Make that HAD. The Spectrum line of N scale steamers are the best overall N scale steam engines on the market today (for USA prototypes). Life Like steam may look better and run a bit more smoothly, but they’re more expensive and can barely pull themselves around on the flat. The Kato Mike runs like a Swiss watch, but can only pull six cars without a traction tire conversion. The Bachmann engines (2-8-0, 4-8-2 and 2-6-6-2) by comparison run well, look better than the Kato engines, and pull better than the Life Like engines. They’re also NOT limited run engines and are more affordable than either Kato or LL. Bachmann is also slowly upgrading their original line of steam to perform better, with improved drives. They’re but perfect, but much more reliable that the old junk.
As for the WORST N scale engine ever made, any of the old Mehano engines get my vote. But the worst one I ever owned was an old Aurora Plymouth switcher: http://www.visi.com/~spookshow/mexmdt.html
IIRC, I think it crapped out the second time I ran one (as a pre-teen), and sat around forlornly for years, until I finally strapped a M-80 to it in the early 1980s.
Don’t you be dissin’ Bachmann like that. Sure, some of their products may be of the lower quality, but their Customer Service is tops! I’ve only ever had one problem with a Bachmann Train, and I got a whole set FREE, and then fixed the locomotive from the problemed set.
I’ve grown up with Bachmann, and every locomotive I have, with proper care, is running fine today. One was even neglected for 6 years, as my father took it from me for some reason and hid it in his workshop. The traction tires rotted away, but it still ran. But, I have sacraficed that one to build the Pack Mule.
But on the topic, I have heard that the majority of first production N scale from the 60’s and 70’s have been very poor, with the Life Like BL2 and C-Liner being some of the worst.
I ran my dad’s old LL 0-6-0T for 15 seconds once and put it away. Next time I pulled it out, the motor had melted and caused slight damage to the back of the shell! When it did run, the little pins that hold the siderods on kept falling off and 1 or 2 of them are LONG gone.
Wrong. As stated before, their Spectrum line of steam is top-rate. And that’s just in N scale; HO and G modelers are blessed with extensive lines of top-rate steam, the HO heavyweight cars are beautiful models, and the hobby itself has undergone a major infusion of growth by Bachmann’s introduction of On30 as a “real” scale. And how about the Spectrum line of structures? The Sear’s house and all the skyscrapers introduced in the 1990s were beautiful, but sadly taken off the market (too little demand, I hear). And Bachmann’s sectional track & roadbed system is the second best on the market.
True, Bachmann does have some lemons in their line, most notably any of their diesels, most of their rolling stock, and their Plasticville line of buildings. But that doesn’t mean that the entire brand is worthless.
My vote goes with the steam engine in the Lifelike Little Joe set. I don’t know how hobby shops can sell this set in good conscience. If it is found at Wallyworld or Toys-Are -Us, they can claim ignorance.
30 some odd years ago I obtained a few AHM engines that were firecracker fodder. MDT, GP30 and F7 all had 4 wheel drive truck mounted pancake style motors that lasted a month at best under normal usage. Motors were rivited together so they could not be repaired. Coffee grinders whose lowest speed was about 30 scale, terrible bodies too as I recall.
Lifelike 0-6-0 “little donkey” and it was a little pain in the a$$, doesnt run anymore but I still have it as it was the first loco I ever kitbashed (into an HOn30 loco) and a Trix 0-6-0 switcher that was actually a lot worse. BTW the Best N loco I ever had is my Bachmann 0-4-0 Dosckside switcher, the little begger just runs and runs[;)]
What about the worst engine you have currently running on your layout? Mine is a SW 8 life like switcher. It keeps derailing on the front because it manages to rear up somehow, but I can’t seem to fix it[tdn][tdn][tdn][tdn][tdn][tdn][:(!][:(!][:(!][:(!][:(!][:(!] evil beast[}:)][}:)][}:)][}:)]
I have a set of the old Bachmann Budd Metroliners(MU’s).The power units ran like crap. I just keep them around for nostolgic value. Maybe one day I’ll be able to remotor them and have a decent set.
Bachmann’s GP40 in my opinion, worked for me for about 5 hours of running time, then at full throttle, it bearly moves, now the chassis is in the parts bag
The Atlas AIG (Atlas 1st Generation) locomotives with the pancake motors. Did not run well and could not pull itself. Take the shell off and place it on a Kato drive, throw out the rest.
Zombie thread from 18 years ago. I remember some of those locks from the 90s and they were cheap junk that never should have been sold. Modern N scale offerings are light years ahead of those models though.
Hi Wdlgln005 , does the F unit comment apply to the dual mode spectrum models? I bought two dual mode B&O models about 4-5 years ago that claimed a new mechanism. I havn’t run them because my layout hasn’t been completelly converted from DC analog yet. Should I try them out on by DC layout?