# Model Power or Bachmann Steam Any Good?



## KisNap (Aug 4, 2014)

Hello,
I'm still of the mind set that Atlas and Kato are trustworthy, but when I think of Model Power or Bachmann I think of the old quality of the locomotives where there's shoddy performance and awful detail.

That being said, I've read many good reviews of the steam locomotives. Are their steam locomotives good? Does anyone own one and love it or hate it? I have a Kato Mikado that looks and runs amazingly. How do they compare to that locomotive which, from what I understand, is what many consider to be the top N scale model steam locomotive? Any opinions are welcome. Let me know what you think. Thanks!


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Bachman, Life like*



KisNap said:


> Hello,
> I'm still of the mind set that Atlas and Kato are trustworthy, but when I think of Model Power or Bachmann I think of the old quality of the locomotives where there's shoddy performance and awful detail.
> 
> That being said, I've read many good reviews of the steam locomotives. Are their steam locomotives good? Does anyone own one and love it or hate it? I have a Kato Mikado that looks and runs amazingly. How do they compare to that locomotive which, from what I understand, is what many consider to be the top N scale model steam locomotive? Any opinions are welcome. Let me know what you think. Thanks!


KisNap;

I agree with your mind set. Kato makes the best N scale locomotives, steam, diesel, or electric, of any firm on the planet. Atlas does not make most of their newer locos. Instead they have them made for Atlas by some unnamed supplier in China. A few "Atlas" locos were actually made by Kato. So are "Concor's" superb J3 Hudson, and PA1 diesel. The Atlas newer Chinese imports are often quite good. Some run nearly as well as a Kato, though the detail is less. 
Bachman N scale locos, steam or diesel have always been risky-lousy quality as runners.
The flip side is that Bachman offers more types of steam locomotives than any other brand.
So if you want, say a Yellowstone, Bachman is the only game in town.
As for Life Like, for many years their locos, and other products, were indeed "life like"; as in "He looked so life like" referring to the dead body at a funeral. Recently Life Like has imported some decent looking, smooth running diesels. I don't have a steam loco of theirs, but I do have an SD7 that runs very well, comparable to a Kato, and has decent looks as well.
The important distinction between these brands is that Kato is a real Manufacturer.
The Kato Co. is owned by an avid model railroader and he makes sure that nothing goes out the plant door, under his name, that isn't the very best.
Life Like, Concor, and (in the case of locos) Atlas; are importers, not manufacturers. They
buy what they can get cheap, and the quality varies all over the place. Bachman does actually make it's own locos(in China) but the running quality is still quite variable.
You may come across a good running Bachman*, but at least in N scale, that's not always going to be the case. It's risky. If possible test run any loco you plan to buy. If you don't have a train store nearby, try to get the best return policy you can online.

That's my opinion anyway;

Traction Fan
*DonR on this forum uses a lot of Bachman locos in HO scale. He likes them a lot. You might want to post to him.


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## pmcgurin (Sep 7, 2010)

I have found one use for slower running Locos from Bachmann and Life Like. That is pulling my Kato lighted passenger cars with the old bulb kits. I have no DCC. If I use Kato loocos to pull the Kato passenger cars with older bulb light kits installed, running the train at a decent slow speed doesn't light the cars adequately. To get the cars lighted I have to use a high speed, and a Kato loco is running to beat the band, where a Life Like E8 or a Bachman F7 is going nice and moderately. 

I think the Bachmann and Life Like locos are a good bit more delicate than Kato locos. With care the Bachmann and Life Like work well for my purpose. I have also put Kato E8 shells on Life Like mechanisms. There's just no working front coupler, but I was able to slow the Burlington Northern passenger train with the Kato passenger sets and keep it well lit with the old bulb type light kits.


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

A few years back I would dismiss Bachmann out of hand, but now they upped their game considerably and can now compete with the best. I recently bought an S2 in HO and its excellent in all respects. I haven't tried any of their N offerings but I'm sure they have improved too. Made in China is no longer a universal precursor to poor quality. Who made your iPhone? Yes, Kato are excellent but Bachmann are catching up fast.

pmcgurin, you need to change over to DCC to keep those lights burning bright!


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## spookshow (Jun 5, 2015)

Bachmann started making really great steam locomotives back in 2001 when they released their Spectrum 2-8-0. I rate most of their releases since then very highly, although they do still have occasional QC problems. Fortunately, their warranty replacement program is pretty painless (IE, if you get a bad one, just send it back and get a good one).

The old Model Power / Ajin steamers are kind of a mixed bag (poor designs and lots of QC problems), but now that MRC has taken over the line things have improved greatly. The recently revised Mikados and Pacifics are both first-rate runners.

Lots more info here - http://www.spookshow.net/locos.html

Cheers,
-Mark


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## jargonlet (Dec 21, 2011)

I agree with spookshow, most of the modern bachmann stuff runs well. I have a handful of different bachmann steamers and they all run well. Most of which I have multiples of the same model. I have had both of my EM-1s pulling upwards of 80 cars. I only have one model power and it is a 4-4-0. It can't pull much but it does run rather well.


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