John Bouck said:
Yesterday a friend ran his new Bachmann 2-8-0 for the first time on my indoor layout.
After a little lubing, she ran smooth and quietly.
In fact, I like it. (Somebody hit me with a stick, please, says the biggest Bachmann basher on the planet.... :) :) )
It's in print, now, buddy! :)
John Bouck said:
Those two stoopid freaking tender plugs under the tender! What a job to plug them in and remove them. I finally laid it on its side to plug in and then attached it to the drawbar.
Hello, Bachmann, ever hear of front tender plugs?????????
Alas, they have not. I rebuilt the frame on mine, and switched to front-mount plugs. A world of difference. Having said that, if you think the 2-8-0 is troublesome, try the 4-4-0 or 2-6-0.
John Bouck said:
The Bachmann 1:20.3 boxcar looks good under the plastic sheet on the box it came in.
Take it out and is it ever chincy! Lift it by the sides and they cave in a little and then you think the roof is going to fall off.
It even came with bent wheel axles! Wobbling down the track it goes, as the bent axles hog out the journals. Oh, and the journal grease covers fall right off.
And the couplers---don't get me started there. Lets just say it couldn't even couple up to it's own Bachmann tender!
This car is junk for the money you pay!
You've got some fair criticisms of the box car. The journal lids are problematic--I've lost a few in the thyme on the railroad. I have to say the axles and wheels on my box car were probably the roundest and truest of any Bachmann wheels I've had, though they definitely got some QC issues in that department.
As far as the feel of the car goes, though, I give it higher marks. Trust me, the roof isn’t going to fall off. (It’s actually a bit of a bugger to get off, despite just having 8 clips.) The detail is second to none, even as delicate and fragile as it is. When you accurately model a door latch 20 times smaller than the original, it’s gonna be fragile.
As for the couplers, remember that the 2-8-0 came out long before Bachmann started doing rolling stock, and that the rolling stock couplers were designed to couple with AMS and Kadee couplers (or at least operate at the same height as them). They do include “conversion” couplers with each car to couple with their locos. (I believe the K has a high coupler.)
John Bouck said:
He bought an Accucraft for comparison and there isn't any at all.
The AMS far exceeds the Bachmann car in heftiness, quality, durability, etc....
For the same price as a Bachmann or even less!!!!
I own two 1:20.3 switchers and nothing but AMS will be behind these.
I seem to recall Accucraft cars having their share of issues, too, such as trucks that don’t roll, electrical pick ups that only exacerbate that problem, ill-fitting joints, bodies that sit too high off the trucks… But that just goes to illustrate the point that you can’t judge an entire product line on one or two products. Both companies are doing great things towards promoting 1:20.3, and both companies have demonstrated the ability to listen to their consumers and make corrections. That can only be a good thing for the hobby.
Later,
K
