Hi! Am looking at two cosmetically-looking identical Bachmann engines in an ad. (Aside from your opinions about Bachmann products) Which, based on your experience, is better: Made in Hong Kong OR Made in China? As always, many thanks.
Made in Hong Kong would be really old ones – made in China are newer. Bachmann hasn’t been made in Hong Kong for 10 years or so.
Say - - - isn’t Hong Kong in China? ?
If it’s made in Hong Kong give it a wide berth. The joke about those models is ten seconds or ten feet, whichever comes first. Now depending on when the Chinese made model was manufactured you could get a somewhat descent model or a POC that doubles as a paper weight. If it has a pancake motor avoid it. If it has traction tires avoid it.
Atlantic Central; Cacole; Jeffrey-Wimberly: Appreciate it. Thanks.
Actually the newer Bachmann locomotives has my attention.
Time was I wouldn’t give Bachmann a second glance but,since Kader bought Bachmann I’ve seen vast improvements and have observed the newer Bachmann locomotives in operation at the club.
I’m impress since they are quiet and seems to have a very solid drive.
I have several of the Bachmann diesels made in the past few years (tow GP7’s and a GP38-2) and they are very good runners. I run the heck out of them and no problems yet. On the noise factor they’re quieter than any of my Atlas locos. I’d buy another one in a minute if I could afford it.
Bachmann’s trains have actually been made by Kader since the beginning (late 60’s?). It was when they stopped competing with Tyco and Life-Like, and instead started competing with the quality name brands that they got really good. As far as I know, they dumped the pancake drive about 10 years ago, and replaced it with the “Plus” line drives.
They actually had a pretty good chassis in their first few years. It had an all metal frame, all wheel drive and electrical pickup, and a 5-pole open-frame can motor that was more efficient than Athearn’s and other motors from the same time. They dropped it in favor of the cheap pancake drives to better compete with Tyco.