Bachmann Class 20, Review & DCC Decoder installation Options

[Doug]

I have finally managed to finish off the review that I started in May. It has been great fun playing with these locos and I hope that if you haven't seen these before, you may be interested in checking the Class 20's out.



Click here for the review.

[neil_s_wood]

Very good. It seems like a good idea operating two together as a multiple unit. Good to get some feedback on that. It will be interesting to see how the digital sound version compares. Whenever it gets released that is...

[spongebob]

You've picked two good examples there, an original release with the sliding cab windows and a slightly later one by which time they had abandoned the idea, partly because the window looked too deep and as yours has they fell out.

[Doug]

I was keen to test the pulling power of these Multiple Unit Class 20's.

I hooked up a rake of goods wagons and loaded them with my benchwork screws. 5 wagons: 210g, 140g, 180g, 145g and 360g.

I then ran the trains UP my 1:40 gradient ramp.

The Hornby A4 was able to haul the first 3 wagons (530g) and slipped with the 4th (675g).

A single Bachmann Class 20 was able to haul 675g comfortably, but slipped with 5 wagons (1035g).

The two Class 20's set up as a MU were able to easily pull the 1035g. Noise levels we higher - not sure if it was just the locos or the whole train on the ramp. It sounded quite cool though.

[Makemineadouble]

Try this:



True pulling power 6 Bachmann Ivatts.

1:40 Doug you should be able to get more pulling power with the A4, time to add some liquid lead. Up a 1:40 I'd get a Hornby Black five to pull 7 mark1's up it with not too much bother. The secret is to remove the weights from the mark 1's, they stay on the rails much better.

[spongebob]

Nice to see some out of the box haulage figures though.
Turn up for the books a pair of class 20's out hauling an A4.

[Gofer]

Or even a single Class 20 out hauling an A4 Sponge

On the noise issue Doug I've noticed that one of my two Class 20's is very much more noisier that the other when under load yet no noticable difference between them when running light.

[Doug]

In July 2006 I wrote up a little review on the Bachmann Class 20



Click here for the review.

I now have the Class 20 with DCC Sound that I purchase thanks to a good deal at OnTracks.

Class 20 Diesel D8113 BR Green With Discs/Tablet Catcher (Digital Sound)





You can see the tablet catcher under the drivers window on the cab side.



The double fly-wheel make for excellent running. Smooth, slow and powerful. Good control at slow speeds and super-stable running at higher speeds make for a good loco. I must go and weigh this, it feels heavier that the other two, but I'm not certain.

The decoder and speaker.


A close-up of the decoder. The decoder is seated on a 21-pin connector under that seal. I don't see how the warranty of the loco can be voided if the seal is broken. It seems a little over the top. What if someone just wanted to change the decoder, should that void the warranty of the whole loco. Or do you think that Bachmann will use common sense and apply this to the decoder only?



The three locomotives together show my liking for these strong little locomotives that have more power to weight that anything else on the layout. They can go anywhere and pull anything.







You may have seen the little video of the loco on my layout. If not, here it is a link to it: Bachmann Class 20 with Sound.

Bachmann include good instructions for the locomotive with the usual 'exploded' drawing of parts. They include info on the use of the indicator disks allowing you to make use of the detailed parts supplied: indicator disks - closed and open, a ladder, hoses and pipes.

A good info sheet on the sound decoder is also supplied, but for owners of this loco, it is a good idea to read the full sound decoder manual from Loksound (all 52 pages!).

As mentioned elsewhere, the model benefits from a lowering of the sound decoder volume and a slight tweaking of the inertia values.

[Ravenser]

Doug:

They're a very nice model and run beautifully. Running them coupled in pairs nose to nose is prototypical - they spend a lot of time running like that on coal trains in the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire coalfield . I suspect one reason was that you got 2000hp of loco spread over 8 axles - useful on colliery lines with poor track, and this is probably why thev outlived the other Type 1 diesels by decades

I agree the warranty limitation seems way over the top.

[neil_s_wood]

Bachmann include good instructions for the locomotive with the usual 'exploded' drawing of parts. They include info on the use of the indicator disks allowing you to make use of the detailed parts supplied: indicator disks - closed and open, a ladder, hoses and pipes.

Thats a good feature. Often the average modeller has no real idea of what these parts do or were used for and it is good for people to pick up info like this with their models.

[Gary]

On the warranty Bachmann have got it absolutely right. The average customer won't take the body off and mess about. If the diehard techy wants to poke around then that should be entirely at the risk of the techy. Why should Bachmann be liable if users decide to poke around with what is after all the most expensive part of the model and only really repairable with a replacement part which for Bachmann will be an expensive repair. It could well be part of the commercial arrangements with the supplier of the sound decoder that this seal is put on the unit.

If you were supplying Bachmann with 10000 sound decoders over 12 months you would probably insist on a similar arrangement!

Happy modelling
Gary

[Brian Considine]

Quite agree Gary.

As a retailer we have only had about three loco's returned with "faults". On 2 occasions (from the same customer) when we checked (before replacement) it was clear that they had both been partly dismantled (cross headed screws, heads chewed, wiring displaced) & they had been used enough for the wheel treads to be shiny. These 2 loco's were repaired & returned.
This particular customer also "re-oiled" 2 loco's that we repaired for him (with 3 in 1 - you could smell it !) getting it on the comutators, wheels & pick ups.
The other loco (which was not "interfered" with) was replaced & the faulty one returned to the manufacture.

From the photo's I cannot see any reason for the purchaser to interfere with the decoder on this model - it looks entirely possible to service and/or lube the loco & leave the decoder seal intact. If any fault did develop that required removal of the decoder then I would tend to return it to Bachmann - from most reports their service appears to be excellent.

At the end of the day many other electrical things we buy have similar seals.

[pedromorgan]

He oiled a bachmann loco??

I have problems getting all the bachmann grease out so they will run better!

People dont realise you only need oil about the size of a pinhead! that should be enough to last any loco for many years of happy running.

My voyager was the worst. it had enough teflon grease to lubricate a 1:1 model!

I like the mods to the sand pipes. they look much better than on the first batch. i wish i had waited!

Peter

[Brian Considine]

He oiled a bachmann loco??
Peter

To protect the guilty I did'nt quote the make(s) of locomotive.

[jpallc]

Thats a good feature. Often the average modeller has no real idea of what these parts do or were used for and it is good for people to pick up info like this with their models.

You are right. It's even worse for an American modeller in the States trying to model British railways. For example, I just received my sound equiped Bachmann Class 20 with discs and am wondering if there are no lights or my unit was damaged in shippment. Should F0 toggle the lights?

Joe Altnether
Mesa, AZ USA