Oh those poor children who had to wait some time in order save up enough money to buy a Bachman Thomas and Friends character only for it to burn out on them because of the poor choice of motor Bachman have chosen. Bachman do the right thing and fit a five pole motor do it for the children. Will somebody from Bachman think of the children and not just children module railway enthusiasts in general.
Yeah you're right - why on earth couldn't they use better mechanisms in those? They're messing with kids in those cases - not good at all! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I had something like this the package was an beautiful 020 diesel shunter from Germany pwrfect weight and detail... I open the box what DO I GET... WELL I GOT A BLOODY HELL YELLOW BOX (edit) : ON WHEELS
Finally some honesty in reviews! It's great to see someone with the courage to tackle the issue of poor quality and dreadful value for money in model railways. With prices now reaching very silly levels it's indefensible that manufacturers keep churning out rubbish like this. Many magazine reviews seem to shy away from issues about running qualitities and value for money. And just try raising the subject of sky high prices on a certain railway forum and you are instantly told where to get off. Keep up the good work! P.S. I own a number of your lemons myself.
Many thanks Howard - sure, I'll always do that! With prices they way they are, models need to be perfect. The fact that they so often aren't is ludicrous in my opinion! Sorry to hear you have a good number of these too!! :( Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Yes it's bad if the model companys just churn out lemons as espicaly new people to the hobbie will just give up.and with how the world is at present and people losing their jobs , there won't be the people to by their frankly overpriced lemons or any other items :(
Ironically, the real Class 221 also had issues with its tilting mechanism, to the point where they had to remove it because it was so bad. So Bachmann is actually making a perfectly accurate model to the prototype!
Wee mistake: the 221 tilt worked and still works perfectly fine. Avanti ones still have it, CrossCountry disabled it purely to save money and to make life easier when running one with a 220 (220s weren't even built with tilt at all), nothing related to their unreliability
I was expecting the Heljan to be carted out on the "Flatbed of Shame" again. Also, I love how you just left the Dapol derailed on its side for the rest of the video.
@@SamsTrains You should look up the Bachmann USA k4 streamline locomotive. It can't go faster than Thomas and you have to remove the tender body shell every time you get it in or out of its box.
You know, this video gave some really nice angles of your railway that we don't always get to see. It really made me appreciate the simple decoration you've done for the hill and the yard. I'm actually a little surprised you've not extended the decoration to anywhere else.
Underground ernie train: hello i like cheese Us: you suck your a lemon and we shall burn you Underground ernie train: ok u got me i really am a diseased catipilar
Hi Sam You bring up a very good point with this film. The trouble is the growth industry in complete lemons is damaging the customers and the hobby. Dealers are also customers . Normally I wouldn't comment like this but the lack of basic QC is such a serious issue. As a dealer we are here to grow the hobby, to help customers enjoy railway modelling and to find solutions to customer plans. In general we should just be dealing with clarifying instructions and solving small issues. Now we find that we have to inspect and test every model before sale. Carefully unpacking, inspecting and re-packing a model takes a lot of time. (2 hours for an O gauge loco). Despite the high price tags, there is no dealer margin in these models to pay for all the additional work that is now involved. ( Before complaining that this is mercenary, please consider your own work and paycheck - shops are a very costly enterprise to keep running) The process of making good or returning to a manufacturer has significant costs. If parts are missing then it can be months before I can put a model on sale. - in many cases I will have missed the boat on potential sales while I wait for replacements. Long term destruct testing should be done at the manufacturer during the design process. This kind of testing is not the responsibility of dealers. The feeling is that cost cutting on motors and gearboxes has become acceptable for some manufacturers and maybe the savings are seen as so beneficial that an increased returns rate is acceptable - or the model will hold on past the warranty period... I want to put it to these manufacturers that cost cutting in this manner is too destructive. All those comments of " I will never buy another model from them again" do add up and the customer base will diminish. Today I find myself stripping out ranges that I stock and limiting what I buy to manufacturers that I trust to look after their products. I find myself refusing customer orders as the products involved have known issues that will result in the shop trading at a loss on the deal. This is not fun or engaging for anyone concerned. I want to get back to a position where it is " Great model, thank you for your purchase. I know that you will love it!" Many thanks Chris
Thanks a lot Chris - yes it certainly is quite damaging to the hobby for sure! And absolutely - why should you have to spend all those hours checking models when it should be done at the factory? Thanks a lot for sharing all of this - hopefully the manufacturers will see content like this and make a move for the best, before it's too late! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I’ve had my Hornby Henry (tender drive) since Christmas 2003 and I’ve never had any issues with it. Always been a smooth runner. Great video by the way :)
Hilarious. That rolling banana or cucumber is just hilarious. Got to ask, have strange things been happening in the house since you got it? Love ya work Sam, Clint
4:25 I don't have any of the Bachmann Thomas locos, but I had a motor burn out on a Bachmann F7A, which ran poorly even though it was 8-wheel drive and had all-wheel pickups. It might've had the same motor as Circle Another locomotive that I have that seems to have a recurring flaw is my Life-Like 4-6-2 locomotive. It wheelslips on uphill curves (with even three coaches) and the front and rear axles stay on the track quite loosely. And I do have a floor layout too, which might be the source of its troubles
Ahh sorry about that - with that my driving wheels, if they didn't fit proper bearings (as they often don't), the massive friction could have been the cause - sorry to hear that :( Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I have been modelling for 60 years and the biggest lemon was the Hornby T9 which suffered motor mount mazak rot ! Such was the issue that Peter's Spares produce an aftermarket mount ! This loco topped the charts in my local model shop for the number of repairs! In fairness Hornby repaired both my 30285 and 30726 FOC!
i have a hornby railroad 14xx for my own layout ive had it for give or take 3 years now and i've never had a problem with it. it's perfect for going around the tight curves that i have on my layout and the motor has never exploded or burnt out on me. it does sometimes rock side to side when i run it and the traction tyres are on their way out but mechanically i've never had a single problem with it. nice video sam big fan :)
It’s just a shame that expensive locos with so much detail and separately fitted parts, get thrown out because of a bad mechanism/motor or just bad engineering. The smallest things can make the biggest impact.
True, I have never been 100% impressed with my Hornby super detailed 08 shunter as it runs well at low speeds but if you get it to higher speeds or longer running times the gearing starts to chatter which makes you think that the motor is failing. I am about to try a tip someone else mentioned by adding modelling white grease to the gears to minimise the noise. Its apparently a common issue with the hornby 08 shunter
As I sip my lemonade while watching the video. I'm grateful for this review because several of my wishlist locos are included. At least the Bachmann circle loco doesn't have its mouth open. (Enjoy the laugh-- I'm sure plenty of parents have.) I'll go to my room now. I'm back! You know, a drill and a little paint would complete the look. A great gag gift.
In the Railway Series book Henry and the Express story Overhaul something broke on Henry it bounce off the platform which cause a brick to fly pass Henry's cab and hit James' boiler who was behind Henry because it was easy way for Henry to get to the Sodor Steam works by Henry to pull the express the Henry's driver stop the train to look at the damage he told Henry that his tire broke off his wheels.
Hi Sam, thanks for the shout out! I honestly don't think Heljan can make a working steam model so I did not get one of them, The H class you are right, I added paper washers under the worm drive cover and its been fine since, I have a BR one that has been fine from new, so maybe a batch error. Don't have the Oxford Adams, Shame about the 14xx the older Hornby one was fine, Not had any issues with the Dean Goods from Oxford, ah the S15 yes indeed a huge problem, after Hornby sent me a brand new one, no more trouble. I'll need to check the N class, I have two and not notices any issues, ah the 9F my chassis twisted and luckily Hornby replaced it for me, but I hate Marzak rot, vile problem. OH yews the older Bachmann wheels, very sad indeed, who knows what's wrong with the plastic, and yet I have many cracked axles :( Dapol 73, yes this is dad, mine makes a horrid noise, I am on number 3, I also don't like how they crab around the track and as for the pick up arrangement! why did they do it! Good video idea!
No problem Mike - I followed your advice on my H class, along with the replacement motor, and mine seems fine for now too. The older 14xx was indeed fine, they actually removed the spring mechanism from the rear truck for their railroad one! Yes the 73 is a total waste of time - only loco I truly regret buying! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
The early Hornby T9 with 6 wheel tender included in the 'Southern Suburban 1938' set has the tender frames assembled the wrong way round (guard irons at the front), and the motor mount has mazak rot.
I had a lemon once: the Bachmann N scale Durango & Silverton set. The engine was dead on arrival. I had to order a new one, and had no problems with it since.
9:06 I have said this before and I'm going to say it again underground Ernie isn't as bad as people make it out it's actually pretty good as I usually can look past dated animation as long as the story is good
Honestly I don’t get why people think Underground Ernie copied Thomas, besides having sentient trains it’s not really that similar to Thomas. It would be like saying the Good Dinosaur and Disney’s Dinosaur both ripped off the Land Before Time.
Sam I am glad you made this kind of video. I have the same problems with some of the same engines . I also have a problem with my Oxford 2301 Dean Goods 0-6-0 2308 WW1 railway operating Division khaki. It start out great when it is cold but then it starts to slow down to it almost stops. As far as my Bachmann engines I have nothing but problems with them. Keep them great videos coming I can not wait.
Thanks Louis - sorry to hear you've had the same problems too! Hmm, that's very strange - I thought all the Khaki models were sorted - definitely send it back!! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
That's what happened to me when I was eight. I got Thomas for Christmas and after a month he stopped working. We even took him to the train store and they couldn't figure out what was wrong so we gave up. My problem now is the money and space.
Glad I didn't watch you review of the Heljan 1361 before I bought one. Got mine from Rails for half price and it's been a great little loco. Smooth and reliable straight from the box! Must have a rogue one. Regards Alan
The 14xx... It's a nice engine and model. But, my issue is that I can't can't pull heavy trains. I can only really use very light frieght or a autocoach for what i have. I do have the class 221 too, but I don't run it on tight railways at the moment, so I am okay with it.
Lemon locomotives Alternate title: making the argument for getting your money back. Have one: get your money back ASAP Don’t have one: stay away and look elsewhere
I have a 221 tilting voyager - solved the derailing problem by removing the centre swivel springs and it runs perfectly round 3rd and 2nd radius curves I also run the motor coach in second position rather than the third or centre position.
For the record, I have a Bachmann Virgin Voyager Class 221 set which I bought second hand but it does not derail as you describe. In fact it keeps on the track very well even though the power car is centrally located on the train and pushes two coaches when run in either direction.
@@SamsTrains Hi Sam, my smallest track curves are second radius but only through 90 degrees at one corner of my layout. All others are larger with flexi-track.
Urm... unfortunately i have 3 of these locos. The dapol class 73 which always derails on my points but i dont want to get rid of it because i love the colour scheme and it has nem couplings, the bachmann n class which i replaced the coupling and the hornby railroad 14xx. I wanted it to pull my auto coach my it gets stuck on my points so easily so dont often run it. Great video sam and keep up the great work. Stay safe, jack I also suggest you always have a breakdown crane standing by when running these locomotives lol.
Ahh sorry to hear that - yeah I love Dapol's colour schemes too! Yeah I don't often run that 14xx either - they're no fun :( Thanks for watching - Sam :)
1361 *appears* Sam adopts Sir David Attenborough voice. 😂 That 73 is ridiculous, so glad I watched your video on it before I was tempted by the ‘bargains’ on offer. Does your H wiggle as it runs? I wonder if it’s caused by the flywheel.
I laughed and laughed watching this video. Imagine buying a smartphone, having these issues and not being able to get an adequate response from the supplier! The issues in my view stem from all of the model train makers sourcing only one or two chinese manufacturers. I think it's time these companies tested taiwanese or even indonesian build quality.
Going by their efforts in other areas, Taiwanese companies might do a good job. As an added bonus, it has a good full size rail network including a high speed rail line and in the southern port city, a battery-operated new tramway. Great place!
Thanks for sharing! I don't know about that - the Chinese have produced some superb models for Hornby, so logically they can't be the weak link! I don't think it's as simple as incompetent manufacturing (although there is a lot of that too!) Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Loving that about the Dapol 73, @15:20, "... that does still happen..." (Engine obligingly falls over on points.) I still have a Hornby R156 (vintage 1972, I think) with one eccentric wheel, so it wobbles continuously and stalls on points as only 3 wheels are on the track. And I have a Hornby R351 electric, that worked fine, but it was such a faff putting up the wires and getting them bent to match the track. But they were longer than a segment of track, so the curves in the wires didn't match the curves in the track, especially after my brother got his fingers on them. Worked OK a few times, but it didn't suit a couple of impatient boys who had to disassemble it again for dinner. And it was a CKD engine, but I wasn't that good at putting it together!
Hi I did have a motor problem with the H Class locomotive. Also the same with the S15 which Hornby repair center did repair free of charge. I also have a Bachman N class with a different tender from your locos and never had a problem with derailing.
I'm currently on holiday and I went to the Royal airforce museum yesterday and I've never been to the NRM but when I do I think it's gonna be like that, it was fantastic AND I'm going to a narrow gauge railway!!
My Hornby railroad 41XX has a sprung back wheel set and its fine. I bought mine after your review and i think mine is either an older tooling or its a newer improved tooling. So mine is probably a new tooling that has been fixed since your review. Love the video SAM. 👍👍
Yes the older Hornby versions had a sprung rear pony, and then they got rid of it! What's the catalogue number of yours? I wonder if they reverted back to the old design?? Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Great video Sam. I have a 14xx but from Airfix and it must be at least 20 years older and yet it runs better than the railroad version. However this video truly ‘brought out’ the lemons in locomotives. Good video
Thanks Lewis - yes they do indeed - they used to have the sprung rear axle, but Hornby got rid of it, for some ungodly reason!! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
12:38 my bachmann Jubilee is the same! It works better with the wires to the tender snapped and looped together in the loco instead of doing a lap around the tender 1st
Interestingly, my Hornby Railroad Class 47 is one of the best runners on my layout. An absolute trooper who can easily handle multiple points, does a beautiful crawl, can happily pull 10+ wagons, and isn't even too fussed about less-than-squeaky-clean track! I've gone and looked at the center axles of mine, and they seem to be fine - they've even got a slight bit of up and down 'play'. I regularly check the loco for maintenance purposes (as I do with all my locos), and more often than not, I have to close it up again without needing much attention. Perhaps I've got the rare diamond of the rough lot!
A really excellent point you made regard the first time buyer coming into the Hobby, I wonder how many have been put off, and decided this Hobby isn't for them because of the problems.
Sam, the Heljan saddle tank is definitely a lemon. My replacement loco was a lot better but still needed a push to get it moving and then would stop periodically requiring further hand assistance. I would never consider a steam loco from Heljan again. To add insult to injury I had to pay the return postage from Australia to send the original faulty loco back. I considered returning the replacement loco (supposedly test run by the store to confirm operation) but given another $30.00 return postage cost, possibly no replacement available and three month turnaround time, I decided that I had suffered enough.
haha yeah it certainly is - sorry to hear you've had no luck either, they're just useless! I think the retailer should have to cover the postage if it was faulty! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
6:00 I just bought a 38xx County from hornby and also has a smoke generator and it was made about the same time as that 28xx it has warped worse it looks like the chimney crumbled away altogether it looks like one was nicked off another gwr engine it looks fine tho
Makes you appreciate the pretty much bullet proof tri-ang mechanisms. Pick them up on eBay keep them serviced and you have a working locomotive that will serve you well
One loco I think you've missed, is the Bachmann 7f. With the motor rubber seal which warps and then cools weirdly, this then causes super slow running when cold. Nice video, super Lemoney...
Thanks Sam, what an eye opener. I came very close to buying several of these locos. It seems like Bachman need to get on top of their quality control. Having said that, I have several Bachman steam locomotives and I've not had any problems with them.
I had a Bachmann 225 and it always worked really well. It would tilt with no problems. The only issue I had was that it had a split body shell which was soon replaced.
I've got an old Mainline Manor with split axels... they're lovely looking models, but I've lost count of the number of times I've re-glued the axels back together. I've also got a similar J72... but gave up trying to fix that years ago and it's static only now!!!
I own a older Bachmann B1 she runs really well. Idk if she had work done to her by the previous owner but I’ve run her most of the day for the last 3 days and the only one problem I’ve had is her tender derails but that’s not the B1 as most of my locomotives do that.
5:54 my d49 has a smoke generator that melted the smokebox door, luckily it was only the smoke box door that melted as that can be replaced because they are removable. To stop that from happening again I disconnected the wires
@@bachnguyen7448 I could do, but I don't really use that loco too often and I have no use for a smoke generator, so I probably won't. But thanks anyway, I appreciate the help :)
Ahh yeah - could be from a similar era! Yeah there are ways around it, but they should have worked properly from the factory ;) Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I can only comment on the Bachmann Voyager tilting set which I ran for a couple of years and it never faltered once and that was on a carpet, the motor was in a centre coach!
Glad to hear yours was okay! Mine is fine now, but it took an awful lot of work to get it going properly. Thanks for sharing! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)
The funny thing is that the other day my bachmann Emily's motor burnt out and she is also freewheeling. She had such a small motor. I was not surprised that a motor of that size would burn out. Guess it couldn't take the heat. The sad part is that I only got January of this year, so she only made 6 or 7 months. Great video, and thanks for making this video, now I know what NOT to get for my collection if I want to have long lasting locos.
You know I hear that all the time - the Bachmann Thomas range (and particularly Emily!) really do seem to struggle - contact Bachmann, they should be covered for 6 months by their warranty - worth a try! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
So sad to hear that the Bachmann Thomas model's motors burnout! You would think with such famous characters they would put a little more effort into their motoring! Excellent video as always Sam! -Parkman
I'm a little surprised the Bachmann UP prairie wasn't shown here, considering the split chassis combined with the smoke generator that can melt the stack if you're not careful.
Great vid Sam and very fun to watch. As for lemons in my collection I definitely have atleast one. The worst was my older style Bachmann class 66. Despite picking up on 8 wheels and running on clean track with clean wheels and pickups it would still cut out often for no reason. I gave it good service and checked all the parts were in good condition and everything was working perfectly fine. There was absolutely no reason for it to cut out like it did so I gave up and bought a new chassis which luckily was the older style 21 pin version with all wheel pickup and I haven’t had a problem with it since. This wasn’t the first time I had a problem like this as I have 2 more older style Bachmann 66s which suffered even worse from the same problem of which it got to the point where I converted them to rolling chassis. I’m never buying an older style Bachmann 66 again. As for other lemons in my collection I’m sure the hattons 66 deserves a place due to the axle box issues I’ve had with it. I only had a problem with two axle boxes but I eventually gave up and glued them permanently into place however I have left all the others as they are but they’ll probably get the same treatment in the future. Overall it seems that sheds don’t like me very much
I had this problem with early 66135. I added and wired up extra fine phosphor bronze strips to the 'dead' wheels and the loco now performs beautifully!
Nigel Curtis great to here mate. 66135 is one of the 66s I had the running issues with and so it’s now a rolling chassis. As well as you and myself I also have a friend who to had running issues with 66135 and he also converted to a rolling chassis. Why this issue is happening I do not know and it shouldn’t be happening at all as 8 wheels picking up is more than enough really for a loco that size. I have locos with less pickups that run better than those models so there’s really no excuse.
@@fyfieldjunction Hi mate. The centre axle appears to have a bit too much side play and the pickups would not stay firmly 'sprung ' on the back of the wheels both on straight track and curves. Trying to increase the tension caused the loco to derail immediately on entering a curve so I went back to square one and added the extra pickups as I mentioned earlier!
Thanks a lot for sharing these - I've never heard of that issue before, so that's very interesting! A very cool fix too! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Hi Sam, a few of my honourable mentions; Hornby S15 with the interesting overheating and variable speed motor feature. I've had two; both failed. Hornby re-tooled Terrier with a motor displaying 'stiction' (stopping and starting randomly), the Hornby 700 also developed the same issue. All THREE of my Oxford Radials now have failed and burnt-out motors. The Heljan Lynton and Barnstaple Manning-Wardle (009), which wouldn't negotiate points without derailing (I believe Heljan recalled them all). The older Bachmann (?) J39 which wouldn't traverse points with the brake rigging fitted. Hornby M7 which suffered mazak rot and motor failure. The Bachmann Class C which derails when reversing over left-hand points (both mine do over all my points but only left-hand!). I can't think of any more right now, but I'm sure I will! It baffles me why Hornby, notably, cannot spend a little more and provide decent, reliable motors. The extra few quid passed onto the consumer would, for me, cancel out the frustrating hassle of having to return faulty models or seeing them sitting on the scrap line (kitchen cupboard), out of use...
haha thanks Andrew for sharing all of these - not surprised to hear about your Oxford Radials, 2/2 of mine have failed too - utterly useless! I'm baffled too - literally no explanation for any of this! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Hi Sam my worst runner was my Australian rail models c38 steam locomotive when it arrived in the box all the detail parts had detached from the body, my first run it stuttered and derailed due to fixed bogies on the tender also no pick ups on the tender for a $300 locomotive no headlight either or dcc was dc with an 8 pin socket. The second time I ran it the locomotive came to a complete stop and when I opened the locomotive up the motor bearings had completely disintegrated. I've done a lot of work correcting the loco it now has a 5 pole motor instead of the 3 pole it had it now has a headlight and cab lighting with moving bogies and runs as a $300 locomotive should. They also advertise the locomotive with a front bogie coupler that it didn't have when it arrived.
I bought an LMS 4-6-2 Princess Elizabeth class loco off eBay about 10 months ago. On one side, the driving rods stopped working as the loco was going round and then derailed the loco. I had to take it to a model specialist via my local Hornby retailer and he had to glue the screw onto the thread so that the driving rods would work properly. This was because the screw thread was shot. It now works but was a notorious lemon! Another of my LMS locos sometimes needs a little nudge to get it going but then it works just fine. Any thoughts on that one? A point of interest. My dad gave me a 4-6-2 Britannia class loco when I was 7 and, 58 years later, it still works. It pulls coaches for fun and is a real joy. Its longevity is something to admire. You could say, in view of all the lemons in your video: "They don't make 'em like that any more!". I was particularly concerned at Bachmann's poor track record on this and other videos you have produced for us. Maybe Bachmann is a firm to avoid? Possibly, but I am sure you know of really excellent models that they produce. They can't be all bad, surely?!
Ahh sorry about that Pete - that really does sound like a lemon! Those old Britannia models are amazing for sure - I have some from the same era, both working perfectly too! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
A really cool place to go if you’re ever near it (ie in Buckinghamshire) is the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre. It has steam trains running a pretty longish distance for a museum (in my opinion), a lot of old locomotives as well as ones being done up. It also has a few shops selling model trains as well, including a second hand one which has a pretty unique stock. Keep up the good videos!
Hi Sam I have quite a few lemons first of which is the Bachmann Henry when I bought it the crank pins were broke when I unboxed it next is the Bachmann Edward. When I pull trains even very small trains Edward does a wheelie and finally I have a Bachmann Oliver his middle wheels don’t touch the track like you’re 14 xx
My worst runner is my first model, a Hornby E1... but it's cuz it vintage and it's old owner didn't take care of it, but I still love the hell out of the thing cuz it was my first model 💞
That Dapol diesel falling over in the opening shot was so much funnier than it should have been
haha I know right! ;D
@@SamsTrains"class 73 has a nap"
Funniest thing I’ve ever heard Sam say. “And we’ll get them running and just laugh at them as they struggle.”
haha, I can't pretend I didn't enjoy that! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Oh those poor children who had to wait some time in order save up enough money to buy a Bachman Thomas and Friends character only for it to burn out on them because of the poor choice of motor Bachman have chosen. Bachman do the right thing and fit a five pole motor do it for the children. Will somebody from Bachman think of the children and not just children module railway enthusiasts in general.
Yeah you're right - why on earth couldn't they use better mechanisms in those? They're messing with kids in those cases - not good at all!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Haha, that’s why I don’t buy Bachman.
I had something like this the package was an beautiful 020 diesel shunter from Germany pwrfect weight and detail... I open the box what DO I GET... WELL I GOT A BLOODY HELL YELLOW BOX
(edit) : ON WHEELS
😢Can it be replaced please tell me it can be replaced
Bachman's is the low cost leader of the industry. If you want a better quality product you have to spend a little more.
Finally some honesty in reviews!
It's great to see someone with the courage to tackle the issue of poor quality and dreadful value for money in model railways. With prices now reaching very silly levels it's indefensible that manufacturers keep churning out rubbish like this. Many magazine reviews seem to shy away from issues about running qualitities and value for money. And just try raising the subject of sky high prices on a certain railway forum and you are instantly told where to get off. Keep up the good work! P.S. I own a number of your lemons myself.
Many thanks Howard - sure, I'll always do that! With prices they way they are, models need to be perfect. The fact that they so often aren't is ludicrous in my opinion! Sorry to hear you have a good number of these too!! :(
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Yes it's bad if the model companys just churn out lemons as espicaly new people to the hobbie will just give up.and with how the world is at present and people losing their jobs , there won't be the people to by their frankly overpriced lemons or any other items :(
When are you people going to wake up to the real world,your country is being destroyed while you play with plastic toys!!!
9:17 it was assembled badly because whoever was assembling it wisely did not want to look at it.
haha yeah I guess that makes a lot of sense, lol! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Yep
Ironically, the real Class 221 also had issues with its tilting mechanism, to the point where they had to remove it because it was so bad. So Bachmann is actually making a perfectly accurate model to the prototype!
Wee mistake: the 221 tilt worked and still works perfectly fine. Avanti ones still have it, CrossCountry disabled it purely to save money and to make life easier when running one with a 220 (220s weren't even built with tilt at all), nothing related to their unreliability
@@Danse_Macabre_125 Ah, thanks for the info. I'm not so interested in the modern stuff so not surprised I got something wrong!
@@tavtwo8581 We all make mistakes, if anything I'd be even worse with most pre-HST stuff
I was expecting the Heljan to be carted out on the "Flatbed of Shame" again. Also, I love how you just left the Dapol derailed on its side for the rest of the video.
haha maybe - I'm sure it'll happen one day! Yep - I'd picked it up 10 times already, just gave up in the end!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
“When life gives you lemons, run some model trains” - me 2020
haha exactly right! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Sam'sTrains oh no! Did I mention you also make lemonade?? (Model trains first though) your welcome Sam. Keep it up,
@@SamsTrains "When you are in quarentine, Run some model trains, will ya?" AyJay 2021
Sees thumbail:
Me: Underground Ernie nightmares set in
14:49 nightmares intensify
haha absolutely! ;D
I remember those nightmare creatures now thanks
What a wild ride that show was. The Gary Lineker character looks like something the Fat Controller would see in his nightmares.
Stop
Sam'strains presents: Mockery of the lemon engines
haha exactly - letting off stream today! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Nice pun
Pun's
I have 15 engines and all but 3 are lemons
@@SamsTrains You should look up the Bachmann USA k4 streamline locomotive. It can't go faster than Thomas and you have to remove the tender body shell every time you get it in or out of its box.
You know, this video gave some really nice angles of your railway that we don't always get to see. It really made me appreciate the simple decoration you've done for the hill and the yard. I'm actually a little surprised you've not extended the decoration to anywhere else.
Ooh glad to hear that, thanks a lot mate! I don't think my layout is much good at all, but that's very kind of you! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains You're too modest, the yard and the hill are really well done, particularly the hill.
Ah, some of these were definitely a trip down memory lane. Especially the Heljan and Ernie.
haha yes indeed - not the kind of lane you want to revisit too often! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
More of a dark alley
Sam, make a layout outside and burn the Underground Ernie train while it runs
haha I might have to try that! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Underground ernie train: hello i like cheese
Us: you suck your a lemon and we shall burn you
Underground ernie train: ok u got me i really am a diseased catipilar
“Back Bay Train Crash but with model trains”
#StopCircleAbuse
yes
Hi Sam
You bring up a very good point with this film. The trouble is the growth industry in complete lemons is damaging the customers and the hobby. Dealers are also customers .
Normally I wouldn't comment like this but the lack of basic QC is such a serious issue. As a dealer we are here to grow the hobby, to help customers enjoy railway modelling and to find solutions to customer plans. In general we should just be dealing with clarifying instructions and solving small issues. Now we find that we have to inspect and test every model before sale. Carefully unpacking, inspecting and re-packing a model takes a lot of time. (2 hours for an O gauge loco). Despite the high price tags, there is no dealer margin in these models to pay for all the additional work that is now involved. ( Before complaining that this is mercenary, please consider your own work and paycheck - shops are a very costly enterprise to keep running)
The process of making good or returning to a manufacturer has significant costs. If parts are missing then it can be months before I can put a model on sale. - in many cases I will have missed the boat on potential sales while I wait for replacements.
Long term destruct testing should be done at the manufacturer during the design process. This kind of testing is not the responsibility of dealers.
The feeling is that cost cutting on motors and gearboxes has become acceptable for some manufacturers and maybe the savings are seen as so beneficial that an increased returns rate is acceptable - or the model will hold on past the warranty period... I want to put it to these manufacturers that cost cutting in this manner is too destructive. All those comments of " I will never buy another model from them again" do add up and the customer base will diminish.
Today I find myself stripping out ranges that I stock and limiting what I buy to manufacturers that I trust to look after their products. I find myself refusing customer orders as the products involved have known issues that will result in the shop trading at a loss on the deal. This is not fun or engaging for anyone concerned.
I want to get back to a position where it is " Great model, thank you for your purchase. I know that you will love it!"
Many thanks
Chris
Thanks a lot Chris - yes it certainly is quite damaging to the hobby for sure! And absolutely - why should you have to spend all those hours checking models when it should be done at the factory? Thanks a lot for sharing all of this - hopefully the manufacturers will see content like this and make a move for the best, before it's too late!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Interesting that the Hornby Henry seemed more based on his railways series illustrations. I like it.
“We’ll just laugh at them while they’re running”.. 😂😂🤣😆🤣
haha exactly! ;D
Bacmans circle "made for kids" loco : hulo
Sodor fallout: pah! TH-cam thinks that videos about me are MaDe FoR kIDs
haha I know right, lol! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Bachmann*
It takes a bold man to show the lemons and describe why. Great job!
One of the folks at my model club has a voyager and has no issues with it! Great video! :D
Edit: It's a 220 which doesn't tilt
I’ve had my Hornby Henry (tender drive) since Christmas 2003 and I’ve never had any issues with it. Always been a smooth runner. Great video by the way :)
Yes the older tender driven ones were fine - it seems it's mainly the newer loco driven ones!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Hilarious. That rolling banana or cucumber is just hilarious. Got to ask, have strange things been happening in the house since you got it? Love ya work Sam, Clint
haha I know - it's insane isn't it?! Yes they certainly have - I'm scared to wake up each morning :'(
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I bought the Hornby valley drifter starter set and the locomotive also stops every time on my points and they are brand new!
4:25 I don't have any of the Bachmann Thomas locos, but I had a motor burn out on a Bachmann F7A, which ran poorly even though it was 8-wheel drive and had all-wheel pickups. It might've had the same motor as Circle
Another locomotive that I have that seems to have a recurring flaw is my Life-Like 4-6-2 locomotive. It wheelslips on uphill curves (with even three coaches) and the front and rear axles stay on the track quite loosely. And I do have a floor layout too, which might be the source of its troubles
Ahh sorry about that - with that my driving wheels, if they didn't fit proper bearings (as they often don't), the massive friction could have been the cause - sorry to hear that :(
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Bachmann only puts effort into their expensive stuff. I do have a Bachmann 45-Tonner which is really reliable.
I have been modelling for 60 years and the biggest lemon was the Hornby T9 which suffered motor mount mazak rot ! Such was the issue that Peter's Spares produce an aftermarket mount ! This loco topped the charts in my local model shop for the number of repairs! In fairness Hornby repaired both my 30285 and 30726 FOC!
Yes you're right Nigel, I may have forgotten to include that one actually - my T9 did exactly the same thing!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
6:05
The Leaning Funnel of GWR 😂
haha yes indeed! ;D
The driver and fireman: THE ENGINE IS
*M E L T I N G*
i have a hornby railroad 14xx for my own layout ive had it for give or take 3 years now and i've never had a problem with it. it's perfect for going around the tight curves that i have on my layout and the motor has never exploded or burnt out on me. it does sometimes rock side to side when i run it and the traction tyres are on their way out but mechanically i've never had a single problem with it. nice video sam big fan :)
If it's 3 years old, then it probably still has the sprung axle - it's the newer Railroad design that was downgraded!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
It’s just a shame that expensive locos with so much detail and separately fitted parts, get thrown out because of a bad mechanism/motor or just bad engineering. The smallest things can make the biggest impact.
Yeah you're right - a real pity :(
True, I have never been 100% impressed with my Hornby super detailed 08 shunter as it runs well at low speeds but if you get it to higher speeds or longer running times the gearing starts to chatter which makes you think that the motor is failing. I am about to try a tip someone else mentioned by adding modelling white grease to the gears to minimise the noise. Its apparently a common issue with the hornby 08 shunter
As I sip my lemonade while watching the video.
I'm grateful for this review because several of my wishlist locos are included.
At least the Bachmann circle loco doesn't have its mouth open. (Enjoy the laugh-- I'm sure plenty of parents have.) I'll go to my room now.
I'm back! You know, a drill and a little paint would complete the look. A great gag gift.
haha fantastic! ;D
Ironic that henry has issues, seeing as he had them in Thomas the tank engine and friends/the railway series
True, but the model is in his rebuilt class 5 shape, when all of those problems were fixed.
haha good point though - maybe Hornby were just trying to be accurate!? ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains maybe they were, no problem, i enjoyed the video
@@railfan2822 yeah
In the Railway Series book Henry and the Express story Overhaul something broke on Henry it bounce off the platform which cause a brick to fly pass Henry's cab and hit James' boiler who was behind Henry because it was easy way for Henry to get to the Sodor Steam works by Henry to pull the express the Henry's driver stop the train to look at the damage he told Henry that his tire broke off his wheels.
Hi Sam, thanks for the shout out! I honestly don't think Heljan can make a working steam model so I did not get one of them, The H class you are right, I added paper washers under the worm drive cover and its been fine since, I have a BR one that has been fine from new, so maybe a batch error. Don't have the Oxford Adams, Shame about the 14xx the older Hornby one was fine, Not had any issues with the Dean Goods from Oxford, ah the S15 yes indeed a huge problem, after Hornby sent me a brand new one, no more trouble. I'll need to check the N class, I have two and not notices any issues, ah the 9F my chassis twisted and luckily Hornby replaced it for me, but I hate Marzak rot, vile problem. OH yews the older Bachmann wheels, very sad indeed, who knows what's wrong with the plastic, and yet I have many cracked axles :( Dapol 73, yes this is dad, mine makes a horrid noise, I am on number 3, I also don't like how they crab around the track and as for the pick up arrangement! why did they do it! Good video idea!
No problem Mike - I followed your advice on my H class, along with the replacement motor, and mine seems fine for now too. The older 14xx was indeed fine, they actually removed the spring mechanism from the rear truck for their railroad one! Yes the 73 is a total waste of time - only loco I truly regret buying!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
0:27 had me dying with the audience gasp!
haha!! xD
The early Hornby T9 with 6 wheel tender included in the 'Southern Suburban 1938' set has the tender frames assembled the wrong way round (guard irons at the front), and the motor mount has mazak rot.
Yes, indeed it has.
13:10, if the ‘H’ Class has got two defects, does that make it a lime??!! Great video as always, well done!
haha I'm not an expert on lemons and limes, but maybe you're right! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Traintastic Trains, that’s an ICR on your profile picture, I see these a lot here in Ireland.
Renny Rex, I’m from Ireland myself!
I gotta say. The whole purpose of this video is to bust on the circle train. And I couldn’t be happier that it is! Keep up the awesome work! Aman95
haha glad to hear that, lol! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Meat Loaf’s “Life is a Lemon (and I Want My Money Back)” - the new anthem of modern railway modelling 🍋
haha that's awesome! I'll have to get the license for that song, lol! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I had a lemon once: the Bachmann N scale Durango & Silverton set. The engine was dead on arrival. I had to order a new one, and had no problems with it since.
Uh oh that's no good - glad it's all okay now though! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Now this is in HO bit I recommend the IHC Durango and Silverton locomotives. They run beautifully
9:06 I have said this before and I'm going to say it again underground Ernie isn't as bad as people make it out it's actually pretty good as I usually can look past dated animation as long as the story is good
haha the show might be, this was strictly referring to the model though ;)
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Honestly I don’t get why people think Underground Ernie copied Thomas, besides having sentient trains it’s not really that similar to Thomas. It would be like saying the Good Dinosaur and Disney’s Dinosaur both ripped off the Land Before Time.
@@CW56 that's a really good point plus underground Ernie is more so based around the London underground really
Sam I am glad you made this kind of video. I have the same problems with some of the same engines . I also have a problem with my Oxford 2301 Dean Goods 0-6-0 2308 WW1 railway operating Division khaki. It start out great when it is cold but then it starts to slow down to it almost stops. As far as my Bachmann engines I have nothing but problems with them. Keep them great videos coming I can not wait.
Thanks Louis - sorry to hear you've had the same problems too! Hmm, that's very strange - I thought all the Khaki models were sorted - definitely send it back!!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Certainly a good way of frustrating a child right out of the hobby before they really get started. ☹️
Yeah absolutely - that's the worst part of all this :(
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
That's what happened to me when I was eight. I got Thomas for Christmas and after a month he stopped working. We even took him to the train store and they couldn't figure out what was wrong so we gave up. My problem now is the money and space.
Love the intro. Your videos are so enjoyable to watch. Keep up the fantastic work Sam.
Thanks so much, that's very kind of you! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Oh the pain of seeing that underground Ernie set in real life murder the catipiler on a fire
haha I know right, lol! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Glad I didn't watch you review of the Heljan 1361 before I bought one. Got mine from Rails for half price and it's been a great little loco. Smooth and reliable straight from the box! Must have a rogue one.
Regards Alan
Ahh great to hear that Alan! Just don't take it apart - you'll see the terrible mechanism if you do! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains here's hoping that I won't need to!🤣
0:16 I will never get that image out of my head
haha sorry about that! ;D
I have a hornby gordon were the connection rods between the main drivers has fallen apart on one side, i fixed it once but it fell apart again quickly
Dose any of these lemon 🍋 locomotives makes lemonade? because I’m thirsty.
Some of them ooze a nasty yellow fluid, but I'd strongly advise against consuming it!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
The 14xx... It's a nice engine and model. But, my issue is that I can't can't pull heavy trains. I can only really use very light frieght or a autocoach for what i have. I do have the class 221 too, but I don't run it on tight railways at the moment, so I am okay with it.
Yeah that's right - though it used to be much more powerful, they just ruined the design :(
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Thanks for the info on the bad engines with flaws. My dad usually avoids them anyway. :)
Lemon locomotives
Alternate title: making the argument for getting your money back.
Have one: get your money back ASAP
Don’t have one: stay away and look elsewhere
haha I guess so, I'd always recommend getting these things refunded!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I have a 221 tilting voyager - solved the derailing problem by removing the centre swivel springs and it runs perfectly round 3rd and 2nd radius curves I also run the motor coach in second position rather than the third or centre position.
Ahh very interesting Paul - I'm not sure what I did to fix my issue now, but I did manage it in the end!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Sees thumbnail and title
Me: alright let's see what sa-
Sam: we are looking at LEMON locos
*crazy music plays*
Me: Sam's gone mad!
haha, surprise! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
For the record, I have a Bachmann Virgin Voyager Class 221 set which I bought second hand but it does not derail as you describe. In fact it keeps on the track very well even though the power car is centrally located on the train and pushes two coaches when run in either direction.
Glad to hear that Robert - many others are sharing stories that their 221s are fine - what radius curves do you use??
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains Hi Sam, my smallest track curves are second radius but only through 90 degrees at one corner of my layout. All others are larger with flexi-track.
i have a train that derails its tender even on 3rd radius curves it could be crawling on them and it will still derail it
man! That's no good - which engine is it?!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Same
a tyco southern green 0-6-0@@SamsTrains
Urm... unfortunately i have 3 of these locos. The dapol class 73 which always derails on my points but i dont want to get rid of it because i love the colour scheme and it has nem couplings, the bachmann n class which i replaced the coupling and the hornby railroad 14xx. I wanted it to pull my auto coach my it gets stuck on my points so easily so dont often run it. Great video sam and keep up the great work. Stay safe, jack
I also suggest you always have a breakdown crane standing by when running these locomotives lol.
Ahh sorry to hear that - yeah I love Dapol's colour schemes too! Yeah I don't often run that 14xx either - they're no fun :(
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
So Sam I have a question
What do you think is the best model train to get as a beginner? , being one myself I would love go know
One of the little 0-4-0 starter train sets are a good start in my opinion.
Best loco is Oxford N2 0-6-0
Thanks to both of you😁
Do you mind if I also what are the best, cheapest coaches for beginners?
That's quite tricky - depends on what you like! Check some of my top5 videos - all of those models are awesome! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Hi I have just started watching your channel and I can’t stop watching I am thinking of starting my hornby collection your vids are amazing
Ooh awesome Toby, really hope you enjoy the hobby! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I am getting the Christmas coke a cola set to start with a pack of too points I saw your review and it looks great 👍
"Railway Reliant Robin(s)"?
haha exactly!! xD
Lol
1361 *appears*
Sam adopts Sir David Attenborough voice. 😂
That 73 is ridiculous, so glad I watched your video on it before I was tempted by the ‘bargains’ on offer.
Does your H wiggle as it runs? I wonder if it’s caused by the flywheel.
haha exactly!! Yeah it does a bit - I can't remember whether it did that before I modified it!! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I laughed and laughed watching this video. Imagine buying a smartphone, having these issues and not being able to get an adequate response from the supplier!
The issues in my view stem from all of the model train makers sourcing only one or two chinese manufacturers. I think it's time these companies tested taiwanese or even indonesian build quality.
Going by their efforts in other areas, Taiwanese companies might do a good job. As an added bonus, it has a good full size rail network including a high speed rail line and in the southern port city, a battery-operated new tramway. Great place!
Thanks for sharing! I don't know about that - the Chinese have produced some superb models for Hornby, so logically they can't be the weak link! I don't think it's as simple as incompetent manufacturing (although there is a lot of that too!)
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Japan and South Korea also make excellent products.
TH-camrs like Sam are 1 in a million. They nearly have 100K yet they still reply to very comment! GOOD ON YOU SAM! :}
Thanks so much mate, I do my best! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
RIP in rest tango I guess where ever that is
haha!! xD
I think Sam's the real lemon for buying the Lemons.
haha I guess so - but silly me for assuming these models would actually work properly, at the given prices ;)
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I think Sam is clever enough to repair and fix every issue, except the meltdown of the boilers!
0:30 and 8:54 ARRRGH it's the demon locomotive that haunts dreams
haha she's back, lol! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Loving that about the Dapol 73, @15:20, "... that does still happen..." (Engine obligingly falls over on points.)
I still have a Hornby R156 (vintage 1972, I think) with one eccentric wheel, so it wobbles continuously and stalls on points as only 3 wheels are on the track.
And I have a Hornby R351 electric, that worked fine, but it was such a faff putting up the wires and getting them bent to match the track. But they were longer than a segment of track, so the curves in the wires didn't match the curves in the track, especially after my brother got his fingers on them. Worked OK a few times, but it didn't suit a couple of impatient boys who had to disassemble it again for dinner. And it was a CKD engine, but I wasn't that good at putting it together!
14:29 Ay stop making fun of my name. ;)
haha sorry!! xD
Hi I did have a motor problem with the H Class locomotive. Also the same with the S15 which Hornby repair center did repair free of charge. I also have a Bachman N class with a different tender from your locos and never had a problem with derailing.
Thanks for sharing - exactly like me there then! That's very interesting - how is the tender different??
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Where was the large prairie that had some problems
Yes! I recorded this before I owned that one! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I'm currently on holiday and I went to the Royal airforce museum yesterday and I've never been to the NRM but when I do I think it's gonna be like that, it was fantastic AND I'm going to a narrow gauge railway!!
Ooh fantastic - glad to hear it was good! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
My Hornby railroad 41XX has a sprung back wheel set and its fine. I bought mine after your review and i think mine is either an older tooling or its a newer improved tooling.
So mine is probably a new tooling that has been fixed since your review. Love the video SAM. 👍👍
Yes the older Hornby versions had a sprung rear pony, and then they got rid of it! What's the catalogue number of yours? I wonder if they reverted back to the old design??
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains it is R3692
I guess today Sam woke up and said "well what can I do today to make me hate myself for doing this to myself"
haha exactly right! ;D
UNDERGROUND ERNIE IS THE BEST THING EVER MADE YOU WILL NOT CHANGE MY MIND ERNIEEEEEEEEE
2:02 My hornby pocket rocket Billy has the screw problem, but he runs very well after removing the middle one.
Me and my dad soldered one of the pickups back on
Great video Sam. I have a 14xx but from Airfix and it must be at least 20 years older and yet it runs better than the railroad version. However this video truly ‘brought out’ the lemons in locomotives. Good video
Thanks Lewis - yes they do indeed - they used to have the sprung rear axle, but Hornby got rid of it, for some ungodly reason!!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
12:38 my bachmann Jubilee is the same! It works better with the wires to the tender snapped and looped together in the loco instead of doing a lap around the tender 1st
Ahh sorry to hear that Luke - it's strange isn't it?!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Interestingly, my Hornby Railroad Class 47 is one of the best runners on my layout. An absolute trooper who can easily handle multiple points, does a beautiful crawl, can happily pull 10+ wagons, and isn't even too fussed about less-than-squeaky-clean track! I've gone and looked at the center axles of mine, and they seem to be fine - they've even got a slight bit of up and down 'play'. I regularly check the loco for maintenance purposes (as I do with all my locos), and more often than not, I have to close it up again without needing much attention. Perhaps I've got the rare diamond of the rough lot!
That is my favorite samstrain intro of the lot including the water tower and controller one.
Ooh glad to hear that one!! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
A really excellent point you made regard the first time buyer coming into the Hobby, I wonder how many have been put off, and decided this Hobby isn't for them because of the problems.
Thanks Sam - I agree - I hate to imagine it! :(
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
"Green rotten banana."- Sam I got to love that one! That was good!
haha thank you! xD
Sam, the Heljan saddle tank is definitely a lemon. My replacement loco was a lot better but still needed a push to get it moving and then would stop periodically requiring further hand assistance. I would never consider a steam loco from Heljan again. To add insult to injury I had to pay the return postage from Australia to send the original faulty loco back. I considered returning the replacement loco (supposedly test run by the store to confirm operation) but given another $30.00 return postage cost, possibly no replacement available and three month turnaround time, I decided that I had suffered enough.
haha yeah it certainly is - sorry to hear you've had no luck either, they're just useless! I think the retailer should have to cover the postage if it was faulty!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
6:00 I just bought a 38xx County from hornby and also has a smoke generator and it was made about the same time as that 28xx it has warped worse it looks like the chimney crumbled away altogether it looks like one was nicked off another gwr engine it looks fine tho
Oh blimey that's not good at all - have you been able to replace the chimney??
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains Will probably get a new body shell for it... who knows
Makes you appreciate the pretty much bullet proof tri-ang mechanisms. Pick them up on eBay keep them serviced and you have a working locomotive that will serve you well
Yes exactly - built properly in those days! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
One loco I think you've missed, is the Bachmann 7f. With the motor rubber seal which warps and then cools weirdly, this then causes super slow running when cold. Nice video, super Lemoney...
Yes that's very true actually - though also typical of most Bachmann locos - I've had that happen many times myself!!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Thanks Sam, what an eye opener. I came very close to buying several of these locos. It seems like Bachman need to get on top of their quality control. Having said that, I have several Bachman steam locomotives and I've not had any problems with them.
I had a Bachmann 225 and it always worked really well. It would tilt with no problems. The only issue I had was that it had a split body shell which was soon replaced.
Glad to hear yours is okay - lots of people I've heard from say theirs is fine - maybe I just had a bad one?
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I've got an old Mainline Manor with split axels... they're lovely looking models, but I've lost count of the number of times I've re-glued the axels back together. I've also got a similar J72... but gave up trying to fix that years ago and it's static only now!!!
Ahh yes you're right - famous lemons indeed!! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I own a older Bachmann B1 she runs really well. Idk if she had work done to her by the previous owner but I’ve run her most of the day for the last 3 days and the only one problem I’ve had is her tender derails but that’s not the B1 as most of my locomotives do that.
Ahh glad to hear yours is mostly okay - just make sure you keep it maintained!! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I have a bachmann 221 but have never had any issues with derailments when it tilts, motor car does get quite hot quite fast for me though.
Glad to hear yours is okay - quite a few saying they've had no problems with theirs too!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
5:54 my d49 has a smoke generator that melted the smokebox door, luckily it was only the smoke box door that melted as that can be replaced because they are removable. To stop that from happening again I disconnected the wires
Green Shark you could make a metal box to insulate the heat with like foam
I have done mods like this before
@@bachnguyen7448 I could do, but I don't really use that loco too often and I have no use for a smoke generator, so I probably won't. But thanks anyway, I appreciate the help :)
Ahh yeah - could be from a similar era! Yeah there are ways around it, but they should have worked properly from the factory ;)
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
My old Bachmann Salty model had a burnt out motor. Luckily I managed to get a new one before they got discontinued.
Ahh glad you got a new one mate - phew! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I can only comment on the Bachmann Voyager tilting set which I ran for a couple of years and it never faltered once and that was on a carpet, the motor was in a centre coach!
Glad to hear yours was okay! Mine is fine now, but it took an awful lot of work to get it going properly. Thanks for sharing! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
The funny thing is that the other day my bachmann Emily's motor burnt out and she is also freewheeling. She had such a small motor. I was not surprised that a motor of that size would burn out. Guess it couldn't take the heat. The sad part is that I only got January of this year, so she only made 6 or 7 months. Great video, and thanks for making this video, now I know what NOT to get for my collection if I want to have long lasting locos.
You know I hear that all the time - the Bachmann Thomas range (and particularly Emily!) really do seem to struggle - contact Bachmann, they should be covered for 6 months by their warranty - worth a try!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Thanks for telling me that, I will definitely give it a try.
So sad to hear that the Bachmann Thomas model's motors burnout! You would think with such famous characters they would put a little more effort into their motoring! Excellent video as always Sam! -Parkman
Yeah you would think that - a quick disassembly of any of them reveals just how cheap and nasty they are :(
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I'm a little surprised the Bachmann UP prairie wasn't shown here, considering the split chassis combined with the smoke generator that can melt the stack if you're not careful.
Yeah that's true - but mine does work okay (for now!)
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Great vid Sam and very fun to watch. As for lemons in my collection I definitely have atleast one. The worst was my older style Bachmann class 66. Despite picking up on 8 wheels and running on clean track with clean wheels and pickups it would still cut out often for no reason. I gave it good service and checked all the parts were in good condition and everything was working perfectly fine. There was absolutely no reason for it to cut out like it did so I gave up and bought a new chassis which luckily was the older style 21 pin version with all wheel pickup and I haven’t had a problem with it since. This wasn’t the first time I had a problem like this as I have 2 more older style Bachmann 66s which suffered even worse from the same problem of which it got to the point where I converted them to rolling chassis. I’m never buying an older style Bachmann 66 again. As for other lemons in my collection I’m sure the hattons 66 deserves a place due to the axle box issues I’ve had with it. I only had a problem with two axle boxes but I eventually gave up and glued them permanently into place however I have left all the others as they are but they’ll probably get the same treatment in the future. Overall it seems that sheds don’t like me very much
I had this problem with early 66135. I added and wired up extra fine phosphor bronze strips to the 'dead' wheels and the loco now performs beautifully!
Nigel Curtis great to here mate. 66135 is one of the 66s I had the running issues with and so it’s now a rolling chassis. As well as you and myself I also have a friend who to had running issues with 66135 and he also converted to a rolling chassis. Why this issue is happening I do not know and it shouldn’t be happening at all as 8 wheels picking up is more than enough really for a loco that size. I have locos with less pickups that run better than those models so there’s really no excuse.
@@fyfieldjunction Hi mate. The centre axle appears to have a bit too much side play and the pickups would not stay firmly 'sprung ' on the back of the wheels both on straight track and curves. Trying to increase the tension caused the loco to derail immediately on entering a curve so I went back to square one and added the extra pickups as I mentioned earlier!
Nigel Curtis ah I see
Thanks a lot for sharing these - I've never heard of that issue before, so that's very interesting! A very cool fix too! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Hi Sam, a few of my honourable mentions; Hornby S15 with the interesting overheating and variable speed motor feature. I've had two; both failed. Hornby re-tooled Terrier with a motor displaying 'stiction' (stopping and starting randomly), the Hornby 700 also developed the same issue. All THREE of my Oxford Radials now have failed and burnt-out motors. The Heljan Lynton and Barnstaple Manning-Wardle (009), which wouldn't negotiate points without derailing (I believe Heljan recalled them all). The older Bachmann (?) J39 which wouldn't traverse points with the brake rigging fitted. Hornby M7 which suffered mazak rot and motor failure. The Bachmann Class C which derails when reversing over left-hand points (both mine do over all my points but only left-hand!). I can't think of any more right now, but I'm sure I will!
It baffles me why Hornby, notably, cannot spend a little more and provide decent, reliable motors. The extra few quid passed onto the consumer would, for me, cancel out the frustrating hassle of having to return faulty models or seeing them sitting on the scrap line (kitchen cupboard), out of use...
haha thanks Andrew for sharing all of these - not surprised to hear about your Oxford Radials, 2/2 of mine have failed too - utterly useless! I'm baffled too - literally no explanation for any of this!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Hi Sam my worst runner was my Australian rail models c38 steam locomotive when it arrived in the box all the detail parts had detached from the body, my first run it stuttered and derailed due to fixed bogies on the tender also no pick ups on the tender for a $300 locomotive no headlight either or dcc was dc with an 8 pin socket. The second time I ran it the locomotive came to a complete stop and when I opened the locomotive up the motor bearings had completely disintegrated. I've done a lot of work correcting the loco it now has a 5 pole motor instead of the 3 pole it had it now has a headlight and cab lighting with moving bogies and runs as a $300 locomotive should. They also advertise the locomotive with a front bogie coupler that it didn't have when it arrived.
I bought an LMS 4-6-2 Princess Elizabeth class loco off eBay about 10 months ago. On one side, the driving rods stopped working as the loco was going round and then derailed the loco. I had to take it to a model specialist via my local Hornby retailer and he had to glue the screw onto the thread so that the driving rods would work properly. This was because the screw thread was shot. It now works but was a notorious lemon! Another of my LMS locos sometimes needs a little nudge to get it going but then it works just fine. Any thoughts on that one?
A point of interest. My dad gave me a 4-6-2 Britannia class loco when I was 7 and, 58 years later, it still works. It pulls coaches for fun and is a real joy. Its longevity is something to admire. You could say, in view of all the lemons in your video: "They don't make 'em like that any more!". I was particularly concerned at Bachmann's poor track record on this and other videos you have produced for us. Maybe Bachmann is a firm to avoid? Possibly, but I am sure you know of really excellent models that they produce. They can't be all bad, surely?!
Ahh sorry about that Pete - that really does sound like a lemon! Those old Britannia models are amazing for sure - I have some from the same era, both working perfectly too!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
A really cool place to go if you’re ever near it (ie in Buckinghamshire) is the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre. It has steam trains running a pretty longish distance for a museum (in my opinion), a lot of old locomotives as well as ones being done up. It also has a few shops selling model trains as well, including a second hand one which has a pretty unique stock. Keep up the good videos!
Ooh fantastic William, thanks a lot for sharing, I'd love to try there!! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Can you try to fix Emily and your bachmann T&F locos wich had a burn-out? Maybe replacing the motor..
Hi Sam I have quite a few lemons first of which is the Bachmann Henry when I bought it the crank pins were broke when I unboxed it next is the Bachmann Edward. When I pull trains even very small trains Edward does a wheelie and finally I have a Bachmann Oliver his middle wheels don’t touch the track like you’re 14 xx
Ahh sorry to hear that mate - yes good point on Edward, those are particularly bad, definitely!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
The mega no you mentioned a guy in America did a review on and it looked good. His channel is called SMT Mainline
My worst runner is my first model, a Hornby E1... but it's cuz it vintage and it's old owner didn't take care of it, but I still love the hell out of the thing cuz it was my first model 💞