Product quality

[cm458k]

Well,   my previous posts asking for help on getting service and if anyone has had issues with BAchman trains and quality were deleted.

I guess... only positive experiences are allowed...

Again,  what do i do with a bachman train if the following occurs?:::

1.  Wheels fall off of the cars almost every time it is put in a box
2.  Very hard time keeping the couplings connected to each other
3.  Plastic piece coupling broken off the front of the train within 30 minutes of unboxing

This is the Jingle Express series.   Cool train - love EZ track - Love how the engine will go fast to almost an inperceptible crawl.

Just.. couplings.. wheels.. pieces breaking part that shouldn't.

Has anyone else had this happen and what is the best course of action?

And moderator:.. please do not delete -   

I am just asking for help - not bad mouthing bachman -   The facts will speak for themselves and allow everyone to come to their own conclusion.

[cm458k]

ALso,  is it possible to replace the new coupling design with the older style from the 70's?  it just seems a little more thicker plastic with less to break?

[jbrock27]

Yes, the Bachmann Overlords can be somewhat sensitive to criticism of their products.

I think you would be better off replacing the coupler with one of the newer spring equipped ones-they perform better than the old style "Horn Hook" ones.  Many will swear by Kadee which I have used and are very good, but I have also had success using Bachmann's EZ Mate Mark IIs.

I guess you are not going to follow through on Wounded Bear's suggestion to contact Bachmann?

Is it just the wheels that fall off, or the entire truck?

[cm458k]

Never got a chance to read it....   THe entire thread magically disappeared.

Must have been a virus i think.. because there wasn't anything inflammatory in it.

thanks for the tip.


However.. having the thread.. disappear...  and not even an email to warn.. or offer to help by the overlords... makes me reconsider future bachman purchases.

I am going to spend some time on the forum however..    maybe somebody was having a bad day moderating.. it happens and i understand.. and maybe i just got a bad batch.

Not going to fire the entire company for what may just be one bad purchase

[cm458k]

Never saw wounded bear's response...   Tried to contact Bachman on their website...  but there's an error on the site when it comes to submitting your "trouble ticket".. so it never actually let me submit naything... that's why i ventured into the realm of Bachman Forums..

I must navigate carefully..... lest all traces of me dissappear!   

Now mr Overlord.. tha'ts pretty funny!  you have to admit!

[jbrock27]

You are quite welcome.

Nah, no virus, the Overlords did their thing.
Trust me, I know as I have had many, many, posts deleted.  I have made many friends here

There are lots of good on line info, via GOOGLE search, that will have procedures to replace the old style Horn Hook couplers with new spring equipped style.  I have a mix of both on cars and locos.  Of course, when you come across a valuable informational site, be sure to save it to your FAVORITES 

Wounded Bear said to call Bridget.  Not sure what # he gave, and I looked to see if I have one from past experience but don't bc in the past, I had success emailing Bachmann.

[cm458k]

thanks!

Now for the rookie question of the year!

4-0-40-... --8-0-8   stuff like this in reference to model engines.

What does these mean?

and Mr Bachman Overlords... rookie questions.. mean new to the hobby.. impressionable... money to spend...also looking for support after the sale...   open to considering other manufacturers..

[jbrock27]

You are welcome.

Sorry on the models, I have no idea as diesels are my thing.  There are plenty of knowledgeable sorts here who know steam.  The aforementioned Wounded Bear being one, among many.
I like some Bachmann products but are also a big fan of products made by 2 companies whose names both begin with "A".

[Jerrys HO]

cm

Bachmann makes a very good product, I should know everything I have is Bachmann. Well almost.
As for their warranty it is second to none.
Wounded Bear gave you Bridget at (215)533-1600. I have talked to Tom, Laura, and others and all were more than happy to help.
Your set is a basic starter set. Those plastic wheels as stated by Doneldon in your previous post can be replaced with the metal one's Bachmann offer's and probably will eliminate the wheels falling out. As for the coupler's stick with the knuckles either Kadee brand or the Easy-mates as Jeff Ward pointed out in your other retired post. I do the same as Jeff and replace with Kadee 's when the plastic one's fail.
http://www.kadee.com/
Another option is to check with HobbyTown and see if they will swap out the set for you.
I personally like the Diesel Commander and Digital Commander set's which can be had from TheFavoriteSpot.com at less than what you paid.These come with the metal wheels and knuckles and DCC if that is what you are in to.
Check them out..
http://www.thefavoritespot.com/c-1380-train-sets.aspx?section=-2092-

With model railroading you will always have to tweek things no matter whose brand you purchase.

Welcome to the greatest hobby in the world and feel free to ask any newb question you like as we have all been there too.

Jerry

PS..
0-6-0 and 2-8-0  refer to the wheel arrangements on steam engine's meaning a 0-6-0 has no pilot or pony truck but has six drive wheels and the 2-8-0 has two pilot wheels eight drive wheels and no pony.  On diesels you will have four axle and six axle and so on.

[jbrock27]

I don't agree that it is always necessary to tweak things, no matter whose brand you purchase.  Some times you have to tweak and sometimes you don't.  Some brands are more tweak prone than others.  Some have good luck with Bachmann's warranty service, me being one and some others would state that is not the case.  Some swear by Bachmann products, others, not entirely.  I also would not say that all things made by one outfit are all good products.  Some product lines are better than others, some designs are better than others.  Best way to find out what people like and what they don't like from their purchases is to ask as many people as you can about their experiences as well as doing as much personal research as possible.  This way you can make a decision that is best for you.

[jward]

ALso,  is it possible to replace the new coupling design with the older style from the 70's?  it just seems a little more thicker plastic with less to break?

that is not going to happen. maybe about 3 model railroaders actually liked those couplers. the serious modellers always replaced those with kadees. now, most new cars come equipped with kadee compatable couplers, and the end result is much better operating characteristics on those cars. if we're going to go back to "devil hooks" may as well go back to the rubber band drive too.

[jbrock27]

There are people who actually still seek rubber bands for their rubber band Athearn drives.  Why (I am not one of them) I don't know.  But then again, I don't know who would get enjoyment out of a old Tyco engine, but people (obviously the OP) do.  Who am I to judge, or tell folks what to like and what not to like, afterall ??

Some like DCC, some like DC with block wiring, some like EZ track and some like track w/o roadbed attached , some like Code 100 and some like Code 83, some like watching the trains go roundy round and some like point to point and on and on and on...

[cm458k]

thanks for the great answers!

rofl @ the tyco reply... it's what i had when i was a kid... brings back great memories.. plus they were indestructible.

I'll check out the kadee couplers...  maybe i can replace everything w/ them i have so far at a reasonable price.

and i'll check w/ Bachman and give them a call.  Maybe I just got the bum setout of a 1,000


these things do happen.. no matter what the product or manufacturer.

thanks everyone!

and mr Moderator... thank you for not deleting!
I still have some concerns w/ future purchases from bachamn.. but for the time being i'm open

[jward]

this is from my experience with Bachmann in particular and moel railroading in general,

knuckle type couplers, like the ones in the Bachmann set, nee to be taken care of. coupler height is critical. if they are not all the same height, you will have problems. rough handling, and derailments can bend plastic couplers, which is why I replace them with more robust metal ones when they give me trouble.

rough trackwork is another source of coupler problems, especially if the couplers are mismatched in height. low hanging trip pins can snag on switches, and ben the coupler. once bent, I have foun they are almost impossible to straighten. this is a major problem with the plastic couplers.

the old horn hooks are much worse. true, their height is not as critical, an they won't come uncouple on rough track. but whenever you try to back a train of them you will find they try to force the cars off the track when compressed. this is especially true of those, like tyco, mounted on the trucks. those are almost guarantee to erail when you back them unless you have a super smooth running locomotive. these forces are still present with knuckle type couplers, but their design and the fact that they are almost often mounted to the car bodies themselves help to dissipate the forces through the car frame rather than the wheels.

the cars Bachmann sell in train sets are very basic, but a huge improvement over the old tyco and Bachmann cars of the 1970s and 1980s. the cars for individual sale, marked silver series, have metal wheels and added weight which helps them run much better. one of the easiest upgrades you can do to those train set cars is to glue about 5 or 6 pennies to the floor of each end of the car. with boxcars or other closed cars, you glue them to the inside of the car. with tank cars, you remove the tank body, you can glue them in an upright position in the trough of the tank underframe. for hopper and gondolas, you can disguise the added weight as part of the load.

[Doneldon]

cm-

I understand your frustration. You spent good money, and not a little bit of it, on trains which just about failed right out of the box. Anyone would be disappointed and upset. But I believe Bachmann service will take care of your problem if you approach them in a mature, respectful way. Sure, you'd like to chew a piece out of somebody but I assure you that will not help get you the resolution you are entitled to, nor should it. Try to be business-like and courteous; it will get you farther than sharing you understandable anger with someone who is not responsible for it.

Call Bmann service and ask for Bridget. She'll help you with your loco. My guess is that the Bmann will either repair or replace this loco under warranty. You might have to send $25 if you can't prove that you purchased the loco from an authorized reseller within the past year. Many, many people on this site, including me, have had excellent experience with Bmann service. There are also some folks whose experience hasn't been so positive. But, by and large, Bmann service has been at least as good as any other manufacturer and better than most.

You purchased a train set (which I urge you not to do again) which does yield lots of equipment for not a lot of money. However, train sets include bargain basement equipment to keep their costs down. They exist to draw people into the hobby. Accordingly, things break and don't have the level of detail that other merchandise offers. You spent $200 important dollars on your train set but you can easily spend several times that amount on just a single engine. Your freight cars aren't the best and their wheelsets fall out. Well, quality R-T-R freight cars can run $20-30 or more each. Passenger cars can sell for $60-80, and that's for plastic, not custom painted brass. The excellent EZTrack lists at $4 a slice, more for the terminal section. Add it all up and you are close to the $200 you spent with the loco still to be selected. I absolutely agree that none of that justifies a locomotive that didn't work from the git-go, but it does put things in a little perspective.

Please be patient and let the Bmann help you. In the mean time, welcome to the hobby!

D