GE 70 ton switcher

[Atlantic Central]

A while back I asked the Bach Man if the new standard line 70 ton switcher ws in fact the same loco as the older spectrum version. He indicated that is was, and indicated that it was being released as a standard line loco because spectrum line products now have even higher standards.

I finally got around to picking up a couple of these little jewels yesterday. What a great product and great value. The going rate seems to be about $35, which is what I paid. They look and run great, have decoders for you DCC guys, and, except for maybe cab interior, how much more detail could be placed on such a simple machine in 1/87 scale?

If this is any indication of the future, than Bachmann standard line may well be a product more seriously considered by more discriminating modelers who previously bypassed it completely. This may in fact be true of the newly announced 2-8-4. While it is not a loco I have any interest in personaly, the pictures do look good. If it runs as good as a Spectrum, it should be a big hit, dispite the duplication factor.

Thanks again Bachmann for such great products at great prices.

Sheldon

[kevin2083]

the only problem I have found is that the decoder makes a lot of noise.

[Conrail Quality]

Forgive my ignorance, but how can a decoder make noise ? I thought it was just a bunch of microchips and resistors.

[Atlantic Central]

Kevin,

See, I said it was a great value, I forgot to mention the sound system!

Yes the drive is a little, just a little, noisy. But no more so than my multi hundred dollar BLI 2-6-6-4 is even wih the sound turned off.

This is another one of my complaints with sound in HO, sometimes the loco mechanisim is as loud as the "sound system" should be, so they have to compete with each other.

Seriously, I did not find the noise unreasonalbe or objectionable. I personally don't do DCC or sound, and if a loco has a little mechanisim noise, well it is a machine.

Sheldon

[lanny]

Sheldon,

I was under the impression that the 2-8-4 was, in fact, a Spectrum product. If that is not so, what will be missing on it that will keep it from being in the Spectrum line? Will it have the same kind of motor/fly wheel mechanisn as Spectrums do?

Thanks!

lanny nicolet

[Atlantic Central]

Lanny,

From what the Bach Man said on some other post, it will have more detail molded on and fewer applied parts, but again, the pictures look good. as for the drive, I have no info on that.

Sheldon

[ebtbob]

Lanny,

      Like Sheldon,  I have no specific info on the drive train for the Berk,  but in one of the threads it is mentioned that the motor has a flywheel.

[Nigel]

Forgive my ignorance, but how can a decoder make noise ? I thought it was just a bunch of microchips and resistors.

Bachmann's current decoders power the motor with relatively low frequency pulse width modulation (PWM), which causes the motor to hum at an audible frequency.  More expensive "silent" decoders use higher frequency PWM, so that humans cannot hear the hum. 

[kevin2083]

More expensive "silent" decoders use higher frequency PWM, so that humans cannot hear the hum. 

That explains why my dog dissappears every time i run my trains...

[theparanoid]

Mine was extermely loud when I first got it.  I pull if off the tracks and put lube oil on each of the three visuable gears on each wheel.  Ran it for a bit and since then it makes just a bit more noise then my other bachman train.