The Favorite Spot is a Bachmann vendor I have bought from on ebay. Bid or Buy Now. I get email updates a couple times a year from them about Bachmann trains.
Rich
The low driver version was always my favorite of the two.
Cost
Take a look at MR webpage for the new Bachmann climax Cast metal $399 DCC,no sound. Maybe Bachmann deserves the criticism on past performance.
Is this a response to my posts? Trainworld is selling the Bachmann Climax for $239.99 - or 40% off MSRP - AGAIN, Bachmann MSRP is more inflated than other brands. Bachmann is commonly sold at 40% off - other brands, not so much 25%, maybe 30%.
Past performance? I have about 35 Bachmann locos, only three had problems which Bachmann took care of with replacement locos - all are great runners and lookers.
I have seven BLI locos, 4 had problems, 2 very serious problems, BLI offered no real support.
My experiance:
Bachmann - less than 10% failure rate - all problems covered under warranty
BLI - 57% failure rate - no warranty help
Has every Bachmann product in the last 30 years been perfect? No. Same is true of EVERY other manufacturer - some winners, some lossers.
Sheldon
My experience, BLI 6 locos, 3 serious problems. Bachmann, 10 locos 3 minor problems. Bachmann is no worse than any other manufacturer, better than some. If I added Bowser, Athearn and Intermountain into that equation, Bachmann comes out looking pretty good.
Toylike? I hate that terminology. They are all “toys” out of the box. Look at some of Dr. Waynes work and you can see the difference. I’ve also seen pictures of some of Sheldon’s work. Again you can see the difference.
I think that the BLI PRR H10 is probably their best out of box offering to date, and yes it had electronic problems out of the box.
Higher MSRP? MSRP is meaningless. Yes you will find outlets that price Bachman at MSRP, but shop around. I never pay MSRP.
If the detailed Spectrum of the recent old days (1990’s – 2000’s) is indeed dead, then that is a sad thing. The drive towards quality (better detail and running characteristics) is now moving in the opposite direction. Not something that I like to see.
In HO scale, Bachmann was/is the only company making small steam that is well detailed, inexpensive and runs well out of the box. For all the talk about poor quality, Spectrum Bachmann steam runs better than most small brass steam and is better detailed (or at least on par) for quite a bit less money. At the prices they sold at, it was possible to just buy another one if they didn’t run right. It was also possible to use them as the basis for kit bashing or super detailing without breaking the bank (nice job Wayne).
I had always presumed that I would be able to buy more if I needed them. I have designed a layout predicated on the running of small steam and the thought of not being able to replace Spectrum locos as they break or wear out is not too comforting.
I think that the hobby has lost a flagship line for those of us who chose to model steam short lines. I always recommend Spectrum to new modelers entering the hobby who want to model steam.
You belong to the chosen few - I have yet to see him post a picture here!
Downgrading a product from separately applied details to cast-on details escapes my understanding. It may have been OK with a real el-cheapo entry level product in the 1960´s, but certainly not in the 21st century and at a price way beyond a kid could possibly earn on his paper route!
Bachmann´s ways will always remain a mystery to me. They release a loco into the US market which proves to be a real big seller in the UK, but is not available there. The quality of their products show a tremendous regional spread - while products marketed in Europe are usually of up-market quality, there seem to be a hit/miss situation in the US. Quite mysterious!
I can only speak to the issue of US market products, but Bachmann quality has been on the steady climb overall for the last 20 years. That said, some specific items are superior, other specfic items have been problematic…
But speaking to the defect rate amoung the better items, Bachmann has gotten consistantly better over the last 10-15 years and is no worse than BLi or othrs.
Again, I have:
10 - USRA heavy 4-8-2
4 - 2-6-6-2
7 - 2-8-0
5 - 2-8-4 converted to 2-8-2
2 - 4-6-0
2 - EM1 2-8-8-4
3 - USRA 2-10-2
All run good, only three duds which Bachmann replaced.
Pictures of my locos will have to wait until I get home because I can’t figure out how to link them to photobucket using this silly tablet. But I have posted anumber of pictures of my various ATLANTIC CENTRAL paint schemes, tender s
I forgot to ask if there was a preference over one version or the other between the low driver 52" version and the high driver 63" version?
I would opt for the low driver version myself, it seems to be a bit sleeker that the high driver version, also looks older.
I never owned a loco Bachmann markets in the US, but several from Liliput, Bachmann´s continental European brand. Those were high quality locos and cars, equaling much more expansive brands!
Don, if I read the Bachmann site correctly, the new loco is only offered in the 52" driver version. The prototypes were offered at the same time, with different roads opting for different driver sizes based on their operating conditions and uses.
I actually live just a few hundred feet from the old Maryland and Pennsylvania right of way, they had the 52" driver version because of sharp curves, steep grades, slow trains.
But on a railroad with a better right of way, even the 63" driver version would have been an effective freight loco, and a very effective dual service loco.
I have two of the 63" driver versions, and modified them by installing the Bachmann medium Vandy oil fired tenders, to make them a little more modern and plausable for my 1953 time frame.
Photos later if I get time.
Sheldon
OK, a few photos of some of my Bachmann kit bash projects. Nothing here as impressive as what Wayne posted, and my photo skills are not as good either.
Also note, all these photos were taken before weathering, which I keep pretty light anyway. An at least one is before the paint shop at all.
USRA Heavy Mountain with Hicken tender and replacement Delta trailing truck. I have two like this, two in C&O, and 6 coal fired versions.
Bachmann 2-8-4, converted to heavy 2-8-2 with brass Delta trailing truck with booster. About 6 oz of weight added to loco for better pulling power. This is one of five of these I did.
USRA 2-6-6-2 with long Vandy tender and Delta trailing truck - did two of these and have one each of the C&O lettered versions.
I don’t have any pictures of the two Ten Wheelers or my 2-10-2’s, maybe tomorrow if I have time.
But all these locos run well, pull well, look great, have high levels of detail. I have made a number of small general improvements, which I posted a thread about some years ago - it has come to the top several times since.
Things like all tenders get extra weight, some drawbars have been modified to clear the wires better, extra weight for some locos, and removing capacitors from lighting circuit boards (I run DC with pluse width modulated radio throttles).
I have also put Bachmann tenders behind a number of other brands of locos. BLI heavy Mikes, heavy Pacifi
Nice-looking roster, Sheldon. [tup][tup] I also like the fact that you added weight to the ex-Berkshires - lots of room for it in those locos and I’ll bet that they pull a lot better.
My favourite (and hometown) prototype road, the Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo, ran the only two Berkshires owned by a Canadian road. I’ve modelled an interchange with the TH&B, but the Berks ran pretty-much only between the namesake cities, and not ever, as far as I know, to the smaller towns in the area which I’m modelling. Those were the realm of Consolidations, and I hope to build a model of at least one of them.
Wayne
Thanks Wayne, yes the ex 2-8-4’s pull much better with the exrra weight.
They are also fitted with a drawbar that attaches to the frame ahead of the trailing truck, improving the tracking and dynamic load on curves, given the long fire box.
They are based on the DT&I 800 class mikes, and a lot of research which suggests that the NKP/C&O Berks could have jusf as easily been mikes on roads with suitably heavy trackage for maximum axle loading, no heavier than a GN O-8.
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/dti/dti-s805ggC.jpg
Sheldon
Sheldon, did you keep the Pere Marquette road name on that one steamer?
Rich
No, they are lettered ATLANTIC CENTRAL, that photo was before paint.
Sheldon
And, I see that you relettered your name, Shrldon. [(-D]
Rich
I’m still getting use to this tablet gismo…
For all the price complainers above, today I was at Star Hobby, a brick and mortar shop in Annapolis, Md, and they had lots of the new Bachmann 4-6-0 - priced at only $150.00 for the DCC ready/non sound versions.
As well as the new USRA 2-8-2, without sound, $160.00
Sheldon