# Where can I find a nice Berkshire?



## cboisits (Nov 22, 2015)

I'm looking to buy an HO Berkshire. A Pere Marquette or NKP 765. made by MTH. But I can't find them anywhere? Help? p.s....please no Bachmann


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

I looked around a little bit for you. I came up with none also.
I checked ebay first-nothing
I checked MTH to make sure they built a Berkshire- they do
I buy from Trainworld and they have none
I did find this out, If you want to run it on DCC, get one with a model number
that starts with 80 or 81.

Good luck, keep looking.


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## johnfl68 (Feb 1, 2015)

Star Hobby in Annapolis, MD has a page that says they have 1 Pere Marquette in stock:

http://www.starhobby1.com/HOEngines.html
http://www.starhobby1.com/

I do not know if information is up to date, and I have never done business with them.
But that was all that I could find.


Part numbers to search:
MTH 80-3172-1 2-8-4 Berkshire Steam Engine Pere Marquette (#1225)
MTH 80-3173-1 2-8-4 Berkshire Steam Engine Nickel Plate Road (#765)


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## dsertdog56 (Oct 26, 2014)

I went on greed bay this morning and typed in HO 2-8-4.

Got almost 3 pages of Berkshires, everything from AHM to United Brass. Prices all over the board as well. 

Good hunting!


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

My AHM/Rivarossi still gives me warm fuzzies when I gaze upon it, and thanks to MTH and BLI, it did not cost me a whole lot either...


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## RUSTY Cuda (Aug 28, 2012)

Agree with shay, if your running DC , don't know what it takes to convert them, I have both you listed & The richmond virginia which is my favorite, front end is is a little different,more detailed? 
A lot of rivarossi on ebay if your patient you can probably get one between 80 & 100 in the original box


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

And I always thought Berkshire (p. Barkshire) was a county to the west of London.


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## dsertdog56 (Oct 26, 2014)

Cycleops said:


> And I always thought Berkshire (p. Barkshire) was a county to the west of London.



I'm not sure how the locals pronounce it but I've always pronounced it as birk...must be a colonial thing.


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## MacDaddy55 (Aug 19, 2008)

*Ooops Ya misssed this!*



mopac said:


> I looked around a little bit for you. I came up with none also.
> I checked ebay first-nothing
> I checked MTH to make sure they built a Berkshire- they do
> I buy from Trainworld and they have none
> ...


Hey cboisits, 
Trainworld has Bachmann Pere Marquette, NP(it is #765) for $158.99 and there is a discount with purchases over $99.00 @ $15.00 off using the promo code LOCOHO...ends tomorrow 5/16...hope this helps and good luck...these are also DCC ready!!:thumbsup:


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

dsertdog56 said:


> I'm not sure how the locals pronounce it but I've always pronounced it as birk...must be a colonial thing.


I think so, one of the quirks of the divide between our common language! A soccer club called Leicester City won the premier league this year and I understand most Americans can't pronounce it correctly. It should be Lester.


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## thedoc (Oct 15, 2015)

There are 147 listings on E-Bay right now, most of them are well over $100.00 here are a few that are less. 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/252384535498?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/121983031954?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/131811162119?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT


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## thedoc (Oct 15, 2015)

"Where can I find a nice Berkshire?"

New England, USA.


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## thedoc (Oct 15, 2015)

Cycleops said:


> I think so, one of the quirks of the divide between our common language! A soccer club called *Leicester* City won the premier league this year and I understand most Americans can't pronounce it correctly. It should be Lester.


Probably a damned french spelling of a relatively simple word. I can't remember how many times I finally looked up the spelling of a word that wasn't spelled anything like it was pronounced, and found it had a French origin.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Cycleops said:


> I think so, one of the quirks of the divide between our common language! A soccer club called Leicester City won the premier league this year and I understand most Americans can't pronounce it correctly. It should be Lester.


"The British and Americans are two peoples separated by a common language." -- George Bernard Shaw


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

And, to get the thread back on track, while I understand and respect your wishes not to recommend a Bachmann... if you haven't tried one of their products recently (say, last 5 years-ish), you should take another look.

They have really upped their game with much improved offering.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

I will probably buy a Bachmann spectrum Berkshire in the near future. I have 2
spectrum steam locos with DCC and sound. I have 3 BLI steam locos with same.
I don't regret buying the spectrums but I would not put them in same class as the
BLI. There is a price difference. BLI had better be better. Both of my spectrums
do the same thing that I don't like. Sometimes when I power up the bachmanns
and increase speed they start chugging and as I increase speed the chugging
increases and the loco is just sitting there. Like no power to the motor. When
my first Bachmann did that I thought I had a bad motor with a dead spot. Got the
second Bachmann and it does the same thing. Not always just sometimes. My 
BLI have never done that. My 2 bachmanns could not be more different. One is a
big articulated steamer and one is a little 4-4-0. But they both do it. Both bachmanns
will start moving if I give them a shove with my hand. No idea what is the problem
with them. It seems to be a Bachmann problem though. I will buy one again, but
they are not the precision machine a BLI is or probably a MTH. I have no MTH and will
probably never buy one. They do better with a DCS system.


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## davidone (Apr 20, 2015)

Although I have no Berkshire's, I do have a few MTH steam and diesel and they all run great on both DC and DCC. Don't short shrift MTH when looking for locomotives.


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

I have the Bachmann NKP 765 railfan edition Berk. I did replace the decoder with a sound decoder. I don't have any real complains about its working.


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## RUSTY Cuda (Aug 28, 2012)

Just ran across this while crusin rivarossi

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-RIV...214177?hash=item2eef6a42e1:g:SxcAAOSwInxXONb5


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## mtoney (Oct 6, 2012)

The Bachmann's run well, are can motor equipted and accept a sound decoder. The mth is a Mercedes version of a berk. All the lights work, class, tender marker, Mars ect. Plus sound, plus its all diecast. Would I buy one, no. I would rather get one of the older PFM/United brass imports and have it professionaly painted and fitted with sound. I have faith it will be running for decades to come. Where as the diecast in anything from the PRC has dubious qualites. I can show you products for several well known companies that are suffering from zinc pest. And these are recent products. The Bachmann wont pull as well, but is smooth and quiet. The older brass imports can be weighted down, have sprung drivers and pull like an ox. Good luck on your hunt for which ever you decide to purchase. Mike


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

mopac said:


> I will probably buy a Bachmann spectrum Berkshire in the near future. I have 2
> spectrum steam locos with DCC and sound. I have 3 BLI steam locos with same.
> I don't regret buying the spectrums but I would not put them in same class as the
> BLI. There is a price difference. BLI had better be better. Both of my spectrums
> ...


That sounds like you need to increase the Starting Voltage CV on your decoder.


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