I just had a most un-nerving experience....

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

While at Timonium Saturday, I came across Bachmann’s table. I was talking with one of the factory reps about when they would release some Spectrum steamers for Burlington (sadly, he said they probably wouldn’t), and the discussion drifted to more generic discussions of Bachmann standard products vs. Spectrum and Proto 2K, etc. He told me what I took to be mostly hype about how their standard stuff has all new mechanisms, updated shells, yada, yada, yada. Then he showed me some of their decoder-equipped diesels in the standard line - for $30.

Thirty bucks for a DCC loco! Gotta be a piece of junk, I thought. Thirty was the show price - MSRP is $50, but even so…

After looking at it for a few minutes and talking it over a bit with a friend and my wife (also a friend, BTW), we reached the conclusion that I should buy it and try it. Thirty bucks wouldn’t break the bank, and what the heck! At worst, I’d have something to use for target practice.

After three minutes on the programming track back home I plopped it onto the mainline, and off it went! I am amazed!! It’s starting voltage is rather high and I’m sure it draws a substantial amount of current, but all in all it ran pretty well. It wasn’t hypersonic at top speed, either. Considering what I expected, its performance was stellar!

It doesn’t look as sharp as a Proto 2k, and it doesn’t run like a Kato, but it doesn’t cost like they do, either. In terms of bang for the buck, this thing is pretty good!

A few hours of run-in time, a few extra details and some weathering, and this little Geep 30 just might be a very passable locomotive.

Bachmann! [:O] I’m still trying to get my arms around that.

2

I think I saw some of these at the LHS and one of the guys in the club bought one from somewhere. The other night he brought it to a members home and ran it. It seemed to run fine, a little more noisy than the $120 items, but all in all it looked and worked good.
Jarrell

3

I’ve had a sneaking suspicion ever since nearly all hobby products began coming from China that something like that $30 Bachmann might come from the exact same factory that produces a $180 Kato or Broadway Limited with sound, and that the mechanisms might be the same.

It’s hard to tell any difference between a Kato, Atlas, Proto 2000, or other brand of freight trucks that are made in China, or a difference between a Bachmann and McHenry knuckle spring coupler.
.

4

Could be the next potential “Blue Box” type unit to make the hobby more affordable.

Sounds like good news.

5

Oh No! If cats and dogs start playing with each other, I’ll stick my head between my knees and kiss my but good-bye, because I’ll know it’s the Apocalypse. [:O][:O][:O]

6

dogs and cats, living in harmony!

Who ya gonna call?

–Randy

7

I knew someone would get the Murray reference.

8

According to mail order ad’s in MR they also have a dcc equipped GE 70 tonner for around $30. I looked on bachmann’s site but didn’t find any info on the mechanism.If it has a better newer flywheel drive I will buy it. If it has the bad double motor drive like m

9

I’ve had three of their standard-line 8 wheel drive Geeps since late last year, all have proved smooth, reliable performers. One of them cruised happily round my test oval with a dummy GP50 and eight ballasted double-stack cars behind it, it was almost silent and obviously having no trouble with the load. I’d take them over an Athearn BB loco any day now - they’re better runners and cost considerably less even with DCC installed.

10

The secret to they’re excellent running is they have a Spectrum motor, all wheel drive and pickup, a heavy metal frame and a smooth drive like the ones in their Plus B23s and F7s.[:D] My LHS just got some new GP35s in and they look real nice! I’ll probably buy one someday, but now I need to save for a layout and Christmas![:)]

mustanggt, the 70 Tonners will most likely have a different drive system because they stopped making the 2-motor version of the 44 Tonner a while ago.[:)]

11

I picked up a Bachmann H16-44 the other day. And was pleasently surprised also. the detail was better and the mechanism was quiter/smoother then an Athearn blue box.

12

YES! GO BACHMANN!

I love Bachmann stuff, especially the Spectrum line. So far, I have had great experiences with all of the Bachmann I own. There was one time I was so very disappointed, but they made up for it with customer service.

Bachmann always gets two thumbs up from me. [tup][tup]

13

this is good news for people like me who want the DCC but can’t spend the larger amounts of cahs, and are not so picky on the details

14

sounds promising. Now I need is a Bachmann Trolley (PCC or Brill) with a decent mechanism. I love them but they are getting out of my range at 32 bucks a shot and replace after very few hours of operation. I am referring to the N-Scale as well s the HO I have and use both.

Doug, in Utah.

15

GHOSTBUSTERS!!!
Or, Bachmann busters, AKA picky people.
‘Bachmann, for hobos with long trains’
Matthew

16

i was waiting for someone to say GHOSTBUSTERS!!! i thought of doing it myself but then i saw sence and decided to keep my dignity!

Peter

17

Brunton,

I was always wondering about how good those Bachmann DCC equipped locos are given their price. Thanks for the report!! Bachmann gets beat up here pretty regulariily, but maybe this will turn the tide. Hey, who’d thunk that LifeLike locomotives would ever be for “real” model railroaders? Perhaps afer buying a couple you can use part of the money you saved to take the wife out to dinner?

Dave

18

Hey! A friend was in Baltimore the other day and came back with one of those! It is HO, so I can’t run it, but he had the same comments as you. In fact he bought three of them. One is here on my bench in pieces so we can look at the electronics. It looks Chinese built, but hey, if it works!

Bachmann has a huge, and growing volume base given that they are one of the bigger suppliers in the UK as well. Over there they have recently acquired the Graham Farish line of N scale product (of which I own only two) and they have improved the quality of those products no end.

If manufacturers are to survive in the current market they are generally going to need to diversify. Bachmann will use their Chinese manufacturing to give them a product that will give them market share, even if it is a loss-leader (which I seriously doubt). If manufacturing in China is t6o be profitable they need volume. They dont get volume business at $150 - you have to think before you spend that much. But at $39.95 or $49.95 do you think too long? Nope. You and my friend proved their decision to be sound, you bought on impulse a new Bachmann loco whereas the week before you might have hemmed and hawed over a used one for the same amount of money.

John

19

They have EZ DCC, which, while it works just fine, is limited in address (2-digit) and some other programming functionality.
Good for entry level, from what I read on the Bachmann forums.

Kader makes all of Bachmann’s stuff in Hong Kong (Bachmann is a wholly-owned subsidiary since about '84 or so).

Most of the other stuff you see is SandiKan (not sure of the spelling), makes stuff in 7 different factories.

I’m sure there are others.

TOC

20

Hmmm… whem my layout i might just have 2 try one of those locos in N scale though Tim