Bachmann Spectrum 2-6-6-2

DeckRoid

Member
Hi there

My lovely wife has decided that I should order the Bachmann Spectrum 2-6-6-2 as a "Happy New Years, But We're Building A House So No More Engines This Year" present from Micro Mark.

I would love to add this bad boy to my roster, but I can't find how well they run. I have 2 Spectrums. 1 is quite possilby my best runner. The other is a problem child that needed some extra loving to get up and going. Both of them, however, are diesel and this would be my first steam engine since my IHC 2-8-0 died 30 minutes after getting it home from a swap meet.

If anyone has any good or bd to say I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks.
George
 

Squidbait

Recovering ALCO-holic
I've run one up and down on a shelf layout, and it was very smooth, and a good runner. No idea how well it pulls, since it's tough to let it stretch it's legs on an 8' shelf. :)
 

Kanawha

Member
I don't own one (yet :) ) But from what I've heard and seen they are smooth runners, though possibly a little light on pulling power. This can always be remedied however... easily if there is room under the shell for more weight.
 

nkp174

Active Member
What are your other two Spectrum locomotives? Is one of them an older K-4?

I've been wanting one for a while.
 

Sawdust

Member
Bachman Spectrum Very Happy!

Hi George :wave:
My lovely wife bought me a couple of Bachman Spectrum engines for Christmas. I got the USRA Heavey Mountain 4-8-2 Steam with the long tender & their 3 truck Shay. I have had a couple of their 44 ton switchers for a while just to push around local cars. I find their engines very quite & smooth running.I really wanted the Shay to use in my lumber mill project but the other was a surprise as I like running a lot of coal cars. I haven't tested it much yet but I'm sure I'm going to like it. Good luck!
Jim
 

DeckRoid

Member
Thanks for all the input folks.

My other 2 Spectrums are a SD-45 and a Dash 8-40. I have only owned 2 steamers. One was my first, a Tyco 0-8-0 that never ran properly, but I hope to restore one day... and the other is an IHC 2-8-0 Consolidation that I picked up at a swap meet. It died a spectacular death on my layout after getting it home.

Ordered the 2-6-6-2 on Friday and I will post pics when I get it.
 
Thanks for all the input folks.

My other 2 Spectrums are a SD-45 and a Dash 8-40. I have only owned 2 steamers. One was my first, a Tyco 0-8-0 that never ran properly, but I hope to restore one day... and the other is an IHC 2-8-0 Consolidation that I picked up at a swap meet. It died a spectacular death on my layout after getting it home.

Ordered the 2-6-6-2 on Friday and I will post pics when I get it.

Unless the consolidation burst into flames & burned to the ground you should be able to get it up & running somehow. What happened?
 

Don7

New Member
I have one of the Spectrum 2-6-6-2's and it is a great running engine. It has reasonable pulling power and its slow speed control is good and it can handle the small 18" radius curves with ease. While I was running this engine I only had a small loop in operation on the flats so never ran it later when the rest of the layout including the inclines were finished

I monitor the Bachmann site and the members overwhelmingly have praise for this engine. Model Railroader did a review on this engine in their June 2004 issue(also online at their site to their subscribers)

I have since switched to small steam engines and this engine along with seveal other larger steam engines are packed away until I either build a larger layout or add to the existing layout in order to justify the larger road engines. Largest engine running on layout is a BLI 2-8-2 Light Mikado
 

DeckRoid

Member
Unless the consolidation burst into flames & burned to the ground you should be able to get it up & running somehow. What happened?

I bought the IHC Consolidation for 35 bucks at a swap meet. The guy selling said he chipped it, but was selling without the digitrax 9 pin chip. I swing by another table, find the right chip for 15 bucks, and take my stuff home. Put the chip in the train, put it on the track and watched it go.

It was very pretty to look at. Then it hit a snag. Well, I don't know exactly what caused it, but afterwards, I opened the boiler up and saw the carnage. The gearing from the motor had eaten all the teeth off the gearing of the motor and the part that met up with it from the 8 wheels.

It was a plastic death nightmare. I dont know how to repair the engine part... I can't pry what's left from the stud sticking out of the motor. I am guessing the part for the wheels should be easily enough to find, but after messing with the motor for a while, I just put it all in a shoe box and put it in storage for when I know more.
 

DeckRoid

Member
I monitor the Bachmann site and the members overwhelmingly have praise for this engine. Model Railroader did a review on this engine in their June 2004 issue(also online at their site to their subscribers)


Geeze... I completely forgot about MR's online content...wall1

Thank you for reminding me...
 

nkp174

Active Member
I once had a 30min wonder from an AHM/Rivarossi 0-6-0...until the seller's glue came undone on the cracked frame and gearbox. It is fixable...If perform far more surgery than it is worth.

The Tyco 0-8-0 was a toy train (I've seen them turned into nice models, but with tons of effort). The IHC 2-8-0 is outclassed by every steam locomotive that Spectrum makes...in every respect. (and you can pick up the DC Spectrum 2-8-0 for around $70)

Spectrum's steam locomotives are awesome. Since the others are diesels, I wouldn't use them to judge their steam locomotives...they may pre-date the design of the Spectrum 2-8-0 and hence not be up to its (and the subsequent locomotives) very high standards.
 
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