Quality of Bachmann small locomotives....

[kirke]

 ???Since my foray into N scale has been Bachmann small steam locomotives, that I will admit that only one was purchased "New in box"...and they all except one are 0-6-0 switchers...I have two, that one is a "Park Display" in back of the station, I have one that is packed away because the drivers are out of synch due to loose fit on axle, and I have one that runs...but fast. They are different years of issue so there is small things that I see, but no one problem, other then do not want to run without stop and go or no go. I have the 2-6-2 that I just purchased....the boiler tilts to the front, the rear truck touches the tender, the rubber tires are on the front drivers, (but on another 0-6-0 they are the middle driver....same idea of drive except why the change...because the front drivers having a rubber tire, transfers electric pickup to the last two sets of drivers, which I note, it really only has pickup on the rear drivers !!!) The front truck is too large and touches (and sticks) on the front step-board....the drive train rides only on the rear set of drivers, which means that the engine just spins when more the 4 of your freight cars are applied to it. Last is the 2-8-2 of which the drawbar is too short, causing the tender to derail on a curve, and I have been unable to run it because of that. So, I have a nice railroad, featuring the basic DC powered system, all track is smooth as are the few switches so operation wise, I have two locomotives, plus the four mentioned above, for a 2x4 foot layout, which is designed to stand up behind a door flat, and all buildings and scenery packed in one box. But I just can't purchase another Bachmann engine....they are cute, simple, and idea for a "put-away railroad. I have the feeling that perhaps dealers obtain case lots of questionable engines and cater to the market of older, fixed income purchasers, that are able to afford a 30 dollar engine as outlined above, while the same price through a dealer that is Bachmann Certified, sells for up to $160 dollars !. So how can a customer trust what they are purchasing when there is so many different things wrong with one style of engine ?.

[Trainman203]

Hmmmmmm ...... in the very first sentence you say that all but one are "used" .........🤔🤔

Now, what could the previous owners possibly have done to those engines? 💥💩👺🐒🌪🔥⚡️☔️ 

I don't think the Bach Man's product is the problem here.


(Broken record). "Used engines.... buyer beware!" (Repeat 1000 times or until burned into psyche .)

[Trainman203]

Oh ..... one other thing ..... I have around 40 of the Bach Man's steam engines.  All are exceptionally well crafted. Only one engine type presented design issues, and once I figured them out those ran well too.