Currently considering a Bachmann 2-4-2T Lyn and a TCS G8 Decoder.
Any thoughts?
A friend had an Accucraft live steamer version. Beautiful machine. The prototype was built by Baldwin in the US for English service so it would pass for an American engine.
Daniel Collins said:
Currently considering a Bachmann 2-4-2T Lyn and a TCS G8 Decoder.
Any thoughts?
Daniel, I’m told, but have no first hand knowledge, that the Lyn is not a very good puller.
Mine was a speed demon. At 12 volts on the rails it would outrun anything in my stable. So I have to agree with Steve. The Lynn I had was geared for speed, not power.
I have a Bachmann Lynn and it is a nicely detailed loco with metal gears. It is a smaller engine so I usually don’t tax it much with a long train beyond a couple of passenger cars.
I have never tried to see how much it can do but with its small size I don’t think it was made to haul a long heavy train. It would look at home on a small RR with a few passenger cars or several short cars.
All I intend to run behind it are a few small passenger cars as a shortline passenger service.
Make sure you get one of the later versions with the metal gears and better detailing. They are and “odd” scale, around 1:22.5 so don’t look right when paired up with most of the L&B rolling stock out there that is made to 1:19 (16 mm to us this, UK, side of the pond).
Bachmann also made a “generic” US version in black with a Diamond stack, possibly better for a US themed RR. But if the lined Southern livery is your thing, why not ? It’s my thing, got the Accucraft Lyn and Lew and GRS battery powered Exe. Started with one of the early Bachmann Lyn’s, that’s why i would not recommend that version, bits wobble and bend. They will mostly be a bit tired and worn by now, they were made over 15 years ago. Could not comment on decoder, I run DC.
Hi Daniel,
I bought one a couple of years ago and converted it to battery power.
I removed the weights for the tanks on each side of the boiler and installed two 18650 Li-Ion batteries, with protection circuits, in each.
I installed a MyLocoSound sound-card and control it all with a Revolution Train Engineer. A couple of nice things is it comes with a speaker installed in the coal bunker and it also has a chuff sensor switch on one of the axles, four chuffs per revolution.
As for pulling power, I use it mainly for switching. it has good slow control so I can sneak up on a car or drop it right where I want. I did notice one cold, damp night while pulling about four boxcars and a caboose, I got some wheel slip on one section of track. I thought it was kind of neat hearing the drivers loose traction and grabbing again, just like the real thing!
I think Bachmann says it’s 1:22.5 It looks good with all my, mostly, Bachmann rolling stock and 4-6-0 locomotives.
I see them for sale on e-bay, brand new for way under $200. That’s where I bought mine and have been very happy with it. I think it’s a good product for the price.
The opinions expressed are mine and other’s results may vary.
Have fun!
Adam
Have you though about the Bachmann Forney? It’s a great runner and looks good with some passenger cars. I got mine new off eBay for just over 300
I actually don’t care for the way it looks, and it would be just under 3-times the price of the Lyn.