I recieved both trains last week after quite an ordeal with Warehousetrains.com. You’ll need to conduct a search for that posting, I will not get into that now.
Out of the box the Roundhouse has performed perfectly. Very smooth running and has no issues with 4 overland cars, 2 - 36’ reefers, 2 - 40’ box cars, and a bobber caboose. Now my layout is table top flat so that may help that little guy, but I have no complaints. The detailing is pretty ordinary, but does leave it open to some kitbashing. I like this feature as it leaves a little room for creativity. The sound is okay. Not the greatest, but will do fine by me. I did lower the volume overall and changed a few sounds, but other than that I’ve been very pleased with the sound. I have run this for 10 - 12 hours and have had no issues with the notorious MRC decoder. Maybe that will change, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I got a good one!
The 2-8-0 is another story all together. After plugging the tender into the loco, which I did not have to do with the 4-4-0, and getting it going, I found several problems right away. The wires from the loco to tender dragged along the track. Trying to move them around the drawbar has now caused the tender front truck to lift and derail. So now I’m left with dragging wires, a derailing tender, or something of the sort. After searching here and posting a question on Bachmann’s forum, I do not appear to be alone. I have to admit I was, and still am, disappointed in this engine. I may not have spent $800 on a brass loco, but did spend enough to expect it to run flawlessly out of the box. There will need to be more than a few minutes working on this engine to get it into fine running shape. I have found the sound to be excellent and have no complaints there. Once I do get the derailing issue repaired, I expect this to live up to the Spectrum reputation of b
You should expect to do some fine tuning on anything you buy. Some brands require more than others, but most Bachmans lately do run well out of the box. You will no doubt hear from some of the folks on the forum who had quality control problems and finally gave up in disgust over the issues, but I’ve had good luck. So far I’ve had to attach the wires and tender to every single steam train I’ve bought including IHC, Bachman, BLI and Blueline. Every one of them had required some degree of thinking in hooking them up - it’s just normal.
I try to assemble my rolling stock and set it on a piece of test track on my workbench to try to work out any kinks in the assembly and set up. That way I can run i back and forth a bit and catch any problems before I need to dig it out of the back of my layout. Bachmans do have a rep for being finicky about the quallity of your trackwork with the pilots prone to wandering off on anything less than perfect joints. i hope you take the time to sort out your issues with the engine and wish you good luck. J.R.
I have 3 friends, plus myself, that own the 2-8-0 and we’ve all noticed the wire issue. Of the 4 of us two have the lifting problem. I was one of the lucky ones that didn’t have it. IMOH the wire is simply too stiff. I found that if I connect the wire(s) to the engine by placing one wire on each side of the ‘coupler’, it worked very well. One of my friends is thinking of adding a little weight to the tender to see if that will help.
OH! I agree with you 100 percent… a new engine should work as advertised right out of the box.
Spectrum had some quality control issues in the past. I personally own two of the 2-8-0’s. One of them runs like a champ, no problems at all. The other one is a complete lemon - spotty connections, uneven running or no running at all, just bad in almost every regard. My crummy loco seems to be the exception, however. I have three other Spectum locos of other wheel arrangements and they all run flawlessly.
Out of the box the Roundhouse has performed perfectly.
sj31:
Glad to hear it. I have their similar 2-6-0, kitbuilt, and am happy with it. It is a little light, being so small, so I have been experimenting with added weight. Yours may have traction tires.
The plain detailing is actually just about right for a turn-of-the-century engine like that.
TOY Trainsets - out of a box - run with little effort (Their problems show up later).
MODELS for the ‘HOBBYIST’ are more complicated and are for a slightly elevated age group.
YOU can make a choice.
MORE TO THE POINT: Express your concerns to the Importer to pass on to the manufacturer, and tell them HOW MUCH MORE you would be willing to pay to have “out of the box” qualiity.Attention to details cost money - whether you do it, or someone else does …
So using your argument we should accept (and even plan for ) poor performace right out of the box everytime unless we spend $800?
All I’m stating is that for my $150 investment, I was expecting it to run flawlessly 10 minutes after I placed it on the track. And I don’t think that’s asking much.
I agree that the wire problem is something that should have been controlled better. What I see and hear tells me that Bach. can sometimes be great, usually decent, occasionally awful, but are reportedly very ready and willing to exchange bad goods for presumably correct replacements. This, to me, indicates a little reliance on good ol’ 21st century End-User QC. I’d contact Bachmann’s service dept. and see what they’ll do.
I’ve posted this same message on their forum and have about a 50/50 split with the same issue. Some have the problem, some don’t. I’ll give Bachmann a call and see what they have to say. All I was trying to do was add my 2 cents, and give other’s a heads up on what I thought. I had no idea it would start a shouting match! My apoligies to all I have offended.
EVEN MORE TO THE POINT: Quality control is not an extra-cost option. In fact, if we 21st century end-users would expect what we have a right to, the manufacturer would not be able to look at quality as a costly thing to avoid, but as a way to save all that money spent on replacing defective merchandise. Quality is not a gold sticker, it’s what’s under the sticker. It should be built in. This goes for pipe fittings, track switches, cars, everything else. Control the process, don’t pick out the bad products.
A warranty should be, in spirit, a guarantee of proper function. It should not be a guarantee of prompt replacement.
Your plane ticket should buy a seat. Your loco’s wires should be properly flexible, and cut to the proper length.
I would much rather have a product-realm of 30-day warranties and few defects, than our present one of lifetime warranties that get used all the time.
I’ve edited my response. This subject might get agitated and I do not want a part of it. But I will still say that it’s reasonable that things should work.
I agree that the Spectrum steam engines have a hit and miss reputation regarding quality control.
It would indeed be most re-assuring for the customer if there were no incidents of faulty products requiring either repair or replacement. This could indeed be assured if each and every item producted was inspected for defects. Hence each item could be signed off as defect free.
However, what would that cost the consumer? It certainly would significantly raise the price of the product. As it stand at the moment the Spectrum engines are certainly cheaper than either the Proto Heritage or BLI units.
I myself have a number of Spectrum steam engines, I am more that satisfied with the products overall and yes I have had a couple of defects which had to be replaced. I would still recommend the Spectrum to others.
i had the same problem with the spectrum 2-8-0 . didn’t really think much of it as it was easily adjusted . my two 4-6-0’s and my shay all worked perfectly out of the box
but you’re right , it should work out of the box without the purchaser having to tinker with it . imagine if you bought a new car and had to adjust something (is there even anything the owner can adjust on a new car ???) before it ran properly . you’d hear about it pretty fast i think .
ferrarri’s and brass not included in the above argument [:D]
I recognizeyour point that you think that $150 should get you a properly running engine “out of the box” from Bachmann, and my suggestion was:
Express your concerns to the Importer to pass on to the manufacturer, and tell them HOW MUCH MORE you would be willing to pay to have “out of the box” qualiity.Attention to details cost money - whether you do it, or someone else does …
… and it still stands. THEY are the ones youpaid to make you happpy.
What you may not know is Bachmann has repeatedly made (dare I say?) “comparatively poor” products (I’ve had 7), and your ‘Spectrum’ is reputedly their most successful effort to date.’
I, and many others, would LOVE to see them do better, but as long as they aim at the market’s low end it won’t happen without a higher cost.
If writing them your thoughts doesn’t turn you on, you can avoid Bachmann ALTOGETHER., buy $1500 BRASS, or send them a BILL for yor repair work. It won’t be paid - but it might be passed around and make some interesting reading.
I got in to this hobby about one and haflf years ago. I was shocked over the attitude that things are OK when they do not work. Maybe we are just to new!
