The WORST N Scale engine

[richhotrain]

Werl

Hi Wdlgln005 , does the F unit comment apply to the dual mode spectrum models? I bought two dual mode B&O models about 4-5 years ago that claimed a new mechanism. I havn't run them because my layout hasn't been completelly converted from DC analog yet. Should I try them out on by DC layout? 

Lots of luck. That guy has been MIA for 8 years now. 

Rich

[Werl]

Hi Wdlgln005 , does the F unit comment apply to the dual mode spectrum models? I bought two dual mode B&O models about 4-5 years ago that claimed a new mechanism. I havn't run them because my layout hasn't been completelly converted from DC analog yet. Should I try them out on by DC layout?

[MJ4562]

Zombie thread from 18 years ago.  I remember some of those locks from the 90s and they were cheap junk that never should have been sold.  Modern N scale offerings are light years ahead of those models though.

[kasskaboose]

Glad I don't do N-scale!

[richhotrain]

This could be the oldest thread ever revived.  

Rich

[caldreamer]

The Atlas AIG (Atlas 1st Generation) locomotives with the pancake motors.  Did not run well and could not pull itself.  Take the shell off and place it on a Kato drive, throw out the rest.

[B-T]

Bachmann's GP40 in my opinion, worked for me for about 5 hours of running time, then at full throttle, it bearly moves, now the chassis is in the parts bag

[Anonymous]

I have a set of the old Bachmann Budd Metroliners(MU's).The power units ran like crap. I just keep them around for nostolgic value. Maybe one day I'll be able to remotor them and have a decent set.

[Anonymous]

What about the worst engine you have currently running on your layout? Mine is a SW 8 life like switcher. It keeps derailing on the front because it manages to rear up somehow, but I can't seem to fix it[tdn][tdn][tdn][tdn][tdn][tdn][:(!][:(!][:(!][:(!][:(!][:(!] evil beast[}:)][}:)][}:)][}:)]

[vsmith]

Lifelike 0-6-0 "little donkey" and it was a little pain in the a$$, doesnt run anymore but I still have it as it was the first loco I ever kitbashed (into an HOn30 loco) and a Trix 0-6-0 switcher that was actually a lot worse. BTW the Best N loco I ever had is my Bachmann 0-4-0 Dosckside switcher, the little begger just runs and runs[;)]

[slotracer]

30 some odd years ago I obtained a few AHM engines that were firecracker fodder. MDT, GP30 and F7 all had 4 wheel drive truck mounted pancake style motors that lasted a month at best under normal usage. Motors were rivited together so they could not be repaired. Coffee grinders whose lowest speed was about 30 scale, terrible bodies too as I recall.

[Anonymous]

My vote goes with the steam engine in the Lifelike Little Joe set. I don't know how hobby shops can sell this set in good conscience. If it is found at Wallyworld or Toys-Are -Us, they can claim ignorance.

[orsonroy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by gtirr

ANYTHING made by Bachmann is JUNK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wrong. As stated before, their Spectrum line of steam is top-rate. And that's just in N scale; HO and G modelers are blessed with extensive lines of top-rate steam, the HO heavyweight cars are beautiful models, and the hobby itself has undergone a major infusion of growth by Bachmann's introduction of On30 as a "real" scale. And how about the Spectrum line of structures? The Sear's house and all the skyscrapers introduced in the 1990s were beautiful, but sadly taken off the market (too little demand, I hear). And Bachmann's sectional track & roadbed system is the second best on the market.

True, Bachmann does have some lemons in their line, most notably any of their diesels, most of their rolling stock, and their Plasticville line of buildings. But that doesn't mean that the entire brand is worthless.

[Darth Santa Fe]

For some reason, when I pulled the motor out and pushed and held the armature back in place with a pin or something through the bearing, it ran fine!!

[Darth Santa Fe]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Wdlgln005

Funny how the Little Joe 0-6-0T still sells in LL sets.

I ran my dad's old LL 0-6-0T for 15 seconds once and put it away. Next time I pulled it out, the motor had melted and caused slight damage to the back of the shell! When it did run, the little pins that hold the siderods on kept falling off and 1 or 2 of them are LONG gone.

[Anonymous]

ANYTHING made by Bachmann is JUNK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TrainFreak409]

Don't you be dissin' Bachmann like that. Sure, some of their products may be of the lower quality, but their Customer Service is tops! I've only ever had one problem with a Bachmann Train, and I got a whole set FREE, and then fixed the locomotive from the problemed set.

I've grown up with Bachmann, and every locomotive I have, with proper care, is running fine today. One was even neglected for 6 years, as my father took it from me for some reason and hid it in his workshop. The traction tires rotted away, but it still ran. But, I have sacraficed that one to build the Pack Mule.

But on the topic, I have heard that the majority of first production N scale from the 60's and 70's have been very poor, with the Life Like BL2 and C-Liner being some of the worst.

~[8]~ TrainFreak409 ~[8]~

[orsonroy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Idahoshay
but I agree that Bachmann has a Bad Steam Program !!!!!!!!!!
I have even had one of their 4-8-4's with a bad 3 pole motor when bought returned it to which I got a new 5 pole motor but it had two main driver axles broke on it !!!! i turned it in to a static model with a centipede tender and changed the number to 843 and sets and looks good for all the use I got out of it!!!!!!
Russ

Make that HAD. The Spectrum line of N scale steamers are the best overall N scale steam engines on the market today (for USA prototypes). Life Like steam may look better and run a bit more smoothly, but they're more expensive and can barely pull themselves around on the flat. The Kato Mike runs like a Swiss watch, but can only pull six cars without a traction tire conversion. The Bachmann engines (2-8-0, 4-8-2 and 2-6-6-2) by comparison run well, look better than the Kato engines, and pull better than the Life Like engines. They're also NOT limited run engines and are more affordable than either Kato or LL. Bachmann is also slowly upgrading their original line of steam to perform better, with improved drives. They're but perfect, but much more reliable that the old junk.

As for the WORST N scale engine ever made, any of the old Mehano engines get my vote. But the worst one I ever owned was an old Aurora Plymouth switcher:
http://www.visi.com/~spookshow/mexmdt.html
IIRC, I think it crapped out the second time I ran one (as a pre-teen), and sat around forlornly for years, until I finally strapped a M-80 to it in the early 1980s.

[MAbruce]

The Lima FP45. It did have a decent shell.

MP RSD-15. I've heard quieter coffee grinders.

My old Bachmann units are not too far from the bottom, but you have to give them credit that they still run after all these years - albeit at warp speeds...

[Anonymous]

I have owned, (regrettably) 3 Bachman Spectrum SD40-2's. None of them were worth diddly squat. I have had better luck with Life-like and Model Power. The customer service was bad as well. Go figure.

[Anonymous]

I haven't had any Bachmann N scale, but I had a Bachmann VIA Rail F7 in HO.

Totally useless. Kept spinning out on the track even when pulling nothing. One day (I forget why), I pulled off the top and filled it up with pennies. The extra weight made it work.

Though filling it with pennies probably wasn't the best idea. lol! Hey, I was 10. Back then I even thought Life-Like grass mats were cool and VERY realistic.

[Anonymous]

Anything by the old Graham Farish - these locos usually didn't cost much less than the finest European locos, but ran appallingly or sometimes not at all. We had to take one particular model back to the shop three times before we found one that would actually run. I had one diesel that melted a bearing and burned out a motor within three hours of running. On the American front, it would have to be the old Mehano/Model Power units - had an RSD-15 that ran pretty well but also a pair of GP40s that were appalling - they could barely move themselves due to having only one truck driven.

[AltonFan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Wdlgln005

The worst Nscale engines were those made by Mehano and impored by Model Power & others...

I'd second this. Life-Like and AHM were also importers of this junk.

Minitrix made a decent-running 2-10-0. They took the chassis from a European protoype engine, and placed a PRR K4 boiler on it. The stack does not match up with the cylinders.

The original Bachmann 4-8-4 with the strange cup-shaped drive gear also was a stinker. However some of those early Bachmann steamers had nice-looking delrin valve gear that wasn't very durable. But Bachmann locos had very spotty quality: of two engines purchased from the same lot, one would run like a Swiss watch; the other would struggle just to turn a gear.

Some of those old Rivarossi steamers were crap shoots: one engine would run well and last years. Another's motor would fry on its maiden trip.

[Wdlgln005]

The worst Nscale engines were those made by Mehano and impored by Model Power & others, Funny how the Little Joe 0-6-0T still sells in LL sets. A second bad is the stuff made by Lima.

THe worst new models are the Funits made by Bachmann. THeir gears have a bad habit of cracking. I'd like to see their standard line improved to Spectrum.

[Idahoshay]

I have to agree with trainluver1 on engines that failed to meet the slandered, I had a 0-6-0 Bachmann and work about a day and died. but on the other hand I have 8 Bachmann GE 8-40CW Spectrums, but when I got them I set up a break in track and ran them for two days strait in both Directions.......
the problem is that their brushes do not seat in well and need the run time to break them in.
but I agree that Bachmann has a Bad Steam Program !!!!!!!!!!
I have even had one of their 4-8-4's with a bad 3 pole motor when bought returned it to which I got a new 5 pole motor but it had two main driver axles broke on it !!!! i turned it in to a static model with a centipede tender and changed the number to 843 and sets and looks good for all the use I got out of it!!!!!!
Russ

[railfanespee4449]

Hey, wmbl-2, I disagree. Older Bachmans may be unreliable, but the newer ones are great. My Burlington Route 4-8-4 is a sensitive engine, but once the track is good and it has settled in, it runs like a swiss watch.
I agree on the older bachmans. I bought two bachmann steamers that had been on display for years. They both had problems.. The hobby shop kindly exchanged them
here is the transaction. Bachmann 2-8-2 broke, so back to shop and 2-8-2 + $20 got me a 4-8-4. It broke, so they ordered me a NEW Bachmann 4-8-4 with a few new details for no wxtra charge. It ran fine, and is my N Scale Flagship!

If you wonder where I've been, I switched to O gauge and reside at the CTT forum. My friend (my age) has N scale, so i'm working with him to build an N scale RR (in addition to my O scale)
The worst is old, old bachmann steamers.

[pcarrell]

I think its unanamous, Bachmann has serious quality control problems!

[hminky]

How about the AHM 2-6-4 tank engine with the side mounted pan cake engine? Lone Star Treble O with belt drive shouldn't count because you knew they were going to be bad. I had a couple of those belt drive *&@%^ wonders. Ah, the wonders of rubber band drive.

Harold

[Anonymous]

I agree with the bachmann.[}:)]Evil little train