Planning to purchase a PRR K4 Pacific with sound. Seems like there are 3 available. MTH, BLI & Bach. Spec. I think the Bachman has the best sound decoder, but seems to lack some detail. What is your opinion of these 3 engines. Thanks. Jerry
the Bachman is not to robust mechanically. I know a lot of them have broken down and it won’t pull many cars. The BLI and MTH have about the same level of detail with the MTH being an earlier version. The BLI is designed to run on standard DCC or DC. MTH uses a proprietary DCC that has higher voltage to the rails so it won’t run as fast on Dc or regular DCC. It is also MTH’s only HO engine to date whereas BLI has numerous offerings. There are going to be MTH poeple who will probably insist MTH is the only way. Their very effusive reviews sound like they are reading the information off the box. For my money I would get the BLI. there is also one other choice and that is the Bowser K4 in kit form that you could build. The level of detail will be what you are capable of. They also weigh several pounds. I once left a Bowser engine on an unsupported area of my railroad. Several days later there was a slight sag in that area.
I can’t add much to the very comprehensive toast…er,…post above, [:I], but I am quite sure you will get a better price per unit from trainworld, or perhaps another place, on the BLI unit than on the MTH.
There is no question but that the MTH unit is a fine locomotive…we might as well give credit. But, as mentioned in a number of threads you can find in a search, there are issues with cross-over between DCC and DCS, and the MTH version costs that much more.
[2c]
| I would go with Bachmann’s K4 4-6-2. I have one & it will pull good 15 to 18 cars on my flat Railroad WITHOUT TRACTION TIRES. Of course mines the older one but I recommend the new Bachmann K4 4-6-2. P.S. get it at about 1/2 off at www.Wholesaletrains.com . |
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I was thinking of the Bowser,but after doing some calculations, it was just too expensive. By the time you buy the kit, super detailing kit, headlight kit, added detail parts , sound decoder, speaker & if you want better performance, either a can motor with flywheel or Helix humper, it costs more than any of the others. Jerry
That’s probably true but it would be the most fun to get running and give the most pride of ownership.
I have two K4’s. The Bachman Spectrum (newer release) I am very pleased with. I don’t have sound. My Bachman pulls heavyweight passenger cars up a 26" radius 2% grade, can’t remember how many cars but can check for you, no traction tires. Very smooth running.
I also have a Bowser K4 with a Spectrum shell. Now that thing can really pull! I haven’t made it stall or spin wheels. The downside to the Bowser is that it requires broad curves. I can’t run it on my 28" radius curves. I would guess that it needs at least 30" curves.
Go BLI. Superb models and excellent sound. I’ve had Bachman in the past and I wouldn’t go near them again. They are not well built and unreliable. MTH? No thanks, too particularly MTH for my liking. Bowser? Excellent.
Cheers…
Looks like from the website that the K4 Pacific has been discontinued. Couldn’t find a dealer that had one after a quick search…guess I’ll have to do a better search or hit the train shows. Really surprised at the negative comments concerning Bachmann. I realize thier standard line is nothing to write home about, but I have a few spectrum engines that run good…especially for the price. Jerry
Bachmann reminds me of Barry Manilow and the Carpenters… No one ever admitted to listening to them, but they sure sold a lot of records …
Jerry, have you searched, or inquired from, trainworld.com? They have been advertising that engine for donkey’s years in their four-page spread in Model Railroader magazine. You’d think they would have their fingers on at least one of them.
Yes, the only Bowser engine that they have is the M1 Mountain. They do have the super detail kit & the mechanism for the K4…guess I waited too long. Jerry
Darn! That’s too bad. You could try modeltrainstuff.com (M.B. Klein), but I have never looked for a Spectrum K4 on their site.
I get the feeling that, to a corporation, the model train set of companies is in the process of a re-group of some sort, as it they have let their inventories drop to zero, and they are going to begin a course of processing/filling firm orders from now on.
I would personally look for the cheapest BLI K4 I could find and get that…again, try trainworld.
-Crandell
I checked and ModelTrainstuff ( M.B.Klien) have the Spectrum K4
I personally own the MTH:
Pros
[:)] Nice detail
[:)] Excellent DCC controlled Smoke system syncronized with chuff
[:)] Reliable, smooth
[:)] I love the SOUND it makes, their chuff and whistle are superb compared to QSI & Soundtraxx which I also own personally.
Cons
[:(] Function keys DO NOT Map well, F8 normally mute is smoke on/off
[:(] With DCC emergency off, only the K4 sound goes off, engine continues running. Returning sound to proper operation requires stopping and executing correct function key sequence to restore order.
[:(] Does NOT support program track programming, which means to change the Loco ID, you must use on main programming which is tricky and complicated at best.
[:(] Momentum settings, never have figured them out. Jack rabbit is what I call it.
Summary
Even with the weirdo DCC, my K4 is the attention getter when non-modeler friends come over and visit the layout. Modelers like it too, until I show them the weirdo part.
I wonder if the Triplex will have the same DCC issues? From my personal observation, MTH and MRC are trying to set their own directions with DCC functions which IMHO is