I have a good running 44T but that may be the only bachmann i will ever run. I received the Acela this past Christmas and although it looks really good it is one of the worst running N scale trains i have ever had. I tried everything to get it to run or atleast stay on the track. So back to the dealer it went and i exchanged it for the Kato EL Capitan 12 cars and 15 coal porters. Btw i was running the Acela on 24" radius. This is not the only bachmann i have had, 2-8-0, 2-6-6-2, DDA40X (new ones). They all suck and i have promised myself i will never buy another Bachmann product. Come on bachmann it is 2010 time to improve your quality. Btw, why are they still in business??????? Dave
I've had a very similar experience recently with a $100 Bachmann 'starter kit' where the engine straight out of the box could not complete one lap around the track it came with. I had to disassemble and insulate the motor from the chassis because the motor was poorly isolated and grounding to the chassis, causing an intermittent stall. Very disappointed with the entire kit as a whole. Being new to N scale (and recently returning to the hobby) I found myself back at the LHS spending another $100 for a quality Kato engine. Worth every penny.
They are still in business because people buy the stuff. The problem with Bachmann is that for every good item, they make six crummy ones, you've got to know which is which. Was the 2-8-0 you had problems with Bachmann or Spectrum, I have six Spectrums and all are excellent. Their so called 'starter sets' I wouldn't wish on anyone, let alone a beginner.
simple answer, stay away from the non spectrum stuff. Period. Also test run test run test run before you buy. I have an 2-8-0, a spectrum one, nothing wrong with it, awesome loco. and the 44 tonner has got nothing but praise.
B-mann seems to have had the hardest time improving its quality. LL did it well, in steps. There was the FP-whatever, the BL-2, that had an improvement in shell and details, the FA-2, which had a real improvement in appearance. The plastic frame Es and PAs were the next step up. The SD-7 was a blip, but LL continued with the metal frame power. Bachmann, seems to have improved in fits and starts with more than a few backsteps. B-mann came out with the SPECTRUM 2-8-0. The first run was decidedly try-before-you-buy, but if you tried enough of them, you got a real winner. Bachpersonn was showing some promise. Then came the USRA light 4-8-2. It ran nicely, but due to lacking QC, it was necessary to shim the tyred driver pair. Next came the USRA 2-6-6-2; in short: a disaster. The USRA heavy 4-8-2 proved to be pretty good. The PLUS F-units proved to be a disaster. In most cases, the more that you run a locomotive, the better it runs. The B-mann were the opposite: they ran allright out of th ebox, but the more that you ran it, the worse that it got. Then came the cracked gears. They came out with the doodlebug, which is pretty good. There have been reports of the drive's discombobulating, but on the whole, they have proved pretty good. They made the sharks for E-R, which are real gems. B-man 'SPECTRUMised' the F-7s, but they were and are mediocre. They did the Standard Line three axle industrial switcher, which is the only version of that thing, out of several by various manufacturers, including an earlier effort by B-mann, that runs acceptably. B-mann did an FM roadswitcher, which is real improvement in the Standard Line, although I have heard reports that it does fall apart after a while. The 44 tonner, is, on the other hand, a real winner. Maybe B-mann will keep going with the good products from here. I suspect that one of their problems is that they do not spend too much time in the testing department. Still, I will give them a chance if they issue something that I want.
I have three Spectrum 2-8-0's, a 2-6-6-2 (with bullfrog snot added--should be factory installed , and a heavy 4-8-2. The 2-8-0's and the 2-6-6-2 all needed the drivers to be put in gauge, but they look super, run very smoothly, and will pull every bit as good as my two Kato Mikado's with the optional traction wheels installed. My first 2-6-6-2 was replaced with no hassle by the factory. With the BFS added it will pull 40+ hoppers on the straight and level and looks gorgeous pullling coal drags at our NTrak shows. I purchased all the Bachmann locos at a deep discount through an e-tailer and with a little tinkering they're fine engines. One 2-8-0 also had to go back to the factory and again, their service department was a delight to work with. I've had FAR more trouble with my Walthers 0-8-0 but eventually after two trips back to the factory, even that is now doing great (thanks finally, to the tutorial here). I for one am glad Bachmann is in business and that they stand behind their products so well. My steam roster would be pretty bare without them! However, unless you're willing to tinker with them a bit (all the tinkering I know I learned here on Trainboard!) you might wish to avoid them.
I don't own any N Scale Bachmann.I do own a HO GE 70 tonner that is a real gem.. Back to N..I don't get it about Bachmann.I used a H16-44 as a yard switcher at the N Scale club and it was a very smooth runner and I casually mention Atlas sure makes a great locomotive to the owner..Imagine my shock when I was informed that was a Bachmann and not a Atlas..He has 6 of 'em and all runs smooth and he reports zero problems. If Bachmann is as bad as the reports on various forums I would say my friend was lucky but,he's not the only one that runs Bachmann at the club with excellent results... I just don't get it not one iota. For the record the 4 members that runs Bachmann at the club are what I call "casual" modelers since they are more into railfanning then model railroading and from Spring to late fall they will only show up at the club if its raining. Nothing wrong with that.
Please see my signature... Spectrum stuff has been great so far. Seriously, never underestimate the power of branding. Bachmann for many people IS model trains. The gateway into the hobby for many folks, and the only company (to my limited knowledge), offering entry level, disposable train sets for kids and uninformed parents.
For those unaware, Bachmann has been making upgrades to the motors on their old steam. Their 0-6-0, while not all that detailed, is reportedly a good runner, and at a usual street price of around $30. Frank
I have two Spectrum 2-8-0's, a 4-8-2, and had a 2-6-6-2 but sold it (not because of the gauge issue, this one was fine). I have had virtually no problems with them. They wabble a little bit but so does my Kato GS-4. I have a Spectrum F7 A-B set. It is not as quiet and smooth running as my Kato set but it could pull the carpet off the floor. I'm thankful for the Spectrum line otherwise I would have very few steamers.
I have a couple Bachman engines and have been fairly happy with them. The GP40 may not look as good as the Atlas ones but it runs well and pulls pretty good. It doesn't get run as often anymore but was a mainstay of the fleet for a while. I also have the Plymouth Industrial Switcher and love it. It pulls almost as many cars as any of the three Atlas GP15s I have, on level track, even over the turnouts. Since it was never meant to be pulling a unit train at mainline speeds it does what it should. I used it to power the wife's Christmas layout and it ran for hours at slow speed with a half dozen cars behind it. I have been looking for cheap F7Bs to use for power units for rotary plows. I'm not going to use a $100 IMR/Kato unit to sit on a siding so the BMan Plus or Spectrum is perfect. The detail is good and since I'm only using it to power a motor in the plow pulling power and noise aren't an issue. I'd love to get some steam and Bman is pretty much the only option. SD45s are also pretty much a Bachman only unit now. The Kato ones are way out of my price range, if you can find them. A little work required but nothing major.
I have a Spectrum 2-8-0 and a 44-tonner. They are both good units. I am fixing to get some more 44-tonners to power the 70-tonner kits, I got from randgust.
I think you just have to be careful with Bachmann. Unlike Kato, where you can pretty much rely on anything being excellent from the first one off the assembly line (although even Kato has had a few blips with the GS4), Bachmann quality varies from excellent to non-existent. I have two 2-8-0's. Bought them on sale for $60 each, and I think I got an excellent buy. One had to be replaced after a week of running, but Bachmann did so with no problem. The other ran beautifully out of the box and is still going strong (the replacement unit is excellent, as well). Both are terrifically detailed, and look as good as anything manufactured by anyone. As another poster pointed out, both had to have the wheels gauged (they were way too narrow), but I've had to do this on Atlas diesels, as well. I have heard that the newest Heavy Mountain is also excellent, and might try one of those if I can find one at a good price. I've never owned a Bachmann diesel, so I can't comment on those. I think the key with Bachmann is to wait for reviews (let someone else be the beta tester), then buy them at a train show or LHS where you can test run it before plunking the money down (or else be prepared to send it back to Bachmann for a replacement). Actually, these days I pretty much wait for reviews on any steam release, unless it is from Kato. I did violate that rule by pre-ordering a Cab-Forward, and I hope I don't pay the price. But doing this helped me avoid the Bachmann 2-6-6-2 disaster, the original Y3 disaster (not the new Walthers runs), the shorting GS4 (got a new one after the shorting problem was fixed) and so forth. I view steam engines like software: never buy version 1, unless it's something that you just have to have for your roster and is a limited run. And then be prepared to tweak away. John C.
All Bachmann Spectrum steam locomotives have to be test run before they are purchased. I know one or two e-tailers who will do that for you.
One of the reasons that is overlooked in this thread is that Bachmann seems to make good equipment in other scales. Their ON30 and large scale equipment seems to be well-reviewed by the hobby press and decent equipment for the price.
Even as i was in a rant i have a 2-8-0 connie apart on my table hopefully fixing a few problems. It should run well after i'm done. I have seen some of thier other scales and the stuff runs and looks great. Why can't the N scale do the same thing? I guess in the future i will have to see it and test it before buying it. Dave
