Good afternoon Sir! Thank you very much for this review! Read all of the comments and replies. I thought that maybe I was the only one with problem on this item. I waited over a year and one-half for my Union Pacific "fast forty" SD-40-2. I received it recently and could not wait to get it running on the layout. I was very displeased in that on the first run it stalled/wheels kept spinning over 2 of the turnouts. None of my other locomotives have had any issues whatsoever. So I looked at the turnouts and filed down some of the guard rails, etc. Still no joy. After seeing your review it is obvious that the locomotive is bottoming out over the turnouts. I pride myself on the trackwork on my layout...it is level and meticulously maintained. Yet the scaletrains product has issues! I mean, I spent $250 for this item and could not be more disappointed. It is clear from inspection of the underside of the locomotive that the clearance of the fuel tank is not enough...period...it looks like there is some black plastic on the front of the fuel tanks where it has rubbed against the black plastic of the turnouts. With the grooves on the fuel tank it makes me think they knew there might be a clearance issue...why else would they be there? I am trying to get in touch with ST and see what they say...hopefully, resolution of some sort. Thank you again for this review! V/R Chuck
I have worked on mine for quite a bit and I have almost everything fixed finally. I should not have to put this kind of work into their lack of quality and manufacturing skills. I am not going to be jumping to get any of their products anymore. 1.5 years to deliver an underperforming and quality nightmare for the price tag of $250.00, is not good customer care. Scaletrains dropped the ball on this paperweight. Thanks for the comment and I hope you get a resolution. Stay safe out there.
That’s amazing! Product Assurance Dept seems to have gone out the window! I’ve had issues w my HO Scale Trains locos as well w jerkiness on the rails after I’ve had the engines for a couple of months. I think in order to keep the price down, they’re not using the best material on the electrical shoe that picks up electricity on the wheels from the track. I’ve found that using an electronic cleaner CRC QD cleans out whatever is building up, 0:10 and makes the locos run smoothly again. But honestly, you should not those type of problems with an engine right out of the box. Too bad because their shells have a lot of detail on them. Good luck!!
I totally agree to the Product Assurance Department is gone off the rails. They should be deep diving into their whole process from development, production completely, and then testing and quality assurance, before ever sending poor quality to their customers. The grooves should've never made it past production. Thanks for the comment and stay safe out there.
Hi Big G, I’m sorry you’re having trouble with your locomotives. I would definitely contact Scale Trains. I have 3 units in the Southern. But there still in the boxes. Because I’m working on scenery where I track out and bridges. Going to finish those areas so I don’t have to take the bridges out again. Good luck. Thanks for sharing. Have a better week. 😎😎 👍
I wish you nothing but the best for the 3 you have. I wish I didn't get the performance I did with mine, but unfortunately I did. I wanted to post about it, so others would know and to hopefully get the consumer a platform to show we aren't going to buy poor quality control. Thanks for the comment and stay safe out there.
I have an Atlas that does the same thing. The reason i found was that the fuel tank was made to thick and it drags the track. I took a dremel and ground the tank down a bit and it works fine.
I have had a bit of luck filing mine down too. I still need to do a bit more to remedy it all the way though. Thanks for the suggestion and stay safe out there.
They definitely should be reaching out and fixing this issue. To pay that kind of money and receive this kind of performance is appalling. Thanks for the comment and stay safe out there.
I don't own any SC locomotives, but I have 2 of the CSX AC4400CWs (YN2) on preorder, and the more bad reviews keep hearing, the more nervous i am about them arriving in June/July. If you're going to cut out the hobby shops by primarily only selling direct and pocketing all the money you can as a company, make a flawless product.
Most of their runs are flawless, but these were the worse locomotives I have seen in a long time. They definitely missed the mark of quality and standards I thought they had. I hope your locomotives are better. Thank you for your comments and stay safe out there.
I have a lot of ST units that don’t have issues. One of the 40-2’s I got had this problem but I haven’t had a chance to mess with it yet. One issue won’t keep me from buying more of their products.
@@Chris7092 I am still planning on buying some, but will be very hesitant on doing so. I really don't N-joy fixing a manufacture defect on a new locomotive. Thanks for the comment and stay safe out there.
I couldn't agree more about the flawless product, especially at the prices they want to charge. These models aren't worth the money. If I have to work and fix your locomotives out the box that is new, then I need to be refunded for my work. These models need to be refunded for manufacturing defects. Thanks for the comment and good luck with your preorder. Stay safe out there.
@@biggsrr6708 no way they can charge 250 and have an issue like that. companies by nature only speak one language- money. thanks to honest reviews like yours, maybe they will make less money due to this issue and not only fix the issue in the future but also invest more in development, quality and control for future products. more modelers should speak out. ok i'm done lol
Big G I definitely be calling scale, trains, and tell the issues you’re having and send them the pictures of what you’ve done maybe they can send you a new one or least they can remodel or fix the problems they have with the new engines myself I love the chessie system, and I grew up with the chessie system I do the HO but I do have scale too, and I would be very upset about spinning that amount of money and having the issues that you’re having like you have said, keep up the good work
Thank you and I will be trying to contact them this coming week. It's a shame that they knew and molded rail slots in the fuel tank, instead of shaving the excess molding off.
Dang big G. Sorry to hear this about my favorite loco company ( in ho anyways) did you by chance reach out to them. ? It definitely sounds like a known defect. Hopefully they’ll make it right for you guys. On a positive note, that bridge scene is fricken amazing buddy. 👍
I have tried calling and reaching out, but they haven't answered any of their extensions during their normal operation of hours. Thanks for the comment and compliment on the bridge. I spent a ton of time on it, but love the way came out. I am glad you N-joyed it and stay safe out there.
I'm quite happy with the level of detail that ScaleTrains was able to pack into these, but performance leaves a bit to be desired. After an hour and a half of tweaking CVs', I've yet to find a solution that enables smooth operation from speed step 1 through 5. Quite possibly the worst "slow-speed" performing locomotives in my fleet. Sorry to hear you are having issues with yours, as well. At least they're pretty to look at!
You got that right about being pretty to look at, but performance wise, definitely missed the bar completely. This was a bad batch all the way around. Between the jerkiness and low fuel tanks, I'd almost take a windup engine over these. Thanks for the comment and stay safe out there.
How’d I not see this review last week when I bought my chessie sd40-2 from scale trains? I bought the et44c4 from scale trains a long while back. Looks great. Runs like crap compared to others. Vowed to not buy their stuff again…until I saw the chessie sd40-2. If it fails to impress, I guess it’ll be a stationary fixture to my layout. Fingers crossed 🤞🏻
I hope it runs good for you. My main concern is just how low they sit. This run allows for no flaws at all. You have to have perfect trackwork and they ride the very top of the wheel. 1 small wheel spacer for just a bit of ride height would have done wonders for this model. The jerky motion will hopefully ride into oblivion at some point. These were not tested well enough to be released to the public. They really need to address these models and their flaws. Thanks for the comment and stay safe out there.
@@biggsrr6708 the sd40-2 got delivered the other day. I think I got lucky. Mine runs flawlessly! I think it might be my favorite out of the 9 locomotives that I own.
@@scottbeaver6641 Glad you got a good one. I think I about got mine to run pretty nicely. I have 2 issues left to fix, then I should be good to go on mine. I am glad to know that not all of them where factory duds that needed work. Thanks for the reply back!
Gary, They be broke! Send them back. Could be worse. Could be snowing! Could be built by Boeing. At least the drive wheels are straight, unlike my Athearn 4-8-8-4 Big Boy. Be patient. Scale Trains does not want bad reviews. I think, once you get ahold of them, they will help you. Peter.
Thanks Peter, I will continue to try to contact them, but I wanted others to know what was happening with them. The clearly tried to hide this flaw. We can't let the industry get by with this type of quality control slippage. Thanks for the comment and compliment. Stay safe out there.
Unusual for ScaleTrains…but $500 would have been refunded no matter how much I loved the paint scheme…especially for a known issue they tried haphazardly fixing before shipping…hopefully they won’t void warranty cause you worked the fuel tank
I do want to talk with them and figure out why they thought that fix would be appropriate it, instead of the right thing, which is to raise the fuel tank up. I have had an issue before, but this was an issue as a consumer, you never want to see. Thanks for the comment and compliment, stay safe out there.
@@mattsynth I totally understand the frustration. What really gets me, is that I had another channel blast me for giving a bad review and being upset at a poorly crafted model. I left him a comment explaining my point of view. I really don't understand how people are upset at me for putting out a very honest review. Thanks for your comment and stay safe out there.
You know for sure it is an issue when it stalls on track that never has any other problems for 4.5 years. The screws on the groo es are horrible, too. Thanks for the comment, and stay safe out there.
I am going to try and keep getting in touch with them. They definitely missed the performance level on these. Thank you for your comments and stay safe out there.
that is absoultly terrible gary i would send them right back to them and tell them to fix it. what are they doin putting the tanks that low anyways !!!! any way i look at this situation its not right. also herd of more reviews on the jerkyness of them from other guys. i know you love them and waited a loooooong time on them but its not right and i would email them and send them back. who in their right mind thought that putting straight groves in these would think that would be alright going around curves and turnouts anyway. scale trains has such a good rep i have many and they run like a champ but after this review i wont be buying them any time soon. please let us all know how you make out with them
Thanks buddy. As soon as I saw these issues, I wanted to make sure others knew. I looked at my other Scale Trains, and none of them had the grooves molded on them. This clearly is a way they thought they could slide the poor quality control off to the consumer. I lost some faith with them on this purchase. These locomotives should have never been released into the wild, especially for that price. Thanks for the comment and compliment and stay safe out there.
I'm very suspicious that this was the factory trying to pull one off on the Tennessee boys. NOT the Tennessee boys trying to pass something off on us. I blame the factory.
@@trainencounters586 all I know is I have 2 locomotives that needed a lot of attention and should have been right from the get go. Thanks for the comment and stay safe out there.
I really want to keep them, but this is unacceptable to send to their customers. This is poor quality and I believe if they knew they needed trenches on them, they should have waited to release them, till they fully fixed them. Thanks for the comment and stay safe out there.
You probably were not successful reaching scale trains because it was the Chinese new year holidays 😂. The entire product is engineered and manufactured in China. Also mostly by non automated equipment. It won’t be long before more and more deficiencies turn up. Now as far as the jerkiness, I am suspicious of the new ESU decoders. They are using a new socket type. Could be problematic, don’t know. Anyhow I don’t own scale trains and don’t plan to own any. I don’t want a 100% Chinese product, that’s all.
I totally get the fact of not wanting to own them because of country of make. There home office is based 90 minutes from me in Tennessee, and they never answer the phones. I have tried multiple times, and you have to leave a message. This is unfortunate for them, as they will lose more business as more reviews are happening, and people are getting more upset with their recent products. They really need to contact their customers and offer some sort of resolution to their flaws in their product line with the SD40-2s in N Scale. Thanks for the comment and stay safe out there.
Amazing to me that they haven’t returned a call. They recently broadcast an apology video for their QC errors. Also, repairs will take a while. They all go back to China. But after watching Scott Teague and his follow up and the pain of the new decoder socket, I am dubious of the whole scheme. Some people don’t like BLI but at least they design their own stuff, there is intellectual property ownership of the product. Kato designs and manufactured themselves, except for US decoders. And Kato spare parts supply is excellent. Scale Trains? Their factory? It’s a model train factory in China that also builds model trains for anyone else. They advertise that. So buyer beware in the long term.
Good afternoon Sir! Thank you very much for this review! Read all of the comments and replies. I thought that maybe I was the only one with problem on this item. I waited over a year and one-half for my Union Pacific "fast forty" SD-40-2. I received it recently and could not wait to get it running on the layout. I was very displeased in that on the first run it stalled/wheels kept spinning over 2 of the turnouts. None of my other locomotives have had any issues whatsoever. So I looked at the turnouts and filed down some of the guard rails, etc. Still no joy. After seeing your review it is obvious that the locomotive is bottoming out over the turnouts. I pride myself on the trackwork on my layout...it is level and meticulously maintained. Yet the scaletrains product has issues! I mean, I spent $250 for this item and could not be more disappointed. It is clear from inspection of the underside of the locomotive that the clearance of the fuel tank is not enough...period...it looks like there is some black plastic on the front of the fuel tanks where it has rubbed against the black plastic of the turnouts. With the grooves on the fuel tank it makes me think they knew there might be a clearance issue...why else would they be there? I am trying to get in touch with ST and see what they say...hopefully, resolution of some sort. Thank you again for this review! V/R Chuck
I have worked on mine for quite a bit and I have almost everything fixed finally. I should not have to put this kind of work into their lack of quality and manufacturing skills. I am not going to be jumping to get any of their products anymore. 1.5 years to deliver an underperforming and quality nightmare for the price tag of $250.00, is not good customer care. Scaletrains dropped the ball on this paperweight. Thanks for the comment and I hope you get a resolution. Stay safe out there.
That’s amazing! Product Assurance Dept seems to have gone out the window! I’ve had issues w my HO Scale Trains locos as well w jerkiness on the rails after I’ve had the engines for a couple of months. I think in order to keep the price down, they’re not using the best material on the electrical shoe that picks up electricity on the wheels from the track. I’ve found that using an electronic cleaner CRC QD cleans out whatever is building up, 0:10 and makes the locos run smoothly again. But honestly, you should not those type of problems with an engine right out of the box. Too bad because their shells have a lot of detail on them. Good luck!!
I totally agree to the Product Assurance Department is gone off the rails. They should be deep diving into their whole process from development, production completely, and then testing and quality assurance, before ever sending poor quality to their customers. The grooves should've never made it past production. Thanks for the comment and stay safe out there.
@@biggsrr6708 …will do! Thanks!
Hi Big G, I’m sorry you’re having trouble with your locomotives. I would definitely contact Scale Trains. I have 3 units in the Southern. But there still in the boxes. Because I’m working on scenery where I track out and bridges. Going to finish those areas so I don’t have to take the bridges out again. Good luck. Thanks for sharing. Have a better week. 😎😎 👍
I wish you nothing but the best for the 3 you have. I wish I didn't get the performance I did with mine, but unfortunately I did. I wanted to post about it, so others would know and to hopefully get the consumer a platform to show we aren't going to buy poor quality control. Thanks for the comment and stay safe out there.
I have an Atlas that does the same thing. The reason i found was that the fuel tank was made to thick and it drags the track. I took a dremel and ground the tank down a bit and it works fine.
I have had a bit of luck filing mine down too. I still need to do a bit more to remedy it all the way though. Thanks for the suggestion and stay safe out there.
@@biggsrr6708 it mainly hangs up on the joiners. I'm using kato unitrack and it is really smooth but this atlas will hang on almost every joiner.
Thanks for the heads up Big G. Scale trains should come clean and fix the issues. Take care. Sean.
They definitely should be reaching out and fixing this issue. To pay that kind of money and receive this kind of performance is appalling. Thanks for the comment and stay safe out there.
I don't own any SC locomotives, but I have 2 of the CSX AC4400CWs (YN2) on preorder, and the more bad reviews keep hearing, the more nervous i am about them arriving in June/July.
If you're going to cut out the hobby shops by primarily only selling direct and pocketing all the money you can as a company, make a flawless product.
Most of their runs are flawless, but these were the worse locomotives I have seen in a long time. They definitely missed the mark of quality and standards I thought they had. I hope your locomotives are better. Thank you for your comments and stay safe out there.
I have a lot of ST units that don’t have issues. One of the 40-2’s I got had this problem but I haven’t had a chance to mess with it yet. One issue won’t keep me from buying more of their products.
@@Chris7092 I am still planning on buying some, but will be very hesitant on doing so. I really don't N-joy fixing a manufacture defect on a new locomotive. Thanks for the comment and stay safe out there.
I couldn't agree more about the flawless product, especially at the prices they want to charge. These models aren't worth the money. If I have to work and fix your locomotives out the box that is new, then I need to be refunded for my work. These models need to be refunded for manufacturing defects. Thanks for the comment and good luck with your preorder. Stay safe out there.
very nice video Big G.
Thank you and I'm glad you N-joyed, stay safe out there.
love this review Big G!! get em.
I can see if one does it, but 2, and they have trenches molded in the fuel tanks for the railhead. That shows that they knew it was issue.
@@biggsrr6708 no way they can charge 250 and have an issue like that. companies by nature only speak one language- money. thanks to honest reviews like yours, maybe they will make less money due to this issue and not only fix the issue in the future but also invest more in development, quality and control for future products. more modelers should speak out. ok i'm done lol
@@mysticrailroad I totally agree with this completely.
Love Chessie and wasn't sure if anyone still produces them
I was really excited to try these out.
Thinking ill wait for Kato's next run.
Thanks for the comment. I think that would be a good move. Stay safe out there.
Big G I definitely be calling scale, trains, and tell the issues you’re having and send them the pictures of what you’ve done maybe they can send you a new one or least they can remodel or fix the problems they have with the new engines myself I love the chessie system, and I grew up with the chessie system I do the HO but I do have scale too, and I would be very upset about spinning that amount of money and having the issues that you’re having like you have said, keep up the good work
Thank you and I will be trying to contact them this coming week. It's a shame that they knew and molded rail slots in the fuel tank, instead of shaving the excess molding off.
Dang big G. Sorry to hear this about my favorite loco company ( in ho anyways) did you by chance reach out to them. ? It definitely sounds like a known defect. Hopefully they’ll make it right for you guys. On a positive note, that bridge scene is fricken amazing buddy. 👍
I have tried calling and reaching out, but they haven't answered any of their extensions during their normal operation of hours. Thanks for the comment and compliment on the bridge. I spent a ton of time on it, but love the way came out. I am glad you N-joyed it and stay safe out there.
I'm quite happy with the level of detail that ScaleTrains was able to pack into these, but performance leaves a bit to be desired. After an hour and a half of tweaking CVs', I've yet to find a solution that enables smooth operation from speed step 1 through 5. Quite possibly the worst "slow-speed" performing locomotives in my fleet. Sorry to hear you are having issues with yours, as well. At least they're pretty to look at!
You got that right about being pretty to look at, but performance wise, definitely missed the bar completely. This was a bad batch all the way around. Between the jerkiness and low fuel tanks, I'd almost take a windup engine over these. Thanks for the comment and stay safe out there.
How’d I not see this review last week when I bought my chessie sd40-2 from scale trains? I bought the et44c4 from scale trains a long while back. Looks great. Runs like crap compared to others. Vowed to not buy their stuff again…until I saw the chessie sd40-2. If it fails to impress, I guess it’ll be a stationary fixture to my layout. Fingers crossed 🤞🏻
I hope it runs good for you. My main concern is just how low they sit. This run allows for no flaws at all. You have to have perfect trackwork and they ride the very top of the wheel. 1 small wheel spacer for just a bit of ride height would have done wonders for this model. The jerky motion will hopefully ride into oblivion at some point. These were not tested well enough to be released to the public. They really need to address these models and their flaws. Thanks for the comment and stay safe out there.
@@biggsrr6708 the sd40-2 got delivered the other day. I think I got lucky. Mine runs flawlessly! I think it might be my favorite out of the 9 locomotives that I own.
@@scottbeaver6641 Glad you got a good one. I think I about got mine to run pretty nicely. I have 2 issues left to fix, then I should be good to go on mine. I am glad to know that not all of them where factory duds that needed work. Thanks for the reply back!
Gary,
They be broke! Send them back.
Could be worse. Could be snowing! Could be built by Boeing.
At least the drive wheels are straight, unlike my Athearn 4-8-8-4 Big Boy. Be patient. Scale Trains does not want bad reviews. I think, once you get ahold of them, they will help you.
Peter.
Thanks Peter, I will continue to try to contact them, but I wanted others to know what was happening with them. The clearly tried to hide this flaw. We can't let the industry get by with this type of quality control slippage. Thanks for the comment and compliment. Stay safe out there.
Sorry you had issues with you Chessie SD40-2’s , I have 2 NS Admiral cabs with no issues
I am hearing a few people that received them with no issues. I am glad they weren't all problematic. Thanks for the comment and stay safe out there.
Unusual for ScaleTrains…but $500 would have been refunded no matter how much I loved the paint scheme…especially for a known issue they tried haphazardly fixing before shipping…hopefully they won’t void warranty cause you worked the fuel tank
I do want to talk with them and figure out why they thought that fix would be appropriate it, instead of the right thing, which is to raise the fuel tank up. I have had an issue before, but this was an issue as a consumer, you never want to see. Thanks for the comment and compliment, stay safe out there.
My ScaleTrains SD40-2 run like crap, derailing, jerky at slow speeds. First and last ScaleTrains purchase for me.
@@mattsynth I totally understand the frustration. What really gets me, is that I had another channel blast me for giving a bad review and being upset at a poorly crafted model. I left him a comment explaining my point of view. I really don't understand how people are upset at me for putting out a very honest review. Thanks for your comment and stay safe out there.
Have you contacted scale trains?
I tried calling them this past week, but they didn't answer any extensions I tried.
Putting screws in line with the track. That not thinking. You need to call scale trains.
You know for sure it is an issue when it stalls on track that never has any other problems for 4.5 years. The screws on the groo es are horrible, too. Thanks for the comment, and stay safe out there.
Definitely should not be like this at the price you paid.I would let scaletrains know.Seems like everyone who got them has issues.
I am going to try and keep getting in touch with them. They definitely missed the performance level on these. Thank you for your comments and stay safe out there.
that is absoultly terrible gary i would send them right back to them and tell them to fix it. what are they doin putting the tanks that low anyways !!!! any way i look at this situation its not right. also herd of more reviews on the jerkyness of them from other guys. i know you love them and waited a loooooong time on them but its not right and i would email them and send them back. who in their right mind thought that putting straight groves in these would think that would be alright going around curves and turnouts anyway. scale trains has such a good rep i have many and they run like a champ but after this review i wont be buying them any time soon. please let us all know how you make out with them
Thanks buddy. As soon as I saw these issues, I wanted to make sure others knew. I looked at my other Scale Trains, and none of them had the grooves molded on them. This clearly is a way they thought they could slide the poor quality control off to the consumer. I lost some faith with them on this purchase. These locomotives should have never been released into the wild, especially for that price. Thanks for the comment and compliment and stay safe out there.
I'm very suspicious that this was the factory trying to pull one off on the Tennessee boys. NOT the Tennessee boys trying to pass something off on us. I blame the factory.
@@trainencounters586 all I know is I have 2 locomotives that needed a lot of attention and should have been right from the get go. Thanks for the comment and stay safe out there.
Hell no…. Those would go back!
Sorry Scale trains this is not acceptable. Fix it or replace it.
I really want to keep them, but this is unacceptable to send to their customers. This is poor quality and I believe if they knew they needed trenches on them, they should have waited to release them, till they fully fixed them. Thanks for the comment and stay safe out there.
Promo>SM
thanks for the comment and stay safe out there.
You probably were not successful reaching scale trains because it was the Chinese new year holidays 😂. The entire product is engineered and manufactured in China. Also mostly by non automated equipment. It won’t be long before more and more deficiencies turn up. Now as far as the jerkiness, I am suspicious of the new ESU decoders. They are using a new socket type. Could be problematic, don’t know. Anyhow I don’t own scale trains and don’t plan to own any. I don’t want a 100% Chinese product, that’s all.
I totally get the fact of not wanting to own them because of country of make. There home office is based 90 minutes from me in Tennessee, and they never answer the phones. I have tried multiple times, and you have to leave a message. This is unfortunate for them, as they will lose more business as more reviews are happening, and people are getting more upset with their recent products. They really need to contact their customers and offer some sort of resolution to their flaws in their product line with the SD40-2s in N Scale. Thanks for the comment and stay safe out there.
Amazing to me that they haven’t returned a call. They recently broadcast an apology video for their QC errors. Also, repairs will take a while. They all go back to China. But after watching Scott Teague and his follow up and the pain of the new decoder socket, I am dubious of the whole scheme. Some people don’t like BLI but at least they design their own stuff, there is intellectual property ownership of the product. Kato designs and manufactured themselves, except for US decoders. And Kato spare parts supply is excellent. Scale Trains? Their factory? It’s a model train factory in China that also builds model trains for anyone else. They advertise that. So buyer beware in the long term.