Bachmann HO scale motor car

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Bachmann HO scale motor car

I bought a Union Pacific Bachmann Spectrum “doodlebug” for service on my (planned) Pacific NW HO layout. You can combine this with a caboose, old-time passenger car, or boxcars.

very impressive

a real shame it does not come undec.

a real shame it does not come undec.

Every time I read a review of Bachmann DCC products I notice the same thing…

They barely move until you reach speed step 7 or 8 (28 step)

This has been my experience with the DD40X, the Peter Witt Street cars, and from this review the situation is the same with this unit.

The problem is with the Standard Bachmann decoders which also produce significant engine noise…

Please Model Railroader… Remove this decoder and replace it with a good quality TCS or Digitrax decoder with BEMF.

This will TRANSFORM the bachmann products into very smooth running and QUIET units… They will also run perfectly at speed step 1 and accelerate evenly to top speed…

I feel very strongly about this point and I have converted all my Bachmann DCC locos and the difference is amazing…

Please do an article on the improvements of upgrading decoders in Bachmann units.

Every time I read a review of Bachmann DCC products I notice the same thing…

They barely move until you reach speed step 7 or 8 (28 step)

This has been my experience with the DD40X, the Peter Witt Street cars, and from this review the situation is the same with this unit.

The problem is with the Standard Bachmann decoders which also produce significant engine noise…

Please Model Railroader… Remove this decoder and replace it with a good quality TCS or Digitrax decoder with BEMF.

This will TRANSFORM the bachmann products into very smooth running and QUIET units… They will also run perfectly at speed step 1 and accelerate evenly to top speed…

I feel very strongly about this point and I have converted all my Bachmann DCC locos and the difference is amazing…

Please do an article on the improvements of upgrading decoders in Bachmann units.

I’m curious about the thick thread on the wheels. They don’t appear to match prototype dimensions? Anybody make a sound decoder for doodlebugs?

I’m curious about the thick thread on the wheels. They don’t appear to match prototype dimensions? Anybody make a sound decoder for doodlebugs?

I would like one of these doodle bugs on my soon to be layout. The road names i would like would be Union Pacific or Denver and Rio Grande Western. The most similar power i ave to the doodle bug is a reading lines RDC-3. It does the job good but still i would like a doodle bug. God bless and THANKS!!!

I would like one of these doodle bugs on my soon to be layout. The road names i would like would be Union Pacific or Denver and Rio Grande Western. The most similar power i ave to the doodle bug is a reading lines RDC-3. It does the job good but still i would like a doodle bug. God bless and THANKS!!!

I would like one of these doodle bugs on my soon to be layout. The road names i would like would be Union Pacific or Denver and Rio Grande Western. The most similar power i ave to the doodle bug is a reading lines RDC-3. It does the job good but still i would like a doodle bug. God bless and THANKS!!!

The model is based on a Pullman-Standard body, not a St Louis Car (this is the second magazine to get it wrong).

EMC did not built the drive train. The power plant was made by Winton (inventor of the streeting wheel in your car) and electrical gear by General Electric.

The model is based on a Pullman-Standard body, not a St Louis Car (this is the second magazine to get it wrong).

EMC did not built the drive train. The power plant was made by Winton (inventor of the streeting wheel in your car) and electrical gear by General Electric.

If you absolutely must have a Doodlebug, I’d still stay away from tthis one which sems protypical of nothing. The coach is simply wrong. Doors are not right, length isn’t right and the rooftop ornamentation if flat bad. I used to model the Ma & Pa, and I own one of the noisy little brass GEM Gas Electrics that were sold some 30 years ago and it is pretty close to one of the Ma & Pa units. This newer model by Bachmann just doesn’t cut it. I really don’t see any good reason to own something that in a miserable fit for that era.

If you absolutely must have a Doodlebug, I’d still stay away from tthis one which sems protypical of nothing. The coach is simply wrong. Doors are not right, length isn’t right and the rooftop ornamentation if flat bad. I used to model the Ma & Pa, and I own one of the noisy little brass GEM Gas Electrics that were sold some 30 years ago and it is pretty close to one of the Ma & Pa units. This newer model by Bachmann just doesn’t cut it. I really don’t see any good reason to own something that in a miserable fit for that era.

That’s a pretty stiff price for a model that was being peddled for $19 just a few years ago. So it’s got DCC added and they’ve thrown in a throw away coach. The wheels look like the old stuff Atlas used to get from Mehano, certainly not made to NMRA standards. On the other side it easily lends itself to kitbashing and I’ve done four or five different B&M versions so far. Their N scale shell has the same dimensions.

BB

That’s a pretty stiff price for a model that was being peddled for $19 just a few years ago. So it’s got DCC added and they’ve thrown in a throw away coach. The wheels look like the old stuff Atlas used to get from Mehano, certainly not made to NMRA standards. On the other side it easily lends itself to kitbashing and I’ve done four or five different B&M versions so far. Their N scale shell has the same dimensions.

BB

I was able to have dcc & sound by eliminating some of the windows, allowing room for a speaker. Since the NP run several configerations this worked well for my layout

I was able to have dcc & sound by eliminating some of the windows, allowing room for a speaker. Since the NP run several configerations this worked well for my layout