I read in a old issue of MR (about 1999) that the Spectrum 2 8 0 was a solid purchase for a plastic steamer. Is this still true? I don’t need a DCC unit and the Proto line has a good reputation for the 0 8 0 but it is a little out of my price range. I have read in some postings that the wire connection to the tender can drag on the 2 8 0. Allowing for some bad off the shelf products is the 2 8 0 a good bet for a realiable steamer?
Yeah, just go buy one.[:)]
Really though, they’re nice engines. I don’t have one of the newer “DCC equipped” ones, but so far it runs great. I haven’t pulled a lot with it, but I have pulled 12-15 car freights with it on level track and it had no problems. I personally didn’t run into the wire issue. Even if you did, Bachmann would take care of it.
For the money, the detail and just the overall engine is a great deal.
After I spent detail part dollars and a lot of time modifying a Riverossi 2-8-0 to represent a Clinchfield H-4, Spectrum came out with their 2-8-0 lettered for Clinchfield #304. Mine runs very nicely and I have had no problems with it (DC, not DCC). Smooth running at slow speed. Detail wise it is close enough out of the box to be representative, although the Clinchfield usually used raised numbers on the cab sides. This is a “chunky” consolidation, and I really like how it looks when it comes out of the hidden staging track to interchange with the smaller power of my short line. Recommended - a good locomotive for the price.
Bill
I’ve had a couple of problems with mine, but sine I’m a novice most of it is my fault ( setting of the drawbar, and testing the wheels before running ). I’ve found it to be a smooth runner, looks great, and sounds even better. Bachmann’s commitment to customer satisfaction is second to none. I’d buy another!
I have one of the DC 2-8-0s, and not only is it a great looking steam engine, but it also runs as smooth as a high quality diesel.[:D] I’ve never had a problem with mine.
I’ve found that the low engine-to-tender wire problem can be fixed by moving the tender sockets back. All it takes to do it is to enlarge the square hole in the front of the tender shell, and move the socket assembly into the extra space behind the two posts that the assembly is normally mounted on the front of. You’ll see what I’m talking about if you get one, and it’s a very easy project.[:D]
I have several of these engines, was so impressed with the first I bought additional engines to fill out the roster for my layout. Great little engines, pulls well, good slow speed control, runs as well as my Proto 0-8-0 at half the cost.
I own one (SF #2516) and so far it’s been a great a little loco. As a matter of fact out of the eight steam locos I own it’s among my favorites.
Tracklayer
The Spectrum 2-8-0 Consolidation is a great loco, very good detail, very good price, very good runner at all speeds.
The Grizzly Northern operates four of them, one with factory-installed Tsunami sound. Four others are operated by club members, one member is anxiously waiting delivery of his sound-equipped Consolidation. [:)]
Bachmann doesn’t make a DCC-ready 2-8-0. You should get the DCC. It works on DC & DCC. get it at www.firsthobby.com or www.wholesaletrains.com . Their price is in the $100 to $175.00 price range.
The Consolidation was the first high quality plastic steamer. The Genesis and P2K steamers came out after the Consolidation had shown that good plastic steamers will sell. I have one and love it. Superb detailing, excellent runner, and its a good middle sized steamer that fits every pike. Not everyone has a pike fit for Big Boy’s, but everyone can use a Consolidation. Go forth and buy one.
I got one. It’s a nice runner and looks good. But it is not a great puller on grades. I tried mine out for my first weathering attempt:
WIP:
Magnus
We have a Spectrum 2-8-0 w/ sound (SF 2528), purchased about 6 months ago. It is a very nice engine and runs very well. Considering that you can get the sound version for around $140, it is truly a bargain. The only modification I had to make was to remove the rather stiff sheathing/tubing around the wires between engine and tender. Now, there are no more derailments, and the connection even looks better with just 4 thin black wires. As to the pulling power (somebody complained about it), ours can pull 6 Athearn/Roundhouse 50’ Overland passenger cars up a 4% incline (I did not test it any further), with less effort than Spectrum’s Russian Decapod. My main complaint would be the missing documentation for the decoder, and neither Bachmann nor Soundtraxx were any help. I would like to find out how to reduce the sound volume and the max speed. As to the latter, I got the impression that the decoder does not have a simple option to reduce Vmax and Vhalf; instead, one would have to load a new speed table. Or am I wrong about that? Another point is that the headlight is very weak. But otherwise, I can only recommend it.
JW
P.S.: I noticed that on our engine the attachment points for the left and right marker light are at different heights. Is this asymmetric look a) a manufacturing error just with our engine: b) a manufacturing error for all (or a series of) engines; or c) a true reflection of the ptototype?
The undecorated DC 2-8-0 I bought a couple of years ago has a DCC plug in the tender, and one of the decoder manufacturers made a plug and play decoder for it. I planned a Sountrax sound decoder for it, but got the numbers mixed up and ended up with a diesel decoder. [#oops] Fortunately, I have a Stewart F3 A-B, so that was where that decoder went. [:)]
I decorated the consolidation for MEC with the speed lettering, and added detail parts to make it look like the prototype. During one of our open houses at the club, I brought it and it ran for a couple of hours with 10+ cars behind it with no problems.
I would buy another one. [tup] [:D]
I bought one when they were first released and it is a great little steamer, had to replace the belt in it once. But, it had high milage on it. Just converted it to DCC and sound awhile back. I would buy another one in a heart beat![tup]
Sorry, Bachmann Doesn’t make a DCC-ready 2-8-0 anymore!
I don’t know why it matters to this thread, but actually they do… In all the different roadnames.
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/catalog/?function=detail&id=111
No, NYC1, that loco has DCC IN IT! Not DCC READY! Dcc ready means it has room & has a socket for a decoder!
I don’t see why that even matters… Even if it has the DCC decoder equipped it will still run on DC. Why would would anyone want to buy a DCC Ready version and then have to add their own decoder if this one does both DC and DCC anyway[%-)]
I think New Haven I-5 wanted to say than ONLY 2-8-0 Bachmann produces is with decoder in it.
I have one 2-8-0 in B&O livery, DCC on board. Very nice loco, excellent details. [8D] It takes much volts on DC to go, so low speed ops on DC is limited.
What I do not like so much is this:
As I live in small flat, I am working on L shaped layout with two segments. Because of space, I have to use small R2 european radius (approx. 16.5" radius). I’ve always known that Consolidation will be the biggest steamer on my layout. But, it doesn’t like my minimum radius so mach, and deccelerate when enters it. It irritates! Same is on the R=19", so I plan to open the mechanism and inspect if everything is right with lateral movement of the axles.
Also, Bachmann decoder is very low quality, and NOISY! [xx(]
Acually, I think Bachmann uses a Lenz decoder in their DCC locos.