Not sure if anyone has explained the paint scheme yet. The e7 you’ve got is in the beautiful Southern Tennesseean passenger train scheme. The engines painted in this special paint were usually kept with the Tennesseean consist. Southern also had e7s with the “normal” southern green scheme that removes the second white stripe and white splash at the top. Also just realized you didn’t turn on the headlights, that’s function 0! Hope this helps!
@@mr.oliver_11 Buddy it's the Tennessean paint scheme. You can look it up yourself. I work at a museum with a E unit painted in the Crescent scheme, and this model is of the Tennessean.
An interesting thing about Bachmann SV decoders is their “notching” ability- they only start moving when the throttle is in a certain position (speed step 4/128 for ‘Murican railroaders). I work at a railroad museum and this is certainly true on our engines. The lights only work if F0 is pressed in forwards. If your DCC system can do so, you can program things like the horn type, acceleration, light brightness and more with CV values. And one more thing, if you ever get the chance, review a loco with TCS WOWSound. You definitely won’t regret it!
Very cool - appreciate the extra info! I did try F0 for the lights, but didn't get anything - pretty sure it's my controller and not the loco to blame - need to get a different one really! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Quick note for you on the axles, the plastic gears actually never touch the square slots. Those metal pickups within the sideframes actually double as the bearings. This allows for a very stable and free-running mechanism, and this system has been used in some of the highest end diesel models since the early 80's. It's proven to be one of the most reliable designs out there, so don't worry about the square slots, because you'll never see any wear on those parts. :)
The E and F class diesels, which can get confused for each other, are my favorite types of diesel locomotives here in the states! There may be only one known E7 on static display, but F7s are almost everywhere; they just have so much class and style to them, mainly due to the powerful and streamlined look
Sam, these models with the outside pickup don't ride on the axles in the slots, they ride on the ends of the metal axles in the pickups. Kato (of Japan) invented this drive back in the early 1980's, and is used on many of their diesels, along with ones from Atlas, Athearn Genesis, MTH (Mike's Train House), Rapido, Intermountain, and Bachmann.
Hopefully Sam will make a correction about this important point when he drags himself away from 666 trivia throwing tantrums about learning from catalogues.
The plastic axles are a well thought out solution to cracked axle gears. The axles and gears now expand and contract at the same rate. Cracked plastic gears are mainly caused by the plastic gears contracting faster than the metal axle when the temperature drops. Metal wheels on plastic axles could theoretically have a similar problem when the locomotive is placed in a hotter environment, but at warmer temperatures the plastic will compress more easily with minimal risk of failure.
Southern railroad is from the Southeast US. This a passenger engine locomotive green locomotive is for passenger trains. Southern railroad also painted them in black ad white for freight service. The railroad is over two years old and Charleston,SC is the oldest part of Southern Railroad try 1827.
There may only be one preserved E7, but I do know of a preserved E8 which wears the USA Southern livery (No.6914). I happen to live within reasonable driving distance of the museum where it is, and as someone who’s seen it a couple times, the livery really is as fabulous as the model makes it look! Don’t mean to brag, but I’ve seen that one preserved E7 as well!
The big slot on the pilot (front) of the unit is a definite mark against it. E7’s were built between 1945 and 1950. They were the best selling E unit, being on quite a few American Railroads. I saw them running fairly well on the New York Central, Pennsylvania and Penn Central. They were gone before anyone noticed, with a Pennsylvania unit being the lone survivor.
The only difference between the A and B units is the A has a cab and the B doesn’t. The B unit is like a booster and most would follow the paint design of the A unit
The reason the GG1 Electric didn't make much sound is that it didn't in the full size locomotives. The GG1s were known for being quiet locomotives. The E unit on the other hand, did not have such silence.
Bachmann could had had the synchronized traction motor sound to replace the diesel sound it does not have anyway being electric but they cheeped out .Instead they have a blower. Wonder what they are smoking making these choices of sounds. No brake sound on any of them either. . They did the same logic with their NS series diesels when they only offered sound with them or half way sound. instead of just the basics that diesels have.
Just so you know Sam F0 activates the lights, then the flashing ditch light and the headlight should work as intended. Great video, I love seeing you look at American locos, you should try and get your hands on a Big Boy sometime, keep up the fantastic work!
Yeah... I'm having similar problems with couplers on my trains and rolling stock. Of course, I'm coming back into the hobby after several decades, so I have a bunch of new Kato and Atlas engines with kadee style couplers mixed with rolling stock and Yogoslavia-made engine of indeterminate age with those old square couplers. A future job for me will be to update everything to compatible couplers so I can pull everything again.
3:20 actually, Bachmann has yet to produce an E7B as only the Atlantic Coast Line, Pennsylvania, New York Central, and Union Pacific would be the only ones that have a matching Bachmann A unit and still be prototypical, but it would also be interesting to see 'what-if' matching B units 7:54 you may be right, as quite a few E8s and E9s were used into the 1990s and have since been scattered to many sidings all over the country. But many American diesel locomotives were traded back into the manufacturer for newer models 15:24 so there clearly is space for some sort of cab detailing, but Bachmann just put a blank piece of plastic in there. The similar Bachmann F7s don't even have that piece 22:50 so you do still have American passenger cars. that ATSF blue livery was never applied to any real ATSF passenger cars, but they were made to match a locomotive that carried that livery in real life. I do hope you can get them coupling again someday, and I suggest putting the silver baggage cars directly behind the locomotive.
Sam - Great video, as always... The EMD E-units were the cousins to the ubiquitous passenger F-units, and the easy way to tell them apart is that Es have three-axle trucks while the Fs have two-axle trucks. Since here in the US we like things to be confusing, both types were made in A and B unit versions, with the Bs being cabless boosters. A-B pairs were cheaper than a pair of As to buy, but weren't as flexible for operations because a B unit always required an A unit to operate. So a lot of railroads chose to operate a pair of As back to back instead of an A-B pair when a second locomotive was needed. Also, I know that there is at least one E unit not only preserved, but operational, because I have ridden behind it at the Southern California Railway Museum. It's a Union Pacific E8-A, number 942 built in 1953. It's the generation that followed the E7 and has round porthole windows instead of square. A bit of research shows that there's only one surviving non-operational E7A though. Here's my video from the Museum that has a lot of footage of their E8: ua-cam.com/video/MylfHfRiB7U/v-deo.html
The early American diesels look great I am a big fan. Some years back I was lucky enough to visit the California State Railroad Museum at Sacramento (stunning) and the line from Winslow to Grand Canyon Station. Both had the early diesels still in service! Sam if you get the chance GO! Great video Mate.
Hi, Sam! I used to "dabble" in American N and I have friends who are very much into that particular aspect of modelling. Generally speaking, the "A" units need to be coupled in pairs, as the Americans have never ventured very far into the idea of having a cab at both ends of the loco. A "B" unit is powered but had no cab at all. If three locos were needed, the formation would have been A+B+A. If four were needed there might be one A and ABA or a pair of A+A, or even A+B+B+A. Great review!
I model US railroads and have several Bachmann locos all of which I purchased at bargain prices. They all perform well after a bit of tweaking with the DCC controller and run like clockwork. They are basic models but again you can purchase the extra bits to refine the model and enhance its appearance. They are also heavy beasts compared to UK models and perform well. Great review Sam, honest and straightforward. Well done.
Glad you’re doing more DCC locos recently Sam, even if the last one was accidental! I think a lot of people new to model railways will be jumping on the increasing range of “budget” dcc kit, so you giving your views on them is invaluable. Keep up the great work, as always 👍
They even painted the builder’s plate in it which is such attention to detail! You should do more Southern Railway (US) reviews. The namesake and color scheme comes from the Southern Railway (UK). Think you’d enjoy some of the locomotives in Southern’s range. Look Ahead-Look South!
Another fantastic review ! Sam you do seriously addictive content ! I’ve gone back though your older catalog of videos and started watching them all again ! Can’t wait to see more !
Nice to see an stateside diesel locomotive. For the price range that they cost, I recommend looking at something from Athearn (both Genesis [high end] and ready to roll [some with sound], Atlas, Broadway-Limited, Bowser, Intermountian, ScaleTrains, or Walthers Proto. I'll admit that they normally are not marked down as much as Bachmann, but you do pay for what you get and there is considerably more detail on them when compared to the E7 you reviewed, especially looking at the MSRP prices. Many hobby shops have these brands on sale and in a case like Broadway-Limited, they have refurbished trains that are normally 40% off list and still come with a full warranty. One final note, if you activate the headlight first (function 0) you then should get the mars (flashing) light.
I'm glad to see you enjoyed this modern model of a classic American diesel Although there's only one E7 left, there are many more EMD locos with the "bulldog nose" cab design preserved in static and working order in North America and Australia. We're really spoiled for choice in North America for diesel models. Some makes that might hit your sweet spot of price & detail are Atlas (any), Athearn's Ready-To-Run line, Scaletrain's Operator line, and Walthers' Mainline, er, line. That said, any recently produced model is more likely to be good or great than bad. Also, Hatton's is putting out adverts in US model railroad magazines looking for collections to buy. They might have some never run US models on sale.
Bachmann do tend to be of a lower quality of detail and performers, I recommend Walther's PROTO2000, & MAINLINE product lines, Atheran Blue line, Atheran Genesis line, BLI, and BLI's Budget line (Blue something) are usually of a better quality. EMD made E-units for passenger work, and F-units for freight work, but sometimes F- units were used on passenger trains for that extra low gear traction. E-units came with A-1-A trucks/ bogies, while F-units came with B0 trucks/ bogies.
Bli's reliability seems to be on par or worse than Bachmanns, and a hell of a lot more. Athearn genesis.... the same notorious gear cracking... Maybe we'll let Sam do his own recommendations via his own research.... and Sam doesn't have much in the way of research skills...
Hey Sam! It is common to use f0 function to activate the head light, that's a standard thing for most of dcc decoders. Usually extra light functions are available only with the f0 on. Hopefully that would be helpful. Cheers from Poland.
If I can recommend your next diesels, I’d like to say two of the Norfolk Souther heritage units number 1067 the Reading “Bee Line Service” and 8099 Southern. The 8099 shares the same paint scheme as the engine in this video. I recommend the 1067 as it’s my favorite scheme since I have one from Athearn (Bachmann makes one too) and I’m also from the Reading area. Both engines are available from Bachmann and Athearn. Great video Sam, sorry for the essay.
The sound of the E7's 567 prime movers bring back fond memories of growing up watching Southern Pacific EMD units pulling trains near my home. Nothing sounds like an EMD!
A bit more information about these kinds of diesels in general if anyone wants to read; many earlier builders designed similar looking engines typically for passenger or mixed work, and the "Bulldog" nose on these was an average design of the 30s-60s. The E7 comes from a line up of 9 "E-Units" from EMD(The Electro-Motive Division), which are the larger cousins of the more famous "F-Units", of which there were 7 classes of A unit(main control units) and 5 classes of B unit(booster/cabless units) including the "F7". What you have is indeed an A-Unit, and while Bachmann do make E7b Units, the Southern Railway never bought any of them.
GM's EMD had the "F" series for freight and the "E" series for passenger service. Other American models worth a look into is GM's EMD GP7, the first big hit in diesel locomotives and was used for both freight and passenger service. There is also Alco's RS2 and RS3 locomotives, their answer to the GP7. There is the Fairbanks-Morse Trainmaster which was the first high horsepower diesel locomotive. The Trainmaster used opposed piston engines and produced a deep throbbing noise that would vibrate any object near the rail line that wasn't mounted down. The Alco (American Locomotive Company) diesel engines made a variety of odd noises that made the prime drivers sounded they were ready to self destruct at any moment. I think it is Rapido that makes a sound version that captures that ready to explode at any moment noise. The Atlas RS3 is a good choice if you do not need sound.
@@philismenko The E units had passenger car support equipment. The F units could be adapted but the E units were purpose built. The horsepower varied over the years. FP was used for F units built for passenger service. Fairbanks-Morse for their Trainmasters made their sales pitch based on more horsepower under 1 hood for lower cost operation. 1 Trainmaster could do what 2 GM EMD F units could do.
So happy to see an American F-unit on the show!! I was super hesitant looking at this online but after the review I really hope to pick one of these up!! I’ve been looking for a good engine that comes in a B&O livery and I’m so happy the search is over!!
I don't have any experience with Bachmann decoders, but with Soundtraxx or Digitrax you have to program the acceleration and deceleration rate that you want. Right out of the box you are only getting the default settings that may be Zero. Which is basically just on and off.
Nice to see you diving into some more US diesels. Other bargain DCC sound stuff they have are mainly Walthers Mainline diesels, although some Athearn RTR and Atlas stuff may be found at nice prices. 1:02 Bachmann’s MSRPs are outrageous and you’ll never usually pay that much from them except maybe for their ACS-64 and SC-44. $299 is something you’d pay for a top tier US model such as Scaletrains Rivet Counter, Athearn Genesis, Rapido, etc.
Nice engine! Does you friend have the engines to those coaches? Those are both quite uncommon Rivarossi coach sets that go to the Blue Goose and the Valley Flyer respectively. Would love to see them on the channel at some point!
@@SamsTrains by uncommon he meant rare and e x pe n s i ve not only the coaches but the blue goose itself, the lowest I've seen one has been around 200 dollars and they can get alot more expensive, if its more junked you'll most likely see it lower, it would be your chance to get one and have something to fix! :D edit: my junk spelling
Bachmann is considered one of the "cheaper" brands to many of us Yanks so if this one impresses you, perhaps you should check out an Athearn Genesis model! They come with the option of sound (loud enough to be heard from the other side of the country from my personal experience) and the amount of separately fitted detail is absolutely immense, they really go all out on detail to make it as accurate as possible. If you manage to find one for a good price I imagine you wont be disappointed!
I don’t usually go crazy for American locomotives but seeing that makes me want to see it pull a train full of matching coaches as far as the eye can see!
An American model diesel I would have to recommend is Bachmann’s GE ES44AC. Cosmetically, my favorite is the Lehigh Valley. It’s a DCC Sound and another all wheel drive. Super heavy and a great puller as well. Exterior details well surpass any A7 or E7 of a similar price.
The U.S. actually made the full switch to Diesel a lot sooner than Britian. These locomotives were built during a time in the U.S. when rail travel was at its peak and as such, they made the E and smaller F units extremely handsome looking locomotives. I love these.
I am so happy to see you review a Southern E unit! Glad you were happy with it; bachmann diesels can be a really good value once they go on sale or once they are used. I personally feel the MSRP on them is way more than is reasonable, considering what they are and the other American brands they compete with (Walthers/Proto2000, BLI, Intermountain all come to mind). I love seeing your American Southern equipment mixed in with British Southern.
If you didn’t know Sam, in America, 2 short = forward 3 short = reverse 1 long 1 long 1 short 1 long = grade crossing. Those are the basic American horn keys.
F0 should turn on the lights. Also, that e7 is amazing. I have a Walthers/Life Like Proto 2000 e7, also in Southern Railway paint, although not in the distinctive Tennesseean paint scheme. The e7s and later e8s were truly amazing locomotives for their time. While they would be a bit underpowered by modern standards, they were very powerful when they were built over 70 years ago. They did also have an impressive 2000 horsepower, and two diesel engines of the 567 12 cylinder type.
The EMD Es and Fs had some amazing liveries. My personal favourite is Southern Pacific's FP7 Feather River Route livery, the orange and silver go remarkably well together. Funnily enough this livery for the Southern Railway is one I haven't seen before. Still, it's pretty good looking, can't go wrong with green.
Hi Sam, I am a long time fan and I've had the most burning question applying ho and oo scale trains as i am starting a layout myself. My question is, am I able to swap the hook and loop couplings with the knuckle couplings on the oo locos and vise versa with the ho locos? If you don't know this could be a nice video idea for the future. Also, love the EMD's they are such a stunning class of american engineering.
If you can remove the coupler from the nem pocket thing than you can install a knuckle coupler that Kadee produces that instead of being a normal coupler in a box, it's a coupler attached to a thingy that goes into that nem thingy and than boom functioning knuckle coupler apparently I've never tried this as i have no british anything, but Kadee make the best knuckle couplers available so i think it'll function properly, but don't take my word for it edit: emd's are nice looking but to be genuine, i like the alco pa's better :)
The green livery of your F7 is a carryover from the days of steam when Fairfax Harrison, president of the Southern Railway (American) visited his line's namesake in England. When he returned to the U.S. he had his new pacifics, Class Ps-4, painted in Virginia green with gold trim. Before that all American locomotives wore a black livery. Check out Brian Hollingsworth's book the Great Book of Trains. By the way the prototype F7s had a wheel arrangement of A1A-A1A.
Hiya Sam I’ve been recently rewatched the “7 ages of steam” I was wondering if you could do the same with diesels or electrics or maybe redo the 7 ages of steam as it was quite a while ago
American viewers: "Sam, when you gonna review that Big Boy?" "Sam, Big Boy this! Big Boy that!" "Big Boy, Big Boy, Big Boy!" I bet you heat that way too much haha. Poor Sam. Bachmann definitely does a better job with diesel-electric locos compared to their steam engines, in terms of mechanisms. I have several F7 locos (they look just like the E7, except they are bo-bos) from several different manufacturers, and my Bachmann examples outshine the rest by far. All wheel drive, all wheel pickup, dual flywheels, etc. I got them all second hand, and they still run like silk. Great pullers as well! Someone else mentioned Anthearn locos... Pricy, yes. But they will tick all of the boxes at the end of the review. I have a Dash9 diesel-electric by Anthearn, and I'd wager it would pull the skin off two bowls of pudding 😜 as always, keep up the good work, Sam. Your videos are top notch, and more educational than you know.
When I think of an American diesel locomotive, the first one that comes to mind is the EMD SD-40-2. I'd highly recommend either an Atlas Master Series or Athearn Genesis.
Hello Sam to your questions the weight is a coincidence of our production line for these particular locomotives The only loco you need to worry about is a rotary snow plow that we made in the 70s a few people have reviewed it recently that weird things happened after they bought it
2 E7s are preserved one at the Tennessee Valley railway museum and one at the North Carolina transport museum. And if you want some model with good sound try something from Broadway limited those are the people to go for for high quality models and excellent sound
Have you tried pressing "0" on your controller to see if the headlights come on? The top headlight is usually a "Mars" light that flashes if you press the right button....Mars light is actually an oscillating light, so it really shouldn't exactly "flash", but rather fade in and out...sorta....
Lovely review! The E units are my favorite diesel locomotives. You should look at Athearn Genesis models, they are not cheap but boy they sound and run lovely.
A-units have a cab, B-units don’t (in general.) That being said, I do remember that either the Union Pacific or the Southern Pacific has a weird GP-9B that “sort of” has a (minimalist) cab. The only giveaway was a round “porthole”-style window on the Engineer’s side. It was used by the hostler (a guy who moves locomotives around the shop and servicing areas); this was in the days before remote control locomotives were a “thing”.
Yea we don't use 'class' here in the states much. The unit you have is an E7A unit, usually theyed run in A-A, A-B-A, A-B, or the famous A-B-B-A set up. The reason for not having dynamic breaks is because the example you have did not have any in real life. Back then it was an option.
Your obv born to the internet age. In our day, getting a catalogue was the thing we used to look forward to. The Maplin catalogue was a particular favourite. I still like a good catalogue, and will pick suppliers who provide them (TLC Direct Electrical is a current favourite).
@@SamsTrains horn hooks are those old outdated couplers that you see on those rivarossi passenger cars, basically anything rivarossi is old and since it's old they use the outdated horn hook couplers, they were in use before the standard knuckle coupler came into use
I actually have an Erie Lackawanna EMD E8 class diesel which looks very similar to this southern E7 And yes, both our examples are A units (A units have cabs)
Nice. I'm not keen on how the sound is permanently on, unless simply muted. An interior is a must for any diesel over £50, even if only basic. A speaker mounted in the tanks would be much better than the one mounted atop the PCB. If you want a decent british hauler, get a Hornby class 60. Mine can pull absolutely anything put behind it. Just got myself a cheap J15 yesterday, very surprised as to its weight, will get run tomorrow on Ashbrooke Central. Also got a Dapol 57xx in 0 as a late birthday present from my girlfriend, looks absolutely fantastic with working inside motion, however it has been 4 weeks since I last run the Wake Garden Railway so I'll need to attack the foliage and clean the track first before I can run it in.
Hi Sam. Thanks for the great review, I own quite a few Bachmann locos (US) all sound, some factory fitted, others not and on the whole they are great value for money. Young and old railroaders can't afford the rising prices of the more detailed (expensive) locos so it's good to see these more budget based models being offered. Here in Australia sound decoders are selling between $150-$200 so when you can pick up a loco with sound for around the same price it helps build our loco roster. (see my Bachmann 4-6-0 review on UA-cam) Please keep up the reviews of these more affordable offerings. Regards Gary.
Bachmann is a good value. Especially their sound equipped models. I only have 2 of them at the moment but one of them is the giant DDA-40X and it's a great model! I have to say I do prefer the additional features, etc. of the Esu Loksound decoders but you certainly pay for those extra features. And in recent years Bachmann has built some really reliable units in both HO and N scale.
Would you be able to review an Australian model at some point? There are some really high quality ones from Auscision Models and Australian Modeller. Great video as always!
He seems not to be even chasing the ARM C38 model that is available from Hornby in the UK. So other Australian quality locos like the SDS, Auscision and other makes look to be in the too hard or too expensive basket. Lots of new stuff on UA-cam from the Australian Model Railway News Vids lately. Worth a search on UA-cam for Australian Model Railway News
Wow such a cool model. I'm really impressed. I like the looks of the early American diesels like the EMD or Santa Fe. Now about the mechanism. I believe at 14:09 when you removed one wheel set of the boogie it appears to have bearings in the axle boxes. Maybe I'm mistaking but it would explain the good performance. Also your jokes just made my day :D Also a question. Is Bachmann and Bachmann USA the same company? Great review, Sam 👍
Sam did not understand that the bronze bearings are in the outboard axle boxes. The inboard square cut outs do not act as bearings. Asked him to confirm or deny this.
Those blue coaches are for the Rivarossi Blue Goose, a decently uncommon and gorgeous looking set. You got some great coaches there Also, I’d recommend looking into some Proto2000 diesels, from my experience they are the most detailed and most powerful diesels I own
11:20 that’s not a headlight that’s a gyralight or Mars light it moves around and flashes to get peoples attention so they notice the train coming ditch lights have replaced these
I've seen the last E7, it's on static display at the railroad museum of pennsylvania in lancaster. Shame it's not an operation, but if you want an earlier variation on the E series, CSX's Clinchfield #800 E3 is preserved and does the occasional excursion.
That item number and the weight are pretty freaky, reminds me of how Marx numbered one of their O gauge locos 666. I think you should review a model of the Norfolk & Western J-Class 611, it's a beautiful American steam loco known as the "Queen of Steam". I had the chance to see the real thing up close recently and it's definitely earned that title.
nice review sam, always nice to see some more american stuff. the pipes on the back of the locomotive are MU cables. they were used so that the engineer could control other lashed up A or B units from the leading unit.
the lights is set to function 0 which is why the lights went working and the flashing light is known as a Mars light. Newer locomotive have similar flashing lights known as ditch lights.
It should be noted that the prototype E and F units were streamlined, and so, were lacking in exterior details that would create drag (air resistance), save for the windshield wipers, the metal grilles on the side, the grab irons, and the horn on top. So docking it for points on detail is kind of bogus here. I’d say it’s pretty much on par with say, a British class 66 or some such. From what I can tell, those have the same basic, streamlined appearance, just with a cab at both ends. I would dock one star though, for not having a cab interior.
Not only you got an American diesel, but you got one of the famous streamlined passenger locomotives. Streamlining was all the rave in the 30s, so why not? I kept thinking of the British diesels, like the deltics, with the classic streamlined design.
Yknow whats similar to the F7s and E7s Their babyface Cab Design they also have b units im a nerd also of plastic melts US railroads Called Overheated journal boxes "Hotbox" Dont give that engine the Hotbox treatment
Not sure if anyone has explained the paint scheme yet. The e7 you’ve got is in the beautiful Southern Tennesseean passenger train scheme. The engines painted in this special paint were usually kept with the Tennesseean consist. Southern also had e7s with the “normal” southern green scheme that removes the second white stripe and white splash at the top. Also just realized you didn’t turn on the headlights, that’s function 0! Hope this helps!
Fantastic - really appreciate the extra info on the livery, thank you! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
The crescent…how do you not know this lmao
@@mr.oliver_11 that is the Tennessean paint scheme. Not the Crescent.
@@consolidationproductions crescent
@@mr.oliver_11 Buddy it's the Tennessean paint scheme. You can look it up yourself. I work at a museum with a E unit painted in the Crescent scheme, and this model is of the Tennessean.
An interesting thing about Bachmann SV decoders is their “notching” ability- they only start moving when the throttle is in a certain position (speed step 4/128 for ‘Murican railroaders). I work at a railroad museum and this is certainly true on our engines. The lights only work if F0 is pressed in forwards. If your DCC system can do so, you can program things like the horn type, acceleration, light brightness and more with CV values. And one more thing, if you ever get the chance, review a loco with TCS WOWSound. You definitely won’t regret it!
Very cool - appreciate the extra info! I did try F0 for the lights, but didn't get anything - pretty sure it's my controller and not the loco to blame - need to get a different one really!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains you will not regret a digitrax dcs52 hooked to a computer running jmri though it does cost about 200 usd
@@SamsTrains when I make my own 3d printed trains can you do a review on them please
I have the DCC Bachman Pere Marquette 1225 it’s a very good runner on my layout
Quick note for you on the axles, the plastic gears actually never touch the square slots. Those metal pickups within the sideframes actually double as the bearings. This allows for a very stable and free-running mechanism, and this system has been used in some of the highest end diesel models since the early 80's. It's proven to be one of the most reliable designs out there, so don't worry about the square slots, because you'll never see any wear on those parts. :)
We hope he does correct his misunderstanding of the bearing system.
Love your work on your channel being rigorous on drive systems.
The EMD E7 didn't have dynamic breaking. This option was introduced with the E8.
Ahh interesting - so the general instructions strike again? ;D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
The E and F class diesels, which can get confused for each other, are my favorite types of diesel locomotives here in the states! There may be only one known E7 on static display, but F7s are almost everywhere; they just have so much class and style to them, mainly due to the powerful and streamlined look
Thanks for the info Mike - glad to know more of the design are out there still! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Just remember that E units have 6 axles, and F units have 4 axles
Sam, these models with the outside pickup don't ride on the axles in the slots, they ride on the ends of the metal axles in the pickups. Kato (of Japan) invented this drive back in the early 1980's, and is used on many of their diesels, along with ones from Atlas, Athearn Genesis, MTH (Mike's Train House), Rapido, Intermountain, and Bachmann.
Hopefully Sam will make a correction about this important point when he drags himself away from 666 trivia throwing tantrums about learning from catalogues.
The plastic axles are a well thought out solution to cracked axle gears. The axles and gears now expand and contract at the same rate. Cracked plastic gears are mainly caused by the plastic gears contracting faster than the metal axle when the temperature drops.
Metal wheels on plastic axles could theoretically have a similar problem when the locomotive is placed in a hotter environment, but at warmer temperatures the plastic will compress more easily with minimal risk of failure.
(obligatory checking in making sure you’re okay and the 666g loco hasnt brought something awful upon you)
The chad himself.
OMYGOSH csx42
@@cyberkidmfb I’m in if he’s in!
Thank you! All safe for now... I've just been eating a lot of grapes recently... pretty sure it's unrelated...
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains side effectss
Southern railroad is from the Southeast US. This a passenger engine locomotive green locomotive is for passenger trains. Southern railroad also painted them in black ad white for freight service. The railroad is over two years old and Charleston,SC is the oldest part of Southern Railroad try 1827.
There may only be one preserved E7, but I do know of a preserved E8 which wears the USA Southern livery (No.6914). I happen to live within reasonable driving distance of the museum where it is, and as someone who’s seen it a couple times, the livery really is as fabulous as the model makes it look!
Don’t mean to brag, but I’ve seen that one preserved E7 as well!
The big slot on the pilot (front) of the unit is a definite mark against it.
E7’s were built between 1945 and 1950. They were the best selling E unit, being on quite a few American Railroads.
I saw them running fairly well on the New York Central, Pennsylvania and Penn Central. They were gone before anyone noticed, with a Pennsylvania unit being the lone survivor.
The only difference between the A and B units is the A has a cab and the B doesn’t. The B unit is like a booster and most would follow the paint design of the A unit
Thanks for this Shane - I'm enjoying learning about this stuff! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
The reason the GG1 Electric didn't make much sound is that it didn't in the full size locomotives. The GG1s were known for being quiet locomotives. The E unit on the other hand, did not have such silence.
Bachmann could had had the synchronized traction motor sound to replace the diesel sound it does not have anyway being electric but they cheeped out .Instead they have a blower. Wonder what they are smoking making these choices of sounds. No brake sound on any of them either. . They did the same logic with their NS series diesels when they only offered sound with them or half way sound. instead of just the basics that diesels have.
You never stood on the platform at Penn Station Newark as a GG1 came in with traction motor blowers howling
Traction motors make noise as they do the work the blowers try to keep cool.Soundtraxx missed the main sound .
Just so you know Sam F0 activates the lights, then the flashing ditch light and the headlight should work as intended. Great video, I love seeing you look at American locos, you should try and get your hands on a Big Boy sometime, keep up the fantastic work!
Headlight is function 0. The diesel engine sound is spot on. I am old enough to remember these locomotives, The sound brings back memories. Michael
Yeah I tried that - couldn't get it to work - pretty sure it's the controller though!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Bachmann: "Want to see our catalog?"
Sam: "Urge to kill rising!"
haha exactly! ;D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Yeah... I'm having similar problems with couplers on my trains and rolling stock. Of course, I'm coming back into the hobby after several decades, so I have a bunch of new Kato and Atlas engines with kadee style couplers mixed with rolling stock and Yogoslavia-made engine of indeterminate age with those old square couplers. A future job for me will be to update everything to compatible couplers so I can pull everything again.
3:20 actually, Bachmann has yet to produce an E7B as only the Atlantic Coast Line, Pennsylvania, New York Central, and Union Pacific would be the only ones that have a matching Bachmann A unit and still be prototypical, but it would also be interesting to see 'what-if' matching B units
7:54 you may be right, as quite a few E8s and E9s were used into the 1990s and have since been scattered to many sidings all over the country. But many American diesel locomotives were traded back into the manufacturer for newer models
15:24 so there clearly is space for some sort of cab detailing, but Bachmann just put a blank piece of plastic in there. The similar Bachmann F7s don't even have that piece
22:50 so you do still have American passenger cars. that ATSF blue livery was never applied to any real ATSF passenger cars, but they were made to match a locomotive that carried that livery in real life. I do hope you can get them coupling again someday, and I suggest putting the silver baggage cars directly behind the locomotive.
Sam - Great video, as always... The EMD E-units were the cousins to the ubiquitous passenger F-units, and the easy way to tell them apart is that Es have three-axle trucks while the Fs have two-axle trucks. Since here in the US we like things to be confusing, both types were made in A and B unit versions, with the Bs being cabless boosters. A-B pairs were cheaper than a pair of As to buy, but weren't as flexible for operations because a B unit always required an A unit to operate. So a lot of railroads chose to operate a pair of As back to back instead of an A-B pair when a second locomotive was needed.
Also, I know that there is at least one E unit not only preserved, but operational, because I have ridden behind it at the Southern California Railway Museum. It's a Union Pacific E8-A, number 942 built in 1953. It's the generation that followed the E7 and has round porthole windows instead of square. A bit of research shows that there's only one surviving non-operational E7A though.
Here's my video from the Museum that has a lot of footage of their E8: ua-cam.com/video/MylfHfRiB7U/v-deo.html
Yay, more American diesels! I absolutely love the Southern paint scheme, that’s one of my favorites.
I believe everyone loves the Southern's leveries, if they don't, they're lying
@@thesouthernservesthesouth25 so true! 🤣
The early American diesels look great I am a big fan. Some years back I was lucky enough to visit the California State Railroad Museum at Sacramento (stunning) and the line from Winslow to Grand Canyon Station. Both had the early diesels still in service! Sam if you get the chance GO! Great video Mate.
Hi, Sam! I used to "dabble" in American N and I have friends who are very much into that particular aspect of modelling. Generally speaking, the "A" units need to be coupled in pairs, as the Americans have never ventured very far into the idea of having a cab at both ends of the loco. A "B" unit is powered but had no cab at all. If three locos were needed, the formation would have been A+B+A. If four were needed there might be one A and ABA or a pair of A+A, or even A+B+B+A. Great review!
I model US railroads and have several Bachmann locos all of which I purchased at bargain prices. They all perform well after a bit of tweaking with the DCC controller and run like clockwork. They are basic models but again you can purchase the extra bits to refine the model and enhance its appearance. They are also heavy beasts compared to UK models and perform well. Great review Sam, honest and straightforward. Well done.
Thanks for sharing Chris - yeah absolutely - for what they cost, these are perfectly good!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Glad you’re doing more DCC locos recently Sam, even if the last one was accidental! I think a lot of people new to model railways will be jumping on the increasing range of “budget” dcc kit, so you giving your views on them is invaluable. Keep up the great work, as always 👍
They even painted the builder’s plate in it which is such attention to detail! You should do more Southern Railway (US) reviews. The namesake and color scheme comes from the Southern Railway (UK). Think you’d enjoy some of the locomotives in Southern’s range. Look Ahead-Look South!
Another fantastic review ! Sam you do seriously addictive content ! I’ve gone back though your older catalog of videos and started watching them all again !
Can’t wait to see more !
Nice to see an stateside diesel locomotive. For the price range that they cost, I recommend looking at something from Athearn (both Genesis [high end] and ready to roll [some with sound], Atlas, Broadway-Limited, Bowser, Intermountian, ScaleTrains, or Walthers Proto. I'll admit that they normally are not marked down as much as Bachmann, but you do pay for what you get and there is considerably more detail on them when compared to the E7 you reviewed, especially looking at the MSRP prices. Many hobby shops have these brands on sale and in a case like Broadway-Limited, they have refurbished trains that are normally 40% off list and still come with a full warranty.
One final note, if you activate the headlight first (function 0) you then should get the mars (flashing) light.
Thanks a lot mate - and sure, I do need to try something like that for sure! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Great review and video. It's interesting seeing a UK train enthusiast reviewing American locomotives.
I'm glad to see you enjoyed this modern model of a classic American diesel Although there's only one E7 left, there are many more EMD locos with the "bulldog nose" cab design preserved in static and working order in North America and Australia.
We're really spoiled for choice in North America for diesel models. Some makes that might hit your sweet spot of price & detail are Atlas (any), Athearn's Ready-To-Run line, Scaletrain's Operator line, and Walthers' Mainline, er, line. That said, any recently produced model is more likely to be good or great than bad. Also, Hatton's is putting out adverts in US model railroad magazines looking for collections to buy. They might have some never run US models on sale.
Impressed that you knew about the numerous Australian bulldog nose locomotives, many still running.
Good points made in the rest of your post also.
Bachmann do tend to be of a lower quality of detail and performers, I recommend Walther's PROTO2000, & MAINLINE product lines, Atheran Blue line, Atheran Genesis line, BLI, and BLI's Budget line (Blue something) are usually of a better quality.
EMD made E-units for passenger work, and F-units for freight work, but sometimes F- units were used on passenger trains for that extra low gear traction. E-units came with A-1-A trucks/ bogies, while F-units came with B0 trucks/ bogies.
Bli's reliability seems to be on par or worse than Bachmanns, and a hell of a lot more. Athearn genesis.... the same notorious gear cracking... Maybe we'll let Sam do his own recommendations via his own research.... and Sam doesn't have much in the way of research skills...
You know what is even more devilish? Its a Southern Locomotive and its green like the english relation
Hey Sam!
It is common to use f0 function to activate the head light, that's a standard thing for most of dcc decoders. Usually extra light functions are available only with the f0 on.
Hopefully that would be helpful.
Cheers from Poland.
I actually have a e7 but mine is in a different paint scheme from the Chicago Burlington and Quincy and is number 99168
If I can recommend your next diesels, I’d like to say two of the Norfolk Souther heritage units number 1067 the Reading “Bee Line Service” and 8099 Southern.
The 8099 shares the same paint scheme as the engine in this video. I recommend the 1067 as it’s my favorite scheme since I have one from Athearn (Bachmann makes one too) and I’m also from the Reading area.
Both engines are available from Bachmann and Athearn.
Great video Sam, sorry for the essay.
The sound of the E7's 567 prime movers bring back fond memories of growing up watching Southern Pacific EMD units pulling trains near my home. Nothing sounds like an EMD!
A few EMD 567 powered locomotives still running in Australia, so the sound still familiar to us, even young railfans.
A bit more information about these kinds of diesels in general if anyone wants to read; many earlier builders designed similar looking engines typically for passenger or mixed work, and the "Bulldog" nose on these was an average design of the 30s-60s. The E7 comes from a line up of 9 "E-Units" from EMD(The Electro-Motive Division), which are the larger cousins of the more famous "F-Units", of which there were 7 classes of A unit(main control units) and 5 classes of B unit(booster/cabless units) including the "F7". What you have is indeed an A-Unit, and while Bachmann do make E7b Units, the Southern Railway never bought any of them.
GM's EMD had the "F" series for freight and the "E" series for passenger service.
Other American models worth a look into is GM's EMD GP7, the first big hit in diesel
locomotives and was used for both freight and passenger service. There is also
Alco's RS2 and RS3 locomotives, their answer to the GP7. There is the Fairbanks-Morse
Trainmaster which was the first high horsepower diesel locomotive. The Trainmaster
used opposed piston engines and produced a deep throbbing noise that would vibrate
any object near the rail line that wasn't mounted down. The Alco (American Locomotive
Company) diesel engines made a variety of odd noises that made the prime drivers
sounded they were ready to self destruct at any moment.
I think it is Rapido that makes a sound version that captures that ready to explode
at any moment noise. The Atlas RS3 is a good choice if you do not need sound.
Additionally The f and e stand for fourteen hundred and eighteen hundred respectively
@@philismenko The E units had passenger car support equipment. The F units could be adapted but the E units were purpose built. The horsepower varied over
the years. FP was used for F units built for passenger service.
Fairbanks-Morse for their Trainmasters made their sales pitch based on more
horsepower under 1 hood for lower cost operation. 1 Trainmaster could do
what 2 GM EMD F units could do.
@@AQuietNight yeah I probably should have said in addition, not actually, sorry bout that
Those streamliners are beautiful
I agree! :D
that's my favorite body style for diesels.
666? You’ll have to work this into your Halloween special hahah! Those Southern coaches actually look great with it!
haha maybe I should - good idea! xD
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
So happy to see an American F-unit on the show!! I was super hesitant looking at this online but after the review I really hope to pick one of these up!! I’ve been looking for a good engine that comes in a B&O livery and I’m so happy the search is over!!
This is the longer heavier six axle E unit, although using the same streamlined nose and built in the same EMD factory.
I don't have any experience with Bachmann decoders, but with Soundtraxx or Digitrax you have to program the acceleration and deceleration rate that you want. Right out of the box you are only getting the default settings that may be Zero. Which is basically just on and off.
I saw the thumbnail and immediately knew this was going to be fun, Bachmann's Southern Tennessean E7a, nice choice of line.
haha thank you! Yeah I really like this thing - it's pretty good! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Nice to see you diving into some more US diesels. Other bargain DCC sound stuff they have are mainly Walthers Mainline diesels, although some Athearn RTR and Atlas stuff may be found at nice prices. 1:02 Bachmann’s MSRPs are outrageous and you’ll never usually pay that much from them except maybe for their ACS-64 and SC-44. $299 is something you’d pay for a top tier US model such as Scaletrains Rivet Counter, Athearn Genesis, Rapido, etc.
Thanks a lot mate - it was fun for sure! I'll have to look for some more! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Nice engine! Does you friend have the engines to those coaches? Those are both quite uncommon Rivarossi coach sets that go to the Blue Goose and the Valley Flyer respectively. Would love to see them on the channel at some point!
Thank you! I'll have to look out for some - would be awesome to have matching coaches! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains by uncommon he meant rare and e x pe n s i ve
not only the coaches but the blue goose itself, the lowest I've seen one has been around 200 dollars and they can get alot more expensive, if its more junked you'll most likely see it lower, it would be your chance to get one and have something to fix! :D
edit: my junk spelling
You should get the Walters proto 20th Century limited or the Broadway limited t1 or the Broadway limited Hudson
Love the sound of that - thanks for the tips! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains thanks for the feedback
Bachmann is considered one of the "cheaper" brands to many of us Yanks so if this one impresses you, perhaps you should check out an Athearn Genesis model! They come with the option of sound (loud enough to be heard from the other side of the country from my personal experience) and the amount of separately fitted detail is absolutely immense, they really go all out on detail to make it as accurate as possible. If you manage to find one for a good price I imagine you wont be disappointed!
I don’t usually go crazy for American locomotives but seeing that makes me want to see it pull a train full of matching coaches as far as the eye can see!
An American model diesel I would have to recommend is Bachmann’s GE ES44AC. Cosmetically, my favorite is the Lehigh Valley. It’s a DCC Sound and another all wheel drive. Super heavy and a great puller as well. Exterior details well surpass any A7 or E7 of a similar price.
The U.S. actually made the full switch to Diesel a lot sooner than Britian. These locomotives were built during a time in the U.S. when rail travel was at its peak and as such, they made the E and smaller F units extremely handsome looking locomotives. I love these.
The Southern Railway was one of the very first US railroads to fully commit to diesel locomotives.
scaletrains rivet counter series has an extreme amount of detail while not being too expensive.
I am so happy to see you review a Southern E unit! Glad you were happy with it; bachmann diesels can be a really good value once they go on sale or once they are used. I personally feel the MSRP on them is way more than is reasonable, considering what they are and the other American brands they compete with (Walthers/Proto2000, BLI, Intermountain all come to mind). I love seeing your American Southern equipment mixed in with British Southern.
If you didn’t know Sam, in America, 2 short = forward
3 short = reverse
1 long 1 long 1 short 1 long = grade crossing.
Those are the basic American horn keys.
F0 should turn on the lights. Also, that e7 is amazing. I have a Walthers/Life Like Proto 2000 e7, also in Southern Railway paint, although not in the distinctive Tennesseean paint scheme. The e7s and later e8s were truly amazing locomotives for their time. While they would be a bit underpowered by modern standards, they were very powerful when they were built over 70 years ago. They did also have an impressive 2000 horsepower, and two diesel engines of the 567 12 cylinder type.
The EMD Es and Fs had some amazing liveries. My personal favourite is Southern Pacific's FP7 Feather River Route livery, the orange and silver go remarkably well together.
Funnily enough this livery for the Southern Railway is one I haven't seen before. Still, it's pretty good looking, can't go wrong with green.
They sure did if this is anything to go by - would love to see some more! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hi Sam, I am a long time fan and I've had the most burning question applying ho and oo scale trains as i am starting a layout myself. My question is, am I able to swap the hook and loop couplings with the knuckle couplings on the oo locos and vise versa with the ho locos? If you don't know this could be a nice video idea for the future. Also, love the EMD's they are such a stunning class of american engineering.
If you can remove the coupler from the nem pocket thing than you can install a knuckle coupler that Kadee produces that instead of being a normal coupler in a box, it's a coupler attached to a thingy that goes into that nem thingy and than boom functioning knuckle coupler apparently
I've never tried this as i have no british anything, but Kadee make the best knuckle couplers available so i think it'll function properly, but don't take my word for it
edit: emd's are nice looking but to be genuine, i like the alco pa's better :)
You could but most OO stuff would much larger then the HO stuff, causing the models to be out of scale
The green livery of your F7 is a carryover from the days of steam when Fairfax Harrison, president of the Southern Railway (American) visited his line's namesake in England. When he returned to the U.S. he had his new pacifics, Class Ps-4, painted in Virginia green with gold trim. Before that all American locomotives wore a black livery. Check out Brian Hollingsworth's book the Great Book of Trains. By the way the prototype F7s had a wheel arrangement of A1A-A1A.
Hiya Sam I’ve been recently rewatched the “7 ages of steam” I was wondering if you could do the same with diesels or electrics or maybe redo the 7 ages of steam as it was quite a while ago
Ahh thanks so much! And that's a really good idea - I'll put that on my ideas list! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
American viewers: "Sam, when you gonna review that Big Boy?" "Sam, Big Boy this! Big Boy that!" "Big Boy, Big Boy, Big Boy!" I bet you heat that way too much haha. Poor Sam. Bachmann definitely does a better job with diesel-electric locos compared to their steam engines, in terms of mechanisms. I have several F7 locos (they look just like the E7, except they are bo-bos) from several different manufacturers, and my Bachmann examples outshine the rest by far. All wheel drive, all wheel pickup, dual flywheels, etc. I got them all second hand, and they still run like silk. Great pullers as well! Someone else mentioned Anthearn locos... Pricy, yes. But they will tick all of the boxes at the end of the review. I have a Dash9 diesel-electric by Anthearn, and I'd wager it would pull the skin off two bowls of pudding 😜 as always, keep up the good work, Sam. Your videos are top notch, and more educational than you know.
Athearn is the brand. Have about thirty myself.
When I think of an American diesel locomotive, the first one that comes to mind is the EMD SD-40-2. I'd highly recommend either an Atlas Master Series or Athearn Genesis.
this looks like it should have an unpowered twin on the rear of the train, like my first triang train set!
Yeah you're right - I'm guessing you can get such a thing!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hello Sam to your questions the weight is a coincidence of our production line for these particular locomotives
The only loco you need to worry about is a rotary snow plow that we made in the 70s a few people have reviewed it recently that weird things happened after they bought it
Ooooooo... the Southern always had a nice passenger livery. Can’t wait to get a Crescent Limited E8
By the time diesels were brought in, the service was known as the Southern Crescent, dropped the Limited during the early 30s
the livery on this is gorgeous, not normally into american locos but this one and the electric you ran with it are so cool looking :3
Southern my favorite Line. I'm like a kid when I get started on the history of the RR.
2 E7s are preserved one at the Tennessee Valley railway museum and one at the North Carolina transport museum.
And if you want some model with good sound try something from Broadway limited those are the people to go for for high quality models and excellent sound
Have you tried pressing "0" on your controller to see if the headlights come on? The top headlight is usually a "Mars" light that flashes if you press the right button....Mars light is actually an oscillating light, so it really shouldn't exactly "flash", but rather fade in and out...sorta....
I think Function Zero is for the headlights, maybe try that and it would work
I did try it - didn't seem to do anything :(
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains Dang, sorry it didn’t work. Happy to help though, keep up the good work on your videos we all enjoy them :)
Idk if someone already told u or if u looked it up, but A units are the normal loco, the b units are (in a nutshell) the A unit without a cab.
Lovely review! The E units are my favorite diesel locomotives. You should look at Athearn Genesis models, they are not cheap but boy they sound and run lovely.
Thanks very much! I should - they sound really good!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
A-units have a cab, B-units don’t (in general.) That being said, I do remember that either the Union Pacific or the Southern Pacific has a weird GP-9B that “sort of” has a (minimalist) cab. The only giveaway was a round “porthole”-style window on the Engineer’s side. It was used by the hostler (a guy who moves locomotives around the shop and servicing areas); this was in the days before remote control locomotives were a “thing”.
Yea we don't use 'class' here in the states much. The unit you have is an E7A unit, usually theyed run in A-A, A-B-A, A-B, or the famous A-B-B-A set up. The reason for not having dynamic breaks is because the example you have did not have any in real life. Back then it was an option.
Fun fact the first batch of E8's where made from the steel from heavily damaged or destroyed Sherman & Lee/Grant tanks.
Edit: phone typo.
They have a loco just like this in Chattanooga, TN. It’s been fully repaired. Beautiful!
That’s a E8 not a E7
Your obv born to the internet age. In our day, getting a catalogue was the thing we used to look forward to. The Maplin catalogue was a particular favourite. I still like a good catalogue, and will pick suppliers who provide them (TLC Direct Electrical is a current favourite).
Oh god I just realized you put a horn hook on a brand new loco lmao
A horn hook?!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains horn hooks are those old outdated couplers that you see on those rivarossi passenger cars, basically anything rivarossi is old and since it's old they use the outdated horn hook couplers, they were in use before the standard knuckle coupler came into use
The american bachmann locos are actually very heavy, most have a thick metal chassis. It's amazing.
You're right - makes a huge difference to the pulling power! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Yeah bachmann locos are pretty thicc
I actually have an Erie Lackawanna EMD E8 class diesel which looks very similar to this southern E7
And yes, both our examples are A units (A units have cabs)
That's awesome! Is it good? :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
My Favourite American diesel locomotive of All time also Thoroughly enjoyed watching your videos.
Cheers.Lewis
Oh wow that's awesome Lewis - glad to have shown this for you then! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains No problem Sam thank you
Nice. I'm not keen on how the sound is permanently on, unless simply muted. An interior is a must for any diesel over £50, even if only basic. A speaker mounted in the tanks would be much better than the one mounted atop the PCB.
If you want a decent british hauler, get a Hornby class 60. Mine can pull absolutely anything put behind it.
Just got myself a cheap J15 yesterday, very surprised as to its weight, will get run tomorrow on Ashbrooke Central. Also got a Dapol 57xx in 0 as a late birthday present from my girlfriend, looks absolutely fantastic with working inside motion, however it has been 4 weeks since I last run the Wake Garden Railway so I'll need to attack the foliage and clean the track first before I can run it in.
Hi Sam.
Thanks for the great review, I own quite a few Bachmann locos (US) all sound, some factory fitted, others not and on the whole they are great value for money.
Young and old railroaders can't afford the rising prices of the more detailed (expensive) locos so it's good to see these more budget based models being offered.
Here in Australia sound decoders are selling between $150-$200 so when you can pick up a loco with sound for around the same price it helps build our loco roster. (see my Bachmann 4-6-0 review on UA-cam)
Please keep up the reviews of these more affordable offerings.
Regards
Gary.
Bachmann is a good value. Especially their sound equipped models. I only have 2 of them at the moment but one of them is the giant DDA-40X and it's a great model! I have to say I do prefer the additional features, etc. of the Esu Loksound decoders but you certainly pay for those extra features. And in recent years Bachmann has built some really reliable units in both HO and N scale.
Would you be able to review an Australian model at some point? There are some really high quality ones from Auscision Models and Australian Modeller. Great video as always!
Second that
He seems not to be even chasing the ARM C38 model that is available from Hornby in the UK.
So other Australian quality locos like the SDS, Auscision and other makes look to be in the too hard or too expensive basket.
Lots of new stuff on UA-cam from the Australian Model Railway News
Vids lately.
Worth a search on UA-cam for
Australian Model Railway News
Could you do some models from mainland Europe? The 2-rail H0 locos are compatible with UK ones.
Wow such a cool model. I'm really impressed. I like the looks of the early American diesels like the EMD or Santa Fe. Now about the mechanism. I believe at 14:09 when you removed one wheel set of the boogie it appears to have bearings in the axle boxes. Maybe I'm mistaking but it would explain the good performance. Also your jokes just made my day :D Also a question. Is Bachmann and Bachmann USA the same company? Great review, Sam 👍
Sam did not understand that the bronze bearings are in the outboard axle boxes. The inboard square cut outs do not act as bearings.
Asked him to confirm or deny this.
@@johnd8892 changed it up a bit to where he removed the wheel
Those blue coaches are for the Rivarossi Blue Goose, a decently uncommon and gorgeous looking set. You got some great coaches there
Also, I’d recommend looking into some Proto2000 diesels, from my experience they are the most detailed and most powerful diesels I own
11:20 that’s not a headlight that’s a gyralight or Mars light it moves around and flashes to get peoples attention so they notice the train coming ditch lights have replaced these
Look at the number under the bar code on the box, there indeed is a triple 6 under it as well.
I've seen the last E7, it's on static display at the railroad museum of pennsylvania in lancaster. Shame it's not an operation, but if you want an earlier variation on the E series, CSX's Clinchfield #800 E3 is preserved and does the occasional excursion.
Nice choice of paint scheme. Thinkin about getting one cause my grandpa used to ride behind these from the 50s to the 70s
That item number and the weight are pretty freaky, reminds me of how Marx numbered one of their O gauge locos 666.
I think you should review a model of the Norfolk & Western J-Class 611, it's a beautiful American steam loco known as the "Queen of Steam". I had the chance to see the real thing up close recently and it's definitely earned that title.
nice review sam, always nice to see some more american stuff. the pipes on the back of the locomotive are MU cables. they were used so that the engineer could control other lashed up A or B units from the leading unit.
I have three of these locos, They perform well, as you showed. My lights worked fine, Check your controller.
That's an A unit yes, the B unit had no cab was was electrically controlled from the A unit, much like be BR class 13
Thanks for this Miller, appreciate the info!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
the lights is set to function 0 which is why the lights went working and the flashing light is known as a Mars light. Newer locomotive have similar flashing lights known as ditch lights.
hi sam, this loco reminds me of my Triang f7 which is still working, they are good looking locos
It should be noted that the prototype E and F units were streamlined, and so, were lacking in exterior details that would create drag (air resistance), save for the windshield wipers, the metal grilles on the side, the grab irons, and the horn on top. So docking it for points on detail is kind of bogus here. I’d say it’s pretty much on par with say, a British class 66 or some such. From what I can tell, those have the same basic, streamlined appearance, just with a cab at both ends. I would dock one star though, for not having a cab interior.
Function 0 turns on the headlight. Function 5 operates the gyro light. You have to have the headlight on to opeerate both
Not only you got an American diesel, but you got one of the famous streamlined passenger locomotives. Streamlining was all the rave in the 30s, so why not? I kept thinking of the British diesels, like the deltics, with the classic streamlined design.
Lovely video Sam as usual.😎
While not a E-7, but I have seen a Southern E-8A at the North Carolina Transportation museum. It is quite a show stopper
Yknow whats similar to the F7s and E7s Their babyface Cab Design they also have b units im a nerd also of plastic melts US railroads Called Overheated journal boxes "Hotbox" Dont give that engine the Hotbox treatment