An RS3 - hmm. but alas it’s not a Spectrum so it will probably be like the GP-7 as far as grabs are concerned.
That turntable - looks like it is very similar to the Atlas - motor int he shed, mechanically indexed at each track. The Thomas line version has the hand crank like the Atlas manual one.
$36 for their decoder? That better be a Lenz Silver and not some low end one Lenz doesn’t even want to sell for that price!
–Randy
Some Bachmann products appeal to some segments of the market, and other products appeal to other segments of the market - not a difficuilt idea for me to understand.
Better than MTH who arrogantly appeals to only one segment of the market or BLI/PCM who can’t seem to decide how to appeal to what segments of the market.
These products are what they are, each person will decide if they serve a purpose for them.
The score here is still:
Bachmann 33
BLI/PCM 9
MTH 0
Sheldon
Gotta remember these are MSRP prices. Doubt MB Klein will charge those.
That TT looks like it’s only compatable with their own track. Some of the newer DCC on board standard line stuff has decent detail for the cost.
I have to agree with you on giving MTH the big “goose egg”, I started to get excited when MTH announced the NKP berks but then reality kicked in and I realized they would have all of their “junk” shoved in it and I decided I’d either wait for one from BLI in the “blue line” series or just snag another old PFM version, still the most ruggedly built and easiest version to work with that’s currently available, and a heck of a lot cheaper than the MTH as well!!
As for Bachmann, I just wish someone could convince them that the vast majority of model railroaders still don’t use DCC and consider it a real “pain” to have to go in and remove the darn things. I realize you don’t “have” to remove them as they use their “dual-mode” decoders but they still operate 100% better without the decoders if you’re using straight DC.
Mark
As fer DCC…We’ll jus’ have ta pull yeah kicking and screamin’ into the 21 century [(-D]
True but any way you count those decoders are WAY overpriced. MSRP on a far superior TCS decoder is $24.99. $99.95 doesn’t seem bad for the RS-3 but that’s more than Athearn’s version and I doubt it is goign to be better detailed. Granted you get a decoder too - but since they value the decoder with 8 pin plug at $40, they are then valuing the loco at $59.95. Something has to give. $99.95 for soemthing I’d rip the decoder out and promptly spend another $20 replacing with a much better one - or the $79.95 Athearn RS-3 plus same decoder. I vote with my wallet and I won’t be voting for Bachmann. And it’s not just this stuff, older releases have had their share of problems, liek the Spectrum GP-30’s with the paint peelign off the cab sies, the completely grease-soaked E33 electric with blue headlights… apparantly their steam locos are much better, but the diesels, not interested.
–Randy
I hear you there. I just two of their GP7’s yesterday. They’ll be getting Digitrax decoders as soon as I can lay my hands on some. I have a couple of Bachmann GP30’s that are also waiting on Digitrax decoders.
In the past I would have agreed with you for the most part about Bachmann diesels. Not that I’m buying because they don’t come in a paint scheme I need, but the new GP7’s are very nice. A local club here bought a whole bunch for only $53.00 each!, and they have been very good, DCC and all, right out of the box.
I suspect the new RS3 will be a similar improvement over past diesels.
I do have a few Bachmann diesels, two GE 70 ton and a GE 44 toner, all are very nice and run well. All are the newest design of each.
Remember the “street” price of those locos will only be $60.00+/-. If they are as good as the GE’s or the new GP7’s, they will be a $60.00 bargin.
Sheldon
I KNEW someone was going to say that, LOL!! [:P]
Tom [(-D]
The 21st century argument may be that-an argument, BUT, I just wish some people would realize they don’t have to buy a loco WITH a decoder of any type installed that they have to remove any more than I have to buy a loco without a decoder installed and have to put one in! {Or to “shout” at everyone in big letters}
Well, as the old saying goes, it can’t break if you don’t have it!!! DC does a beautiful job for me, I neither need nor want the extra “C”. I learned from 20+ years in the computer industry, if it’s something electronic it’s eventually going to give it up.
No, you can talk until you’re blue in the face to me about it, for my money it’s a waste of money unless you either have a “huge” layout or operate a club layout, then I can understand it, sort of anyhow. Still don’t agree with it but that’s just me. My thinking still remains that there is probably a lot better way of doing what DCC does so until I see it for myself I’ll pass.
And I’m in the 21st century, I’m just selective about what I choose to accept about it. My little MRC 9500 series power packs work just fine and their reliability factor is off the scale. Not only that we learned way back in the “last” century that running your engines on “pulse power” overheats them and will burn them up, how else do you suppose they got that exceptional performance out of some of these engines?
Mark
Granted, $53 seems cheap for a decent running GP-7. However when I figure I got all my P2K Geeps on eBay for $40 or less… OK so I had to throw in $2 worth of Athearn axle gears to fix the cracked gears. I suppose I have little roomt o complain, as I do buy Stewart F units which liek the Bachmann Geeps have no grabs, and end up adding them myself. Whatever works. I’m done buying locos (I keep telling myself that, anyway…) as I have mutilples of all the common models (except a Trainmaster), and pretty much the ONLY ones that ran on the branch I model were the AS16’s. I’m not modeling that specifically so my trains will have whichever power seems approriate for the train length and destination.
–Randy
So do I, then I turn right around and buy another one! I see it and I gotta have it. Some day my credit will be a pile of ashes.
Randy-I didn’t even look at the decoder prices. Your right. That’s WAY out of line even at half price.
What are Bach DCC on board using these days?? Only one I ever bought was a Geep with an NCE board that died after about 6 hours. NCE replaced it and it still works OK.
I believe Atlas and Bachmann have Lenz decoders in their DCC equipped locos. My model railroad club has Digitrax DCC systems on its HO and N scale layouts, and the Digitrax system does not like Lenz decoders. NCE decoders and the newer TCS decoders work fine, but I don’t know what the problem is with Lenz decoders.
I’m not particularly enamoured with N-Scale steam offerings but I suspect that if anyone ever offers an H-8 or M3/M4 at an affordable price it’s most likely gonna be B’mann. From what I’ve seen this new Ten-Wheeler appears to date from the turn of the century and that makes it an ideal offering for a second-hand unit of a shortline struggling for survival in the middle of the depression or in the decade immediately following Big Brawl Two.
I will definitely be buying at least one, if not more, Climax and a couple of the Baldwin 4-4-0 engines. The big question being “when” will they be released.
As I am into DCC and sound I have no complaints.
The Bachmann Spectrum engines I have with their DCC/Sound are superb runners. Would not hesitate on obtaining more.
That’s because the sound ones use a Tsunami decoder, which IS a top quality product. Of course a Tsunami alone coasts around $100, so you won’t find one in a non-Spectrum $79 loco, but I think they cut too many corners for the DCC On-Board (non-sound) ones. Given that the $12 NCE D13SRJ outperforms the Bachmann in every way - I think they could have done better at the same price point.
–Randy
It wasn’t long ago that Bachmann DCC diesels were $48. I wonder why the prices have gone up so much?
Simple, it’s a BIG corporation and big corproations are about doing one thing, making the most money with the least investment. They’re just like any other large corporation, they want to show the best profit they can and that means squeezing every nickel they can out of their product while still maintaining sales. Beleive me when I say, if they thought they could sell those GP’s for $200 a copy and get away with it they’d be $200. They see no direct connection between what they have in the product, their only goal is to sell as many as they can for as much as they can get.
I guarentee you that if they don’t sell they’ll cut the prices until they do sell. That’s the difference between a large corporation and a small business such as some of the other model railroad suppliers. Granted they both have their pro’s and con’s but the bottom line is “always” about $$$$$$.
Mark