I just bought a Bachmann SD 70ace DCC / Sound locomotive. I got NS Hertiage Wabash version. It has the basics, prime mover, horn, bell, bright and dim lighting. The detailing wasn't too bad, wipers, mu hoses some grab irons. In my opinion, it ran good and sounded great. I did some volume adjustments. I paid $150.00 and am satisfied with the product.
I have also been very satisfied with every Bachmann locomotive I have purchased in the last few years.
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They are definitely not the Bachmann of my youth. I wish Life-Like would have stuck around too.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Nice price. That's less than half of what the price is on Bachmann's web store.
Mike.
My You Tube
They've been doing some great engines for the price in both DCC equipped and DCC sound. I have couple for their engines with sound, but they didn't put any numbers on the engines - my NYC F7AB set runs great, just no numbers on the sides or number boards. Still nice for the price...
Is it true Bachmann locomotives have less weight and can't pull long trains like other manufacturers can?
ATSFGuy Is it true Bachmann locomotives have less weight and can't pull long trains like other manufacturers can?
Good question with several answers . My GE 70 Tonner pulled 12 cars on level ground while my Alco S-4 tug 22 cars in a level yard on a friends layout. It should also be noted none of of those cars was up to RP20.1 weight.
Other modelers mileage may vary due to weight,grade etc.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
I have Bachmann steamers and a few small diesels. Forty four and seventy ton. Single motor versions. Sound in all of them. Happy with them.
The Bachmann site has forums with company reps, DCC info, not always correct from what I see in their forums.
Loco diagrams, parts page, loco replacement, repair page.
Needed if you have some Bachmann products.
I buy online for better prices. Google is usually a great help with some research.
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.
No, it is not true, and no generalization like that is true about any manufacturer.
Many of the Bachmann steam locos made in the last 15 years are great pullers, and several have metal boilers.
Some can benefit from some extra weight, but generally Bachmann locos are good runners and good pullers for their various sizes.
Many of those other brands pull well because of traction tires, not weight. Bachmann does not use traction tires and they still pull well.
Additionally, if all you make are big locomotives, they will ull more than smaller locomotives.
Bachmann has made a wide range of sizes and types over the last 15-20 years. You cannot expect a small 4-6-0 to pull as well as a big 4-8-4, so results vary.
Sheldon
This conversation piqued my curiosity, and since I needed to take a few cars off the layout, I decided to put them behind one of my Bachmann Consolidations, and take 'em for a ride.
I don't have a great deal of straight track, nor is much of it level, but I did run a fairly good train on the upper level (pretty-well all flat).Here's the area when it was still under construction...
The curve in the right foreground extends some distance further to the right, while the straight-ish section starts just beyond the turnout at centre-left. It goes into a not-too-severe "S"-bend in the distance and then into a fairly wide curve to the left.
The loco didn't seem to have any trouble starting the train, much of it wrapped around the curve to the right and then ran through the straight-ish section and "S"-bend and into the distant curve, where I stopped it, with the loco and five cars into the curve. There were fourteen cars still in the curve in the foreground, and another 26 cars between them. I'm sure that that locomotive (or any one of another four identical ones) could have handled that train, and more, on any level portion of the layout. However, the longest stretch of level track on the lower portion of the layout can't accommodate a 45 car train before it encounters a grade. I haven't yet tested these locos on a grade, but I know that they won't pull that many up a 2.5% grade.These locomotives were decent pullers right out of the box, but they've been modified three or four times with additional weight in both loco and tender. The train, by the way, was a mix of free-rolling and not-so-free-rolling cars, with 7 empty hoppers below recommended weights, and the balance of the cars at or above (well-above in some cases) recommendations.I don't normally run trains anywhere near this long, but it's always fun to see what can be done.
Wayne
Among my many steam engines, I own several Proto Heritage, Bachmann Spectrum, and BLI. Truth be told they are all good pullers. Bachmann is actually more heavily weighted than Proto Heritage which is a somewhat light locomotive. BLI seems to me to be the heaviest weighted steam engine, but, again, all three manufacturers produce good pulling steam locomotives.
Alton Junction
The OP's is a SD70ace, and it's a heavy 6 axle drive modern loco. I have a few Spectrum C44-9w's, and they have no problem with a 22 car train, of modern style frieght cars, on my small layout.
mbinsewi The OP's is a SD70ace, and it's a heavy 6 axle drive modern loco.
The OP's is a SD70ace, and it's a heavy 6 axle drive modern loco.
The OP didn't really ask any questions and made no reference at all to the pulling power of a Bachmann locomotive, steam or diesel.
Ya, I figured, Rich, , just chiming in with my experience(s) with what Bachmanns I have.