http://resources.bachmanntrains.com/NMRA_2017/html5/index.html?page=1 $250 doesn't sound bad, but the SD45 had QC issues
Just got two Atlas SD9's w/DCC in the past year. I was hoping for another steamer from Bachmann. But even as I say that I am not impressed with their 'economy' DCC decoder. Will be interesting to hear if they made any improvements.
I think Bachmann is digging a hole for itself by selling only sound-equipped units, and even those with a sort of "compromised" decoder. Atlas and Intermountain got this right. Sell a full-on sound unit with a full-on sound decoder, and a "sound ready" unit that can either be converted to non-sound DCC or full-on sound. Then people who don't want sound don't have to pay for it, and people who want to "roll their own" sound installation like me can get the sound-ready version and install what they want aftermarket. I guess they will sell enough of these, but it is completely the wrong direction IMHO. John C.
Perhaps it's just me, but I'd like to see some Bachmann design refinement under the body shell to make their N Scale locomotives friendly to repair. Compared to Kato or Atlas, Bachmann's internals look rather crude and their wiring is brittle, and prone to break. Many units run great, but when things go bad, their designs resist repair. With Bachmann, I almost feel like I'm buying a disposable locomotive and I will no longer run that risk.
We have had SD-7/SD-9s from LL, Atlas/Kato and finally Atlas. Why did B-mann need to do one? Why not a Baldwin road switcher? B&O ran them, PRR ran them, SP ran them, WM ran them, a short line somewhere in the South ran them, NYC ran them. I would buy one with sound in it. I did note that B-mann did the bobber cabooses in two new road names as well as some new road names on the nineteenth century boxcars.
My SD45 has been returned to Bachmann once already and even before that the store I purchased from allowed me to swap for another unit. Each SD45 is junk...nothing but constant finger pushing...I myself took it apart to check contacts and such and can't see what the problem is. I have 18 other DCC (most sound) engines of various manufacturers and all run beautiful Funny thing was the one I returned to Bachmann and they reshipped back to me in this condition (check out pics)-after e-mailing them back they never responded about the mishandled unit-this wasn't done by a carrier it was repair department pure neglect. I just let it sit now...and have been selling off my Bachmann items one by one in protest.
I love sound, but I also love consumer choice (and always have). I've stripped out enough lousy sound decoders and speakers over the past two years that I'm very tired of manufacturers making decisions for me. Let me make my own; if I screw it up, my fault. Bachmann's stuff is especially annoying, because the Sound Value decoder isn't even a full-fledged sound decoder - it's a stripped-down version of the old Soundtraxx Tsunami. Although these days, I'm not into locomotive acquisition anyway. Got everything I need except some NKP-paint S-2's (come on, Atlas!) and FM H10-44's and H12-44's, which we're not going to see in N any time soon, I guess. Bachmann can do what it wants with the SD9; I've got 11 of 'em (six of the old Atlas/Kato units which still run like Swiss watches) and 5 of the newer Atlas/China DCC-ready ones. I just pray they don't come out with their S-4 in NKP paint, which would be . . . inconvenient . . . John C.
Despite their age, the Atlas/Kato SD-7/SD-9 is still one of the best running N scale locomotives out there. I have six of them, although I run only two with any regularity. I have four of the LLs, but run only two of them with any regularity. While the LLs are pretty good, they are not as good as the A/Ks. I do not have any of the Atlas China SDs. (The B&O had only five SD-7s: four freight and one passenger [the only one that it had with dynamic brakes]. A/K did two numbers of the freight units; LL did the other two. Nobody has done the one passenger unit that B&O had. I suppose that I could look for one B&O LL, try to find a basket case with dB in any road swap out the pieces and see if I can get the paint to match. ) This comes from someone who was not impressed with the Atlas/Kato RS-3 or RS-1.
So if somebody doesn't run DCC are they out of luck with Bachmann? Really just a rhetorical question from me, since I'm totally DC. (I do run my Atlas SD7s/SD24s with a Kato 1st gen turbo soundcard in the Kato Soundbox. Ultra low tech but still enjoyable.)
The Sound Value decoder Bachmann uses is dual-mode; it will run on straight DC. That said, I've never come across a dual-mode DCC decoder that provided the same overall smoothness as running on straight DC without the decoder in the way. If I were a "DC 'till I die" person, I'd pull out the decoder and rewire the whole thing for simple DC operation. Which is another reason that Bachmann's "sound only" sales model is a bust, IMHO. John C.
"DC 'till I die" LOL Maybe that is what I am. Full disclosure; I did in fact buy a really nice NCE radio system some years ago, and converted a few locomotives. Based on that experience, I just decided to embrace simple and go with DC only for the duration. I've been having fun with Kato's "dumb" sound box. Connected to some mid range computer speakers, it puts out some very good sound. The audiophiles will tell you that base sound is non-directional, so it really doesn't matter if it's coming out of that little N scale engine (which doesn't produce base) or that subwoofer over in the corner. DCC is a really neat technology, although I think we will soon see the Bluetooth replacement, where our track is just connected to a regulated 12V DC power supply and everything is wireless. My patent is currently under review in Washington (jk).
