Pinehill

What a shock. I met Mick several times on his weathering courses @ Missenden & @ Pendon. Such a nice honest helpful guy who gave me inspiration in my weathering & also great advice on a tree making course @ Pendon a couple of years ago. I will fondly remember his ‘mini shop’ he used to bring along where we could purchase all those lovely materials etc that he showed us how to use for weathering. His help & expertise were always in huge abundance & he was such a good tutor. I will miss him & his humour & friendly attitude. RIP Mick.

Mine is not great @ slow shunting speeds. Running with a Gaugemaster W non-feedback controller after running in as instructed. I am not a fan of the core less motor as a feedback controller cannot be used & all my other locos (many) run much better with their non coreless motors & a Gaugemaster HH feedback unit. Now difficult to return the model as it has been detailed & weathered. Will dump it back in its box, carry on with my 2 excellent running 64xx locos instead & not buy another coreless model. Would love to know how many units Bachman have received back! Disappointed after waiting for so long for this model.

Just finished the weathering!

Having just run in my 94xx as instructed by Bachmann I have come to the conclusion, as expected, that coreless motors are not the way forward in my opinion. I am running this loco as instructed with a non feedback Gaugemaster W controller & no electronic track cleaner & it just does not run as freely & as smoothly when running slowly shunting as all my other locos that run with a Gaugemaster feedback HH controller. The only coreless loco I have & it will be the last. Also disappointing that several people here have had problems with their 94xx models one way or another. After waiting so long it is just not good enough.

Anybody run this successfully on Peco bullhead code 75 track?

Have you tried TMC for your model? They have stock about to arrive. Always excellent. Service.

I hope after around several years of waiting for this model that Bachmanns quality control is not going to fail us!

They are in the Bachman warehouse & in process of being despatched to stockists!

So has anybody run it using a feedback controller &/or an electronic track cleaner? If so what result?

To those who have just received their model, can they confirm what notes have been enclosed in regard to using a feedback controller &/or electronic track cleaners with this coreless motored locomotive? If you ask why then see recent postings in regard to the 94xx pannier tanks. Thanks.

Dibber25, was that analog controller you used a feedback unit to test review the 94xx or non feedback? I can see that there is no problem with using a non feedback unit.

I already have an alternative quality non feedback controller! The locos I have just don’t run as smoothly with it as they do with the feedback unit. To run the new coreless models means losing the running qualities of the existing locos or changing the controller each time a different type of motor is run. Impractical & a pain.

Yes but for someone who runs DC with close to 50 locomotives successfully & not with the inclination or time to convert those locos & to carry out any other necessary modifications what do I do? Give up the hobby?

Interestingly I have discovered that Bachmann around 3 years ago actually carried out a test of coreless motors with a well known manufacturers hand held feedback controller (I suspect Gaugemaster). They ran a number of coreless motored locos for over 100 hours with five coach trains. There were no failures & no discernible degradation of performance during the tests. They also discussed the results with the controller manufacturer who confirmed they were unaware of any motor failures attributable to the current generation (3 years ago) of controllers & motors. Bachmann came to the conclusion that the received historical wisdom that coreless motors & feedback type controllers are incompatible would seem outdated when considering their current (3 years ago) motor specification used with the latest generation (3 years ago) of feedback controller. They mentioned that they cannot test every combination & that it may be the case that using coreless motors with older, less refined, feedback or pulsed controllers could have adverse effects. Make of that what you will!

Agree with pretty well all you have said Johnster. Over the past 20+ years I have achieved excellent slow running (all I require) with Gaugemaster HH feedback units with no real problems. Not sure if the addition of HF1 electronic track cleaners have helped but not a huge amount of hand cleaning has been necessary. Now we have Bachmann introducing motors that I cannot use with my tried & tested system & that is immensely annoying! DCC is not practical due to the many locos I have & it would take more years than I have to convert! The only real option for me is to not buy the new model after waiting so long! A really annoying aspect of this is Bachmanns attitude of leaving the feedback using customer to find out the motor conflict after he has purchased the model. As most will buy online there is no mention of problems on their own website or any of the dealers websites that I can find so their first indication will be when the model arrives with its packaging & instructions after money spent. I have made Bachmann aware of this, which they have acknowledged & are looking at.

I was thinking that Bachmann themselves might consider testing their new motors with feedback/track cleaners, in order to ascertain just exactly what might happen! Who knows if the risk was low more feedback users might buy the product! As I have said previously until you receive the model I can find no warnings on the Bachmann website or the dealer websites in regard to feedback controllers. Not every modeller would be reading this forum & learning that a conflict exists. They might just go online, pay, receive & then be disappointed! In regard to your offer, thanks but no thanks, I can do my own test if necessary! Probably will not bother to buy!

Yes Ian, discussed the problem with both of them & really all I get is reference to each other’s warnings about using feedback & electronic track cleaners. Nobody appears willing to carry out a test of this new Bachmann coreless motor to see actually what happens when using it with a feedback controller & track cleaner. Maybe Bachmann will lose orders or get returns, I do not know. I appear to have 3 options, change my complete system to suit one new loco, take a chance using what I have or not bother to buy it. I suspect the last option & the end of Bachmann purchases of coreless equipped locos!

Not running old equipment here Ian just the latest feedback controller from Gaugemaster! The problem for many of us is the introduction (I no not why) of coreless motors in the models from the biggest supplier! If they are going that way then I am sure your Caley will be coreless!

Not sure if they would know to switch off track cleaners as the J72 packaging etc makes no mention of them!

So everybody who has bought the J72 & uses a feedback controller with DC (not DCC) has had to go & buy a non feedback unit along with doing away with their electronic track cleaners! Incidentally, Gaugemaster say there is no problem using an electronic track cleaner with coreless motor! What a mess!

A bit late after you have bought the thing! Why do electronic track cleaners cause a problem?

Have you or anyone else used a feedback controller with the newer cordless J72?

‘Powerful coreless motor’ hardly conveys to the prospective buyer that it may not work with a feedback controller that many may have! I have used Gaugemaster products including several HH units very many years without any problems. Whenever I have tried the non feedback units the locos (Bachmann & Hornby) have run poorly compared to feedback. The two 64xx tanks I have are superb runners with the feedback HH but awful with the equivalent Gaugemaster non feedback unit.

Well that will be a problem if Bachman do not make it very clear that this model has a different motor design! There must be loads of people like me that run their locos very successfully with feedback controllers. Is this the first Bachmann with a coreless motor fitted as I have bought many of their models for years without feedback problems. After the long delayed wait for this model many will probably give it a miss if changing controller types is required each time they want to run it! Certainly a real pain for me to keep unplugging a different unit each time as all my locos (Bachmann & Hornby) run well with feedback HH & poorly with non feedback! Does the new Johnson tank have a coreless motor?

In a previous post The Johnster mentioned that he uses a Gaugemaster HH feedback controller. With all the discussion regarding cordless motors & feedback controllers what will he do when the 94xx arrives? Switch controllers (a real nuisance) or carry on using feedback with a coreless motor? I understand the 64xx panniers have coreless motors but having run 2 of them since introduction with my Gaugemaster HH with no ill effects whatsoever I am unsure what to do with the new 94xx. I have found my feedback units to give great smooth running but as soon as I have tried switching to a non feedback controller the running becomes jerky & nowhere as good as the feedback units. Can somebody confirm the motor in the 94xx is exactly the same as fitted in the 64xx model?