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After "surfing for fun" this morning, I came across this Forum article and, although posted a while ago, I felt I had to comment. <br />I started my collection with Bachmann steam locomotives: one Consolidation and one Mikado. This was in 1984, give or take. Just recently, my Consolidation "burned up", I put it on the track and it just sat there, (electrical)smoke pouring out of the firebox. I will try to repair it. because up until then, it ran great. Not all of my Bachmann's are so good however. I recently bought, at the same time, two Northern types- one GS-4 and one Niagara. The GS-4 runs great-quiet, has sufficient draw bar power, etc. The Niagara is another story. I cannot keep the front pilots on the track, I have weighted them with extra lead weights, I have oiled the slot where the pilot travels, I have super banked the curves-NOTHING. One other problem is coupler height-way off! <br />I also have several of their "Spectrum" series- a K-4 Pacific, a 2-8-0 Condolidation, and a 44 ton GE switcher. Agreeably the Spectrum series is better by far. But I also have a Broadway Limited Imports J1e Hudson, it too has front pilot problems, plus the front wheelset of the tender doesn't want to follow my curves (22" radius), (yes, I checked gauge, it's good) and I have a set of Rivarossi E-6's that run better with the dummy in head-end mode and the powered unit running in reverse (if the powered unit runs a head end power, it is jerky, seems to loose contact, runs slow, etc., but in reverse is as smooth as anything). As for the J1e, I have e-mailed Broadway Limited for suggestions for those problems, but have never heard back. As bad of a reputation as Bachmann seems to have, at least they do answer e-mails. <br />I am not defending Bachmann as such, I just want to point out that all manufacturer's have their good and bad points, some just more than others.
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