Bachamnn Norfork J 4-8-4 steam engines

[Pacific Northern]

A new HO Bachmann Spectrum J locomotive with DCC and Sound on board is being offered to me for a reasonable price.

I recently obtained a bunch of HO passenger coaches which are undecorated but painted in the Tuscan collar,  I was thinking of buying the

Bachmann J and decaling the passenger cars with Norfork lettering.

However, a recent conversation about Bachmann locomotives which was more or less lauding Bachmann for their much improved steam locomotives had good comments on just about all of the Bachmann locomotives except for the Norfork J engines.

The early J models I am advised by a number of people were problematic to say the least. Not good runners as are the newer locomotives.

Question is are the last batch of Bachmann Spectrum J engines with the factory DCC and Sound good running engines like the Bachmann Spectrum mountains or are they still problematic runners?

Or should I look for another steam passenger engine for the set of passenger cars i recently bought?

[RAM]

I do not know anything about the J, other than I had a great ride behind one 60 years ago.  I just want you to do one thing. go to the top of the page and click on profile.  Then under modify profile on the left, click forum profile information.  Then go over and click the box to hide email address from the public.

[rogertra]

The J is a faux "Spectrum" engine as it's just an upgraded version of the old Standard line J.

I'm afraid I can't offer any further advice as, apart from the downgraded from Spectrum to Standard 2-8-0 (Big mistake Bachmann),  I steer well clear of anything from the Standard line,
upgraded to Spectrum or not.

[Pacific Northern]

The J is a faux "Spectrum" engine as it's just an upgraded version of the old Standard line J.

I'm afraid I can't offer any further advice as, apart from the downgraded from Spectrum to Standard 2-8-0 (Big mistake Bachmann),  I steer well clear of anything from the Standard line,
upgraded to Spectrum or not.

So then you would stay well away from the Bachmann 2-8-4's as well as any of the new Standard locomotives.

So are they using second rate mechanism's, inferior to the Spectrums overall.

Thanks for the advice, I will checkout BLI's J locomotives then. There just happens to be a few of those available right now at pretty good prices I see.

[Irbricksceo]

I don't know about the J's but I have heard good things about the Berks, I don't own one myself due to track radius but I hear they run quite nicely.

[ACY]

I have two different Bachmann Spectrum versions, both were purchased about 6 years ago, I haven't run them in a while since I moved, but as I recall they were roughly equivalent to my other larger Bachmann steam engines. If you can get one for a good price then I would go ahead and buy the J.