Bought the GWR ROD version of this loco a couple of years back, in spite of the mechanism it still runs really smoothly even crawling, i'll admit that the square cuts in the chassis though are a real let down. I'm glad I got mine for £70!
“Was I too harsh?” In a word: No. That mechanism, that quality, £170+... You need to state that it’s not acceptable. We know that Bachmann can do mechanisms right, we know they have access to their own factories. So keep telling it like it is; maybe they will listen.
Well, I can proudly say that you have finally reviewed an Australian locomotive. The three surviving ROD 2-8-0s were from the 13 sold to J & A Brown for operation on the Richmond Vale Railway in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia. The survivors are No. 20 (ROD 1984) and No. 24 (ROD 2003) at Dorrigo with No. 23 (ROD 2004) at Richmond Vale Railway Museum.
Hey Sam, Just thought I should throw an update on the Australian homed locos. They are preserved, ROD 2004 is currently on static display at the Richmond Vale Railway Museum, While ROD 20 and 24 (original number not given/recorded) are 'preserved' at Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum. For those wanting to know, Dorrigo is technically a museum, but a better way to describe it would be open weather rail lines in no greater condition than when they arrived.
Very good review Sam! I have a video idea: Could you review some Hornby Dublo loco's as people like me don't have the budget to buy new locos :) I also feel like Dublos have a certain charm that modern ones don't, but maybe that's just me. Anyways, great vid as always!
Thanks a lot William - I would like to do more of that actually, check out some of my Wrenn reviews, those are all ex-Dublo! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)
There's actually an ROD loco in preservation here in Australia right over at the Richmond Vale Railway Museum. It recently went through a repaint and looks beautiful.
Had a very depressing day, but Sam always makes me smile. Needed that ! But really Sam, have you been to harsh....? unequivocally no ! I just can't understand how on earth Bachmann can get away with such entire unbalanced rubbish of a contraption for that price. Sure, I am looking with German eyes comparing with high quality German/Austrian brands, but quite some aspects like the undetailed bland look and motor with drive line are more like the 70s, come on. The motor itself is more like the 60s. From my point of view I don't understand the thing about sprung buffers and elaborate painted cab details though. What do they effectively add from a distance and operation, other than mounting costs. I'd rather prefer other compensations like a solid diecast chassis, a quality drive train and perfect solid assembly and finish. In the end, you've even been too generous, I think. This would make a 4.00 in my book, really. But then I would have added Durability...It's just shoddy as hell. Anyway, always a joy to watch your work. Keep it up :)
I don’t think we should complain when we are given a bland and boring livery. But if they were elaborate liveries that never existed then people complain about that. That’s what steam engines are. Plain black. Unless your doing a pre grouping railway. But I do agree the 3 pole motor and no bearings in square holders and no fly wheel is unacceptable in a day and age when we a engines like hornby’s j15 with two flywheels for 80 to 100 pounds when this is 170! Unacceptable.
As I have a wartime layout I eagerly bought another loco even though it was by Bachmann. WILL I NEVER LEARN? I stripped it down and looked with horror at the shoddy quality and the appalling mechanism. I wouldn't have knowingly paid £100 for this. I only have my state pension so I need to be careful with money. After seeing the lack of contacts, no real barings, loose handrails etc. I lost no time in parcelling it back up and returned it for a full refund. No point in running it. It will deteriate in no time. I wrote a letter of complaint to Bachmann which won't do any good but it reduced my blood pressure a little. Great review Sam. You backed up what I found.
Hi Sam I’ve had problems with Bachmanns tender coupling arrangements too. Twice on different locos the plastic coupling pin has been too short and it has resulted in the locos dropping the tenders in random places. I cured it by putting a 1mm drill up through the centre of the plastic pin using a pin chuck and using epoxy to glue a longer brass rod in the hole. Seemed to cure it but let’s face it locomotives shouldn’t drop the tenders at all. On second thoughts perhaps it was 0.5 mm.
6:20 my bachamnn jubilee didnt have that peg and I didnt notice until the wires snapped, just got it going again in February after 1 1/2 years on the sidelines, albeit with the wires soldered together inside the loco, rather than going into the tender
NICE review Sam, I've had my eye on this one for a while actually. I already have a BR LNER type but these locos were also exported to Australia and a couple are even preserved here in Australia
Hi Sam, just bought one of these in LNWR livery, and I thought it was worth noting that, though it doesn't have tender pickups, there is a capacitor located in the tender from the factory. I'm not sure if you mentioned that, I didn't hear it when re-watching this video. Still doesn't mean the tender pickups aren't necessary, but it is a little extra feature that most locomotives don't have.
Think I totally agree with most the comments passed re ‘quality’ control or lack of it, as a recent subscriber I now look forward to these reviews as the pricing is getting really bit silly, can’t wait to see as and when available the reviews on Bachmanns 4-BEP as rrp at £500! Hope it’s gold plated!
Part 5: It is easy to see why the ROD chose the GWR 2800 Churchward class introduced in 1903 and the Great Central Robinson class introduced, 01 in 1911 & 04 in 1917. Tried & Tested with many spare parts at both Swindon & Gorton they were standard designs with great pulling power & reliability.
Sam you are my hero ! How you can show so much restraint when reviewing a high price engine that to me is only worth 60 pounds. I would have thrown it out the window. Great video as usual.
Ref; ROD'S- There was a book produced by Profile Publications,back in the 70's,and it gave the dispositions of all the then known engines! And as an added bonus,Robinson also produced a version on the Indian Railways Broad Guage! The last operators of that Class was the Pakistan Railways,and I think they MIGHT have a couple in museum service! There was a run made up to the Kyber Pass,as a reopened line,can not give current status,as that event occurred in the 1990's! Any way,that's an addendum to the history,and maybe you'll luck out an find that book by Profile! Thanks for a credible review and your honest opinions 👍! It is in today's age of the good,the bad,and the ugly! Thanks again for your time!!!
Hi Sam. Nice locomotive I've often considered, or one of the variants. I've had a couple 'tender pegs' break on my Bachmann locomotives - admittedly the ones broken on mine were fixed distance pegs. Generally, I flat, drill appropriately and replace with a 'headless screw' (or grub screw) of correct diameter / length (obviously can adjust by screwing in a bit more where space permits, if required. I generally like the idea of 'adjustable distance' - it's very simple - much easier than the Hornby way of unscrewing and replacing the screw. Nice honest and direct review. Al.
Part 2: If we look at the 1950’s moving into very early 1960 they were scattered across many Motive Power Depots of the Eastern Region. 31B March 25 (due to the prescence of Whitemoor marshalling yard) 35B Grantham 12 36A Doncaster 32 36B Mexborough 17 36C Frodingham 6 36D Barnsley 6 36E Retford 13 38A Colwich 15 38B Annesley 50 39A Gorton 60 39B Sheffield Darnall (again due to the marshalling yard) 30 40B Immingham (new dock area) 17 40E Langwith Junction 35
Sam, I've just read a German lady Linda Offenbach comments below. She's made a very good point that your review points scoring is missing a Durability rating. Currently, you are including this shared a bit between the Quality and Performance ratings. Original Hornby Dublo had quite crude mechanisms, but many are still running very well, so their robustness (inclusive of Durability) can't be faulted. The brass whistle scores high on quality, but the fact it fell off when you turned the loco upside down scores very low on Durability (read fragile). So adding another score class into the mix would significantly change the final scores. High detail and visual Quality is fine for an inert Airfix kit, but a moving model which gets handled a lot needs Durability. I'm afraid Accurascale may come a cropper here when you get around to reviewing their products. They are high on details Quality, but low on Durability as they snap when trying to remove them from their box.
I’m worried @SamsTrains may not have seen the comment I am replying to, which is not surprising when there are 488 comments. I’m curious to know how Sam would go about testing the durability of a model’s body or mechanism, though, which seems more difficult than rating the durability of detailing. Sam’s reviews are already great, but there’s always room for improvement. I would personally be interested in haulage tests that push locomotives closer to the edge of their comfort zones, which may be more useful than knowing how many wagons they can pull on straight and narrow track (which is what is currently measured). Hope this has been helpful, Sam. I appreciate your videos, especially your critical analysis of mechanisms, which certainly helps fill in the gaps left by how power is measured. Showing all the details on camera also gives everyone a chance to pick out issues they aren’t willing to deal with on a model (such as the roughly molded drivers on the Sonic Models 4-6-2 tank engine, which would have been a dealbreaker if I was looking to buy that model). Thanks for making these reviews.
@@Charmaster04 Durability I feel should be about handleability mainly e.g. would one be confident in picking it up and removing the body from the chassis without vulnerable bits falling off. So far, every Accurascale loco if purchased has had little bits of black plastic detail lying in the bottom of the clamshell packaging. Also, upon picking up one of their tanker wagons, the steps up to the roof snapped because they were made of plastic, not etched brass as they should have been. They are a new company, and these faults show their inexperience in choosing the correct material. Also, sometimes, being a bit over scale on thickness is necessary to ensure strength and therefore durability. I think Sam has enough experience handling stock to give good judgement on this issue.
@@andrewdking Thanks for clarifying. Also, Accurascale has bought Hatton's original steam locomotive tooling and has produced their two tank engines. Does the same durability/handleability issue seem to apply to them, and would it probably apply to the Genesis coaches if they bought those (I may or may not be heartbroken that the Genesis coaches don't seem to appear on American eBay and have been marked up to about £200 for a set of four on eBay UK)?
Hey Sam , in regards to the coupling part , I have had it happen with two Bachmann a2s , where the tender shaft to the drawbar broke , i fixed it with a spare self tapping screw.I told Bachmann and the way it occurs is basically when it is handled , the drawbar can break the shaft off
Good review, very thorough (more than can be said for the loco). Serious (and sincere) question Sam - what do you think has gone wrong at Bachmann? The bottom five locos in your log are all Bachmann, I think that's possibly unprecedented from one manufacturer.
Hi Sam Have received some great info from one of your subscribers John D: Robinson ROD 2-8-0 Thirteen sold to Australia for coal mining service. Lasted in service until 1973. Three remain. Search UA-cam for richmond vale railway 1971-73 to see some of the last in service use as late as 1973 until the Beyer Peacock 2-8-2 tank locomotives took over all haulage until 1987. Wow old freights never die!
Thanks for the complement. Glad you liked the vid, but defy anyone not too like it. Hope this direct link is not suppressed ua-cam.com/video/rTQWYB1R3lY/v-deo.html
Part 1: These would be excellent choices for modellers as they were peppered across the Great Central system, basically anywhere there was a need for heavy freight locos (remember the Great Central did good from freight receipts). Infused into BR they appeared all over the Eastern Section.
At 17:40 I think you will find these are inductors, once called chokes. These are to reduce high frequency interference generated by sparking at the commutator. The capacitors aim to do the same thing. I think mandated by electrical equipment standards. Explained to me when quite young by my Triang Railways First Ten Years book on page 108. RT208 from 1962. Much later on covered in my university level electronics courses. If people think these are resistors then calculate the resistance from the colour bands and measure the expected voltage drop. Inductors aim for close to zero ohms resistance as would be expected for a component wired in series with a motor.
@SamsTrains I have another question pertaining to the value of the Bachmann 2MT, this one inspired by your ROD review. You rated this product two years after you rated the Bachmann 2MT, and you gave it a star less. You asked us to come back in three years to ask if the ROD 2-8-0 still performs well based on the performance of a previous Bachmann 2-8-0 featured in the video. Well, it’s only been two years, but it’s been four years for the 2MT, and I can’t see where the 2MT scored half a star higher on the mechanism than the ROD. What I want to know is this; if your Bachmann 2MT has lasted for four years of operation, would it be safe to buy a used one expecting to get a long life of use out of it, or would I get three times the lifespan out of the similarly used Hornby 2MT that would cost me 3 times as much on American eBay, and which, for what it’s worth, would require a motor conversion despite its solid mechanism? I really want a 2MT, and I want to cherish it “for keeps.”
Part 4: Allocation to the BR north eastern region a small contingent worked the area in the early 1950’s. Again due to the association with the Great Central Railway. 01 & 04s worked hera and all were gone as the 60s approached. 53A Hull Dairycoates 27 by 1959 they had been replaced by WD 2-8-0s 53E Cudworth 5
Thirteen sold to Australia for coal mining service.. Lasted in service until 1973. Three remain. Search UA-cam for richmond vale railway 1971-73 to see some of the last in service use as late as 1973 until the Beyer Peacock 2-8-2 tank locomotives took over all haulage until 1987.
Sam, do you know if it has a pre fitted speaker or not? Thank you, one of my favourite locos ever, I’m from Australia and I live near the Richmond vale railway which owns ( not operational ) one of the 4 preserved examples. I know that 2 others are at a place called Dorrigo but not really preserved. The one a Richmond Vale is cosmetically restored, it’s a bit rusty in places but it’s not to bad as it is constantly out side!
Important to know for those not on the UK. Does the Bachmann warranty only apply in the UK as the last Bachmann I saw stated? If so then something to investigate for those outside the UK.
Marking Three pole motor - minus half No flywheel - minus half No chassis bearings - minus one No tender pickups - minus one Broken piece on delivery - minus half Glue on body - minus one Bent part - minus one Poor crawl out of box - minus half Poor crawl after running in - minus one Weak power/lack of torque - minus one Expensive RRP - minus one Traction tyres - minus half Paint issue - minus one Too fast running (silly gearing) - minus two
You need to get a padded locomotive stand for when working on upside-down locomotives. You can make a simple one using some pipe insulation and a couple pieces of scrap wood, or you can buy some really neat ones.
Dear Sam. Interesting stuff as ever, thanks, but do you ever get reactions or feedback from the various manufactures particularly if it has been a less than favourable review?
As someone who is very much not versed electrical applications, how easy or otherwise would it be to change the motor out for a 5 pole? Obviously you shouldn't have to do it at all anyway from a customer's point of view but for the sake of argument?
The problem is mechanical. The replacement motor needs to have the mounting point dimensions identical with the old motor otherwise the gear mesh will be out making for far worse running. No problem electrically, but needs resoldering of the wires correctly. Gear mesh a problem with these primitive preferred British design of a worm on the end of a motor shaft. Better designs with universal jointed shafts connecting to a gearbox allow much easier motor replacement. However a good three pole can be better than a bad five or even seven pole motor. Unfortunately this Bachmann three pole does not have a great reputation.
Great video as usual Sam. I'm not even a collector but really do enjoy your videos! One day I may get into collecting again but as I've said before it is just too expensive.
Thanks so much Stephen - you're not wrong mate, prices going up, quality going down :( ... Okay that's unfair, some are improving their quality too! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Although these were the most commonly referred to ROD locomotives there were many more used by the ROD such as ten Australian D50 class 2-8-0 consolidations from NSW. NSWGR D50 locos were sent to France in WW1 and worked alongside these other ROD locos. From Wikipedia ; During the First World War, an additional 10 locomotives of this class were under construction at the North British Locomotive Company, but these were not delivered to Australia, being taken over by the British War Office for the Royal Engineers Railway Operating Division. After the war, they were offered back to the New South Wales Government Railways at higher than new prices and in a badly worn condition. They were declined and 8 locomotives were subsequently acquired by the Nord-Belge railway [fr] in Belgium[3] and, following rebuilding, assigned to work coal trains along the Meuse Valley. The 2 other locomotives were acquired by S.A. Force, Eclairage et Docks de Gand in Ghent, Belgium Typical British approach to Australia offering badly worn ex ROD D50s back to NSW at higher than new price. All locos, irrespective of design, run by the Railways Operating Division were ROD locomotives. Quite a few D50 HO models have been made over the years , from brass to white metal kits to ready to run. The D50 were in service from around 1896 to 1972.
The Midland Railway also supplied many Kirtley double-framed 0-6-0 goods which ended up all over Europe as far as Italy. Simply because they were so numerous and standardised and easy to operate and maintain. Just like the later Stanier 8Fs, which ended up after WWII as far afield as Egypt, Iraq and possibly Iran, all equipped for oil burning.
Awesome model Sam! The only preserved example in the UK belongs to the NRM and lives at the Great Central Railway! They’re finally overhauling it again and hopefully someday you can go back to the GCR when it’s finished!
Hey I just wanted to say I have some Bachmann U.S locomotives with the same type of chassis that still run nicely after 20 years . I have one that failed and it wasn't the bering less chassis that failed it was the brass barings on the belt driven worm gear
I bought a Bachmann Robinson 04 about 2 years ago and it cost £59 brand new and now it's around twice that . . . .Could you explain why the prices have doubled in our hobby over the last few years Sam . . .
I did enjoy your previous video giving a turbocharged motor upgrade to Smokey Joe. Given the woeful quality of this locomotive's motor, would you consider installing a higher quality motor, albeit one with a slightly more realistic power output than the one given to SJ? If so, how many other locos have been upgraded in this way?
I recently bought a J36 722, after checking your J36 review. Thanks for your review. With a little bit of thought this 2-8-0 could have been great, but it isn’t.
Very nice review. You should do an experiment comparing the tractive effort of 2 locos - a low quality (bachmann) mechanism vs a high quality mechanism. Locos need to be as similar as possible. Run them both continuously under load for a few hundred hours then see how the tractive effort changes.
Hi Sam, I have suggested Video idea. A video where you put together engines and rolling stock to make the best purpose built trains... Sam's Trains... Best Express Train (Big tender engine, 3-4 coaches?) Best Large Passenger train (Big/Small Tender Engine, 2 coaches?) Best Small Passenger train (Small engine, 2-3 small coaches?) Best Large Freight train (Large engine, lots of rolling stock?) Best Small Freight train (Small engine, 3-6 rolling stock?) Best Breakdown crane I'm sure you know what parameters each type of train needs, just my suggestions :) Thank you for reading
Hi Sam I am getting a Lima Class 47 and it is due to arrive at my house on Saturday so it should arrive this Saturday and I have already sorted out a Rake of BR maroon mk1 coaches and it was on Ebay for £45.00 and I was going to get a Mainline Class 42 Warship D824 HIGHFLYER but it sold for £37.50 but I can get a Mainline Warship at my Local model railway shop for a little bit Cheaper and I also plan on getting two West Country Class locomotives a Wrenn Dorchester and a Wrenn Barnstaple and 12 LMS coaches and a Class 66 captain tom Moore some time in not to distant future .Cheers.Lewis 😀.
Hi sam This is a thing of beauty I have gwr Green one and weathered gcr br one This is now one my hit list 1918 was when ww1 end Fantastic touch by Bachmann Am in love Thank you so much for sharing your findings and model. Keep safe arp
So much variation in the standard of Bachmann locomotives depending on how far back they were tooled up. But not much variation in price to reflect this, all consistently high. So your older reviews are a valuable guide to finding out what is likely to be the driveline in a model being considered for purchase. Even Bachmann listed as new may be just a new livery. Bachmann being very rare to improve much to justify their increasingly higher prices as you would expect for the money. Magazines are pretty useless for this information. They just go on about the prototype for most of the review then say everything is '"Superb" or have special access to the makers to get preferential supply of models checked to a standard that normal purchasers never get.
I like this locomotive and mine runs very well. However I did have the issue with the handrail coming loose which was a pain. The best bits are that the ROD letting is correct (Bachmann traced it rather than used a font) and the loco is correctly painted in black, rather than the silly and unrealistic khaki Oxford Rail used and now Hornby are about to make the same mistake. Black or grey, not khaki! How difficult is that to understand? It is handy having your own 3D printer. It's on my list to buy!
Can I send in two review suggestions? #1: Did you already review the Fleischmann G3 (the locomotive you used with the Roco freight cars) to the same standards as the usual reviews? Keep in mind that it is a slightly improved starter set model. #2: To stay in the WW1 theme, is a review of the Piko G7 (item nr 57550) an option?
Hi Sam, Oh boy..! Your (NEW) 3D printer really did come in handy didn't it.! Really nice steam loco, pity Bachmann steam locos are going the same way as Heljan diesels.! Have to say though Sam, that's actually a really nice looking steam loco.! And hard to imagine how old the design is now, but it really is a good looking loco.
Bachmann What do you call that mechanism no you wern't being to harsh it desverses it its bad but the cab is up to standard that is how cabs should look but without the glue marks :). Cheers Liam
By the look of Bachmanns retooling policy it looks like they update the detail of the locomotive and getting it ready for DCC but forget that the chassis needs a upgrade. At least with their latest new models coming from 2020 onwards, they are fitting decent chassis. Although Hornby have also recently caught the bad build quality bug as of late as I had a new Terrier arrive the other day and was disappointed that its supposedly glued in buffer had fell out, plus I will mention the spooky light bleed carriages they are also selling.
The engine looks great! Now I wish Bachmann can fix the issues on their old Reading I10sa engines and rerelease them soon. Edit: it pains me to see all those resistors and capacitors choking the motor and performance. I bypassed them on my Niagara with the Tsunami 2 decoder and it works better than using the board. I wish they’d use decent decoders from factory for the non sound engines.
Excellent review of the ROD O4 Sam 👍👍 I’m so disappointed that this model isn’t as perfect after have look up close and as I like the ROD layering plus numbering, I personally wish the model was perfect on every part of the model. It is amazing that 63601 isn’t the only member of the class to be preserved as there three others at Australia and I’m hoping that one could come back to UK to restored to working order to run on the Great Central Railway.
I only have one Bachmann. A US Ten Wheeler. Same rip off and stalling on every single point - even with tender pick ups ! Motivate me to buy a Bachmann - even the recent 'flagships'. This review is proof !!
Well done Sam for exposing Bachmann for their profit-seeking ‘value engineering’. Whilst I do appreciate great engineering; how about you doing an endurance race? Take a cheap Bachman mechanism and a better grade of something else and run them several hundred hours (or ~50 hours with the Bachmann?) and see how they go? Maybe do a vote on the expected continuous service life? Maybe have to do a mini-service every day to clean the wheels and pickups?! I would respectful suggest the square cast chassis bearing do not wear but they will add friction. Be interesting to see the mode of failures - motors at a guess.
In one of your videos, I noticed that you have the bachman 'arry and Bert, do you have the Hornby models of them too? If you do, I have a theory on them
And numerous D50 locos were sent to France in WW1 and worked alongside these other ROD locos. From Wikipedia ; During the First World War, an additional 10 locomotives of this class were under construction at the North British Locomotive Company, but these were not delivered to Australia, being taken over by the British War Office for the Royal Engineers Railway Operating Division. After the war, they were offered back to the New South Wales Government Railways at higher than new prices and in a badly worn condition. They were declined and 8 locomotives were subsequently acquired by the Nord-Belge railway [fr] in Belgium[3] and, following rebuilding, assigned to work coal trains along the Meuse Valley. The 2 other locomotives were acquired by S.A. Force, Eclairage et Docks de Gand in Ghent, Belgium Typical British approach to Australia offering badly worn ex ROD D50s back to NSW at higher than new price. All locos, irrespective of design, run by the Railways Operating Division were ROD locomotives.
It's quite telling that the Bottom 5 of the year so far are ALL from Bachmann. Shame, the 8K is one of my favorite designs and i was hoping this would be a better example. The Odd One Out, is it the 7F? Looks like the only one on the layout that wasn't (at least at some point) operated by the LNER. Even the 8F was, for a short time, as the LNER O7.
Yeah - I don't know why I've been picking all their lemons this year, last year's Bachmann was mostly decent! And well spotted - that's the one! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I wonder what brads a constant model-train exhibition/show would run as their daily base locos in the UK? I know that a local one the "Miniversum" (that closed last year) used: Roco, Trix, Brawa, Piko, and some Athearn locos.
Hi Sam. Another enjoyable and informative video. Definitely not worth the money. I used to be a Bachmann fan. There is now a too large a gap between quality and the stupidly over the top asking prices for Bachmann models now, and thanks to you and your videos the public are now well aware of what you get for your hard earned cash. I can honestly say that you provide a great service to your viewers. Keep up the good work.
I like the Robinson 8Ks. I've got a LNER black O4 and a BR black 30xx, just like yours. I'd love a ROD in LNWR or LMS, but not for the current price for that mechanism. It's shameful that Bachmann can produce such a nice looking loco yet is outperformed by a Heljan O2 with missing valve gear (my 8Ks slip with 40 wagons, my O2 can manage 50 without slipping). But hey, they're better than the 9F with its lack of torque. I still need a Thompson O1 and a S&DJR 7F, plus a LMS or BR liveried Stanier 8F. I'm hoping Hornby's new Clans will have some improvements over the original release about 15 years ago, although they do seem to add DCC sockets and NEM couplings to all their locomotives when they re-release them. Nice to see you running a nice length of freight train though
Sam did you know there is 4 of them in Australia there where used by Richmond Vale railway there is 2 at the Richmond Vale railway museum and 2 at the dorigo steam railway and museum all in n.s.w Australia
Sam after getting back into the hobby the one thing that gets me the most is how over priced things have became. And then the substandard quality of the items is just unreal.
I know it's not the best solution but modern Hornby Railroad items are really good. I've had nothing but good experiences with the newer models and a lot of them are in the £60-£80 range.
Purchase a Hornby R3544 B12 for just 140 GBP! I just did. What a gorgeous model! Perfectly assembled, a delight to look at, all metal boiler, runs as smooth as silk, as it should, with a five pole motor and two flywheels. Now that is great value.
When i see the thumbnail of the Video i was like " Wait since when did they produce a big engine that dosent even had a Side rod " but then i realize it actually had a side rods.
Well, if someone else is paying, you can figure out how you're going to upgrade the bearings when the originals cash in their chips. Meantime, you could use molybdenum grease in the main bearings to minimise wear and friction.
@@royfearn4345 my comment was more on the coincidence of how the exact loco I've been wanting for a while is getting reviewed by Sam just a few days before I'm getting it. I haven't watched the vid yet because I don't want spoilers. I'm aware of Bachmann's shoddy mechanisms, but I'm willing to take the trade-off because I love their loco finishes, they make the plastic look amazing and the wheels are nicely painted. And the inside of the cab on this loco is absolutely stunning. Also SDJR7F88 has one and it runs very smoothly for him, at least in the vids he posted on it. Also Bachmann seem to be the one of the only companies to make military loco's from WWI and WWII, I have their Khaki City Class from the Ambulance train pack, and their USA dock tank too, I'm planning on getting the Austerity 2-8-0 too. The only other military related engines I have are the Khaki Dean Goods with the Boshe Buster rail gun from Oxford Rail and a Star class from Hornby's WWI troop train pack, but that doesn't even have any special livery to it. Although I am aware of Hornby's forthcoming ROD 0-6-0 Khaki loco (don't particularly like the look of this engine) and Dapol's Khaki Mogul (definitely going to pick this beauty up when she releases). If another company produced this loco (or other military ones) with a better mechanism and the same level of finish I'd get that, but there is no other option for this particular example.
It's a shame that Bachmann can't be better and more consistent (in a positive direction). When you look at this loco and the 9Ffor example compared with the GNR/LNER C-1 and LBSC/Southern H-1 4-4-2's it is very upsetting. The latter locos have tender pickups, turned brass axle bearing, and beautiful liveries, showing that Bachmann can produce locos on par with the better Hornby and Dapol models. Meanwhile I broke down and purchased my first modern (as opposed to 1980's vintage) Hornby locos. R3617 BR (Late) 4-6-2 Merchant Navy (Rebuilt) "Elder Dempster Lines" No. 35030 and R3848 BR Terrier "Carisbrooke" No. 13. Very nice models, although the Merchant Navy lacks a NEM pocket on the tender, no painted cab interior, and feels a little light on the weight side. Both run very well, though, and at least the Merchant Navy has a proper trailing bogie.
Bought the GWR ROD version of this loco a couple of years back, in spite of the mechanism it still runs really smoothly even crawling, i'll admit that the square cuts in the chassis though are a real let down. I'm glad I got mine for £70!
“Was I too harsh?”
In a word: No.
That mechanism, that quality, £170+...
You need to state that it’s not acceptable.
We know that Bachmann can do mechanisms right, we know they have access to their own factories.
So keep telling it like it is; maybe they will listen.
Well, I can proudly say that you have finally reviewed an Australian locomotive. The three surviving ROD 2-8-0s were from the 13 sold to J & A Brown for operation on the Richmond Vale Railway in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia. The survivors are No. 20 (ROD 1984) and No. 24 (ROD 2003) at Dorrigo with No. 23 (ROD 2004) at Richmond Vale Railway Museum.
Yeah, I was about to mention that they used to work at South Maitland Railways
It looked so promising...glad you did a brutal breakdown. This is why we luv your channel.
Hey Sam, Just thought I should throw an update on the Australian homed locos. They are preserved, ROD 2004 is currently on static display at the Richmond Vale Railway Museum, While ROD 20 and 24 (original number not given/recorded) are 'preserved' at Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum.
For those wanting to know, Dorrigo is technically a museum, but a better way to describe it would be open weather rail lines in no greater condition than when they arrived.
I do wish Bachmann would fire the bloke who looks at the plans and deletes anything that might make it worth the price
I bet its the same guy who seen the S Stock and the Class 350 and went "these are popular, better stop producing them"
@@NothingHereButMe the s stock was a limited edition, hence the reason more wasn’t produced
Very good review Sam! I have a video idea: Could you review some Hornby Dublo loco's as people like me don't have the budget to buy new locos :) I also feel like Dublos have a certain charm that modern ones don't, but maybe that's just me. Anyways, great vid as always!
Thanks a lot William - I would like to do more of that actually, check out some of my Wrenn reviews, those are all ex-Dublo! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I do miss some of the older reviews. The Lima 52, the airfix 31....
There's actually an ROD loco in preservation here in Australia right over at the Richmond Vale Railway Museum. It recently went through a repaint and looks beautiful.
Sam i stood in one of those once. Theyre some nice locos! and thanks to them and all the other locos the served in france in WW1 we won the war!
Had a very depressing day, but Sam always makes me smile. Needed that ! But really Sam, have you been to harsh....?
unequivocally no ! I just can't understand how on earth Bachmann can get away with such entire unbalanced rubbish of a contraption for that price. Sure, I am looking with German eyes comparing with high quality German/Austrian brands, but quite some aspects like the undetailed bland look and motor with drive line are more like the 70s, come on. The motor itself is more like the 60s.
From my point of view I don't understand the thing about sprung buffers and elaborate painted cab details though. What do they effectively add from a distance and operation, other than mounting costs. I'd rather prefer other compensations like a solid diecast chassis, a quality drive train and perfect solid assembly and finish.
In the end, you've even been too generous, I think. This would make a 4.00 in my book, really. But then I would have added Durability...It's just shoddy as hell.
Anyway, always a joy to watch your work. Keep it up :)
Hope everything is okay!
I don’t think we should complain when we are given a bland and boring livery. But if they were elaborate liveries that never existed then people complain about that. That’s what steam engines are. Plain black. Unless your doing a pre grouping railway. But I do agree the 3 pole motor and no bearings in square holders and no fly wheel is unacceptable in a day and age when we a engines like hornby’s j15 with two flywheels for 80 to 100 pounds when this is 170! Unacceptable.
As I have a wartime layout I eagerly bought another loco even though it was by Bachmann.
WILL I NEVER LEARN?
I stripped it down and looked with horror at the shoddy quality and the appalling mechanism. I wouldn't have knowingly paid £100 for this. I only have my state pension so I need to be careful with money. After seeing the lack of contacts, no real barings, loose handrails etc. I lost no time in parcelling it back up and returned it for a full refund. No point in running it. It will deteriate in no time. I wrote a letter of complaint to Bachmann which won't do any good but it reduced my blood pressure a little.
Great review Sam. You backed up what I found.
Very well said, and you speak for many of us in the same situation. Thank you.
Tim
This is why I love Sam he always has something new
Thanks so much!! :D
@@SamsTrains No problem I appreciate your videos
@@SamsTrains Sam I have spotted a 4-6-0 with a belpair firebox painted in BR black.
Hi Sam I’ve had problems with Bachmanns tender coupling arrangements too. Twice on different locos the plastic coupling pin has been too short and it has resulted in the locos dropping the tenders in random places. I cured it by putting a 1mm drill up through the centre of the plastic pin using a pin chuck and using epoxy to glue a longer brass rod in the hole. Seemed to cure it but let’s face it locomotives shouldn’t drop the tenders at all. On second thoughts perhaps it was 0.5 mm.
6:20 my bachamnn jubilee didnt have that peg and I didnt notice until the wires snapped, just got it going again in February after 1 1/2 years on the sidelines, albeit with the wires soldered together inside the loco, rather than going into the tender
Blimey - that sucks mate, sorry to hear that! Terrible design, I don't know why they do it!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
NICE review Sam, I've had my eye on this one for a while actually. I already have a BR LNER type but these locos were also exported to Australia and a couple are even preserved here in Australia
Hi Sam, just bought one of these in LNWR livery, and I thought it was worth noting that, though it doesn't have tender pickups, there is a capacitor located in the tender from the factory. I'm not sure if you mentioned that, I didn't hear it when re-watching this video. Still doesn't mean the tender pickups aren't necessary, but it is a little extra feature that most locomotives don't have.
Think I totally agree with most the comments passed re ‘quality’ control or lack of it, as a recent subscriber I now look forward to these reviews as the pricing is getting really bit silly, can’t wait to see as and when available the reviews on Bachmanns 4-BEP as rrp at £500! Hope it’s gold plated!
Part 5: It is easy to see why the ROD chose the GWR 2800 Churchward class introduced in 1903 and the Great Central Robinson class introduced, 01 in 1911 & 04 in 1917. Tried & Tested with many spare parts at both Swindon & Gorton they were standard designs with great pulling power & reliability.
Sam you are my hero ! How you can show so much restraint when reviewing a high price engine that to me is only worth 60 pounds. I would have thrown it out the window. Great video as usual.
Ref; ROD'S- There was a book produced by Profile Publications,back in the 70's,and it gave the dispositions of all the then known engines! And as an added bonus,Robinson also produced a version on the Indian Railways Broad Guage! The last operators of that Class was the Pakistan Railways,and I think they MIGHT have a couple in museum service! There was a run made up to the Kyber Pass,as a reopened line,can not give current status,as that event occurred in the 1990's! Any way,that's an addendum to the history,and maybe you'll luck out an find that book by Profile! Thanks for a credible review and your honest opinions 👍! It is in today's age of the good,the bad,and the ugly! Thanks again for your time!!!
Did you ever take any video production classes or go to school for it? The production is very good on your videos and I can’t stop watching
Hi Sam.
Nice locomotive I've often considered, or one of the variants.
I've had a couple 'tender pegs' break on my Bachmann locomotives - admittedly the ones broken on mine were fixed distance pegs.
Generally, I flat, drill appropriately and replace with a 'headless screw' (or grub screw) of correct diameter / length (obviously can adjust by screwing in a bit more where space permits, if required.
I generally like the idea of 'adjustable distance' - it's very simple - much easier than the Hornby way of unscrewing and replacing the screw.
Nice honest and direct review.
Al.
Part 2: If we look at the 1950’s moving into very early 1960 they were scattered across many Motive Power Depots of the Eastern Region.
31B March 25 (due to the prescence of Whitemoor marshalling yard)
35B Grantham 12
36A Doncaster 32
36B Mexborough 17
36C Frodingham 6
36D Barnsley 6
36E Retford 13
38A Colwich 15
38B Annesley 50
39A Gorton 60
39B Sheffield Darnall (again due to the marshalling yard) 30
40B Immingham (new dock area) 17
40E Langwith Junction 35
Sam, I've just read a German lady Linda Offenbach comments below. She's made a very good point that your review points scoring is missing a Durability rating. Currently, you are including this shared a bit between the Quality and Performance ratings. Original Hornby Dublo had quite crude mechanisms, but many are still running very well, so their robustness (inclusive of Durability) can't be faulted.
The brass whistle scores high on quality, but the fact it fell off when you turned the loco upside down scores very low on Durability (read fragile). So adding another score class into the mix would significantly change the final scores. High detail and visual Quality is fine for an inert Airfix kit, but a moving model which gets handled a lot needs Durability.
I'm afraid Accurascale may come a cropper here when you get around to reviewing their products. They are high on details Quality, but low on Durability as they snap when trying to remove them from their box.
I’m worried @SamsTrains may not have seen the comment I am replying to, which is not surprising when there are 488 comments. I’m curious to know how Sam would go about testing the durability of a model’s body or mechanism, though, which seems more difficult than rating the durability of detailing.
Sam’s reviews are already great, but there’s always room for improvement. I would personally be interested in haulage tests that push locomotives closer to the edge of their comfort zones, which may be more useful than knowing how many wagons they can pull on straight and narrow track (which is what is currently measured).
Hope this has been helpful, Sam. I appreciate your videos, especially your critical analysis of mechanisms, which certainly helps fill in the gaps left by how power is measured. Showing all the details on camera also gives everyone a chance to pick out issues they aren’t willing to deal with on a model (such as the roughly molded drivers on the Sonic Models 4-6-2 tank engine, which would have been a dealbreaker if I was looking to buy that model). Thanks for making these reviews.
@@Charmaster04 Durability I feel should be about handleability mainly e.g. would one be confident in picking it up and removing the body from the chassis without vulnerable bits falling off. So far, every Accurascale loco if purchased has had little bits of black plastic detail lying in the bottom of the clamshell packaging. Also, upon picking up one of their tanker wagons, the steps up to the roof snapped because they were made of plastic, not etched brass as they should have been. They are a new company, and these faults show their inexperience in choosing the correct material. Also, sometimes, being a bit over scale on thickness is necessary to ensure strength and therefore durability.
I think Sam has enough experience handling stock to give good judgement on this issue.
@@andrewdking Thanks for clarifying. Also, Accurascale has bought Hatton's original steam locomotive tooling and has produced their two tank engines. Does the same durability/handleability issue seem to apply to them, and would it probably apply to the Genesis coaches if they bought those (I may or may not be heartbroken that the Genesis coaches don't seem to appear on American eBay and have been marked up to about £200 for a set of four on eBay UK)?
Hey Sam , in regards to the coupling part , I have had it happen with two Bachmann a2s , where the tender shaft to the drawbar broke , i fixed it with a spare self tapping screw.I told Bachmann and the way it occurs is basically when it is handled , the drawbar can break the shaft off
Good review, very thorough (more than can be said for the loco). Serious (and sincere) question Sam - what do you think has gone wrong at Bachmann? The bottom five locos in your log are all Bachmann, I think that's possibly unprecedented from one manufacturer.
Hi Sam Have received some great info from one of your subscribers John D: Robinson ROD 2-8-0 Thirteen sold to Australia for coal mining service. Lasted in service until 1973. Three remain. Search UA-cam for richmond vale railway 1971-73 to see some of the last in service use as late as 1973 until the Beyer Peacock 2-8-2 tank locomotives took over all haulage until 1987. Wow old freights never die!
Thanks for the complement. Glad you liked the vid, but defy anyone not too like it.
Hope this direct link is not suppressed
ua-cam.com/video/rTQWYB1R3lY/v-deo.html
Part 1: These would be excellent choices for modellers as they were peppered across the Great Central system, basically anywhere there was a need for heavy freight locos (remember the Great Central did good from freight receipts). Infused into BR they appeared all over the Eastern Section.
At 17:40 I think you will find these are inductors, once called chokes. These are to reduce high frequency interference generated by sparking at the commutator. The capacitors aim to do the same thing.
I think mandated by electrical equipment standards.
Explained to me when quite young by my Triang Railways First Ten Years book on page 108. RT208 from 1962. Much later on covered in my university level electronics courses.
If people think these are resistors then calculate the resistance from the colour bands and measure the expected voltage drop. Inductors aim for close to zero ohms resistance as would be expected for a component wired in series with a motor.
Hey Sam, incredible video,like always,I always love watching your videos, they make me feel happy! Thank you for making such amazing videos!
@SamsTrains I have another question pertaining to the value of the Bachmann 2MT, this one inspired by your ROD review. You rated this product two years after you rated the Bachmann 2MT, and you gave it a star less. You asked us to come back in three years to ask if the ROD 2-8-0 still performs well based on the performance of a previous Bachmann 2-8-0 featured in the video. Well, it’s only been two years, but it’s been four years for the 2MT, and I can’t see where the 2MT scored half a star higher on the mechanism than the ROD.
What I want to know is this; if your Bachmann 2MT has lasted for four years of operation, would it be safe to buy a used one expecting to get a long life of use out of it, or would I get three times the lifespan out of the similarly used Hornby 2MT that would cost me 3 times as much on American eBay, and which, for what it’s worth, would require a motor conversion despite its solid mechanism? I really want a 2MT, and I want to cherish it “for keeps.”
Such a beautiful engine, would gladly have that on a ww1 layout
Awesome! Yeah kind of makes me want to build a wartime layout! ;D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
You sure that's a 3 pole motor I counted 5 (no joke)
@@SamsTrains Dont forget the warwells
@@SamsTrains Hattons do still have some of their P Class models in the ROD Green, I have one and it looks lovely!
Buy like... 10 E2's
I love the designs of these 2-8-0 locomotives
We actually have one of those Locomotives at my local railway museum I volunteer with in that livery too. It's at the RVRM in Australia.
Part 4: Allocation to the BR north eastern region a small contingent worked the area in the early 1950’s. Again due to the association with the Great Central Railway. 01 & 04s worked hera and all were gone as the 60s approached.
53A Hull Dairycoates 27 by 1959 they had been replaced by WD 2-8-0s
53E Cudworth 5
Thirteen sold to Australia for coal mining service.. Lasted in service until 1973. Three remain.
Search UA-cam for richmond vale railway 1971-73 to see some of the last in service use as late as 1973 until the Beyer Peacock 2-8-2 tank locomotives took over all haulage until 1987.
@@johnd8892 Excellent Thank You
@@leroyholm9075 hopefully this direct link to last days of these RODs in Australia will not be suppressed
ua-cam.com/video/rTQWYB1R3lY/v-deo.html
Sam, do you know if it has a pre fitted speaker or not? Thank you, one of my favourite locos ever, I’m from Australia and I live near the Richmond vale railway which owns ( not operational ) one of the 4 preserved examples. I know that 2 others are at a place called Dorrigo but not really preserved. The one a Richmond Vale is cosmetically restored, it’s a bit rusty in places but it’s not to bad as it is constantly out side!
Important to know for those not on the UK. Does the Bachmann warranty only apply in the UK as the last Bachmann I saw stated?
If so then something to investigate for those outside the UK.
Loved the review Sam. And we're do today bye all your locomotives from
I thought you already reviewed this one and i bought it lol, i had no issues with it other than the lack of sprung buffers.
Marking
Three pole motor - minus half
No flywheel - minus half
No chassis bearings - minus one
No tender pickups - minus one
Broken piece on delivery - minus half
Glue on body - minus one
Bent part - minus one
Poor crawl out of box - minus half
Poor crawl after running in - minus one
Weak power/lack of torque - minus one
Expensive RRP - minus one
Traction tyres - minus half
Paint issue - minus one
Too fast running (silly gearing) - minus two
You need to get a padded locomotive stand for when working on upside-down locomotives. You can make a simple one using some pipe insulation and a couple pieces of scrap wood, or you can buy some really neat ones.
Dear Sam. Interesting stuff as ever, thanks, but do you ever get reactions or feedback from the various manufactures particularly if it has been a less than favourable review?
Ah yes, this boi is one of my favourite locos.
The mechanism wouldn't last a heavy weekend's use at an exhibition! Thanks for an enlightening review.
Stunning model Sam, looks great, quick question, do the models look better or worse in person.
So, Sam, your printer came in handy already. After watching your vid and doing some due diligence, I ordered a printer as well. Time will tell!
As someone who is very much not versed electrical applications, how easy or otherwise would it be to change the motor out for a 5 pole?
Obviously you shouldn't have to do it at all anyway from a customer's point of view but for the sake of argument?
The problem is mechanical. The replacement motor needs to have the mounting point dimensions identical with the old motor otherwise the gear mesh will be out making for far worse running. No problem electrically, but needs resoldering of the wires correctly.
Gear mesh a problem with these primitive preferred British design of a worm on the end of a motor shaft.
Better designs with universal jointed shafts connecting to a gearbox allow much easier motor replacement.
However a good three pole can be better than a bad five or even seven pole motor. Unfortunately this Bachmann three pole does not have a great reputation.
Great video as usual Sam. I'm not even a collector but really do enjoy your videos!
One day I may get into collecting again but as I've said before it is just too expensive.
Thanks so much Stephen - you're not wrong mate, prices going up, quality going down :(
... Okay that's unfair, some are improving their quality too!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Spot on with your verdict Sam 👍
Hello Sam that black piece on side of the smoke box is Called a Break pump.
This is great, I prefur the tan livery with the railgun. Both brilliant reviews. Thank you.
Although these were the most commonly referred to ROD locomotives there were many more used by the ROD such as ten Australian D50 class 2-8-0 consolidations from NSW.
NSWGR D50 locos were sent to France in WW1 and worked alongside these other ROD locos.
From Wikipedia ;
During the First World War, an additional 10 locomotives of this class were under construction at the North British Locomotive Company, but these were not delivered to Australia, being taken over by the British War Office for the Royal Engineers Railway Operating Division. After the war, they were offered back to the New South Wales Government Railways at higher than new prices and in a badly worn condition. They were declined and 8 locomotives were subsequently acquired by the Nord-Belge railway [fr] in Belgium[3] and, following rebuilding, assigned to work coal trains along the Meuse Valley. The 2 other locomotives were acquired by S.A. Force, Eclairage et Docks de Gand in Ghent, Belgium
Typical British approach to Australia offering badly worn ex ROD D50s back to NSW at higher than new price. All locos, irrespective of design, run by the Railways Operating Division were ROD locomotives.
Quite a few D50 HO models have been made over the years , from brass to white metal kits to ready to run.
The D50 were in service from around 1896 to 1972.
The Midland Railway also supplied many Kirtley double-framed 0-6-0 goods which ended up all over Europe as far as Italy. Simply because they were so numerous and standardised and easy to operate and maintain. Just like the later Stanier 8Fs, which ended up after WWII as far afield as Egypt, Iraq and possibly Iran, all equipped for oil burning.
5:07 - Until I knew what it was, my first thought was "maybe it's the missing plug from your Heljan Tango?"
Awesome model Sam! The only preserved example in the UK belongs to the NRM and lives at the Great Central Railway! They’re finally overhauling it again and hopefully someday you can go back to the GCR when it’s finished!
Thanks a lot for sharing Ryno - yes I've seen that one at the GCR actually! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
That’s great Sam! Once again, awesome model! :)
Hey I just wanted to say I have some Bachmann U.S locomotives with the same type of chassis that still run nicely after 20 years . I have one that failed and it wasn't the bering less chassis that failed it was the brass barings on the belt driven worm gear
I bought a Bachmann Robinson 04 about 2 years ago and it cost £59 brand new and now it's around twice that . . . .Could you explain why the prices have doubled in our hobby over the last few years Sam . . .
I did enjoy your previous video giving a turbocharged motor upgrade to Smokey Joe. Given the woeful quality of this locomotive's motor, would you consider installing a higher quality motor, albeit one with a slightly more realistic power output than the one given to SJ? If so, how many other locos have been upgraded in this way?
I recently bought a J36 722, after checking your J36 review.
Thanks for your review. With a little bit of thought this 2-8-0 could have been great, but it isn’t.
Very nice review.
You should do an experiment comparing the tractive effort of 2 locos - a low quality (bachmann) mechanism vs a high quality mechanism. Locos need to be as similar as possible. Run them both continuously under load for a few hundred hours then see how the tractive effort changes.
Hi Sam, I have suggested Video idea.
A video where you put together engines and rolling stock to make the best purpose built trains...
Sam's Trains...
Best Express Train (Big tender engine, 3-4 coaches?)
Best Large Passenger train (Big/Small Tender Engine, 2 coaches?)
Best Small Passenger train (Small engine, 2-3 small coaches?)
Best Large Freight train (Large engine, lots of rolling stock?)
Best Small Freight train (Small engine, 3-6 rolling stock?)
Best Breakdown crane
I'm sure you know what parameters each type of train needs, just my suggestions :)
Thank you for reading
Hi Sam I am getting a Lima Class 47 and it is due to arrive at my house on Saturday so it should arrive this Saturday and I have already sorted out a Rake of BR maroon mk1 coaches and it was on Ebay for £45.00 and I was going to get a Mainline Class 42 Warship D824 HIGHFLYER but it sold for £37.50 but I can get a Mainline Warship at my Local model railway shop for a little bit Cheaper and I also plan on getting two West Country Class locomotives a Wrenn Dorchester and a Wrenn Barnstaple and 12 LMS coaches and a Class 66 captain tom Moore some time in not to distant future .Cheers.Lewis 😀.
Hi sam
This is a thing of beauty
I have gwr Green one and weathered gcr br one
This is now one my hit list
1918 was when ww1 end
Fantastic touch by Bachmann
Am in love
Thank you so much for sharing your findings and model.
Keep safe arp
Oh wow - never knew they made a GWR green one... was that Bachmann?! It's no problem mate, glad you liked it!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains yes it Bachmann one I send you picture soon
Bachmann could so easily have solved the square bearings problem by also using square axles.
Sam, would you recommend weathering powder for these kind of bachmann trains?
So much variation in the standard of Bachmann locomotives depending on how far back they were tooled up.
But not much variation in price to reflect this, all consistently high.
So your older reviews are a valuable guide to finding out what is likely to be the driveline in a model being considered for purchase.
Even Bachmann listed as new may be just a new livery. Bachmann being very rare to improve much to justify their increasingly higher prices as you would expect for the money.
Magazines are pretty useless for this information. They just go on about the prototype for most of the review then say everything is '"Superb" or have special access to the makers to get preferential supply of models checked to a standard that normal purchasers never get.
I like this locomotive and mine runs very well. However I did have the issue with the handrail coming loose which was a pain. The best bits are that the ROD letting is correct (Bachmann traced it rather than used a font) and the loco is correctly painted in black, rather than the silly and unrealistic khaki Oxford Rail used and now Hornby are about to make the same mistake. Black or grey, not khaki! How difficult is that to understand? It is handy having your own 3D printer. It's on my list to buy!
Was this reviewed before your last heljan loco? Cause it’s not in the logbook
Beautiful, the quality of that black colour is amazing!
Definitely - the finish is amazing! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Can I send in two review suggestions?
#1: Did you already review the Fleischmann G3 (the locomotive you used with the Roco freight cars) to the same standards as the usual reviews? Keep in mind that it is a slightly improved starter set model.
#2: To stay in the WW1 theme, is a review of the Piko G7 (item nr 57550) an option?
No, not the Piko, but rather Brawa‘s Royal Bavarian G4/5H, #40100 or 40124.
Hi Sam, Oh boy..! Your (NEW) 3D printer really did come in handy didn't it.! Really nice steam loco, pity Bachmann steam locos are going the same way as Heljan diesels.! Have to say though Sam, that's actually a really nice looking steam loco.! And hard to imagine how old the design is now, but it really is a good looking loco.
Bachmann What do you call that mechanism no you wern't being to harsh it desverses it its bad but the cab is up to standard that is how cabs should look but without the glue marks :). Cheers Liam
Sweet video sam and question for you have any of your locos twisted or bent their rods??
By the look of Bachmanns retooling policy it looks like they update the detail of the locomotive and getting it ready for DCC but forget that the chassis needs a upgrade. At least with their latest new models coming from 2020 onwards, they are fitting decent chassis.
Although Hornby have also recently caught the bad build quality bug as of late as I had a new Terrier arrive the other day and was disappointed that its supposedly glued in buffer had fell out, plus I will mention the spooky light bleed carriages they are also selling.
Question have you ever thought about building more terrain for you layout Sam?
Get it up off the floor first!!!
The engine looks great! Now I wish Bachmann can fix the issues on their old Reading I10sa engines and rerelease them soon.
Edit: it pains me to see all those resistors and capacitors choking the motor and performance. I bypassed them on my Niagara with the Tsunami 2 decoder and it works better than using the board. I wish they’d use decent decoders from factory for the non sound engines.
Excellent review of the ROD O4 Sam 👍👍
I’m so disappointed that this model isn’t as perfect after have look up close and as I like the ROD layering plus numbering, I personally wish the model was perfect on every part of the model.
It is amazing that 63601 isn’t the only member of the class to be preserved as there three others at Australia and I’m hoping that one could come back to UK to restored to working order to run on the Great Central Railway.
Australian ones vid in normal service into the seventies ;
ua-cam.com/video/rTQWYB1R3lY/v-deo.html
I only have one Bachmann. A US Ten Wheeler. Same rip off and stalling on every single point - even with tender pick ups ! Motivate me to buy a Bachmann - even the recent 'flagships'. This review is proof !!
Well done Sam for exposing Bachmann for their profit-seeking ‘value engineering’. Whilst I do appreciate great engineering; how about you doing an endurance race? Take a cheap Bachman mechanism and a better grade of something else and run them several hundred hours (or ~50 hours with the Bachmann?) and see how they go? Maybe do a vote on the expected continuous service life? Maybe have to do a mini-service every day to clean the wheels and pickups?! I would respectful suggest the square cast chassis bearing do not wear but they will add friction. Be interesting to see the mode of failures - motors at a guess.
i spotted the Heljan Tango and i thought, Ooohhh Great here we go again XD
Wow! That looks awesome! I loved this!
In one of your videos, I noticed that you have the bachman 'arry and Bert, do you have the Hornby models of them too? If you do, I have a theory on them
One of the three preserved ROD 2-8-0 is preserved in Australia, somewhere.
In fact the New South Wales D50 2-8-0 bear some resemblance to to ROD 2-8-0
And numerous D50 locos were sent to France in WW1 and worked alongside these other ROD locos.
From Wikipedia ;
During the First World War, an additional 10 locomotives of this class were under construction at the North British Locomotive Company, but these were not delivered to Australia, being taken over by the British War Office for the Royal Engineers Railway Operating Division. After the war, they were offered back to the New South Wales Government Railways at higher than new prices and in a badly worn condition. They were declined and 8 locomotives were subsequently acquired by the Nord-Belge railway [fr] in Belgium[3] and, following rebuilding, assigned to work coal trains along the Meuse Valley. The 2 other locomotives were acquired by S.A. Force, Eclairage et Docks de Gand in Ghent, Belgium
Typical British approach to Australia offering badly worn ex ROD D50s back to NSW at higher than new price. All locos, irrespective of design, run by the Railways Operating Division were ROD locomotives.
It's quite telling that the Bottom 5 of the year so far are ALL from Bachmann. Shame, the 8K is one of my favorite designs and i was hoping this would be a better example.
The Odd One Out, is it the 7F? Looks like the only one on the layout that wasn't (at least at some point) operated by the LNER. Even the 8F was, for a short time, as the LNER O7.
Yeah - I don't know why I've been picking all their lemons this year, last year's Bachmann was mostly decent! And well spotted - that's the one! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Smooth Sam - a good match to your Oxford Rail Gun ? Or was that WW 2 ?
That's true actually - I reckon it'd look grand with that! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I wonder what brads a constant model-train exhibition/show would run as their daily base locos in the UK? I know that a local one the "Miniversum" (that closed last year) used: Roco, Trix, Brawa, Piko, and some Athearn locos.
Hi Sam. Another enjoyable and informative video. Definitely not worth the money. I used to be a Bachmann fan. There is now a too large a gap between quality and the stupidly over the top asking prices for Bachmann models now, and thanks to you and your videos the public are now well aware of what you get for your hard earned cash. I can honestly say that you provide a great service to your viewers. Keep up the good work.
Is swear whatever mood I’m in Sam always has a video on it! I’m making a WW1 railway action movie!
Stanley MSR: listen bud we back in the stats didnt give a dime about a few spils
This is the war
haha! ;D
Oh hi atlas
@@johnathonmcjohn3 hi ans thanks for making Atlas and rocky
@@atlasthenumber5msr440 np
@@johnathonmcjohn3 i am doing a Q&A so Ask me plz
I like the Robinson 8Ks. I've got a LNER black O4 and a BR black 30xx, just like yours. I'd love a ROD in LNWR or LMS, but not for the current price for that mechanism.
It's shameful that Bachmann can produce such a nice looking loco yet is outperformed by a Heljan O2 with missing valve gear (my 8Ks slip with 40 wagons, my O2 can manage 50 without slipping). But hey, they're better than the 9F with its lack of torque.
I still need a Thompson O1 and a S&DJR 7F, plus a LMS or BR liveried Stanier 8F.
I'm hoping Hornby's new Clans will have some improvements over the original release about 15 years ago, although they do seem to add DCC sockets and NEM couplings to all their locomotives when they re-release them.
Nice to see you running a nice length of freight train though
Yeah me too - nice looking class! Oh sure, way better than that 9F!!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Nice loco but... Ahhh bachmann high prices and low quality strikes again this is crazy! Great review, honest as always.
Sam did you know there is 4 of them in Australia there where used by Richmond Vale railway there is 2 at the Richmond Vale railway museum and 2 at the dorigo steam railway and museum all in n.s.w Australia
Sam after getting back into the hobby the one thing that gets me the most is how over priced things have became.
And then the substandard quality of the items is just unreal.
Perhaps you can find a reliable second hand source ?
I know it's not the best solution but modern Hornby Railroad items are really good. I've had nothing but good experiences with the newer models and a lot of them are in the £60-£80 range.
Purchase a Hornby R3544 B12 for just 140 GBP! I just did. What a gorgeous model! Perfectly assembled, a delight to look at, all metal boiler, runs as smooth as silk, as it should, with a five pole motor and two flywheels. Now that is great value.
Is your odd one out the WD 2-8-0 in Longmoor Military Railway livery?
When i see the thumbnail of the Video i was like " Wait since when did they produce a big engine that dosent even had a Side rod " but then i realize it actually had a side rods.
Wait WHAT?!
I'm getting this loco for my birthday on Sunday!
Ooh nice, hope you enjoy it! And have a very happy birthday! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains Thanks Sam! I've been wanting the loco for a while now, and I'm excited 😃
Well, if someone else is paying, you can figure out how you're going to upgrade the bearings when the originals cash in their chips. Meantime, you could use molybdenum grease in the main bearings to minimise wear and friction.
@@royfearn4345 my comment was more on the coincidence of how the exact loco I've been wanting for a while is getting reviewed by Sam just a few days before I'm getting it. I haven't watched the vid yet because I don't want spoilers. I'm aware of Bachmann's shoddy mechanisms, but I'm willing to take the trade-off because I love their loco finishes, they make the plastic look amazing and the wheels are nicely painted. And the inside of the cab on this loco is absolutely stunning. Also SDJR7F88 has one and it runs very smoothly for him, at least in the vids he posted on it.
Also Bachmann seem to be the one of the only companies to make military loco's from WWI and WWII, I have their Khaki City Class from the Ambulance train pack, and their USA dock tank too, I'm planning on getting the Austerity 2-8-0 too. The only other military related engines I have are the Khaki Dean Goods with the Boshe Buster rail gun from Oxford Rail and a Star class from Hornby's WWI troop train pack, but that doesn't even have any special livery to it. Although I am aware of Hornby's forthcoming ROD 0-6-0 Khaki loco (don't particularly like the look of this engine) and Dapol's Khaki Mogul (definitely going to pick this beauty up when she releases).
If another company produced this loco (or other military ones) with a better mechanism and the same level of finish I'd get that, but there is no other option for this particular example.
Great video sam , have you tried the bachmann 009 gauge baldwin locomotives :)
Man, that 3D printer comes in handy, huh? Great review as usual.
That’s nice Sam
Ahh again another loco I’ve got to save up for 😆
Thx Ben :)
It's a shame that Bachmann can't be better and more consistent (in a positive direction). When you look at this loco and the 9Ffor example compared with the GNR/LNER C-1 and LBSC/Southern H-1 4-4-2's it is very upsetting. The latter locos have tender pickups, turned brass axle bearing, and beautiful liveries, showing that Bachmann can produce locos on par with the better Hornby and Dapol models.
Meanwhile I broke down and purchased my first modern (as opposed to 1980's vintage) Hornby locos. R3617 BR (Late) 4-6-2 Merchant Navy (Rebuilt) "Elder Dempster Lines" No. 35030 and R3848 BR Terrier "Carisbrooke" No. 13. Very nice models, although the Merchant Navy lacks a NEM pocket on the tender, no painted cab interior, and feels a little light on the weight side. Both run very well, though, and at least the Merchant Navy has a proper trailing bogie.
Can’t wait for the next 3D printng video