Just got a Bachmann Class J from the new line---in my opinion, don't spend the money---it is going back ASAP. The thing just is too cheap to mess with. My hobby shop owner told me it was worth the $$ and said it was a great product. Not a chance. Runs poorly with the wheels being out of balance and rotation--the tender runs behind all jerky because of this and makes the cars derail at certain speeds. My motivation is to help you avoid a poor investment. Very unhappy with it! My New Kato SD40 is smooth, but much louder than my Atlas GP40 or C40-8W. Is this normal for this make or am I just having trouble with the Katos I purchase? It is easily as noisy as my athearns. Any thoughts welcome
BNSF, I must add thats strange with the new Spectrun J... I'd make dern sure it isn't a Plus line from Bachmann! I know the Plus line was terrible runners! However, I bought a new Spectrum Decapod and the thing is a smooth runner and not real hefty in power but for its size it pulls more then it looks like it could! So I'm happy with it and may end up investing in another one in the Western Maryland Fireball scheme just to renumber it in the series of 10 that the Western Maryland had! They must have sent them to somewhere differently to have them assembled then the J class being they are completely separated by smoothness and all... One place done a fine job and the other did a poor job... I don't see how it would be any difference! But it might be one of those so called "Hit or Miss" type things and you got a Lemon. Then thinking of this I also found that another fellow "6206_S1a" Mike K had bought one of the Decapods before I did and his also runs well! Anyhow, ever get to run your beast? The Riv H-8?
I have not yet been able to run the BEAST! 1. I really don't have an adequate track set up for such a beautiful loco, 2. I am almost afraid to take it out of the box with all the delicate parts it has. ONE DAY I WILL! What about the Broadway Limited 2-6-6-4 coming out. I want one to go with the beast! Back to the J. It is the latest version with the black wheels and DCC ready. The thing has a smooth power range, but each time the driver bars rotate they wobble and stutter the engine as it goes along so that the tender looks like it is being towed along by a rubber band that is constantly contracting and expanding! I guess that I will have to return it. The funny thing is that in some ways it is prototypical in that it appears to be "pounding the rails".
I just got both the new K4 and the J. I have yet to have a problem with the J. Bachmann still seems to have a lot of quality control issues. It seems that about 70% are great running, but the other 30% are terrible. My guess would be to test run one before you shell out the cash. My J runs almost as well as my Russian. My only really problem with the J is that the sky line casing is still off, but a big improvement over the old one. I hope the come out with some of the other variations of the engine and figure out a way to tone down the shine on 611. Eric
I bought a J in the Spectrum line and have had disapointing results as well. The engine is so well detailed though, I would keep mine just as a desktop model. I bought mine to run however, and some tweaking is in order. My engine lurches along, (belt drive?) and just forget about slow speeds. On one turn in my layout, the drivers on the firemans side lift clear of the outside rail. This is the trailing truck fouling up in the cast pipes on either side. They gave no room for vertical play in the trailing truck. I will also scrap the trouble prone tender-locomotive coupler for a strip of brass. Next, a teardown to examine the drivetrain. I will be trying to find if the drivers are not quartered right, lopsided, siderods binding, ect. I am disapointed in the performance, but the detective work and repairs can be rewarding. This looks to be a challenging project. Anyone already working on this engine, I am open to suggestions, not wanting to re-invent the wheel.
I have very generous curves on my layout. However, I have heard a lot of people have had trouble on the sharper radius. A suggestion that I often see posted is to switch the plastic pieces that connect the trailing truck and the pilot truck. It would appear that the factory is putting them in the wrong place. This should help you engine on the curves. Eric
Eric, what exactly is the skyline case? Since I model a railroad museum, the shiny engine works well for me. The real 611 is just as shiny and polished in Roanoke as my model. I believe they sell the Spectrum 610 in a dull finish. I currently am modeling the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum and the Southern Steam Excursion program in particular.
The skyline casing is the shrouding on the top of the boiler. The Spectrum's skyline casing ends a little to early and appears to be a little to high. As for the shine, they need to tone it down just a little to give it a more realistic look. 611 was shiny in excursion service, but not that shiny. Eric
To be honest, I don't think Bachmann did a lot of re-tooling with the engine. They got the boiler right, and I think it's a huge improvement overall from the earlier version...but to me, they cheapened the model from their standard in order to sell more units. Bachmann has done some really nice models recently (the Shay and the Decapod probably being the best as far as detail goes. Going on that level of detail and taking size into account, the retail price for the J should have been somewhere around $150-200. Instead, what you got was a model with less detailing and a lower price tag accordingly. For some reason, modeling a J in HO has always been a problem, and I'll be the first to admit that the redone Spectrum version looks better than some of the brass models that have been imported over the years (not all, but definitely some). In the end though, where they could have competed with the high-detail models on the market (proto 2000, the shay, the Rivarossi Allegheny), they cheapened it to where everybody could afford it and I was a bit underwhelmed by the result. The one big problem here for me. Yes, the 611 version is WAY too shiny. They've done shine on some models that looks nice, but this looks like a really shiny plasticy-looking model---not to mention they screwed the red up. If you look at any picture of the J, that red stripe is not exactly red--it's more of a burgandy/maroon color. Look long enough through the old photos and you'll probably find that shade of red on a passenger car somewhere, but I have NEVER seen a picture of J with a orange/red stripe--which is what the Spectrum J has. The red on the original shiny 611/old water canteen is right (of course, it has the way-too-shiny problem also), but somehow they got the color on the new version off. Kevin
My Kato's aren't very noisy. They are comparable to my Atlas'. I don't know if DCC is any reason. Mine are DCC. Maybe yours just needs a lil lube job.
Kevin, Actually the Tuscan Red color you are referring to varied in different years and in different places on the N&W. After reviewing several of my N&W books and videos, the color was more or less the same on different coaches, but varied a shade or so on others. I think Bachmann was trying to get that fresh paint look on 611 this outing. I don't mind it, a little weathering and it will look great. Just my opinion of course. I don't think they should have put the twin-sealed beam headlight on though. It should be something that came as an add on. I haven't had any problems with it yet, and am looking forward to getting a couple more. In the matte finish though. Also if it's portraying excursion years, 611 would not have that second rod between her main and third drivers. But I'm not complaining. Jeff
My two cents on what I have read and heard about the new Class J. The N&W Historical Society did a review of this locomotive and basically the author said he couldn't recommend it. I believe they reviewed 3 off the shelf models and they found similar problems. They came across similar problems discussed. They found that both the leading and trailing trucks were reversed, the drawbar was binding and hand to have some filing done to it so it wouldn't bind and some weight had to be added so it could pull better. They did like the improved looks of the model, as it is closer to prototype. It didn't say it perfect though. They also stated that the paint job for the 611 is what it looked like in excursion service. The 610's paint job is correct for its passenger service era. I am glad I read the review before I bought one of these units. Now I will spend my money on something else.
Despite the much talked about problems with the SPectrum J, I would still recommend the engine. The draw bar problem is very easy to fix, as you just have to switch them. Most people have found that this improves performance dramatically. I think the key is to have the hobby shop test run it before you buy it. Also, if you are interested in the new K4, make sure your are getting the new K4 and not the old one. A hobby shop that I went to tried to sell me one of the old K4's as the new version. They have the same catalog number, so there is no way to tell. Eric
