Yeah Bachman seems to be getting away from the 'Spectrum' name recently. A lot of their recent releases are 'Spectrum' quality but don't have the name attached. I think 'Spectrum' was their way of setting their high quality stuff apart from the low quality 'white box' models. Bachmann doesn't really make the 'white box' locos and seems to be moving in a direction of higher quality since ultra cheap toy-like trains aren't good sellers in hobby shops these days.
I had to remove the boiler shell from this engine and all the details made reassembly difficult, some of the sand pipes did not make it back on. @drew22
The only “new” locomotive from the Spectrum range is the streamlined K4 but the locomotive and tender is unconnected thus meaning you have to connect the loco to tender.
7:01 This is something that continues to this day in the US market, even on the very top line models. We have manufacturers including smoke units, real coal, and sound, and that very same engine can have zero picked out cab detail.
Sam'sTrains you’re thinking you can do an episode of where bullman and the little tank engine meats the American trains, can you please add the real life sounds from the American locomotives
This is primarily why I have to constantly look for models from out of country, such as KATO or in this case, Hornby. The trains offered from Britain are FAR better detailed than anything Bachmann in the US could deliver.
@@Lepper36 I've noticed Bachmann for their diesels, at least on their EMD GP40s (since that's most of what I have from them), appear to use the exact same mold for all of their locomotives of a certain style, only with different paint schemes on them. They do look alright, though some of the finer details are inaccurate.
freebrickproductions I know there’s a number of companies such as Scaletrains and the Canadian company Rapido make it a point to have road specific details, I would choose those company’s over bachmann any day of the week if they made steam
Actually Frisco #1630 operates quite frequently at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union Illinois. I've seen it a couple times, and it is a sight to behold.
5:55 there are actually three 2-10-0 decapods unless you are talking about decapod that looks like this.(1 Frisco 1630, 2 great western decapod number 90 which is now Strasburg number 90, and a Pennsylvania railroad I1SA 2-10-0 AKA hippos because of their boilers number 4483)
You're welcome, Sam! :D I'm so glad she's found a loving, caring home with lots of friends. And yes, unfortunately the poor pulling power is a known fault with that model, some people have weighed them down with lead in the boiler, others have applied rubber tape to the wheels. But, you can't have everything I supose!
I also have a bukmen Russian declupode in the western Maryland livery which was also second handed and I'll make a video on my second channel if you wish to see
I love the model and have always been a fan of the Russian Decapods. I’ve been lucky enough to see the Frisco 1630 in operation at the Illinois Railway Museum.
RE: Kadee couplers - The couplers on this are "Kadee-style" (KD) couplers. If memory serves, the ones actually mounted are "McHenry" brand plastic couplers. The more desirable and dependable actual Kadees would be metal with actual bronze springs but they cost more. For a loco they would be a wise upgrade. McHenry and other brands are fine for simple cars but locos tend to do more coupling and uncoupling and dependability becomes much more of an issue.
Once again Sam, another top-notch review! I've been lucky enough to see one of these beauties on display, specifically Seaboard Air Line #544 at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, NC.
Sam just a little thank you from me for tipping the balance and returning me to this hobby.. My wife is very much enjoying it as well. Just went and got myself a box kit for easy start ad a little more track, also just got a Hornby BR, Class 5MT, 4-6-0, 45379. Anyway getting other bits slowly and sorting out the space to build a full layout. Once again thanks love your work
This locomotive was built for export during WWII and reached a number of countries around the world at the time. They became mainstays of many railways in communist countries after Russia began to phase out steam and forward the decapods along to other Soviet republics. Until the early 2000's, a number were in service in China's national rail network until they 100% dieselized in 2008 for the Beijing Olympics. Alongside those preserved in the USA, three are known to still operate in North Korea (#8143 and two others, numbers unknown) where steam is still occasionally used due to fuel shortages. Rarely, foreigners are allowed in to organize steam tours, during which the North Koreans have been known to claim that the locomotives were "built in England", denying that they were built in the USA for political reasons. Thanks for another great video Sam!
Nice video and a very nice engine! I just looked up the class and it turns out that the model is the first of three in its class. The class started with #2554 and ended with #2556. They were built by the Baldwin shops, but not in 1918, they were built-in 1925. They were soon retired from 1938-1955. Eventually, the class gave way to the 2-10-2's and they gave way to the 2-10-4's. Fun fact: in 1918 both Santa Fe and Baldwin worked together to produce a 2-10-10-2 type steam locomotive. Thanks for a video on an American brute!
@@SamsTrains Your welcome sir! Yes, I agree with you that the Russian Decapods are very interesting models. Lately, I have been thinking about getting one but my CEO says no more spending. Might have to go behind her back. Thanks!
The ATSF 2-10-10-2 3000 class got a little bit of movie coverage in a 1915 silent film by Australian J.P. McGowan as director, producer and stuntman of this film series. With his Australian railway background before he turned to a stunt man then film career , he likely sought out this locomotive to film before they were converted to 2-10-2s. ua-cam.com/video/zo1IsTqE5BQ/v-deo.html So the Russian 2-10-0 s were just a cheap small loco for the Santa Fe compared to what they were already running, with even larger again types to come soon after the Decapods.
There's a Decapod Street in Stratford, east London.... The Great Eastern Railway built its loco's at their Stratford Works and in 1902 built a single Decapod loco as an experiment.... it was later rebuilt as a 2-8-0.... You learn something new every day!
@@SamsTrains I bought it for a massively reduced price and it ran for about an hour or so - I've had it apart to see what's up and I was quite shocked by those bearings being so crude! Had I paid full price, I would've really let Bachmann know just what I thought of it, though the cosmetic elements of the loco are undeniably very nicely made, and I especially like the different variants of these in all the different liveries. The cab is also a bit loose on mine, too.
I think he has said in the past it is too big for his layout and it won't take the sharp curves and it might be too tall to go under that end table or desk
@@markmcdonald6665 most of the big articulateds in HO scale (at least the mass-produced ones anyway) have both front and rear engines swivel to get around tighter radius curves. On the real ones, the rear engine was fixed to the boiler on a rigid frame, and only the front engine would swivel on curves. I would imagine an HO Big Boy would fit around any layout that could handle a Berkshire.
The reason for the alternative tender trucks is that the ones pre-fitted are the ones that the prototype was built with, the bagged ones were the "American" trucks that some of the railroads replaced the originals with.
Deeply unimpressed with this one Sam, as soon as I saw the quality of the connection between engine and tender I don't think anything could have 'saved' it for me .😵😵😵 Brave review !
Good review sam. The spare trucks are because of variations between companies that own them. Some had what was standard by AAR which is on the tender. Some railroads swapped trucks with older Arch bar trucks so they can keep those nice modern ones they got for cheap. Some railroads like the decs but others not so much a fan. Funny enough if you had the Erie or the (only made during spectrum not re made for current) Susquahanna versions. Both are the road numbers of a long abandoned shortline near me called the Wilkes-Barre and Eastern and were the common power. It is just a strange niche that was made.. not like the ATSF ones only lasted 4 years on that railroad ;)
I really liked the look of that loco, although those multi colour wires between the loco and tender really stick out and are quite an eyesore. Nothing that a bit of black paint won’t fix, but still, for the price, I would have expected a bit better. I don’t have a lot of Bachmann Spectrum stock, but I am happy with what I do have. Bachmann spare parts are good to deal with as well, I’ve had to buy some bits to fix my On30 Rail Truck, and prices for spares were fair, and postage was good. Enjoyed the video, and am looking forward to the next.
Good to hear the spare parts were good to deal with and the prices for spares were fair, and postage was good. Was that all within the USA or to and from some other country combinations. Always hearing horror stories of the cost of getting anything into or out of the USA. Seems to be a form of unstated tariff barrier. Has caused many modellers overseas to stop dealing with the USA as the cost of postage can be more than even medium priced items.
John D The items had to come to Australia, the postage was around AUD$15-20 for postage, so not to bad considering it had to go half way around the world. Postage costs from the US to Australia have always been high, and, now the Australian Government has introduced a 10% import tax for all overseas purchases as well, it’s made it that little bit more painful to get items in. The big killer at the moment is the USD to AUD exchange rate, as that has fallen to historic lows since the pandemic started, meaning further costs. I always find it a bit unfair so many companies in the US can offer “Free Shipping to lower 48 States” however, as soon as something leaves the ground, the cost is insane.
@@stephenwilliamson4556 Thanks. As it happens I am in Australia so your experience is good news to me. My friend had horror stories of US dealings he had been doing for 30 years, so perhaps it varies with how shops arrange shipping. We are both up too late.
John D I purchased a book on how to assemble an MDC Shay loco from the US, and it only took 2 weeks to arrive, although that was just before COVID started. I’m planning on placing another order with the Bachmann spares department when funds allow. (I’ve got way too many other things that need sorting right now). I’ve got a Bachmann 4-4-0 “Jupiter” that needs some bits and pieces to get it going again. I’m going onto the night shift this week, so I’m practicing late nights to prepare for it!
Yeah you're right Stephen - some paint would fix that problem! I've looked for Bachmann spares too - but the prices seemed insane - it'd be over £20 for a motor including postage! :O Thanks for watching - Sam :)
The decapod is what turned me back onto bachmann. I remember when these had been out maybe a year and my buddy finally convinced me to buy one. So I hopped on ebay and bought one for $60. I now have 4 running a branchline at the club. I love these
That's the nice thing with Bachmann spectrum locos. They mass produced them and you can find them at very low price when looking around. I consider their Consolidation to be one of their finest and most useful steam locomotive and their modern 4-4-0 is particularly neat.
I actually have two of those engines. I just got one last year, and I have been very happy with it, so I bought another one in early June. The lack of brass bearings doesn’t exactly ruin them for me, as they are wonderful models, holding up well against even my best Proto 2000 locomotives. The two I own only cost me about $150 counting shipping for each of them. Over in Russia, they called the decapods the YE class, and used them all over the Soviet Union’s rail system. Meanwhile, in the United States, they became property of the United States Railroad Administration, were reclassified as YEa, and were distributed to many different American railroads. I personally repainted mine into a custom livery; mine being BL&G (my model railway name) locomotive numbers 7 and 8. The BL&G would’ve had two of those engines, those being numbered YEa-7 and YEa-8. Engine 7 would’ve pulled heavy coal trains, while engine 8 would’ve performed banking services. Both engines would’ve survived into preservation, with BL&G 8 becoming a museum piece, while BL&G 7 was returned to operational status in 1972, following seven years of absence from the BL&G railroad system. Nowadays, engines 7 and 8 would haul a mixture of banking service and slow freight services.
eGood review, Sam. I've got two Bachmann Spectrum 80-ton 3 trucks Shay locomotives. As on any Bachmann engines they look great but their mechanics are rather poor. I bought these engines at what we could say it was a reasonable price (around 150 € each). They were analog back then, of course and when I tested them their performing was simply atrocius.And the bevel gears just cracked at first sight. So I had to rebuilt them completelly : fully rewired, light bulbs replaced by leds, installed a fire effect led in the firebox, installed a Loksoound and a speaker, and I had to modify the current pickups also. Oh, those bloody non-magnetic tiny clockmakers screws... But the result was great and now I love these engines. And I have learnt a lot working on them. Bachmann was a kind of branch for beginners. They made cheap engines and rolling stock, starter sets... You knew that you wouldn't get first class stuff for what you were paying for (noisy and underpowered engines, poor mechanics...) , but now they have outrageous prices. They didn't increase the quality just the prices.
I've actually had the pleasure of seeing one of the surviving Russian Decapods in the United States - Engine 209 of the Gainesville Midland Railway in Georgia. She's only on display and not in operational condition, but she's still a sight to behold.
A lot of people know American steam just by looking at the boiler, fire box, wheel arrangement, and size difference compared to British steam. But in the late 1800’s America wanted to build a type of locomotive that mainly for The use of hauling freight but it wasn’t like a 4-4-0 or a 4-6-0 aka the ten wheeler. These locos weren’t moved by two piston rods hook up to each driving wheels. These locos had four pistons on each side of the loco. They kind of like car engine pistons but a heck a lot bigger. These girls haul lumber most of the time out in the mountains in north east and Midwest America. And thus the shay type locomotive was born. The good thing is a lot of these were preserved and some faced the cutters torch.
As an American, the majority of our steam locomotives didn't have much in terms of paint scheme style. There were a few that were more stylized for passenger service during the "streamline" era but on most American units the only color you'd see was in the company logo painted on the side.
A little bit more background on these engines: Quite a few American-made decapods made it to the Russian Empire and then the Soviet Union, before and after the 1917 revolution respectively. During the Soviet period, Russia made a massive number of decapods domestically--the Class L 2-10-0 is the single most-produced locomotive of all time (steam, diesel or electric). For the locomotives built in the US during WWI for Russia which were never delivered, all of them were indeed built to Russian gauge--which is 1-2mm shy of 5 foot even--and had to be converted to standard gauge when it was decided they would be staying in the US. These locomotives have certain design aesthetics that suggest that they were originally intended for use in a very cold part of the world: broader-than-normal running boards and stairways were meant to be safer in icy conditions during Russia's infamous winters. Anyways, super interesting locomotives, connected to a lot of cool history. Thanks as always for a great video!
I bought this engine used off eBay .It does run well, but yes the pulling power is poor. The spectrum 2-8-0 uses the same type mechanism but seems to run better. To answer a few of your questions about this engine. It looks like your rear gear cover which also carries some wires is hanging too low in the rear ( could not see well, maybe mistaken ) . Also, It is common for model railroaders here to weather our engines so the wires would be painted over. US steam was not kept as clean as British steam. This engine is DCC ready so has all the wires needed so you can just plug in the decoder in the tender. For the prototype these were very light locomotives , there were build with 10 driving wheels to spread the weight out on light track, so massive pulling power was not there design. These were small locomotives compared to the new steam produced during WWI in the US
I bought a Bachmann GG-1 w/DCC sound for around 400 dollars and it’s my best model in the collection. It runs smooth, the sounds are crisp and not too loud, and it’s a *super* quiet runner. Personally I think the bachmann dcc engines are worth their money :) Great vid Sam!
Another insightful and reliable analysis that we've come to respect from Sam. I recently sold off a bunch of North American (and some pre-Sam Heljan) rubbish on eBay and was skulking about looking for a decent North American locomotive. Having seen your review, this won't be it, but I do give Bachmann high marks for making something that is atypical for the American scene. My other experience with Spectrum is that it looked good and the mech was solid and was a smooth runner. None the less, she went on eBay, as well, as I am looking for something more suitable for a 4x8 layout, that is shorter and lighter in general, her being a heavy consolidation.
If you are wondering where the term dekapod cames from, it comes from the greek word δεκαποδη (dekapodi) which literally means the one who has ten feet. I don't really know why a greek work is used to describe a whole class of locomotives because it wasn't up until the 40s that the very first dekapods arrived here in Greece.. Anyway i find it somewhat fascinating to say the least... Great video as always sam keep it up!
So much of the Greek language was used in the English language for new scientific and technical terms needed from the 1800s. An advantage for the bi-lingual Greek background side of my family by marriage.
Hi Sam would agree with your findings. You highlighted the plug and socket being a pain, uncoupling the tender and engine is a nightmare. Motor is quite cheap and nasty, I have 4 of these locos, 2 of which had motors burn out. By the way the spare bogies show a different side frame so you can change them over. What surprised me was they are now £180; I bought mine for about £75 each. I certainly would not pay £180, that’s taking the p**s.
When I was doing a lot of modeling I only picked up Spectrum locos if they were cheap. The early ones have split frames and the new ones were always a bit more expensive than others. The main quality was that they used to guarantee a 5-pole motor in Spectrum vs. the regular Bachmann line. After all that complaining, the original Spectrum Doodlebugs are of my favorite models ever. You could get them cheap at train fairs for a while and they were a lovely little performer.
@@SamsTrains I know you mentioned checking out a Broadway Limited loco. They have great detail, but when I was doing a lot in the hobby (from 1999-2015) their DCC decoders were hit or miss, some models did amazing, others never worked because the decoder was so bad. For other US model brands: Kato, Atlas, and Athearn Genesis are usually tops in detail and mechanism for diesels.
I had two of the early models like yours and had the same complaint about pulling power Even double headed they could not equal a single 2-8-4. They are superb in detail but since they did not pull well I sold both at a train show and bought a diesel. No regrets!
Another good review Sam. Bachmann Spectrum is the mid-range model railroad locomotive for those that like to have something that runs well. Now, the local hobby shops around by me in the state of Wisconsin dont carry too many of these as there are others companies that make just as nice or better mid-range locomotives. Now, you mentioned Broadway Limited Imports and I have to say, they are very good. For the price you pay though, you get a really great model with a LOT of die-cast. The one I have is the Milwaukee Road S3 4-8-4 locomotive and it is just a wonderful locomotive to have. It cost me $450.00 but its well worth it. By the way, your almost at 80K subs!
Thanks very much for the info mate - I will have to check out some of those other brands!! Ooh wow - can't believe we're almost at 80k!! :O Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Hello, Sam! Another great review once again! However, a couple of things you mentioned in the video I'm excited to give more info on, just in case you didn't know. First off, the A.T.S.F. stands for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. It merged with the Burlington Northern in the 1990s to form the current BNSF Railroad. Secondly, the 1630 you mentioned is from the Frisco Railroad, and is currently at the Illinois Railroad Museum, in the state of, well, Illinois. Anyway, just thought I'd share a couple of USA train facts with you that you could use at some point. Cheers to you, and take care!
"Extra Tender Trucks" : For "Modernization" or "Original-As Built" as is on it with Arch-Bar trucks, ATSF :Atchison Topeka Santa Fe, these were to be shipped to Russia-but the Revolution happened. (and...The electric "Little Joe's" were not delivered because of the "Cold War")... the black whistle is not a whistle, it's the steam-powered dynamo to generate electricity for the lights... the body is void of much brass and colour because the locomotive's purpose was mainly heavy freight and got very dirty fast... the cab should not be loose (considering, though, the loco is over 20 years old and high mileage)... The draw bar can be shortened between loco and tender and the plate in between should cover that gap. Two-wire plug for tender pick-ups, multi plug for dcc chip/sound power. Knuckle couplers-not Kadee. The motor, ugh! Very tired! As new, it would be much better! Age would put today's face value at about $100 or $150 with dcc, $175 dcc sound... Again, it's 20-30 years old! The CN 6060 (sixty-sixty) is also known as "Bullet Nose Betty"... (I will watch and comment that review next). For a while, "Loblaws" or "Presidents Choice" grocery stores came out with a new train set... your CP camelback 2-6-0 came from one of those sets, too. The 2-8-4 ...the movie version Polar Express (book version was a 4-8-2 Mountain!) The 2-10-0... sorry it's got a tired motor... but, the crew inside, engineer is supposed to be on the RIGHT side...Ironically one of the only things that carried over as auto drivers in the UK. John Canada
@@SamsTrains New motors, yes. And hopefully that "rubber gasket" drive system is still good... unless you totally regear the chassis so it runs directly off the motor.
Re-gauging these locomotives was a lot easier than you would think; the builders simply fitted them with wider tires (tyres) on the drivers and likely just swapped the russian gauge tender trucks for standard gauge ones. Probably took less than a day.
From what I can find, 2554 started out on the Wichita Falls, Ranger and Forth Worth, before ending up on the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient and subsequently the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe where, it appears that they were scrapped in 1936
In the future when I build my HO layout, I'm gonna have both European locomotives and American ones. Each region has great locomotives and just why not.
I have a very similar train from the 90s I think. It has the exacts same amount of detail and I love it, it's a display model but I got it for cheap, for I think 20 bucks. And the really funny part is that the cab also is very shakey.
The locomotive in my current profile pic is FRISCO 1630, one of the two working Decapods. I went to see it a few years back at the Illinois Railway Museum close to my home and took a trip hauled by it. I also think I mentioned the engine's fireman that caught my eye once. He was English and wearing a British Railways cap. Turns out he actually worked at the Ffestiniog Railway before coming to work for the museum.
They delivered 870 of them to russia, but the revolution by 1917 in russia make 200 not to be delivered so a few of the railway companies are ordering 2-10-0s, most of them the Pennsylvania Rail Road. This model comes from the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Rail Road, the first user of the 2-10-0 decapods.
Hey Sam I should mention before the next USA loco is that most of our engines were built with freight with standard black so differences in railroad focuses if your looking for more colour ful engines I'd suggest our streamliners like the daylight 20th century limited and superchief oh and the cab detail being lacking is from modelers wanting to do it then selves and keepin mind that you got the engine second hand so the black tubeing for the wires was not there and maybe for the future don't take off that many points for second hand engines I mean things might have happens to em like motor failure or had a nasty derailment
Sam'sTrains it’s kinda busted a little, the cow catcher at the front is missing and the connecting rods on ones side are also missing. However, I did manage to find a site that sells old Bachman parts, so fingers crossed. Edit: if you have or could make any videos on how to repair locomotives I’d be very great full.
Yeah definitely - though that might make them too rigid, and you'd have to remove the plug to get it on - just paint would be better! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I picked one of these up a few years ago second hand, there amazing to look at! Mine came with the running boards not attached and I somehow misplaced one, now it only has one running board! Really a shame, but it will turn up at some stage.
Sam'sTrains, I managed to find the running board right after I posted that comment! I have know idea how they came off, I guess it just happened with the previous owner
Usually the replacement bogies are like the flanged trailing wheels Hornby sometimes pack with their Pacifics - they're more accurate but can't handle sharp curves.
The best part of these engines is that you can find them dirt cheap at train shows and easily DCC them. Typically, you can find the less rare 2-8-0s and 4-8-2s for less than $100, making them possibly the best bargains at train shows. In fact, I just found one of these, with sound, on Ebay for $75. Needless to say, it isn't on ebay anymore. And, if this makes you feel any better about the price, here in America the price would not be affected by a more complex livery. The engine you have which is basically unpainted with some letters on it would be the same price as my CNW one which has more lining and would also be the same price as one that was done up in a much more complex livery. One of the nicer things that American train companies do.
Ahh really?! Glad to hear there's plenty about! Blimey that's interesting - Bachmann tend to throw up the price for a complex livery these days! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Bachmann have some of the old catalogues on their website. 81709 was announced in 2002 as a new roadname (livery) the same year the 2-10-0 was available. The RRP was $170 until 2009 when the first sound fitted version was released (although not current 2020 offering). Based on what I was paying for Bachmann spectrum models around that time I would say it would be around £85.
@@SamsTrains About the same level as that PM Berk you reviewed a while ago. Us American modelers have to deal with expensive models with less details compared to cheaper British locos. Although, we do seem to steer towards diesels, which don't require much detail. If you want really detailed steamers, you're going to have to buy $500-1000+ dollar brass locomotives
Another thing you should have added is the underframe detail. Really lovely until it comes time for servicing. One thing I will say, these things look even better when they are the variant that has the headlight above the boiler!
I have a Spectrum 4-6-0 which sits in its box with the engine and tender connected, which is honestly how all steamers should be pacakged, Broadway Limited does this with their USRA mikado, Consolidation and Reading T1 4-8-4, and it's nice to not have to work with the plugs.
Bachmann can be pretty hit or miss on terms of quality, though I'd say the lemons are the ones that actually run properly given most of their US product line. As for Broadway Limited, easily one of the best steam locomotives I've had is their AT&SF 4-8-4, and their models have basic sound functions on DC mode, the big drawback with them is they run on the expensive side of things, the one I mentioned will set you back around $400 USD (I want to say around £315) before shipping unless you're lucky enough to find one secondhand in the UK.
Sam Russian railways are at a wider gauge than standard gauge so all of the Decapods had to be Americanised which entailed converting them to American railroad regulations and regauging them. Also I like to use mine as a shunter and it works well also when you held her stationary the wheel set kept turning at a lower speed that was hard to see on camera
Hi Sam nice to see a bit U.S locos on the layout.the Canadian loco looked well! I love the horse and bloke sat on edge of your foot bridge made me laugh" haha". Keep up the great work. Bright and colourfull & infomative videos.
According to Wikipedia, "Imperial Russia ordered approximately 1,200 Decapods from American builders during WWI. When the Bolshevik Revolution occurred in 1917, 857 had already been delivered, but more than 200 were either awaiting shipment or were in the process of construction."
Several of the real locomotives survive today. 200 or so were still in the United States in 1917. The locomotives were originally for built to the 5 foot Russian gauge, the locomotives were re gauged to standard gauge 4 foot 8 1/2 inch ,by changing the steel rimms (tyres) on the drive wheels to wider ones. Changing the pilot wheels also.
i had a similar spectrum loco which was a Bachmann's HO USRA light 2-10-2 it was all die cast and was a brilliant runner, cab detail was ok could pull something to like 60-80 cars, cant find it anywhere other than an article on it now
Hey Sam! Today I got a early birthday present, I got a dean goods in br black from Oxford! It looks amazing! It even comes with brake rigging! Great review on the decapod! -Dj P.s congrats on 80k subs!
U definately need to get a broadway limited locomotive. They have dc/dcc sound and r great pullers. I own a bunch from them. They make some of the best steam engines in the hobby.
This is an eceptionally specific model considering I recently found out mom had bought one of these models second-hand for like a hundred bucks. They look cute and run fine. I think I mostly find the teeny, tiny little drive wheels endearing. Also I'm pretty certain that poor pulling power is due to the "band" motor. Thats my uneducated guess, anyway. Any mechanism thats bizarre I'll be happy to place blame upon for shortcomings.
So I'm going to watch each of your videos. I started on "My Railway" on Friday night and now I'm 86 videos in. I'm going to comment on each of them, and iv created two playlists with all of tour videos. The original playlist has been set as private and renamed "To watch" and it had all of your videos on. Once I have watched a video from that playlist, I remove it and put it on the public playlist called "Sam's Trains" so I know what video I'm at. 😀
Technically, this is an older model. The price you use is for the new re-tooled Decapod with DCC "Wow" Sound.
Yeah Bachman seems to be getting away from the 'Spectrum' name recently. A lot of their recent releases are 'Spectrum' quality but don't have the name attached. I think 'Spectrum' was their way of setting their high quality stuff apart from the low quality 'white box' models. Bachmann doesn't really make the 'white box' locos and seems to be moving in a direction of higher quality since ultra cheap toy-like trains aren't good sellers in hobby shops these days.
I had to remove the boiler shell from this engine and all the details made reassembly difficult, some of the sand pipes did not make it back on. @drew22
The only “new” locomotive from the Spectrum range is the streamlined K4 but the locomotive and tender is unconnected thus meaning you have to connect the loco to tender.
Wtf
This locomotive was released in 2002, with a list price of $170 for the analog version.
7:01 This is something that continues to this day in the US market, even on the very top line models. We have manufacturers including smoke units, real coal, and sound, and that very same engine can have zero picked out cab detail.
Yeah I don't get that - very different to the UK!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Sam'sTrains you’re thinking you can do an episode of where bullman and the little tank engine meats the American trains, can you please add the real life sounds from the American locomotives
This is primarily why I have to constantly look for models from out of country, such as KATO or in this case, Hornby. The trains offered from Britain are FAR better detailed than anything Bachmann in the US could deliver.
@@Lepper36 I've noticed Bachmann for their diesels, at least on their EMD GP40s (since that's most of what I have from them), appear to use the exact same mold for all of their locomotives of a certain style, only with different paint schemes on them. They do look alright, though some of the finer details are inaccurate.
freebrickproductions I know there’s a number of companies such as Scaletrains and the Canadian company Rapido make it a point to have road specific details, I would choose those company’s over bachmann any day of the week if they made steam
Actually Frisco #1630 operates quite frequently at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union Illinois. I've seen it a couple times, and it is a sight to behold.
Ahh interesting - thanks for letting me know!! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
5:55 there are actually three 2-10-0 decapods unless you are talking about decapod that looks like this.(1 Frisco 1630, 2 great western decapod number 90 which is now Strasburg number 90, and a Pennsylvania railroad I1SA 2-10-0 AKA hippos because of their boilers number 4483)
You're welcome, Sam! :D I'm so glad she's found a loving, caring home with lots of friends. And yes, unfortunately the poor pulling power is a known fault with that model, some people have weighed them down with lead in the boiler, others have applied rubber tape to the wheels. But, you can't have everything I supose!
Thanks very much mate - appreciate the good price you did for me too! Overall very happy with this mate! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I also have a bukmen Russian declupode in the western Maryland livery which was also second handed and I'll make a video on my second channel if you wish to see
When the train pass you know Is going to be a good time
haha absolutely!! ;D
I love the model and have always been a fan of the Russian Decapods. I’ve been lucky enough to see the Frisco 1630 in operation at the Illinois Railway Museum.
Thanks mate - I can't blame you! Ooh lucky you - that's amazing! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains The steam engine at the Illinois railway museum has a dog house on the tender while your model did not
RE: Kadee couplers - The couplers on this are "Kadee-style" (KD) couplers. If memory serves, the ones actually mounted are "McHenry" brand plastic couplers. The more desirable and dependable actual Kadees would be metal with actual bronze springs but they cost more. For a loco they would be a wise upgrade. McHenry and other brands are fine for simple cars but locos tend to do more coupling and uncoupling and dependability becomes much more of an issue.
Many thanks for this Ray, duly noted! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I think the “Master Railroader” that Bachman speaks of is kind of like the American version of the Modelrailwayman.
hahaha!! I think you're right!! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@Kabuki Kitsune That may be, but there is only ONE Modelrailwayman in the entire world... :)
Once again Sam, another top-notch review! I've been lucky enough to see one of these beauties on display, specifically Seaboard Air Line #544 at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, NC.
Thanks Jonah - ooh lucky you, that's awesome!! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I've ridden behind the Frisco #1630 at the Illinois Railway Museum.
I’ve also seen SAL 544.
'A change from British' you know a few of us have been aching to see a review of something Irish, Sam ;)
That would be cool to see. I can't wait to see one too.
haha yeah definitely - I would love that some time!! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains *cough cough* there are some bargains on ebay right now :P
Sam just a little thank you from me for tipping the balance and returning me to this hobby.. My wife is very much enjoying it as well. Just went and got myself a box kit for easy start ad a little more track, also just got a Hornby BR, Class 5MT, 4-6-0, 45379. Anyway getting other bits slowly and sorting out the space to build a full layout. Once again thanks love your work
That's really great to hear - it's not often the wives get involved - you're very lucky!!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains She likes to take trips on historic locos.. very lucky indeed, and thank you for the reply.
wow that is a beautiful-looking locomotive
I agree - it has something going for it! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Same
@@SamsTrains same things
The 2554 locomotive is so beautiful looking I wanna see the model
This locomotive was built for export during WWII and reached a number of countries around the world at the time. They became mainstays of many railways in communist countries after Russia began to phase out steam and forward the decapods along to other Soviet republics. Until the early 2000's, a number were in service in China's national rail network until they 100% dieselized in 2008 for the Beijing Olympics. Alongside those preserved in the USA, three are known to still operate in North Korea (#8143 and two others, numbers unknown) where steam is still occasionally used due to fuel shortages. Rarely, foreigners are allowed in to organize steam tours, during which the North Koreans have been known to claim that the locomotives were "built in England", denying that they were built in the USA for political reasons. Thanks for another great video Sam!
Duly noted Sean, many thanks for the info!! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains Any time, Sam. Check out the link, it has pictures & video of Korean loco in operation!
"Deca suggesting ten, I'm sure you can imagine what that will involve."
Tenders!
haha!! xD
Haha
@@SamsTrains its odd that's its called the "decapod" because we Americans use the other (wrong) system!
Henry the green engine: *PTSD INTENSIFIES*
Nice video and a very nice engine! I just looked up the class and it turns out that the model is the first of three in its class. The class started with #2554 and ended with #2556. They were built by the Baldwin shops, but not in 1918, they were built-in 1925. They were soon retired from 1938-1955. Eventually, the class gave way to the 2-10-2's and they gave way to the 2-10-4's. Fun fact: in 1918 both Santa Fe and Baldwin worked together to produce a 2-10-10-2 type steam locomotive. Thanks for a video on an American brute!
Ahh thanks a lot for looking into that - that's very cool, they are interesting machines! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains Your welcome sir! Yes, I agree with you that the Russian Decapods are very interesting models. Lately, I have been thinking about getting one but my CEO says no more spending. Might have to go behind her back. Thanks!
The ATSF 2-10-10-2 3000 class got a little bit of movie coverage in a 1915 silent film by Australian J.P. McGowan as director, producer and stuntman of this film series. With his Australian railway background before he turned to a stunt man then film career , he likely sought out this locomotive to film before they were converted to 2-10-2s.
ua-cam.com/video/zo1IsTqE5BQ/v-deo.html
So the Russian 2-10-0 s were just a cheap small loco for the Santa Fe compared to what they were already running, with even larger again types to come soon after the Decapods.
3:00 I thought this was a April fools joke because you can’t really see the loco in the box
haha I know!! ;D
@@SamsTrains you are the best can you get Bachmann Gordon's express coaches
Thank you Sam you gave me a new hobby. I have now got a cornish carrier. Thank you. You have helped me a lot.
Great to hear that - really hope you enjoy yourself!! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Quite a amazing model also good review by the way, glad to see you're doing fine.
Thanks a lot mate - hope you're doing fine too! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
There's a Decapod Street in Stratford, east London.... The Great Eastern Railway built its loco's at their Stratford Works and in 1902 built a single Decapod loco as an experiment.... it was later rebuilt as a 2-8-0.... You learn something new every day!
Ooh fantastic - I'll have to check that out!! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I've got one of these - It's the prettiest engine I own that doesn't work.
Sorry to hear yours doesn't work - they're not very good are they, mechanically? :(
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains I bought it for a massively reduced price and it ran for about an hour or so - I've had it apart to see what's up and I was quite shocked by those bearings being so crude!
Had I paid full price, I would've really let Bachmann know just what I thought of it, though the cosmetic elements of the loco are undeniably very nicely made, and I especially like the different variants of these in all the different liveries. The cab is also a bit loose on mine, too.
The knuckle couplers are Bachmann's own "EZ-Mate" couplers. They're compatible with Kadee couplers, but not as strong since they're made of plastic.
Ahh thanks Jon, duly noted!! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
sam when are you going to review the union pacific “big boy”
I think he has said in the past it is too big for his layout and it won't take the sharp curves and it might be too tall to go under that end table or desk
Yeah I'm not sure - it's just a huge investment isn't it?! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@markmcdonald6665 most of the big articulateds in HO scale (at least the mass-produced ones anyway) have both front and rear engines swivel to get around tighter radius curves. On the real ones, the rear engine was fixed to the boiler on a rigid frame, and only the front engine would swivel on curves. I would imagine an HO Big Boy would fit around any layout that could handle a Berkshire.
The reason for the alternative tender trucks is that the ones pre-fitted are the ones that the prototype was built with, the bagged ones were the "American" trucks that some of the railroads replaced the originals with.
That's very interesting - thanks a lot for the info! :D
Cheers,
Sam :)
Deeply unimpressed with this one Sam, as soon as I saw the quality of the connection between engine and tender I don't think anything could have 'saved' it for me .😵😵😵 Brave review !
Yeah absolutely Mike - I was shocked by that!! :O
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Good review sam. The spare trucks are because of variations between companies that own them. Some had what was standard by AAR which is on the tender. Some railroads swapped trucks with older Arch bar trucks so they can keep those nice modern ones they got for cheap. Some railroads like the decs but others not so much a fan. Funny enough if you had the Erie or the (only made during spectrum not re made for current) Susquahanna versions. Both are the road numbers of a long abandoned shortline near me called the Wilkes-Barre and Eastern and were the common power. It is just a strange niche that was made.. not like the ATSF ones only lasted 4 years on that railroad ;)
Thanks a lot Matt, ahh duly noted - thanks very much for letting me know! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Wow i love you ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
haha thank you!! :D
There are only 2 Decapods Running in the US. Strasburg 90 which is the only one of its kind in existence, and Frisco 1630, a Russian Decapod
she beautiful i need to get one one day thanks for the video sam;)
Thank you! That's my pleasure!! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I really liked the look of that loco, although those multi colour wires between the loco and tender really stick out and are quite an eyesore. Nothing that a bit of black paint won’t fix, but still, for the price, I would have expected a bit better. I don’t have a lot of Bachmann Spectrum stock, but I am happy with what I do have. Bachmann spare parts are good to deal with as well, I’ve had to buy some bits to fix my On30 Rail Truck, and prices for spares were fair, and postage was good. Enjoyed the video, and am looking forward to the next.
Good to hear the spare parts were good to deal with and the prices for spares were fair, and postage was good. Was that all within the USA or to and from some other country combinations. Always hearing horror stories of the cost of getting anything into or out of the USA. Seems to be a form of unstated tariff barrier. Has caused many modellers overseas to stop dealing with the USA as the cost of postage can be more than even medium priced items.
John D The items had to come to Australia, the postage was around AUD$15-20 for postage, so not to bad considering it had to go half way around the world. Postage costs from the US to Australia have always been high, and, now the Australian Government has introduced a 10% import tax for all overseas purchases as well, it’s made it that little bit more painful to get items in. The big killer at the moment is the USD to AUD exchange rate, as that has fallen to historic lows since the pandemic started, meaning further costs. I always find it a bit unfair so many companies in the US can offer “Free Shipping to lower 48 States” however, as soon as something leaves the ground, the cost is insane.
@@stephenwilliamson4556 Thanks. As it happens I am in Australia so your experience is good news to me. My friend had horror stories of US dealings he had been doing for 30 years, so perhaps it varies with how shops arrange shipping. We are both up too late.
John D I purchased a book on how to assemble an MDC Shay loco from the US, and it only took 2 weeks to arrive, although that was just before COVID started. I’m planning on placing another order with the Bachmann spares department when funds allow. (I’ve got way too many other things that need sorting right now). I’ve got a Bachmann 4-4-0 “Jupiter” that needs some bits and pieces to get it going again. I’m going onto the night shift this week, so I’m practicing late nights to prepare for it!
Yeah you're right Stephen - some paint would fix that problem! I've looked for Bachmann spares too - but the prices seemed insane - it'd be over £20 for a motor including postage! :O
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
The decapod is what turned me back onto bachmann. I remember when these had been out maybe a year and my buddy finally convinced me to buy one. So I hopped on ebay and bought one for $60. I now have 4 running a branchline at the club. I love these
That's the nice thing with Bachmann spectrum locos. They mass produced them and you can find them at very low price when looking around. I consider their Consolidation to be one of their finest and most useful steam locomotive and their modern 4-4-0 is particularly neat.
Wow! If only they were that price now - $60 is a steal!! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I actually have two of those engines. I just got one last year, and I have been very happy with it, so I bought another one in early June. The lack of brass bearings doesn’t exactly ruin them for me, as they are wonderful models, holding up well against even my best Proto 2000 locomotives. The two I own only cost me about $150 counting shipping for each of them.
Over in Russia, they called the decapods the YE class, and used them all over the Soviet Union’s rail system. Meanwhile, in the United States, they became property of the United States Railroad Administration, were reclassified as YEa, and were distributed to many different American railroads. I personally repainted mine into a custom livery; mine being BL&G (my model railway name) locomotive numbers 7 and 8. The BL&G would’ve had two of those engines, those being numbered YEa-7 and YEa-8. Engine 7 would’ve pulled heavy coal trains, while engine 8 would’ve performed banking services. Both engines would’ve survived into preservation, with BL&G 8 becoming a museum piece, while BL&G 7 was returned to operational status in 1972, following seven years of absence from the BL&G railroad system. Nowadays, engines 7 and 8 would haul a mixture of banking service and slow freight services.
eGood review, Sam. I've got two Bachmann Spectrum 80-ton 3 trucks Shay locomotives. As on any Bachmann engines they look great but their mechanics are rather poor. I bought these engines at what we could say it was a reasonable price (around 150 € each). They were analog back then, of course and when I tested them their performing was simply atrocius.And the bevel gears just cracked at first sight. So I had to rebuilt them completelly : fully rewired, light bulbs replaced by leds, installed a fire effect led in the firebox, installed a Loksoound and a speaker, and I had to modify the current pickups also. Oh, those bloody non-magnetic tiny clockmakers screws... But the result was great and now I love these engines. And I have learnt a lot working on them. Bachmann was a kind of branch for beginners. They made cheap engines and rolling stock, starter sets... You knew that you wouldn't get first class stuff for what you were paying for (noisy and underpowered engines, poor mechanics...) , but now they have outrageous prices. They didn't increase the quality just the prices.
Thanks a lot Juan - yeah that's exactly what I found too mate! For a better price, they'd be a justifiable purchase! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I've actually had the pleasure of seeing one of the surviving Russian Decapods in the United States - Engine 209 of the Gainesville Midland Railway in Georgia. She's only on display and not in operational condition, but she's still a sight to behold.
Ooh lucky you - it'd be awesome to see it get restored! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
A lot of people know American steam just by looking at the boiler, fire box, wheel arrangement, and size difference compared to British steam. But in the late 1800’s America wanted to build a type of locomotive that mainly for
The use of hauling freight but it wasn’t like a 4-4-0 or a 4-6-0 aka the ten wheeler. These locos weren’t moved by two piston rods hook up to each driving wheels. These locos had four pistons on each side of the loco. They kind of like car engine pistons but a heck a lot bigger. These girls haul lumber most of the time out in the mountains in north east and Midwest America. And thus the shay type locomotive was born. The good thing is a lot of these were preserved and some faced the cutters torch.
Thanks very much for the info mate - appreciate that! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I wish they made a Great Western Railroad decapod specifically number 90
As an American, the majority of our steam locomotives didn't have much in terms of paint scheme style. There were a few that were more stylized for passenger service during the "streamline" era but on most American units the only color you'd see was in the company logo painted on the side.
Yes that's true - but it's perfectly fine of course!! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Hello Sam great video as always. the 2 Whistles you pointed out. the tall one is the whistle the smaller one is the Safety valves.
Thanks very much for this Robert, duly noted! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
A little bit more background on these engines: Quite a few American-made decapods made it to the Russian Empire and then the Soviet Union, before and after the 1917 revolution respectively. During the Soviet period, Russia made a massive number of decapods domestically--the Class L 2-10-0 is the single most-produced locomotive of all time (steam, diesel or electric). For the locomotives built in the US during WWI for Russia which were never delivered, all of them were indeed built to Russian gauge--which is 1-2mm shy of 5 foot even--and had to be converted to standard gauge when it was decided they would be staying in the US. These locomotives have certain design aesthetics that suggest that they were originally intended for use in a very cold part of the world: broader-than-normal running boards and stairways were meant to be safer in icy conditions during Russia's infamous winters. Anyways, super interesting locomotives, connected to a lot of cool history. Thanks as always for a great video!
I bought this engine used off eBay .It does run well, but yes the pulling power is poor. The spectrum 2-8-0 uses the same type mechanism but seems to run better. To answer a few of your questions about this engine. It looks like your rear gear cover which also carries some wires is hanging too low in the rear ( could not see well, maybe mistaken ) . Also, It is common for model railroaders here to weather our engines so the wires would be painted over. US steam was not kept as clean as British steam. This engine is DCC ready so has all the wires needed so you can just plug in the decoder in the tender.
For the prototype these were very light locomotives , there were build with 10 driving wheels to spread the weight out on light track, so massive pulling power was not there design.
These were small locomotives compared to the new steam produced during WWI in the US
Yeah - I can't believe the pulling power - I know they're not huge locos, but I was expecting more! Many thanks for all the info mate,
Cheers,
Sam :)
I bought a Bachmann GG-1 w/DCC sound for around 400 dollars and it’s my best model in the collection. It runs smooth, the sounds are crisp and not too loud, and it’s a *super* quiet runner. Personally I think the bachmann dcc engines are worth their money :) Great vid Sam!
Ahh great to hear that - I'll have to look that up too then!! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Another insightful and reliable analysis that we've come to respect from Sam. I recently sold off a bunch of North American (and some pre-Sam Heljan) rubbish on eBay and was skulking about looking for a decent North American locomotive. Having seen your review, this won't be it, but I do give Bachmann high marks for making something that is atypical for the American scene. My other experience with Spectrum is that it looked good and the mech was solid and was a smooth runner. None the less, she went on eBay, as well, as I am looking for something more suitable for a 4x8 layout, that is shorter and lighter in general, her being a heavy consolidation.
If you are wondering where the term dekapod cames from, it comes from the greek word δεκαποδη (dekapodi) which literally means the one who has ten feet. I don't really know why a greek work is used to describe a whole class of locomotives because it wasn't up until the 40s that the very first dekapods arrived here in Greece.. Anyway i find it somewhat fascinating to say the least... Great video as always sam keep it up!
So much of the Greek language was used in the English language for new scientific and technical terms needed from the 1800s. An advantage for the bi-lingual Greek background side of my family by marriage.
Ahh very interesting folks - thanks for this! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Hi Sam would agree with your findings. You highlighted the plug and socket being a pain, uncoupling the tender and engine is a nightmare. Motor is quite cheap and nasty, I have 4 of these locos, 2 of which had motors burn out. By the way the spare bogies show a different side frame so you can change them over. What surprised me was they are now £180; I bought mine for about £75 each. I certainly would not pay £180, that’s taking the p**s.
I agree, a complete nightmare, and i've never liked their motors either!! Crazy prices these days for sure!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
When I was doing a lot of modeling I only picked up Spectrum locos if they were cheap. The early ones have split frames and the new ones were always a bit more expensive than others. The main quality was that they used to guarantee a 5-pole motor in Spectrum vs. the regular Bachmann line. After all that complaining, the original Spectrum Doodlebugs are of my favorite models ever. You could get them cheap at train fairs for a while and they were a lovely little performer.
That sounds fair Henry - I wouldn't buy any more unless they were cheap either!!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains I know you mentioned checking out a Broadway Limited loco. They have great detail, but when I was doing a lot in the hobby (from 1999-2015) their DCC decoders were hit or miss, some models did amazing, others never worked because the decoder was so bad. For other US model brands: Kato, Atlas, and Athearn Genesis are usually tops in detail and mechanism for diesels.
Wow! Never seen a loco like it! Congrats on 80k subs!
Me neither until now! Thanks very much mate! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
A 2-10-0. That's Awesome to have. Because of their strength. The road brand is Atchison, topeka, and Santa fe which is one of my favorite brands.
Thanks a lot Terry - appreciate the info! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I had two of the early models like yours and had the same complaint about pulling power Even double headed they could not equal a single 2-8-4. They are superb in detail but since they did not pull well I sold both at a train show and bought a diesel. No regrets!
Yeah you're right Ken - can't understand how (or why!) they'd be so underpowered!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Another good review Sam. Bachmann Spectrum is the mid-range model railroad locomotive for those that like to have something that runs well. Now, the local hobby shops around by me in the state of Wisconsin dont carry too many of these as there are others companies that make just as nice or better mid-range locomotives. Now, you mentioned Broadway Limited Imports and I have to say, they are very good. For the price you pay though, you get a really great model with a LOT of die-cast. The one I have is the Milwaukee Road S3 4-8-4 locomotive and it is just a wonderful locomotive to have. It cost me $450.00 but its well worth it. By the way, your almost at 80K subs!
Thanks very much for the info mate - I will have to check out some of those other brands!! Ooh wow - can't believe we're almost at 80k!! :O
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Hello, Sam! Another great review once again! However, a couple of things you mentioned in the video I'm excited to give more info on, just in case you didn't know. First off, the A.T.S.F. stands for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. It merged with the Burlington Northern in the 1990s to form the current BNSF Railroad. Secondly, the 1630 you mentioned is from the Frisco Railroad, and is currently at the Illinois Railroad Museum, in the state of, well, Illinois. Anyway, just thought I'd share a couple of USA train facts with you that you could use at some point. Cheers to you, and take care!
Thanks a lot Jacob - ooh really appreciate the info, cheers! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Your videos always make me smile.
That's lovely to hear my friend!! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
"Extra Tender Trucks" : For "Modernization" or "Original-As Built" as is on it with Arch-Bar trucks, ATSF :Atchison Topeka Santa Fe, these were to be shipped to Russia-but the Revolution happened. (and...The electric "Little Joe's" were not delivered because of the "Cold War")... the black whistle is not a whistle, it's the steam-powered dynamo to generate electricity for the lights... the body is void of much brass and colour because the locomotive's purpose was mainly heavy freight and got very dirty fast... the cab should not be loose (considering, though, the loco is over 20 years old and high mileage)...
The draw bar can be shortened between loco and tender and the plate in between should cover that gap. Two-wire plug for tender pick-ups, multi plug for dcc chip/sound power.
Knuckle couplers-not Kadee.
The motor, ugh! Very tired! As new, it would be much better! Age would put today's face value at about $100 or $150 with dcc, $175 dcc sound... Again, it's 20-30 years old!
The CN 6060 (sixty-sixty) is also known as "Bullet Nose Betty"... (I will watch and comment that review next).
For a while, "Loblaws" or "Presidents Choice" grocery stores came out with a new train set... your CP camelback 2-6-0 came from one of those sets, too.
The 2-8-4 ...the movie version Polar Express (book version was a 4-8-2 Mountain!)
The 2-10-0... sorry it's got a tired motor... but, the crew inside, engineer is supposed to be on the RIGHT side...Ironically one of the only things that carried over as auto drivers in the UK.
John Canada
Hey John, many thanks for comment and all the info! Do you think the new motors would be better then? I hope so!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains New motors, yes. And hopefully that "rubber gasket" drive system is still good... unless you totally regear the chassis so it runs directly off the motor.
Re-gauging these locomotives was a lot easier than you would think; the builders simply fitted them with wider tires (tyres) on the drivers and likely just swapped the russian gauge tender trucks for standard gauge ones. Probably took less than a day.
I see! Blimey that is an easy fix then - thanks for sharing! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
From what I can find, 2554 started out on the Wichita Falls, Ranger and Forth Worth, before ending up on the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient and subsequently the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe where, it appears that they were scrapped in 1936
Ahh very interesting - thanks for the info on this! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
In the future when I build my HO layout, I'm gonna have both European locomotives and American ones. Each region has great locomotives and just why not.
That sounds fantastic - good luck with it! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I have a very similar train from the 90s I think. It has the exacts same amount of detail and I love it, it's a display model but I got it for cheap, for I think 20 bucks. And the really funny part is that the cab also is very shakey.
Ahh very interesting - does it look like it's the same thing then?!?
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
The locomotive in my current profile pic is FRISCO 1630, one of the two working Decapods. I went to see it a few years back at the Illinois Railway Museum close to my home and took a trip hauled by it. I also think I mentioned the engine's fireman that caught my eye once. He was English and wearing a British Railways cap. Turns out he actually worked at the Ffestiniog Railway before coming to work for the museum.
Ooh that's awesome - I thought it looked familiar!! :O
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I own one of the earlier releases of this beauty and I’m impressed with the detail and quality on the locomotive.
Great to hear that mate - yeah it's pretty decent looking! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
#1630 AKA Frisco 1630 is fully operational and happily running at the Illinois Railway Museum, sadly she has not seen the mainline in a long time.
They delivered 870 of them to russia, but the revolution by 1917 in russia make 200 not to be delivered so a few of the railway companies are ordering 2-10-0s, most of them the Pennsylvania Rail Road.
This model comes from the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Rail Road, the first user of the 2-10-0 decapods.
Many thanks for the info mate! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Hey Sam I should mention before the next USA loco is that most of our engines were built with freight with standard black so differences in railroad focuses if your looking for more colour ful engines I'd suggest our streamliners like the daylight 20th century limited and superchief oh and the cab detail being lacking is from modelers wanting to do it then selves and keepin mind that you got the engine second hand so the black tubeing for the wires was not there and maybe for the future don't take off that many points for second hand engines I mean things might have happens to em like motor failure or had a nasty derailment
Yeah of course - I wasn't expecting more colourful liveries - I know most of them are in black!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I actually have. Bachman spectrum K4 locomotive from my grand pa. Nice to see some one have their own special loco.
Ooh nice - is it any good?! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Sam'sTrains it’s kinda busted a little, the cow catcher at the front is missing and the connecting rods on ones side are also missing. However, I did manage to find a site that sells old Bachman parts, so fingers crossed. Edit: if you have or could make any videos on how to repair locomotives I’d be very great full.
For the wire problem i would use a black shrink tube for that, its cheap and makes a difference.
Yeah definitely - though that might make them too rigid, and you'd have to remove the plug to get it on - just paint would be better! :D
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Hi Sam, Looks fine , why don't they finish things off properly , It did make a change . Can't beat British. All the best Brian 🤗
I don't know Brian - it's a shame! Yes we're very lucky in the UK! :D
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You should have seen the large scale spectrum models bachmann made, they were insane in detail and performance!
I picked one of these up a few years ago second hand, there amazing to look at! Mine came with the running boards not attached and I somehow misplaced one, now it only has one running board! Really a shame, but it will turn up at some stage.
Great to hear that James -blimey how did the running boards come off?!
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Sam'sTrains, I managed to find the running board right after I posted that comment! I have know idea how they came off, I guess it just happened with the previous owner
I get 2-10-0 Russian Altana Georgia by number 8003 by Christmas my Stepmom I can't wait!
Ooh that sounds amazing!! :D
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@@SamsTrains I find out if perform well ruin 3 more days into Christmas day.
Usually the replacement bogies are like the flanged trailing wheels Hornby sometimes pack with their Pacifics - they're more accurate but can't handle sharp curves.
Ahh okay, thanks for letting me know! :D
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The best part of these engines is that you can find them dirt cheap at train shows and easily DCC them. Typically, you can find the less rare 2-8-0s and 4-8-2s for less than $100, making them possibly the best bargains at train shows.
In fact, I just found one of these, with sound, on Ebay for $75. Needless to say, it isn't on ebay anymore.
And, if this makes you feel any better about the price, here in America the price would not be affected by a more complex livery. The engine you have which is basically unpainted with some letters on it would be the same price as my CNW one which has more lining and would also be the same price as one that was done up in a much more complex livery. One of the nicer things that American train companies do.
Ahh really?! Glad to hear there's plenty about! Blimey that's interesting - Bachmann tend to throw up the price for a complex livery these days!
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AT&SF stands for Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway over here in the USA. its also know as Santa FE for short.
Thanks very much Kevin, duly noted! :D
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I really like the Frisco Railroad #1630 2-10-0 Decapod . Running strong even today!
Me too mate - they're lovely looking! :D
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Bachmann have some of the old catalogues on their website. 81709 was announced in 2002 as a new roadname (livery) the same year the 2-10-0 was available. The RRP was $170 until 2009 when the first sound fitted version was released (although not current 2020 offering). Based on what I was paying for Bachmann spectrum models around that time I would say it would be around £85.
Many thanks for the info on that - duly noted! :D
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6:02 I've actually seen Frisco 1630 myself, which was under steam but not moving. I've also seen two other Frisco decapods on display.
Oh very nice!! Does it still run now then?!
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Bachmann is pretty much the main train set provider for US locos in HO. They can range from cheapo train set f-units to 600 dollar steamers
Yes that does seem to be true - I wonder what their most expensive stuff is like?!
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@@SamsTrains About the same level as that PM Berk you reviewed a while ago. Us American modelers have to deal with expensive models with less details compared to cheaper British locos. Although, we do seem to steer towards diesels, which don't require much detail. If you want really detailed steamers, you're going to have to buy $500-1000+ dollar brass locomotives
Another thing you should have added is the underframe detail. Really lovely until it comes time for servicing.
One thing I will say, these things look even better when they are the variant that has the headlight above the boiler!
haha that's why I don't usually do it - I hate having to take it off again! ;D
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I have a Spectrum 4-6-0 which sits in its box with the engine and tender connected, which is honestly how all steamers should be pacakged, Broadway Limited does this with their USRA mikado, Consolidation and Reading T1 4-8-4, and it's nice to not have to work with the plugs.
Ahh very nice - yeah I agree, always best to have them pre-coupled I think!!
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Beautiful locomotive. I recommend the Hornsby railroad TTS sound flying Scotsman and the 0-4-0 diesel shunter bagnall. I’m a huge fan
Thanks mate - ahh yeah those are great! :D
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Just picked up a DC only version for $50, and it’s a great engine!!!
Awesome review as always Sam!
Thank you!! :D
Bachmann can be pretty hit or miss on terms of quality, though I'd say the lemons are the ones that actually run properly given most of their US product line. As for Broadway Limited, easily one of the best steam locomotives I've had is their AT&SF 4-8-4, and their models have basic sound functions on DC mode, the big drawback with them is they run on the expensive side of things, the one I mentioned will set you back around $400 USD (I want to say around £315) before shipping unless you're lucky enough to find one secondhand in the UK.
Yeah that does seem to be true - haha! For sure - I'll have to try some BLI one day! :D
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Sam Russian railways are at a wider gauge than standard gauge so all of the Decapods had to be Americanised which entailed converting them to American railroad regulations and regauging them. Also I like to use mine as a shunter and it works well also when you held her stationary the wheel set kept turning at a lower speed that was hard to see on camera
Yes you're right - must have been one heck of a job!!
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By the way that is a Santa Fe 2-10-0 steam locomotive wheel rangement if you already knew but just a friendly heads up
Ahh okay, many thanks for letting me know! :D
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A very utilitarian look and I agree the colour wires and bright orange plugs stick out like a sore thumb so a bit of an odd choice.
Thanks Rob - I like that too! Yeah the wires are very bemusing!
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Hi Sam nice to see a bit U.S locos on the layout.the Canadian loco looked well! I love the horse and bloke sat on edge of your foot bridge made me laugh" haha". Keep up the great work. Bright and colourfull & infomative videos.
Thanks Grant - haha glad you like that, lol! ;D
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According to Wikipedia, "Imperial Russia ordered approximately 1,200 Decapods from American builders during WWI. When the Bolshevik Revolution occurred in 1917, 857 had already been delivered, but more than 200 were either awaiting shipment or were in the process of construction."
Several of the real locomotives survive today. 200 or so were still in the United States in 1917. The locomotives were originally for built to the 5 foot Russian gauge, the locomotives were re gauged to standard gauge 4 foot 8 1/2 inch ,by changing the steel rimms (tyres) on the drive wheels to wider ones. Changing the pilot wheels also.
Ahh that's good to hear Alex, many thanks for letting me know!! :D
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Sam, I saw the Berkshire in real life, its amazing looking. I rode in it 2 years ago.
Ooh fantastic - you lucky person!! :O
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@@SamsTrains Dont be too hard on Bachmann, the ones in America are good.
Nice to see some US and Canadian locos Sam. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks a lot Mike, glad you liked it! :D
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i had a similar spectrum loco which was a Bachmann's HO USRA light 2-10-2 it was all die cast and was a brilliant runner, cab detail was ok could pull something to like 60-80 cars, cant find it anywhere other than an article on it now
Ahh nice - sounds like quite a good loco then, I'll have to look out for one! :D
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Very interesting engine you got there, Sam. Never knew Russia did a 2-10-0 loco. It would have been Russia’s answer to the BR 9F, practically.
Thanks a lot Tomas - yeah me neither!! :O
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Russia used the decapod not for power but for the lighter axle load. The smaller the rail size the more wheels you need to distribute the weight.
Hey Sam!
Today I got a early birthday present,
I got a dean goods in br black from Oxford!
It looks amazing! It even comes with brake rigging!
Great review on the decapod!
-Dj
P.s congrats on 80k subs!
Ooh lucky you - does it work well?! Thanks so much mate! :D
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9:08 working lamp which I believe is working.
you don't have to say working twice
Thank you for bringing this to my attention Jeff, I'll have a word with my former self...
The bachmann knuckle couplers are almost just like kadees but they are brown and made of plastic and made by bachmann.
Ahh you're right - thanks for confirming this! :D
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What a beautiful locomotive that is! I love it!!
Thanks very much Daniel! :D
U definately need to get a broadway limited locomotive. They have dc/dcc sound and r great pullers. I own a bunch from them. They make some of the best steam engines in the hobby.
I really would love to - hopefully one day!! :D
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@@SamsTrains Factorydirecttrains has pacifics on sale from them. Brand new like 35% off.
ATSF is the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, which serviced most of the American west centered around new mexico
Thanks for the info mate! :D
Ah, good to see something from MY side of the Atlantic. Good video Sam.
Awesome! Glad you liked seeing that! :D
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This is an eceptionally specific model considering I recently found out mom had bought one of these models second-hand for like a hundred bucks. They look cute and run fine. I think I mostly find the teeny, tiny little drive wheels endearing.
Also I'm pretty certain that poor pulling power is due to the "band" motor. Thats my uneducated guess, anyway. Any mechanism thats bizarre I'll be happy to place blame upon for shortcomings.
Ooh nice - $100 is just fine for these!! Yes that could be the reason - maybe!
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So I'm going to watch each of your videos. I started on "My Railway" on Friday night and now I'm 86 videos in. I'm going to comment on each of them, and iv created two playlists with all of tour videos. The original playlist has been set as private and renamed "To watch" and it had all of your videos on. Once I have watched a video from that playlist, I remove it and put it on the public playlist called "Sam's Trains" so I know what video I'm at. 😀
Wow!! That's awesome mate - even I have never done that - good luck, and hope you don't hate my by the end of it, lol! ;D
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What a grate looking loco and vid hope there are more like this in the future
Thanks Cooper! More coming soon! :D
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