Hi Sam, I bought my class 90 some months ago at trains4u for £135. I chose the collecters club version no. 90128 "vrachtverbinding" in the SNCB/BR livery. It is now even available at rails for £126.50. It's a nice model. The detail is there and the performance is outstanding.The loco is good value for money at the reduced prices. Nice and detailed review as always.🙂 Greetings from Belgium.🇧🇪
Thank you Sam! I think you should get one of these Servo DCCs and make a video with the pantograph, interior lighting control, and sound. I think it will be super cool video!
Great video review. I’ve got four of these Class 90s. InterCity Swallow, Railfreight, Rail Express Systems and the Belgian livery version. All are wonderful runners, they literally are the best running locos on my layout. They have at some point gone back to Bachmann to be fixed due to pick up cables snapping off or other issues, but they’ve come back running even better than before. I’d certainly recommend these Class 90s.
Hi Sam, I got my first Class 90 a while back and I run it on DCC. I have to say that I agree with your review and I actually thought it was very well done, it was nice to see an AC Electric locomotive review by yourself and I was pleased you took time to look this model over. Since my initial purchase I now have four more of these Class 90s as I really believe they are that good especially under DCC operation. My only minor point about the locomotive is the servo assisted pantograph which whilst as you said looks good the gimmick of raising and lowering it wears off pretty quickly. Whilst it was a novel idea when it came out, the Accurascale 92 has already improved on its design. Oh, and along with the minus point is the specific DCC chip needed for this locomotive, it costs about £55.00 at the last purchase I made which added to the RRP does make it a very expensive loco to buy for DCC users. Still, the fact I only paid £179 for each loco at the time did offset this a bit, like you I never pay full RRP - who would? Would have liked to see it in your top five but honestly your marks were spot on, and you have to remember this has now been out a good couple of years now. I would really love to see you review the Hornby Class 800 Azuma, I have four of these 5 car sets and I've have been impressed by the ones I have, however I suspect the challenge here would be can you find one for under £400...?
Another great video Sam, I do like the older generation of electrics like the 90 and 91s, will you be reviewing the LNER Azuma train pack in the future?
This model is honestly a representation of the standard of this year. Totally deserving of a top 5, but there have been so many great models out there these days.
This model would be more interesting if the panto could be raised and lowered by applying power and could pick up current from catenary. If you have a model with a working panto, then it is fiddly to raise and lower the panto by hand as the catenary wire gets in the way of your fingers! However, it is a Catch-22 situation because DCC is not recommended for catenary use, and you need the DCC command to operate the panto. A serious drawback with this model is the fact you have to fit a special expensive decoder. At the RRP quoted you are talking serious money and not Sam's Trains recommended! Thanks for the review.
I think you were very generous with your ratings. If I'd paid over £200 for a modern electric loco and it could not negotiate your layout curves with some empty wagons I would be pretty annoyed!
The model was first released in 2020. The RRP was a lot lower back then & retailers typically sold it for £150. Maybe a comparison with Hornby's 87 would also be reasonable. It was only released the previous year but Bachmann's 90 was an improvement in many areas. (DCC fitting, functions, sound provision, lighting features & pantograph). The RRP of the latest class 87s are £218, so comparable. I feel your comment about not being able to access some features like cab lighting on DC sounded like negative criticism. I think this is unfair because such features are only possible because of DCC.
I have the Freightliner model 32-612 in 'Powerhaul' livery for which I paid £153 for in June 2019 at my local model shop who are always able to give a similar price to the box shifters. I have 3 class 90's of which one is sound fitted. They all run excellently on DCC. Good review.
Hi Sam. Nice model. Would it be possible when doing the torque tests on diesels/electrics to have the camera closer? It’s hard to see the wheels turn or not from the more zoomed out view? Just a thought!! Thanks.
Mate you really need to 3D print some spudgers, they'll both take some pain out of separating stuff, but also be made of a relatively soft material so you won't damage plastics taking things apart.
I got my 90, no 90042 in Freightliner Heavy Haul for £165 DCC fitted from Topp Trains. Fabulous loco, the motorised pantograph is great and there are so many light functions. Glad about how great of a bargain I got, since the servo control decoder was some £40 value, so the loco was essentially £125.
Hi Sam Just as @THOMARIUS I bought the SCNB livery from railsofshefield; nice model; I thing I'm not happy with is this the printplate that connects the DCC decoder. You can't program/adjust the settings while the decoder is in the model.
Very fair review, Sam, and exactly my experience of these models. I've got four currently (Intercity, Mainline, Distribution sub-sector and the Belgian livery special) and will add more, as they're key to my WCML layout. Incredibly smooth and quiet runners, especially on DCC, and immaculate livery applications. The body is a pain to remove, though, and the valance accessories very fiddly to fit. They're not cheap (the Intercity ones especially), but I really love running them. They'll comfortably do scale speed with a proper rake of Mk3 coaches and a DVT, too. Very happy with mine 👍
You can get Servo Configured third party DCC Decoders. It doesn't need to be specifically a Bachman one. There are a few models that use servo motors for the Pantograph. It does limit some options, but there are still a few available :) The other thing, other than space, on motors is the power the motors draw for DCC operation. Bachmann could be allowing for DCC Decoders that can't deliver the current that some older, more powerful motors, draw.
Yes possibly, I've discovered that the older Bachmann 66 and 150 from around 2010 won't entertain budget decoders I perchesed for £18 but they work fine in the Bachmann 158s but they have smaller motors 😊
I really want several. They usually operate in pairs on freight nowadays, so I want a freightliner ex-BR two tone grey with this freightliner heavy haul, plus the freightliner powerhaul and the new freightliner orange, then I'd also like one in Grand Central (if bachmann does one), and one in Virgin Trains for some mk3as I'm yet to get. Except the price puts me off.
Hi Sam, Couple of thoughts. When looking at a diesels mechanism, it might be worth looking at how hard it would be to extract the cab to fit a driver model. Some locos fit these as standard, but most don't, and this is an upgrade I notice a lot of people do. Secondly, I notice you've discussed potentially looking at N Gauge and OO9 in the past. I notice Bachmann have annouced some new N Gauge train sets today, might it be worth checking one out? Would give you the option of OO9 reviews then as well, as you would have the track. Finally I've branched out into Z Gauge today, picked up a tiny prebuilt tunnel layout with a single car train. Brand new eBay for £70, which I thought was pretty good value. Plus it isn't too hard to find space for it!
No, the risk of burning out the servo is high. Whilst the Bachmann chip is expensive and it's tempting to use a different type of decoder is not worth potentially blowing the servo and stopping the pantograph from working or damage to you loco either.
Bachmann fitted a speaker to the first run of these but they never provided a sound version until the second run, so it was definitely not a case of "our decoder only". Bachmann stated on release that both ESU & Zimo produce sound decoders suitable for operation with these. The recommended non-sound decoder was a re-badged Zimo & sold for about £40, so although a little over the cost of a budget decoder, comparable with alternative premium decoders which many would choose for other reasons anyway.
Lovely loco and nicely crafted. Sadly in the real world things aren't going well for the 90's: DB Cargo UK confirms retirement of electric locomotives The permanent end of the rail freight operator’s use of its electric Class 90 fleet is a worrying sign for the future of the green technology.
Hey Sam. I purchased The Virgin City Of Glasgow class 90 version from TMC. Was about £178 I think. Unfortunately had to return to be fixed, the directional lights wasnt working and the pantograph wouldnt stay in the up position. But it did have interior lights.
That should be ok. My Intercity one from the first run needed to go back because the pan did not work & the speaker sounded poor. This version sold out very quickly so they could not replace it & therefore had to repair it. It took about 3 months to get it back, but it was repaired properly.
Just to update my comment. I've now had the Class 90 back. Working fine. It turns out it had a dapol decoder fitted. Weird when it was brought brand new. They have removed it, and it appears the Interior lights only work on DCC.
@@KINGTIGER1981 Good news about the fault being fixed. Strange to have a Dapol decoder in there though. Remember that the 90 board has a strange issue which prevents you from reading the CVs from the decoder. I think you can still write them though. Interior lights on DCC only is intentional. Cab lights should only be on when a train is stationary, but there is no DC power available until you want to move the train.
Great video and model of the class 90 .. going back sometime ago Bachmann fitted a driver figure to most of their locos but this doesn't seem to be the case anymore. I guess its all about cost..
Sam, you really need to check out some 'PIKO Expert' locos, they are, from my DCC expierience even better than this one. However, they can be rather expensive. Though, I don’t really know about the german ones, I only have the Polish. Great video too, as always! (I might have commented this earlier, if that's so, sorry)
I sent mine back as soon as I got it when it first came out...........This is what I wrote in my description. What you need to know is there are no cab lights on analogue or a driver in this locomotive. I am sending it back as advice from Bachmann as far as fitting a driver is concerned is best to leave well alone as there are so many screws, its not that simple as in the warship model. Also I resent having to pay another £38.00 to have cab lights, and this is only on digital. Also you have to buy a special chip to operate the Pantograph. The real dinger is even with digital operation the cab lights only work in the station. As soon as the loco moves the cab lights go out. This is supposed to be realistic, well it is not, the driver turns off the cab lights they are not automatic. For those that do not know cab lights also represent sun light going into the cab and the warmth of the instrument binnacle lights. How can a loco be realistic without a driver ?.
Hello Sam It is a Beautiful locomotive to look at and for that price range it looks good. I must say that the wiring in the locomotive is a bit of a minus point, That they can come loose with an unfortunate movement. The driving behavior on the flat track is good to see, And it is about the power that the locomotive has. Has it looks good Sam greetings from Henk Belgium Border😀😉
Sam book law is an a3 but with the original dome because some of the first a3 had the original dome and the way you can tell them apart is at the smokebox top the little squares tell you it’s an a3 but if there is no squares then it’s an a1 love your videos
Loved your review on the Class 90. I have six in my collection, including two WH Malcolm specials form Rainbow Railways. Unfortunately I could not find your quoted price from TMC, which is now £169.96 and is on order from Bachmann. The best I could find is £168, but I will leave it just now as I await delivery of R30165, Class 91 Flying Scotsman.
Brilliant review here Sam, I myself have one of the bachmann class 90s and it’s one of the best electrics that I have, my one is in the virgin livery, I got mine from a model railway show and at the time I think I paid about £179 for it but I don’t really mind it to be honest, like I say it’s one of the nicest electric locomotives that I currently have.
Definitely one of their better modern image models, the InterCity livery versions look stunning at the head of a matching rake of aircon Mk2s. As good as the class 90 is I think I actually prefer Bachmanns older electric, their class 85. Its not as feature packed, being an older model, but those classic 1960s aesthetics are much more my thing and as usual Bachmann produced a very competent model. It does make me chuckle when people say the 85 is faulty as only one tail light works, even though thats how they're meant to be. If only Hornby could get close, their class 87 is a bit of a let down and equally as expensive...they couldn't even paint the doors the same colour as the rest of the body on the most recent InterCity version!
Hornby's 87 is only a year older but miles behind Bachmann's 90. Lighting has less features, pantograph is plastic & is not sprung. I believe they have updated the mechanism since the original release, but they needed to: the storage space for the decoder was way too small for most decoders, including their own (oops) & the location for the speaker interfered with a cardan shaft. The 87 looked nice upon release in 2019, but the 90 was a huge improvement.
@@TheRip72 All they did to the current release 87 was to 'upgrade' the DCC interface from 8 pin to 21 pin. They put the 21 pin socket on the underside of the PCB though, at least thats where it is on my 87009, its even more space restricted than the earlier 8 pin as a result!
@@Simon-Davis So Hornby have not made a very big, if at all, step forwards then? They continue to make really stupid design errors. Bachmann seem to have done so; I have an Ivatt 4MT tender loco, which was one of their first "DCC ready" locos but there was only room inside for a blanking plate. An 8 pin chip with the pins directly on it was even too big & you could forget about a chip with wires to the plug. They have moved on from this though & even their newer tank engine designs have space for a speaker to go straight in, often solder-less too. I seem to remember Sam having an issue with fitting a Hornby HM7000 21 pin decoder into a Hornby 21 pin loco because there was insufficient space over the socket.
@@TheRip72 I honestly prefer the first batch class 87 with the 8 pin interface. My 87009 hasn't turned a wheel since I went to start a sound install and found I needed to mill the chassis to get the decoder in, let alone a decent speaker. I just put it back together and stuck it back in the to-do pile instead, I'll probably strip it down to use the older 8 pin PCB or a US loksound V5 conversion board meant for replacing the old Athearn RTR PCBs as that frees up space over both bogie towers for slim speakers and effectively converts it to being Next18. I remember the Ivatt 4MT, if I recall the only decoder at the time I could get to fit was either the TCS DP2X or DP2X-UK. And then because of how tight it was I managed to pinch the wires against the chassis block when reassembling it. Hornbys HM7000 makes me chuckle, its a nice idea but very poorly executed. 4 channel sound decoders were superseded donkeys years ago. I'll be waiting for the ESU bluetooth decoders still being developed, at least they will be NMRA compliant and meet the dimension criteria; and with a decent 16 channel, bucket loads of memory and high output amplifier spec. The Soundtraxx Blunami is phenomenal, but I've always preferred ESU so I can wait.
@@Simon-Davis You had to mill the chassis just to fit a decoder? That's appalling design from Hornby. I was hoping the switch to 21 pin would enable lighting at one end only but there is no hope for that.
Nice video sam very good camera work as usual I am really enjoying your lovely videos and camera work keep your lovely camera work up I am really looking forward to seeing your next video I hope you get a nice video next time bye for now Philip
They're at either end of the small chassis block if I remember rightly - though bear in mind the front bogie is not part of the chassis! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Beautiful model and by modern standards quite affordable with the discount. Sadly still beyond my budget. I picked up a second hand Hornby class 90 last month for £25 and I've had a lot of fun detailing and weathering that. Not to the same standard as the Bachmann model of course, but I'm very happy with it.
Hornby 90 was good for its time & apart from the huge pantograph was a very good basis for detailing. The biggest improvement to the Hornby model is the addition of front skirts. I believe 3d printed ones are available but an almost free alternative is to make them by removing the sections from the end of the bogies & gluing these onto the chassis with 2m of styrene between, then cutting & filing the styrene to shape.
You may find that the power will increase on DCC, some N gauge ( Dapol ) locos will not run at all on DC ( Manor / Grange, install a decoder and motor smooth and quite powerful, I never run anything on DC now, DCC for good scale running and a coarse, all the bells and whistles, nice loco, even though, as you, not that keen on electrics, apart from they 92....! Great review, as always..
Looks so cool for a modern loco. Anyway my new train comes tomorrow. So I'll let u know when I make the new vid. Anyway ur the best my friend. Keep being awesome and a train enthusiast. Long live trains
For continental models, you get electric locomotives DCC ready below 200€/GBP173, with a usual prices outside promotional sales around 200 to 300 € (GBP 173 to GBP 259). the original sales price does not surprises me, but the question is if the features matches the prices. You can't accept Ali Express quality at a Märklin/Trix price. And I agree with you on the price : too much El Cheapo solutions in the manufacturing, and the economy is not passed to the customer. At the price you paid, which should have been the real sales price , it is more than acceptable. It's like my SECR C class, a 0-6-0 sold at the same price as your class 90, and having her price slashed by two by TMC just to be sold : nice for GBP 102, unacceptable for its original sales price over GBP 200, Bachmann style pricing. By the way, I can see that Bachmann had finally know that Sommerfeldt exists... Fortunately, the mechanism is more than correct, but the dynamic qualities are perfectible. But you have lights ! For under GBP 140, this is OK. Over this price, no. By the way, would you do a test of the Accurascale Manor, with a comparative with the 'good) Dapol model ? Same for the Accurascale class 37 versus the Bachmann one ? I'm interested !
I currently have three of these 90s (want to get a few more), without a doubt one of Bachmanns better electrics they've produced especially if you have DCC as you'll be able to operate that servo pantograph which whilst is only really for show is just a nice little addition and very innovative! I will agree on the price though, Bachmann are definitely overcharging their customers for this and frankly all of their locos nowadays are overpriced considering both Accurascale and in some cases even HORNBY are charging less for their equivalent models (although Hornby's models will probably never have features such as a working servo pantograph etc)
Warning****The pantograph servos fail, even with the correctly fitted specific Bachmann decoder! The plastic drive gear on the servo motor spindle chews itself up. Both of mine have done so within 4 pantograph uses! No spares available on Bachmann's website! The bogie securing point snaps/cracks when the retaining screw is inserted. Mine arrived broken from new. The bogies then hang and wobble about. Poor design.
Love you to test one of their Class 158s . I’ve got one , runs very smoothly but sounds like a cement mixer . Really it’s louder than a Lima 1970s model . I was told they are all the same - would be interested in what you find
The Bachmann 108s seem to have the same motor as the 158 and some do sound a bit rough even when new. I removed the body and applied a small amount of oil to the end shaft which is just behind the seats on the 108 .. I also found that thay run a lot smoother and quieter on dcc .
@@brianfearn4246 thanks Brian . I have 2 108s and while one is a little noisy it’s nothing like the 158 which is horrendous . This is the latest version with both cars motorised with under floor motor and a Cam to one of the bogies . The retailer was very good an offered to take it back with full refund but he also said he had tested his stock and they all sound the same . Bachmann s view was that they had tested it on a Bachmann controller and it was fine . Trouble seemed to be when it was being used by a Gaugemaster D controller . This is a non feedback. Controller and works well with all my other Bachmann locos !
@russellbenton2987 thanks for the info Russell, I think Bachmann are installing smaller motors in their models I have the older 158s from around 2007 . I also found better running with the older 2005 Bachmann 66s when using the NCE power cab.
Electrics are much more our thing (with actual working overhead pick-up). Lovely to see one covered. It seems to us that B usually hardly comes with manufacturing faults in your reviews. Frankly we don't understand why that aspect isn't appreciated. Stringent quality checks are costly evidently. What good is it getting faulty products all the time at bargain prices Sam. Of course you can solve them yourself and perhaps tinkerers don't mind, but it shouldn't be the norm. However overall, assembly of this loco seems to be very labour intensive whilst looking a bit cheapish and plasticy we thought. On top, the pantograph is nowhere near any American and European H0 quality... At that rrp, they've done a cheaping out job tbh... Not that it's bad but just looks towards a tad tacky. For the price you paid, no reason to complain at all of course. Cheerio.
Another great review Sam. I am really not a fan of diesel/electric locomotives, however with the discount you paid, I could actually be tempted by this one!
It always amazes me how Sam can say one company can do 'X' for a price, so other companies are over charging if the price for their 'X' is higher. Unless he is an accountant for all the companies, he has NO IDEA of each companies overheads and what they need to charge to stay in business. Yes, it could be greed, but what an assumption to make right off the bat!
I bought 2 of these when they first came out (Virgin + Exec livery) with sound fitted, They were a lot cheaper then and with the sound were really good value. I compared them with the Hornby class 87 as they are roughly same price and functionality, rather than the Accurascale, there is no comparison the Bachmann is so much better than the Hornby. You think the full price is overpriced then don't look at the Hornby. Both of mine run really well.
This new Bachmann Class 90 electric locomotive looks very nice and I do like this model. Unfortunately, it does not beat Accurascale's Class 92 electric locomotive which has more detail and a cheaper price. Overall, Bachmann's Class 90 electric locomotive is a pretty good model Sam.
Hi Sam,
I bought my class 90 some months ago at trains4u for £135. I chose the collecters club version no. 90128 "vrachtverbinding" in the SNCB/BR livery. It is now even available at rails for £126.50. It's a nice model. The detail is there and the performance is outstanding.The loco is good value for money at the reduced prices. Nice and detailed review as always.🙂
Greetings from Belgium.🇧🇪
Thank you Sam!
I think you should get one of these Servo DCCs and make a video with the pantograph, interior lighting control, and sound. I think it will be super cool video!
Great video review. I’ve got four of these Class 90s. InterCity Swallow, Railfreight, Rail Express Systems and the Belgian livery version.
All are wonderful runners, they literally are the best running locos on my layout. They have at some point gone back to Bachmann to be fixed due to pick up cables snapping off or other issues, but they’ve come back running even better than before. I’d certainly recommend these Class 90s.
Hi Sam, I got my first Class 90 a while back and I run it on DCC.
I have to say that I agree with your review and I actually thought it was very well done, it was nice to see an AC Electric locomotive review by yourself and I was pleased you took time to look this model over.
Since my initial purchase I now have four more of these Class 90s as I really believe they are that good especially under DCC operation. My only minor point about the locomotive is the servo assisted pantograph which whilst as you said looks good the gimmick of raising and lowering it wears off pretty quickly. Whilst it was a novel idea when it came out, the Accurascale 92 has already improved on its design. Oh, and along with the minus point is the specific DCC chip needed for this locomotive, it costs about £55.00 at the last purchase I made which added to the RRP does make it a very expensive loco to buy for DCC users.
Still, the fact I only paid £179 for each loco at the time did offset this a bit, like you I never pay full RRP - who would?
Would have liked to see it in your top five but honestly your marks were spot on, and you have to remember this has now been out a good couple of years now.
I would really love to see you review the Hornby Class 800 Azuma, I have four of these 5 car sets and I've have been impressed by the ones I have, however I suspect the challenge here would be can you find one for under £400...?
Another great video Sam, I do like the older generation of electrics like the 90 and 91s, will you be reviewing the LNER Azuma train pack in the future?
This model is honestly a representation of the standard of this year. Totally deserving of a top 5, but there have been so many great models out there these days.
This model would be more interesting if the panto could be raised and lowered by applying power and could pick up current from catenary. If you have a model with a working panto, then it is fiddly to raise and lower the panto by hand as the catenary wire gets in the way of your fingers! However, it is a Catch-22 situation because DCC is not recommended for catenary use, and you need the DCC command to operate the panto. A serious drawback with this model is the fact you have to fit a special expensive decoder. At the RRP quoted you are talking serious money and not Sam's Trains recommended! Thanks for the review.
Odd one out is the class 73 as she's an ED not pure electric.
I think you were very generous with your ratings. If I'd paid over £200 for a modern electric loco and it could not negotiate your layout curves with some empty wagons I would be pretty annoyed!
The model was first released in 2020. The RRP was a lot lower back then & retailers typically sold it for £150. Maybe a comparison with Hornby's 87 would also be reasonable. It was only released the previous year but Bachmann's 90 was an improvement in many areas. (DCC fitting, functions, sound provision, lighting features & pantograph). The RRP of the latest class 87s are £218, so comparable.
I feel your comment about not being able to access some features like cab lighting on DC sounded like negative criticism. I think this is unfair because such features are only possible because of DCC.
Odd one out - the GG1; American prototype, HO scale instead of OO scale. 😊
I have the Freightliner model 32-612 in 'Powerhaul' livery for which I paid £153 for in June 2019 at my local model shop who are always able to give a similar price to the box shifters. I have 3 class 90's of which one is sound fitted. They all run excellently on DCC. Good review.
Hi Sam. Nice model. Would it be possible when doing the torque tests on diesels/electrics to have the camera closer? It’s hard to see the wheels turn or not from the more zoomed out view? Just a thought!! Thanks.
Great video Sam! Suggestion here for you, how about putting Bullard in front of the train sometimes.
Mate you really need to 3D print some spudgers, they'll both take some pain out of separating stuff, but also be made of a relatively soft material so you won't damage plastics taking things apart.
I got my 90, no 90042 in Freightliner Heavy Haul for £165 DCC fitted from Topp Trains. Fabulous loco, the motorised pantograph is great and there are so many light functions. Glad about how great of a bargain I got, since the servo control decoder was some £40 value, so the loco was essentially £125.
Hi Sam,did you do a review of either the revamped Heljan Class 86 or Bachmann Class 85? They seem good and popular,Electric models
Hi Sam
Just as @THOMARIUS I bought the SCNB livery from railsofshefield; nice model; I thing I'm not happy with is this the printplate that connects the DCC decoder.
You can't program/adjust the settings while the decoder is in the model.
Very fair review, Sam, and exactly my experience of these models. I've got four currently (Intercity, Mainline, Distribution sub-sector and the Belgian livery special) and will add more, as they're key to my WCML layout. Incredibly smooth and quiet runners, especially on DCC, and immaculate livery applications. The body is a pain to remove, though, and the valance accessories very fiddly to fit. They're not cheap (the Intercity ones especially), but I really love running them. They'll comfortably do scale speed with a proper rake of Mk3 coaches and a DVT, too. Very happy with mine 👍
You can get Servo Configured third party DCC Decoders. It doesn't need to be specifically a Bachman one. There are a few models that use servo motors for the Pantograph. It does limit some options, but there are still a few available :)
The other thing, other than space, on motors is the power the motors draw for DCC operation. Bachmann could be allowing for DCC Decoders that can't deliver the current that some older, more powerful motors, draw.
Yes possibly, I've discovered that the older Bachmann 66 and 150 from around 2010 won't entertain budget decoders I perchesed for £18 but they work fine in the Bachmann 158s but they have smaller motors 😊
I really want several. They usually operate in pairs on freight nowadays, so I want a freightliner ex-BR two tone grey with this freightliner heavy haul, plus the freightliner powerhaul and the new freightliner orange, then I'd also like one in Grand Central (if bachmann does one), and one in Virgin Trains for some mk3as I'm yet to get.
Except the price puts me off.
👍👌✌As always, brilliantly presented.
Hi Sam,
Couple of thoughts.
When looking at a diesels mechanism, it might be worth looking at how hard it would be to extract the cab to fit a driver model. Some locos fit these as standard, but most don't, and this is an upgrade I notice a lot of people do.
Secondly, I notice you've discussed potentially looking at N Gauge and OO9 in the past. I notice Bachmann have annouced some new N Gauge train sets today, might it be worth checking one out?
Would give you the option of OO9 reviews then as well, as you would have the track.
Finally I've branched out into Z Gauge today, picked up a tiny prebuilt tunnel layout with a single car train. Brand new eBay for £70, which I thought was pretty good value. Plus it isn't too hard to find space for it!
Sam, I think you can use other decoders as long as they will operate the Pantograph.
No, the risk of burning out the servo is high. Whilst the Bachmann chip is expensive and it's tempting to use a different type of decoder is not worth potentially blowing the servo and stopping the pantograph from working or damage to you loco either.
Bachmann fitted a speaker to the first run of these but they never provided a sound version until the second run, so it was definitely not a case of "our decoder only".
Bachmann stated on release that both ESU & Zimo produce sound decoders suitable for operation with these.
The recommended non-sound decoder was a re-badged Zimo & sold for about £40, so although a little over the cost of a budget decoder, comparable with alternative premium decoders which many would choose for other reasons anyway.
That’s a really nice model, still sad that the pantograph still can’t actually pick up power but it’s a cool model nonetheless
Lovely loco and nicely crafted. Sadly in the real world things aren't going well for the 90's: DB Cargo UK confirms retirement of electric locomotives
The permanent end of the rail freight operator’s use of its electric Class 90 fleet is a worrying sign for the future of the green technology.
Hey Sam. I purchased The Virgin City Of Glasgow class 90 version from TMC. Was about £178 I think. Unfortunately had to return to be fixed, the directional lights wasnt working and the pantograph wouldnt stay in the up position. But it did have interior lights.
That should be ok. My Intercity one from the first run needed to go back because the pan did not work & the speaker sounded poor. This version sold out very quickly so they could not replace it & therefore had to repair it. It took about 3 months to get it back, but it was repaired properly.
Just to update my comment. I've now had the Class 90 back. Working fine. It turns out it had a dapol decoder fitted. Weird when it was brought brand new. They have removed it, and it appears the Interior lights only work on DCC.
@@KINGTIGER1981 Good news about the fault being fixed. Strange to have a Dapol decoder in there though. Remember that the 90 board has a strange issue which prevents you from reading the CVs from the decoder. I think you can still write them though.
Interior lights on DCC only is intentional. Cab lights should only be on when a train is stationary, but there is no DC power available until you want to move the train.
These models are great as DCC with the controllable pentagraph is great.
Great video and model of the class 90 .. going back sometime ago Bachmann fitted a driver figure to most of their locos but this doesn't seem to be the case anymore. I guess its all about cost..
I saw it’s passanger-based predecessor, the class 91 not long ago in Hitchin, Hertfordshire.
Sam, you really need to check out some 'PIKO Expert' locos, they are, from my DCC expierience even better than this one. However, they can be rather expensive.
Though, I don’t really know about the german ones, I only have the Polish. Great video too, as always!
(I might have commented this earlier, if that's so, sorry)
It's a nice loco. I was looking at the RES version but too expensive.
I recently bought a hornby class 90 and I'm looking for another class 90,I have heard good about these bachmann 90s
Ahh interesting - I think the Bachmann ones are a worthy upgrade, if you don't mind the price of course!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Enjoyed your presentation. Ordered earlier today the Kernow version for £180 including sound. A bargain for this weekend only.
Butiful loco Sam!! Great review also slammin U are the man! N
Hi Sam
I love your videos, but the scores baffle me. What algorithm do you employ?
I sent mine back as soon as I got it when it first came out...........This is what I wrote in my description.
What you need to know is there are no cab lights on analogue or a driver in this locomotive. I am sending it back as advice from Bachmann as far as fitting a driver is concerned is best to leave well alone as there are so many screws, its not that simple as in the warship model. Also I resent having to pay another £38.00 to have cab lights, and this is only on digital. Also you have to buy a special chip to operate the Pantograph. The real dinger is even with digital operation the cab lights only work in the station. As soon as the loco moves the cab lights go out. This is supposed to be realistic, well it is not, the driver turns off the cab lights they are not automatic. For those that do not know cab lights also represent sun light going into the cab and the warmth of the instrument binnacle lights. How can a loco be realistic without a driver ?.
Hello Sam It is a Beautiful locomotive to look at and for that price range it looks good. I must say that the wiring in the locomotive is a bit of a minus point, That they can come loose with an unfortunate movement. The driving behavior on the flat track is good to see, And it is about the power that the locomotive has. Has it looks good Sam greetings from Henk Belgium Border😀😉
Sam book law is an a3 but with the original dome because some of the first a3 had the original dome and the way you can tell them apart is at the smokebox top the little squares tell you it’s an a3 but if there is no squares then it’s an a1 love your videos
Thanks a lot for sharing Alex! :D
@@SamsTrains no problem
Loved your review on the Class 90. I have six in my collection, including two WH Malcolm specials form Rainbow Railways. Unfortunately I could not find your quoted price from TMC, which is now £169.96 and is on order from Bachmann. The best I could find is £168, but I will leave it just now as I await delivery of R30165, Class 91 Flying Scotsman.
Nice to see some more modern stuff. Definitely a loco to look out for! Great vid!
I think so too - a nice change! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Brilliant review here Sam, I myself have one of the bachmann class 90s and it’s one of the best electrics that I have, my one is in the virgin livery, I got mine from a model railway show and at the time I think I paid about £179 for it but I don’t really mind it to be honest, like I say it’s one of the nicest electric locomotives that I currently have.
That's great to hear David - it's certainly one of the best I have too! Certainly very impressive,
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Definitely one of their better modern image models, the InterCity livery versions look stunning at the head of a matching rake of aircon Mk2s. As good as the class 90 is I think I actually prefer Bachmanns older electric, their class 85. Its not as feature packed, being an older model, but those classic 1960s aesthetics are much more my thing and as usual Bachmann produced a very competent model. It does make me chuckle when people say the 85 is faulty as only one tail light works, even though thats how they're meant to be. If only Hornby could get close, their class 87 is a bit of a let down and equally as expensive...they couldn't even paint the doors the same colour as the rest of the body on the most recent InterCity version!
Hornby's 87 is only a year older but miles behind Bachmann's 90. Lighting has less features, pantograph is plastic & is not sprung. I believe they have updated the mechanism since the original release, but they needed to: the storage space for the decoder was way too small for most decoders, including their own (oops) & the location for the speaker interfered with a cardan shaft. The 87 looked nice upon release in 2019, but the 90 was a huge improvement.
@@TheRip72 All they did to the current release 87 was to 'upgrade' the DCC interface from 8 pin to 21 pin. They put the 21 pin socket on the underside of the PCB though, at least thats where it is on my 87009, its even more space restricted than the earlier 8 pin as a result!
@@Simon-Davis So Hornby have not made a very big, if at all, step forwards then? They continue to make really stupid design errors.
Bachmann seem to have done so; I have an Ivatt 4MT tender loco, which was one of their first "DCC ready" locos but there was only room inside for a blanking plate. An 8 pin chip with the pins directly on it was even too big & you could forget about a chip with wires to the plug. They have moved on from this though & even their newer tank engine designs have space for a speaker to go straight in, often solder-less too.
I seem to remember Sam having an issue with fitting a Hornby HM7000 21 pin decoder into a Hornby 21 pin loco because there was insufficient space over the socket.
@@TheRip72 I honestly prefer the first batch class 87 with the 8 pin interface. My 87009 hasn't turned a wheel since I went to start a sound install and found I needed to mill the chassis to get the decoder in, let alone a decent speaker. I just put it back together and stuck it back in the to-do pile instead, I'll probably strip it down to use the older 8 pin PCB or a US loksound V5 conversion board meant for replacing the old Athearn RTR PCBs as that frees up space over both bogie towers for slim speakers and effectively converts it to being Next18. I remember the Ivatt 4MT, if I recall the only decoder at the time I could get to fit was either the TCS DP2X or DP2X-UK. And then because of how tight it was I managed to pinch the wires against the chassis block when reassembling it. Hornbys HM7000 makes me chuckle, its a nice idea but very poorly executed. 4 channel sound decoders were superseded donkeys years ago. I'll be waiting for the ESU bluetooth decoders still being developed, at least they will be NMRA compliant and meet the dimension criteria; and with a decent 16 channel, bucket loads of memory and high output amplifier spec. The Soundtraxx Blunami is phenomenal, but I've always preferred ESU so I can wait.
@@Simon-Davis You had to mill the chassis just to fit a decoder? That's appalling design from Hornby. I was hoping the switch to 21 pin would enable lighting at one end only but there is no hope for that.
You should check out the class 67 or the red dover hornby set
I know you usualy dont do american loco's but was wondering if you have ever looked at the big boy. Might be a neet one on your layout😊
Nice video sam very good camera work as usual I am really enjoying your lovely videos and camera work keep your lovely camera work up I am really looking forward to seeing your next video I hope you get a nice video next time bye for now Philip
Will you and Chloe be going to Chester to do a review of Making Tracks 3 for those of us who aren't able to go ?
There still in service on the West Coast mainline
I have 1 question Sam, where are the screws to remove the chassis from the body on the bachmann City class.
Cheers Jasper & Willow
They're at either end of the small chassis block if I remember rightly - though bear in mind the front bogie is not part of the chassis!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
bullman on teh back was great
Beautiful model and by modern standards quite affordable with the discount. Sadly still beyond my budget. I picked up a second hand Hornby class 90 last month for £25 and I've had a lot of fun detailing and weathering that. Not to the same standard as the Bachmann model of course, but I'm very happy with it.
Hornby 90 was good for its time & apart from the huge pantograph was a very good basis for detailing.
The biggest improvement to the Hornby model is the addition of front skirts. I believe 3d printed ones are available but an almost free alternative is to make them by removing the sections from the end of the bogies & gluing these onto the chassis with 2m of styrene between, then cutting & filing the styrene to shape.
Hi Sam love your layout and video’s but can you please make a video where you run Lner express locos
That sounds great Alex - thanks for the video idea! :D
@@SamsTrains no problem
You may find that the power will increase on DCC, some N gauge ( Dapol ) locos will not run at all on DC ( Manor / Grange, install a decoder and motor smooth and quite powerful, I never run anything on DC now, DCC for good scale running and a coarse, all the bells and whistles, nice loco, even though, as you, not that keen on electrics, apart from they 92....! Great review, as always..
I am not sure now is Bachmann class 90 the best one? Or are they more brands?
Awesome video Sam's trains
Thanks Brian!
@@SamsTrains you're welcome 😊 buddy 😊
I noticed that the Rapido Lion is missing from the Locomotive Rankings list
Might be saying this too late for you to see it but
Fax
17:19 I'm getting Heljan vibes from that Sam.
Cheers Jasper & Willow
hahaha!
Pumping these reviews out aren't you Sam, take a break! 😉
Looks so cool for a modern loco. Anyway my new train comes tomorrow. So I'll let u know when I make the new vid. Anyway ur the best my friend. Keep being awesome and a train enthusiast. Long live trains
It sure does! And that's very exciting - hope you have fun!! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hi,
Please could you do a review of the class 800..
For continental models, you get electric locomotives DCC ready below 200€/GBP173, with a usual prices outside promotional sales around 200 to 300 € (GBP 173 to GBP 259). the original sales price does not surprises me, but the question is if the features matches the prices. You can't accept Ali Express quality at a Märklin/Trix price. And I agree with you on the price : too much El Cheapo solutions in the manufacturing, and the economy is not passed to the customer.
At the price you paid, which should have been the real sales price , it is more than acceptable. It's like my SECR C class, a 0-6-0 sold at the same price as your class 90, and having her price slashed by two by TMC just to be sold : nice for GBP 102, unacceptable for its original sales price over GBP 200, Bachmann style pricing.
By the way, I can see that Bachmann had finally know that Sommerfeldt exists... Fortunately, the mechanism is more than correct, but the dynamic qualities are perfectible. But you have lights ! For under GBP 140, this is OK. Over this price, no.
By the way, would you do a test of the Accurascale Manor, with a comparative with the 'good) Dapol model ? Same for the Accurascale class 37 versus the Bachmann one ? I'm interested !
is it the Pennsy GG 1 that's your odd-ball?
I currently have three of these 90s (want to get a few more), without a doubt one of Bachmanns better electrics they've produced especially if you have DCC as you'll be able to operate that servo pantograph which whilst is only really for show is just a nice little addition and very innovative!
I will agree on the price though, Bachmann are definitely overcharging their customers for this and frankly all of their locos nowadays are overpriced considering both Accurascale and in some cases even HORNBY are charging less for their equivalent models (although Hornby's models will probably never have features such as a working servo pantograph etc)
Why don't you review the new Hornby br class 9f it's not cheap rrrp is 252 retainers 227 see if it's worth the money
Can you actually get track sets with powered lines?
I don’t know about sets, but I’ve seen layouts with catenary’s, sure!
Love this
Electric Indeed Electric Indeed.
Hi Sam I love your videos
I say does anyone know what the music used in the intro is?
I don't know that if the Pantagraph have over head power?
😮 the "yellow" lining is orange 🍊 😊 but you may have some colour vision ..Yes it is a nice model, but far too expensive at full price 😮.
Amazing modern loco
Thanks Justin! :D
It's essentially the same score as the sonic A5
What a beauty.
Hello. Nice review:)
Thank you! :D
Warning****The pantograph servos fail, even with the correctly fitted specific Bachmann decoder! The plastic drive gear on the servo motor spindle chews itself up. Both of mine have done so within 4 pantograph uses! No spares available on Bachmann's website!
The bogie securing point snaps/cracks when the retaining screw is inserted. Mine arrived broken from new. The bogies then hang and wobble about. Poor design.
I always prefer the three tone railfreight grey and the later livery in railffrieght distribution with the dark blue roof. I quite like the cl 90's
Odd one is the red one
Nice Smart Looking Loco 🤔🚂🚂🚂
Love you to test one of their Class 158s . I’ve got one , runs very smoothly but sounds like a cement mixer . Really it’s louder than a Lima 1970s model . I was told they are all the same - would be interested in what you find
The Bachmann 108s seem to have the same motor as the 158 and some do sound a bit rough even when new. I removed the body and applied a small amount of oil to the end shaft which is just behind the seats on the 108 .. I also found that thay run a lot smoother and quieter on dcc .
@@brianfearn4246 thanks Brian . I have 2 108s and while one is a little noisy it’s nothing like the 158 which is horrendous . This is the latest version with both cars motorised with under floor motor and a Cam to one of the bogies . The retailer was very good an offered to take it back with full refund but he also said he had tested his stock and they all sound the same . Bachmann s view was that they had tested it on a Bachmann controller and it was fine . Trouble seemed to be when it was being used by a Gaugemaster D controller . This is a non feedback. Controller and works well with all my other Bachmann locos !
@russellbenton2987 thanks for the info Russell, I think Bachmann are installing smaller motors in their models I have the older 158s from around 2007 . I also found better running with the older 2005 Bachmann 66s when using the NCE power cab.
Good looking loco....Frateschi is far cheaper than Hornby but HO
Good video Sam I always was a fan of a class 90
The hornby one cost me £60 from WHSmith a few years ago
I think we’re all sick of greedy companies, but I equally believe that the world is waning good models like this one!!
Electrics are much more our thing (with actual working overhead pick-up). Lovely to see one covered. It seems to us that B usually hardly comes with manufacturing faults in your reviews. Frankly we don't understand why that aspect isn't appreciated. Stringent quality checks are costly evidently. What good is it getting faulty products all the time at bargain prices Sam. Of course you can solve them yourself and perhaps tinkerers don't mind, but it shouldn't be the norm.
However overall, assembly of this loco seems to be very labour intensive whilst looking a bit cheapish and plasticy we thought. On top, the pantograph is nowhere near any American and European H0 quality...
At that rrp, they've done a cheaping out job tbh... Not that it's bad but just looks towards a tad tacky. For the price you paid, no reason to complain at all of course. Cheerio.
Very electrical
Another great review Sam. I am really not a fan of diesel/electric locomotives, however with the discount you paid, I could actually be tempted by this one!
Expensive locomotive with no windshield wipers?
10:42 that’s orange…
I’ve just got a intercity one 90005 I love it as 90s are my favourite
I have 2 hornby 90s but i don't use them because they both have cosmetic issues that need work. Bachman 90 looks great!
Ahh never mind - maybe you can fix them up? Glad you liked this anyway,
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Yeah, the warning sign reads: do not pay RRP on this model!
Very nice looking loco👍😊🤩
Thanks Sam!
Painted moulded detail can be good in that it looks reasonable and yet should prove less fragile. Keep up the good work.
No heljan couplers today on a loco
haha nope! ;D
It always amazes me how Sam can say one company can do 'X' for a price, so other companies are over charging if the price for their 'X' is higher. Unless he is an accountant for all the companies, he has NO IDEA of each companies overheads and what they need to charge to stay in business. Yes, it could be greed, but what an assumption to make right off the bat!
Hola sam recien vi el video de los muevos producto de bachman uk excelemte video nueva locomotora abrazo grande😃👍
Thanks for the comment as always Miguel! :D
Nice
I bought 2 of these when they first came out (Virgin + Exec livery) with sound fitted, They were a lot cheaper then and with the sound were really good value. I compared them with the Hornby class 87 as they are roughly same price and functionality, rather than the Accurascale, there is no comparison the Bachmann is so much better than the Hornby. You think the full price is overpriced then don't look at the Hornby. Both of mine run really well.
This new Bachmann Class 90 electric locomotive looks very nice and I do like this model. Unfortunately, it does not beat Accurascale's Class 92 electric locomotive which has more detail and a cheaper price. Overall, Bachmann's Class 90 electric locomotive is a pretty good model Sam.