Bachmann Class 70 Running In or Possible Issues?

[classy52]

Hi All,

 

I have two brand new Bachmann Class 70's both in Colas Rail Freight & Freightliner liveries and are the latest ones with air intake modifications, they were purchased back in May/June and have only just got around to extensively testing them on a rolling road but not sure if I have issues with them both or not?

 

Now components being used;

1. Both Class 70's DCC Ready

2. DCC Concepts rolling road

3. Hornby 12V Analogue Controller

4. DCC Ready Dapol Class 68's x3, Hattons Class 66 x1 & Hornby Class 67's x2 have been tested on the equipment listed above without any running issues at low, medium or high speed.

 

Ok, observations so far on both Bachmann Class 70's;

1. At low speed both run poorly producing a slight sound which appears to come from inside the loco but no idea what that is & disappears when you increase the speed, the low speed running is compared to my other loco's listed.

2. Throughout the whole speed range both Class 70's do not perform as good as the other loco's listed, the Bachmann's are less vigorous so to speak.

3. Both have a distinct warm electrical smell which my other new loco's do not have, the Class 70 Freightliner is actually worse.

4. Both have a slight electrical static noise if you put your ear close to the body whilst running, Freightliner 70 is noisier from the motor.

5. Freightliner Class 70 runs like a dog throughout the speed range and the electrical burning smell is quite distinct thus not sure whether to keep testing it or not?

 

Now at this stage I'm not sure whether these Bachmann Class 70's need to be run in for a while or should I be worried, especially concerning the Freightliner one as I feel the motor is knackered as I've been running it in further and its quite noisy compared to other loco's already tested.

Just wanted to know if anyone else has experienced this with brand new Class 70's and whether this is indicative of Bachmann Class 70's in the way they run straight out of the box and require extensive rolling road running in before they smooth out.

 

Any feedback or advice would be most welcome.

 

Cheers

Steve

 

[dave56]

I have the freightliner class 70 without the mod from the first release and the  recent class 70 Colas  which I purchased a couple of years ago . I have to say that I found them pretty good straight out of the box. I run mine in around the layout so cannot comment on the rolling road.

Edited November 1, 2020 by dave56

[classy52]

25 minutes ago, dave56 said:

I have the freightliner class 70 without the mod from the first release and the  recent class 70 Colas  which I purchased a couple of years ago . I have to say that I found them pretty good straight out of the box. I run mine in around the layout so cannot comment on the rolling road.

 

Thanks for the feedback.

I ran them both in on the rolling road for about 2hrs each encompassing different speed variations and yes their performance has improved but not to a point where I would feel comfortable with them pulling a decent rake without dying completely.

Have to say they are two worst performing loco's I've had out of the box new and unfortunately atm I only have a rolling road to test them and no layout but I will persist with constant running on the rolling road and see how they pan out as receipts are kept for both and are within the 1 year warranty in case they need to be sent to Bachmann for repair or replacement.

[dave56]

1 hour ago, classy52 said:

 

Thanks for the feedback.

I ran them both in on the rolling road for about 2hrs each encompassing different speed variations and yes their performance has improved but not to a point where I would feel comfortable with them pulling a decent rake without dying completely.

Have to say they are two worst performing loco's I've had out of the box new and unfortunately atm I only have a rolling road to test them and no layout but I will persist with constant running on the rolling road and see how they pan out as receipts are kept for both and are within the 1 year warranty in case they need to be sent to Bachmann for repair or replacement.

If your not happy return them to the retailer you purchased them from, they are responsible for any repairs or replacement

[classy52]

19 minutes ago, dave56 said:

If your not happy return them to the retailer you purchased them from, they are responsible for any repairs or replacement

 

Yeah thanks for stating the obvious which isn't the point of this thread.

The point of this thread is to receive feedback on the Bachmann Class 70 out of the box new and whether the poor running I'm experiencing is indicative of this particular loco & requires a substantial amount of running in or whether I actually have 2 loco's that may need returning so yes this is one option but not yet.

[TomScrut]

I don't think they are good pullers regardless to be honest. I have bought both models you speak of in the last few months and both are fine now, although I do recall the FL one making a funny noise when I first ran it.

 

Mine slips when pulling 5 MRAs with loads.

[classy52]

8 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

I don't think they are good pullers regardless to be honest. I have bought both models you speak of in the last few months and both are fine now, although I do recall the FL one making a funny noise when I first ran it.

 

Mine slips when pulling 5 MRAs with loads.

 

Thanks Tom, this is the sort of feedback I was looking for because I wasn't entirely sure if the loco's are just bad runners out of the box which is indicative of the Bachmann Class 70 or whether I have a couple of faulty units.

Yes my FL is doing the same with the funny noise when running it but I can't imagine this one pulling the 12-14 HIA's I have planned for it in the future or the Colas 70 for the Revolution IWA timber wagons which I have on pre-order.

I'll keep running them over the next week or so and see how they both pan out but like you said maybe they are just poor runners which is disappointing as these are my first two 70's and will be wary about getting anymore but I do like them far as appearance is concerned.

[TomScrut]

What sort of noise is it and is it in both directions?

 

I had a 90 where one of the pickups was slightly bent so was scratching the wheel. It only happened in one direction too.

[classy52]

4 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

What sort of noise is it and is it in both directions?

 

I had a 90 where one of the pickups was slightly bent so was scratching the wheel. It only happened in one direction too.

 

I'll need to run it again which I'll do today to have another listen, it was coming from inside the body and sort of electrical sound and it was occurring in both directions which is why I think it won't last but let me get back to you on that after some further running.

[classy52]

On 03/11/2020 at 10:03, TomScrut said:

What sort of noise is it and is it in both directions?

 

I had a 90 where one of the pickups was slightly bent so was scratching the wheel. It only happened in one direction too.

 

Ok finally got around to further running and checked the pickups on both loco's and appear all fine & straight and nothing looking untoward beneath the loco's.

Unfortunately both are still pretty poor runners, breakdown as follows;

 

1. Freightliner 70 - at max speed on the dial it runs as if only half the speed or dial turn is applied, there is still a faint electrical smell from the body and feel it wouldn't pull a bit of candy floss let alone a few wagons.

2. Colas 70 - runs slightly faster at dial turns than the Freightliner but again quite slow compared to my Hattons 66's, Dapol 68's & Hornby 67's and it has now developed a whizzing sound from inside the body underneath the cooler fans or thereabouts.

 

Both run like they are about to cack it thus will be giving Bachmann a call tomorrow to have them sent back for assessment or repair under warranty.

I still want these because whether you like the look of them or not to me they are very well detailed and a decent job from Bachmann in replicating the Class 70 but must say they are quite light in weight compared to all my other ones and nowhere near the Hattons 66 in that department.

[classy52]

Ok that was a lessoned learned.

My Freightliner 70 (the really bad one) will not be going to Bachmann for warranty repair because basically it isn't covered by their Terms & Conditions since I purchased it from an eBay seller (non-retailer), albeit new but who knows, and not directly from a retailer but luckily my Colas 70 was purchased directly from Hattons thus that one will be repaired under warranty.

Personally I don't agree with that policy because it is still under warranty regardless who has it or where they got it from considering I was supplied with the original purchase receipt by the seller but yeah got my fingers burned on this one and will reconsider where I purchase loco's in the future especially if it is a Bachmann one, more than likely stick with direct retailers which I do anyway 95% of the time with locomotives.

Some time in the future the Freightliner 70 will be my guinea pig for repair or motor replacement when I get around to it...will be a steep learning curve but no rush.

[TomScrut]

Yeah I'd have thought if you had a receipt from the original buyer it should be OK. Heck, how many of these things get bought as presents etc.?

 

Have you run it with the body removed to see if you can identify better where the sound comes from?

[classy52]

3 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

Yeah I'd have thought if you had a receipt from the original buyer it should be OK. Heck, how many of these things get bought as presents etc.?

 

Have you run it with the body removed to see if you can identify better where the sound comes from?

 

Yeah totally agree, the following line I feel will catch a lot of people off guard like myself if not already so beware.

 

"This Warranty is only available to the original retail purchaser of this product and is non-transferable"...directly from their Product Warranty page https://service.Bachmann.co.uk/warranty-information/ and I also had this confirmed by the Bachmann Service Manager hence they won't look at it under warranty even with the original receipt supplied and it being within 12 month warranty period.

 

Like I said I don't agree with that condition and if I knew that previously then there is no way I would have purchased a Bachmann loco from a non-retailer but a harsh lesson has been learned.

Actually I need to go check all the other manufacturers Product Warranty conditions to see if they all say the same thing.

 

Anyway, no I haven't removed the body yet but will try over the weekend to take a closer look and fiddle around but don't like my chances because the loco/motor performance is so poor and it sounds like it is literally dying. 

[TomScrut]

Yeah, it doesn't put me off buying from eBay assuming that I am not buying at RRP. I'd take the chance of buying "new" on eBay at 20% cheaper than I can get it in a shop for example, as I'd have to buy way more than 5 to get faulty if they were all in fact new.

[classy52]

9 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

Yeah, it doesn't put me off buying from eBay assuming that I am not buying at RRP. I'd take the chance of buying "new" on eBay at 20% cheaper than I can get it in a shop for example, as I'd have to buy way more than 5 to get faulty if they were all in fact new.

 

Would be interesting if Bachmann would honor the product warranty if you purchased the loco from a retailer selling it on eBay???

[TomScrut]

22 minutes ago, classy52 said:

 

Would be interesting if Bachmann would honor the product warranty if you purchased the loco from a retailer selling it on eBay???

 

Yes as it's from a retailer. I have bought stuff on eBay from retailers (mostly to make use of vouchers, or sometimes when they can inexplicably offer free postage on eBay but not their website, I normally prefer to give eBay's cut to the dealer) and it normally comes with a proper receipt anyway.

[classy52]

Lol my Freightliner 70 officially died after running for 30mins in a very labored manner...oh well luckily I only own have two of them.

[TomScrut]

Very odd IMO!

[classy52]

7 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

Very odd IMO!

 

Yeah it doesn't run anymore, dead as a dodo.

Also Bachmann should add to their instruction sheet in regards to taking the body off with..."after removing those 4 screws deep in the body (btw you'll never get them back in) you'll find taking the body off nigh on impossible and if you do without breaking anything you are a genius thus 'Good luck with that!"...what a flippin nightmare taking the body off.

Anyway everything inside just looks normal including the pickups and the lights at both ends come on which isn't surprising but it just doesn't run...goneski.

[TomScrut]

Yes they are absolute prats to get the two screws back in at the end where there isn't a recess for the screw heads.

[classy52]

2 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

Yes they are absolute prats to get the two screws back in at the end where there isn't a recess for the screw heads.

 

Yeah I can imagine.

Anyway I'll probably end up sending it to Bachmann for repair and just wear the costs or stick it on eBay as a loco for spare parts and get a Hattons Class 66 Freightliner instead next year sometime.

[TomScrut]

I'm sure there won't be much wrong with it.

 

Bad timing to get it to somebody who could maybe fix it though!

[classy52]

1 minute ago, TomScrut said:

I'm sure there won't be much wrong with it.

 

Bad timing to get it to somebody who could maybe fix it though!

 

Yeah agree but just weighing up my options in either getting it fixed or selling it but no rush to make that decision and probably will end up keeping it and paying the money to fix it sometime next year.

[rob D2]

I had this issue with a “ new “ 47 off eBay - the dcc sound decoder was faulty but they wouldn’t go anything as it was a private sale .

 

I won’t buy new off eBay now unless it’s clear they are actually a recognisable retail model shop 

[classy52]

42 minutes ago, rob D2 said:

I had this issue with a “ new “ 47 off eBay - the dcc sound decoder was faulty but they wouldn’t go anything as it was a private sale .

 

I won’t buy new off eBay now unless it’s clear they are actually a recognisable retail model shop 

 

Yes exactly what I will be doing in regards to Bachmann products but personally I think product warranties should be transferable within the specified warranty period especially with model railway products as they constantly change hands at least 1 step from the original retail purchase.