioned from brass wire. The next step was to remove a portion of the lower edge of the shortened tender body, in preparation for adding the rolled edge where it would sit on the pedestal. For that edge, I cut the top from a Tyco 54' ACF covered hopper - Old Dutch Cleanser, I think - and after trimming it as needed, cemented it, upside down, to the cut-out lower edge of the tender, then cemented the pedestal to that. The tender's front truck is either from Athearn or MDC - the latter, I think, even though it's for a streamlined passenger car. I added steam and signal lines of brass wire along the lower edges, a Cal-Scale coal pusher on the bunker's slope sheet, and a back-up light. The model's original plastic wheels were re-installed, along with some lead weight, and it was ready for paint.
I used Floquil's old Polly S paints, as I had chosen some of their military colours (all that was available at that time) to be my road's "corporate colours". The paint was applied with a brush, then the dry transfer custom lettering was added.
Here's another photo, better showing the cab:
...and another showing the front end treatment:
And, finally, another showing the colours, since only the window sash on steam was green. I use the same double grey and green on small town stations, towers, and crossing shanties, too.
I hope all of the foregoing hasn't made you regret your request for more information.
Well remember these and Hobbies For Men!
And must say this engine turned out to be a fantastic transformation !!
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David,I have many bachmann engines steam and diesel and all are great sounding and run smooth after a break in period. Once and a while you will get one that doesnt run right,just keep your receipt and send it back to them. Make sure it runs good on your test track because the new warranty is for one year. The detail is not as good as on my broadways or athearns but look at how much more they cost. I have one bachmann diesel engine a gp50 with dcc i use every week to help clean my track and its about 10 years old... May God bless , the old train man
Thank you old train man And to all that has posted. Bachnmann makes some fine locomotives and sure will give them a try on my new layout.
Some of their stuff has problems right out of the box but it is ussually something to do with the harness, guess it gets out of place somehow, but an easy fix.
I have a few Bachmann steamers with and without DCC and I agree with the general consensus that they are very nice, especially for the value. One bit of advice. I tuned a 2-10-0 feedback loop with instructions that I believe I may have found on the Soundtraxx website and it went from being an OK runner to being a really terrific runner.
I have one of their Spectrum 2-6-0s and from the beginning, it was problematic; the sound would start before the locomotive moved, it would stall on turnouts, even those with powered frogs. A closer inspection revealed the problems:
Once those problems were addressed, it turned into a great runner. I had bought it at a train show, so, I can't fault Bachmann for those issues, not knowing the history of it. My guess is that a previous owner tried to "fix" it, failed and got rid of it. I paid $50 for it, so it's turned into a good investment.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR