A couple of adages: "You get what you pay for"; "Buyer beware; if it looks too good to be true, it is".
With that said, I have seen recent ads for Bachman-brand low-priced locos and rolling stock. Several items fit my current needs. Earlier (1980s) experiences with Bachmann were disappointing. Therefore, I am hesitant to purchase because I am not confident about the quality in terms of scale-accuracy and/or operation of Bachmann products. So...
Are there recent reviews and experiences with the current generation of Bachmann locos and rolling stock? Based on quality, why shouldn't I purchase?
Joe Staten Island West
Even though I didn't purchase any Bachmann products in the 1980's-early 1990's) I saw that the quality of these products was not as good as even the blue box Athearn products at that time, I just saw that the quality, in the box, was not that good. I looked for things like body mounted vs. truck mounted couplers, prototypically correct paint jobs, and other finer details.
In my view, that all changed with the advent of Bahmann's Spectrum and Plus lines. Although some on this forum would argue that Bachmann products within the last two decades (middle 90's to present) are not that good a quality, I considered these products to be at least as good as Athearn's offerings in a lot of respects. I have two A-B sets of Bachmann Plus F7's (probably late 90's releases) and I can say that they are decent runners. No, they're not as good as, say, Atlas or some of the newer Athearn products, or Stewart, or BLI, etc, but they are, in my opinion, a good buy for the money these days. There are others on this forum that are much more versed than I on the subject of these products and have much more experience than I, so We'll see what the others have to say.
Georgia,
It depends what you want to model. In general, the Spectrum line is Bachmann's top line of locomotives. They make some nice steamers - in particular, their 2-8-0 Consolidated. It runs very smoothly and looks great.
With that said, Bachmann's offerings tend to be more generic. You'll have to look at the line(s) you want to model to determine whether or not it is a good stand-in for the prototype. For the New York Central, there's little that Bachmann offers that resembles their locomotives; hence, why I don't own any.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
I remember the Bachmann offerings of the 80's-90's and to say they were terrible would be an understatement. However the quality of their locos and rol,ling stock has improved greatly since then. Bachmann diesels are now among my first choices when I'm looking for new motive power. I have three of their GP7's, a GP9, a GP38-2 and several GP40's. A lot of my rolling stock is Bachmann Silver Series and I recommend it. The metal wheels are good but bthe couplers are cheap plastic versions of Kadee couplers. I replace these with Kadee #148 or #119 metal couplers depending on the application.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Generally, the newer models Bachmann has released have made great strides and gotten generally good reviews. A friend has several of the recent 4-4-0 offerings and they are a great value for the money.
On the other hand, older models continue to be produced with updates. The 44 tonner's old dual motoer system was upgraded to a shortened version of what was under the 70 tonner. That was good. Problem is the driveline (cups and axle drive gears) is a weakness with the 70 tonner of late -- and you can't just buy the broken part, you have to buy a complete truck or chassis to get those parts.
Customer service under warranty is generally called good, so if it breaks, they'll do right,
Bachmann builds to spec. They can do cheap and questionable and they can do exquisite detail in a sophisticated loco. Bachmann builds the Blackstone locos and they are second to none. So don't go too cheap, do you homework on specific items of inetrest and you should be OK if they have something you need.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
I have a 2-8-0 Consolidation, a 44 tonner, a three truck shay, and an 0-6-0 switcher. All have been very satisfactory, run well, good paint, good looks. The 0-6-0 was a train show basket case that I rebuilt and brought back to life. All of them are as nice, or nicer, than my Athearn blue box diesels, Mantua steamers, IHC steamers, and Proto2K diesels.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
I actually have three Bachmann locomotives. The first one is a Bachmann Spectrum consolidation 2-8-0 I bought few years ago. I put a DCC decoder in it and it is a very dependable locomotive that runs well.
The other two are DCC On Board GP-9 I bought during the last year. Although they don't have the details you find in P2K locomotive, they are nice and run very well. The decoder could be noisy though. In fact, the first one had a decoder that was too noisy and difficult to adjust for slow speed. I put a NCE decoder in it. I now have a great locomotive. The second loco which is of the same model but bought few months later ran perfect right out of the box.
Guy
Modeling CNR in the 50's
Guy PapillonIn fact, the first one had a decoder that was too noisy and difficult to adjust for slow speed. I put a NCE decoder in it. I now have a great locomotive.
I've got a Bachman 2-6-0 praie that I need to send back for work done-or do it myself. It blew a decoder when I was trying to program it.
(My Model Railroad, My Rules)
These are the opinions of an under 35 , from the east end of, and modeling, the same section of the Wheeling and Lake Erie railway. As well as a freelanced road (Austinville and Dynamite City railroad).
Bachmann steam here--2-8-0, 2-10-0, 4-8-2 and 2-6-6-2, all pretty much generic, all nicely detailed and all very smooth runners and decent pullers. I'd say the oldest one (4-8-2) dates from the late '90's or early 2000 and the latest one 2-10-0 was picked up last year. All of them have been trouble free. I like them.
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 recently purchased a Bachmann Alco 2-6-0 Mogul steamer with "Sound Value" decoder and am very pleased with the way it looks, sounds and operates. While not superdetailed, it has a quite acceptable level of detail and would be a great project for those looking to superdetail a small loco. I have already converted mine to an oil burner by removing the "clip-in" coal load casting and replacing is with a scratch-built oil tank insert.
This is a very small loco. My MDC 2-6-2 Santa Fe style Prarie kits tower over this little Alco and they are pretty small locos, too. The "Sound Value" decoder runs nicely and puts out a limited number of good quality sounds. The playable whistle function is a nice feature my MDC steamers don't have with their early MRC sound decoders. This loco tracks nicely and has pulled 8 NMRA weighted freight cars on track with 1% or less grades. I need to reduce this to 4 cars on my helix inclines (2.6%) but these do represent prototypical train lengths for such a tiny locomotive! I would imagine this could be improved by adding a bit of weight to the boiler and/or Bullfrog Snot to a driver. If this one loco is representative of the current Bachmann line, I would have no problem with purchasing more Bachmann steamers.
Hornblower
Georgia Flash A couple of adages: "You get what you pay for"; "Buyer beware; if it looks too good to be true, it is". With that said, I have seen recent ads for Bachman-brand low-priced locos and rolling stock. Several items fit my current needs. Earlier (1980s) experiences with Bachmann were disappointing. Therefore, I am hesitant to purchase because I am not confident about the quality in terms of scale-accuracy and/or operation of Bachmann products. So... Are there recent reviews and experiences with the current generation of Bachmann locos and rolling stock? Based on quality, why shouldn't I purchase?
"Quality" is a loaded word. Yes the quality has improved substantially in terms of paint jobs and chassis, but in terms of "fidelity" to the prototype, not so much improved. So if you aren't picky about the models Bachman offers matching particular prototypes, and don't mind somewhat "generic" models, I'd say g'head, buy.
I've heard they run much better and the paint jobs look nicer - it just depends on what your standards are and what you like. They aren't for everyone - and they are more of an improved qulity entry level model - thats how I would describe them.
Disclaimer for Sheldon: The above comments are not aimed at Bachman steam - going forward, please remember I am not talking about Bachman steam. If a reader wants to know about Bachman steam, thats your job to comment, I'll defer to you on that. Peace - from the guy who didn't have a layout for the last 12+ years.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
hornblower While not superdetailed, it has a quite acceptable level of detail and would be a great project for those looking to superdetail a small loco.
jeffrey-wimberly hornblower While not super detailed, it has a quite acceptable level of detail and would be a great project for those looking to superdetail a small loco. I prefer less detail myself. With my damaged nerves a detail laden loco or car quickly comes up minus many details.
hornblower While not super detailed, it has a quite acceptable level of detail and would be a great project for those looking to superdetail a small loco.
I prefer less detail myself. With my damaged nerves a detail laden loco or car quickly comes up minus many details.
I notice a lot of those tiny detail parts can't be seen under normal operation viewing anyway.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
My current Bachmann roster consists of six locomotives. The largest and most complex is the B&O EM-1 2-8-8-4. Prior to the Bachmann release this engine was only available in VERY expensive brass OR moderately expensive brass (Challenger or Akane, respectively) The Bachmann EM-1 is a very impressive model and at this price level (about $300-350) is a terriffic VALUE. I have about a hundred hours running time on my pair and have no issues at all with them (however, a minor point is that they did not include the proper whistle in the sound module.) They came with DCC installed and if you wanted sound you added a plug-in board.
I recently picked up a pair of E-33 electrics and these look pretty decent but I have not had much time to run them since I have disassembled them for repainting. They seem to run fine on the test track but were a bit loud with some gear noise. Maybe I can quiet this down a bit with some tinkering.
Lastly I have an Alco S-2 switcher with sound. This is a great little engine, smooth runner and good sounds. Again, the VALUE was great since I paid right around $100 for it, that included DCC and SOUND!
I did have one of their three truck Shays and mine ran flawlessly and was superbly detailed but it just didn't fit my scheme of things so I sold it.
Over the years Bachmann (along with Life-Like) has had a very broad array of products from toy-box junk to some super running engines. SO, let us know which engine you have in mind and we can be more specific for you.
Have fun, Ed
Ya Bachmann 30 years ago was 'toy train set' quality, or thereabouts. Starting in the late eighties, they made great strides when they introduced their Spectrum line. Much of their stuff is very good, their new 50' 1970's boxcars with the sliding doors (without huge unrealistic side parts) are really nice. I have several Spectrum engines that all run well, and all the reviews I've read of the 2-6-0 are very good. MR did a video review a few months ago, you can find it on the MR site.
http://mrr.trains.com/news-reviews/staff-reviews/2012/06/video-bachmann-trains-ho-scale-alco-2-6-0-mogul
riogrande5761 "Quality" is a loaded word. Yes the quality has improved in terms of paint jobs and chassis, but in terms of "fidelity" to the prototype, not so much. So if you aren't picky about the models Bachman offers matching particular prototypes, and don't mind somewhat "generic" models, I'd say g'head, buy. For me B'man doesn't offer anything I'm interested mainly because as a D&RGW and Southern Pacific fan of the 70's and 80's, their engines are not good matches, even the GP40 - the Rio Grande lettering looks wrong - no go for me. The D&RGW yellow FT are nice in a generic way, and run well, but are "characatures" of the real thing. Again, fine if you aren't going for diesels which "look" like the real thing.
"Quality" is a loaded word. Yes the quality has improved in terms of paint jobs and chassis, but in terms of "fidelity" to the prototype, not so much. So if you aren't picky about the models Bachman offers matching particular prototypes, and don't mind somewhat "generic" models, I'd say g'head, buy.
For me B'man doesn't offer anything I'm interested mainly because as a D&RGW and Southern Pacific fan of the 70's and 80's, their engines are not good matches, even the GP40 - the Rio Grande lettering looks wrong - no go for me. The D&RGW yellow FT are nice in a generic way, and run well, but are "characatures" of the real thing. Again, fine if you aren't going for diesels which "look" like the real thing.
The OP did NOT say if he was interested in steam or diesel or what rolling stock he was interested in.
MOST of the SPECTRUM Steam locos are VERY accurate models of SPECIFIC prototypes, even if they are/were also offered in some "close enough" paint schemes.
The USRA 4-8-2 is very accurate in all the paint schemes it was offered in with the exception of the Southern Pacfic version.
ALL versions of the USRA 2-10-2, and the Russian 2-10-0 are accurate to their roadnames.
The PRR K4 and N&W J - both very accurate.
The Ma & Pa 4-6-0 and 4-4-0 both very accurate.
The 2-8-0, while some what generic, is a reasonable stand in for all the roadnames offered.
Both versions of the 2-6-6-2 are very accruate models in ALL the roadnames offered.
The 2-8-4 Berkshire/Kanawha from Bachmann is WAY more accurate for EVERY roadname offered than the over priced, crudely detailed model from MTH.
The B&O EM-1 - as accurate as any brass model I have ever seen - and I have spent my whole life living here in the home of the B&O, and been modeling it since age 12.
As for diesels, those D&RGW FT's don't cost anywhere near what Intermountain, Genesis, BLI or other high detail, proto specific detail locos cost - not a FAIR comparison. Yes it is a generic FT - for EVERY roadname it is offered in and has only basic detail - like a 1960's Athearn F unit.
As I have commented before - judging a whole brand as a group is generally a bad idea. They all make winners, they all make loosers, they all make stuff that is of no need or interest to the specific goals of specific modelers.
I could talk the same way about Atlas in the sense that very little of what they make is in my era of interest, their detail is a little more "bulkly" in some cases, their prices are higher, and their availablity is spotty unless you preorder - which I don't do - but the truth is Atlas makes excelent locos - even if none of them suit my needs.
Bachmann makes lots of products for the "entry" level in the hobby. And the operational and build quality of all their products has been very high and constantly improved over the last decade or more.
But the consumer must choose to except the detail level at one price, or pay more to get better/more accurate models (or learn to actually build models and detial them yourself - never mind, what a silly idea that was).
I have lots of Bachmann models - mostly steam locos, some of the specialized diesels - GE 70 tonners, 44 tonners, doodlebugs.
They are all excelent looking and running models, and all represent excelent values at the prices they were offered at.
So please tell me riograde, how can you justify such a broad, generized and patently false statement about the accuracy of Bachmann models? And please tell me the name of a major company in this hobby who does not offer any "generic" or "stand in" type models? Or models that lack some of the proto specific fine details of the some of the roadnames offered?
Again, I think everyone understands that Bachmann FT's are not on a par with Intermoutain or Genesis detail wise, and that Bachmann rolling stock is not on a par with a Rapido coach or a Spring Mills Depot B&O bay window caboose - but Bachmann is not asking $50 or $100 for any of thier rolling stock either.
In fact, the street price of the of those FT locos is ONLY about $50 - less than half the price of all those "suoer detailed" locos.
And, in my mind, QUALITY, in the case of model trains, does not relate to fine prototype accuracy - That would be like saying the Bowser/Stewart F units are low quality because they come without handrails and other details - yet they are one of the best running and best detailed shell castings ever made of an F unit (but I do personally prefer Intermountain and Genesis in the EMD F unit department).
Respectfully, stop judging WHOLE products lines based on one or two products, or the fact that you are not interested in the products they do make.
Sheldon
ATLANTIC CENTRALThe 2-8-0, while some what generic, is a reasonable stand in for all the roadnames offered...how can you justify such a broad, generized and patently false statement about the accuracy of Bachmann models?
Sheldon,
Your definition of "reasonable" and someone else's definition of "reasonable" may actually be an "unreasonable" assumption. Given that Bachmann's 2-8-0 Consolidated is "generic" by your own admission and should be the same - no matter which railroad line is represented - in my eyes the Bachmann Durango & Silverton & UP 2-8-0 Consolidateds pictured below is NOT a "reasonable" stand in for an NYC 2-8-0 Consolidated and, therefore, NOT for "all the roadnames offered".
tstage ATLANTIC CENTRAL The 2-8-0, while some what generic, is a reasonable stand in for all the roadnames offered...how can you justify such a broad, generized and patently false statement about the accuracy of Bachmann models? Sheldon, Your definition of "reasonable" and someone else's definition of "reasonable" may actually be an "unreasonable" assumption. Given that Bachmann's 2-8-0 Consolidated is "generic" by your own admission and should be the same - no matter which railroad line is represented - in my eyes the Bachmann Durango & Silverton & UP 2-8-0 Consolidateds pictured below is NOT a "reasonable" stand in for an NYC 2-8-0 Consolidated and, therefore, NOT for "all the roadnames offered".
ATLANTIC CENTRAL The 2-8-0, while some what generic, is a reasonable stand in for all the roadnames offered...how can you justify such a broad, generized and patently false statement about the accuracy of Bachmann models?
Tom, I don't understand your comment - Bachmann never lettered their 2-8-0 in NYC that I am aware of. I have a whole stack of Bachmann catalogs here going back more than a decade - I don't see any Spectrum 2-8-0's lettered NYC.
The roadnames they did offer all had similar heavy 2-8-0's
The loco is from a Baldwin "stock" design. The IC, B&O, Western Maryland, Southern and many others had variations of this design. The design has very similar demenisons and proportions to the Harriman designed 2-8-0's used by the UP, SP and IC.
The only attempt at proto specific details were some different tenders and internal valve gear on the UP models.
But again, in the road names that Bachmann offered the loco, it is a reasonable representation of similar locos used on those roads.
Tom, I stand corrected, I did find were they offered NYC for a short time on the 2-8-0. Must not have been a big seller - not offered all that long and mainly sold in sets with a few passenger cars.
Fact remains that for many or most of the road names offered it is a reasonable model.
Here is what I don't understand about you or riogrande - why are you so offended by this issue?
Do you really think that we should have the "roadname police" and no one should be "allowed" to sell a model that is not proto specific perfect?
MTH sells 2-8-4's lettered for C&O and RF&P that are not even close, for prices that make me blush, you don't hear much about that.
A big part of Bachmann's market is entry level - train set beginners - who can't or won't afford Trix Mikados or BLI stuff. Maybe they like NYC - and are simply having fun with trains.
I have not been on here in a while, and this reminds me why.
See Ya, I'm going to go have some fun with my 800 sq ft train layout populated with lots of locos and cars that likely don't live up to your high standards - how big is your layout?, how many locos and freight cars have you built from kits? - it is really easy to have such high standards from an arm chair.
Tom, one last thought, I don't know anytihng abot NYC steam, nor do I want to learn. But according to steamlocomotive.com there were over 70 classes of NYC 2-8-0's, and I could only find pictures of two classes on the internet - are you sure none of them looked like the Bachmann model?
A similar situation exists with the 4-6-0 you like to complain about - dozens of different classes of 4-6-0's.
Have you seen pictures or drawings of all of them?
If this post seems late to the discussion, I haven't been here for a day or two and have missed this until now.
I have to agree with most of what Sheldon has said about the Spectrums. I also could care less about their diesels, although their model of the RS2 is missing one detail for the SRR. The model needs 4 steam era classification lights added to the corners of the hood.
Spectrum/Bachmann DOES have several highly accurate steam locomotives out there and added another within the past couple of years with their Southern Railway 4-4-0.
Adding this to their previous offerings of the 2-10-2, USRA light 4-8-2, and although not as accurate as it could be, the low drivered 4-6-0, one could build a fairly accurate fleet for the Southern, without having to buy brass, which until Bachmann came along would have been impossible.
I have a copy of Richard Prince's book, "Southern Railway Steam Locomotices and Boats". This is considered the "Bible" for SRR steam modelers. This is a go-no go book for me. When a model comes out lettered for Southern, the model is compared by me to the examples in the book. the interesting thing is the 2-10-2, 4-8-2, and 4-4-0 are DEAD ON accurate. The details are there, the colors are correct, and most important, the loco numbers are accurate. Generic? No. Just because they don't make a model thats accurate for what others and their road of choice model, doesn't make the rest of what they produce generic.
Carey
Keep it between the Rails
Alabama Central Homepage
Nara member #128
NMRA &SER Life member
The Spectrum 2-8-0 is a so/so stand in for C&O's G9 2-8-0s.
BRAKIE The Spectrum 2-8-0 is a so/so stand in for C&O's G9 2-8-0s.
Yes it is, and in fact, if you replace the tender with the smaller one Spectrum used on the 2-10-0, it is even closer as those C&O engines had very small tenders.
And as many have proven over the many years the model has been inproduction, it is a great plateform for kit bashing more accurate models.
Bachmann Has managed to keep their prices in check and their quality has somewhat improved. I prefer their steam over their diesels especially the 2-8-0's.
Joe C
If my B&O EM-1 is any indication of the products to come from Bachman, I can't wait to see future offerings. This loco is "superb" in actual prototype detail and running qualities. Sheldon covers it quite well.
I was never a fan of Bachman years ago until some of the Spectrum steam. Even early Spectrum diesel left a bit to be desired in poor, heavy paint and detail. Quality control seemed to be "all over the place" Two GP30 spectrums ran so differently, I thought they were from different builders. One died after 5 minutes running. Some have decent luck w/ them, I never did, so i sort of shyed away from any of their diesel offerings. I have seem the newer line of diesel improve considerably, the trucks and drive are still a bit "clunky" as compared to Atlas, P2K, Genesis etc. , but the $$$ can speak for itself. Bachman is offering a decent product, now, and for far less cost.
Again, this has become one of my favorites, the detail is suberb, but rather fragile.
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org
ATLANTIC CENTRALTom, I stand corrected, I did find were they offered NYC for a short time on the 2-8-0. Must not have been a big seller - not offered all that long and mainly sold in sets with a few passenger cars. Fact remains that for many or most of the road names offered it is a reasonable model.
And that's perfectly fine with me, Sheldon. Didn't I say in my earlier post that Bachmann makes "some nice steamers - in particular, their 2-8-0 Consolidated. It runs very smoothly and looks great"?
ATLANTIC CENTRALHere is what I don't understand about you or riogrande - why are you so offended by this issue? Do you really think that we should have the "roadname police" and no one should be "allowed" to sell a model that is not proto specific perfect?
Are you serious? I'm not offended at all, Sheldon. I was merely correcting your earlier erroneous use of the word "all". You're the one who seems to get so quickly bent out of shape when someone expresses an opposing opinion to your own - in particular, whenever it comes to a discussion of Bachmann.
ATLANTIC CENTRALI have not been on here in a while, and this reminds me why. See Ya, I'm going to go have some fun with my 800 sq ft train layout populated with lots of locos and cars that likely don't live up to your high standards - how big is your layout?, how many locos and freight cars have you built from kits? - it is really easy to have such high standards from an arm chair.
Another classic and presumptuous ending paragraph by our beloved, Sheldon. Unbelieveable. But to answer your question, Sheldon: 4 x 8 and over 100 pieces of rolling stock. (I've also done some scratchbuilding, kit-bashing, and craftsman kits of structures.) So, I'm not into "arm chair" modeling either.
And I'll say this one more time for you, Sheldon: People can buy what they want and I'm per-fect-ly fine with that - really. Don't be so quickly offended when someone shares their own opinion that is contrary to your own. We can all live together in the same bunker.
ATLANTIC CENTRAL Tom, one last thought, I don't know anytihng abot NYC steam, nor do I want to learn. But according to steamlocomotive.com there were over 70 classes of NYC 2-8-0's, and I could only find pictures of two classes on the internet - are you sure none of them looked like the Bachmann model? A similar situation exists with the 4-6-0 you like to complain about - dozens of different classes of 4-6-0's. Have you seen pictures or drawings of all of them? Sheldon
Yes, I realize that there were quite a few renditions of the G-Class NYC Consolidation and, no, I don't have drawings of them all. Bachmann's rendition is number "1147". The closest I could find to that number was #1149, which is what I posted earlier. I also found #1144 on Fallen Flags but it pretty much resembles #1149.
I was able to find NYC #1102 on FF and it's the closest to resembling (being a fair stand-in for) the Bachmann offering with the higher steam and sand domes. All you would have to do is change the road numbers and the number board. Too bad Bachmann couldn't have done a little research to get that simple correction made before releasing it. But, in all fairness, no manufacturer has been immune from doing that either.
The Bachmann Ten-wheeler suffers from the same malady as the 2-8-0:
Unfortunately, it resembles it's NYC prototype even less. With that said, NYC #1291 seems to be a little better representation of Bachmann's NYC #1233.
And, no, I don't complain about it, Sheldon. I'm merely pointing out that Bachmann's more generic offerings - which is perfectly fine for them to release and people to purchase (Yes, it is - really) - don't always translate well to all railroads they attempt to model. I think that's the main point that rio was trying to make earlier.