Quote from: rowdyjoe on September 10, 2008, 12:07:36 PM
Burly,
     Last week my 2 month old Spectrum steam locomotive broke so, I emailed Bachman service and asked about repair.   They answered my email within two days and told me to fill out the on-line serivce form and send it, the locomotive, and a copy of my receipt ... which I did.  I'm waiting now for repair or replacement.

I still have not heard from them on my email, and I really do not figure I ever will. When I talked to them on the phone, they did not tell me to fill out anything, just send a copy of my receipt and a letter stating what the problem is.

   

Quote from: rowdyjoe on September 10, 2008, 12:07:36 PMMy experience with their service dept., so far, has been good but, that's not to say they are always that quick to respond.  I also have a "standard" quality Bachman steam loco that I needed replacement parts for (I broke it).  It's an older, our of production, loco and it took about 6 weeks for them to reply.  I was surprised one evening when they called me at home and told me they had the parts and how much they cost.  They were surprisingly inexpensive and I bought them.

Glad they finally got back with you, but I am a business man and if it took me 6 weeks to answer a customer I would be out of business real quick.
 
     

Quote from: rowdyjoe on September 10, 2008, 12:07:36 PMother brands that are more durable and hold up better for children, who tend to be a bit rougher on toys than an adult would be..

My problem with the two that were bad, was not due to my son, I was in there with him, while he was running it, and I didnt see anything that he did that would have broke it.
     
Again, thanks for the post, And again I say , I am not trying to be a Bachmann basher, just trying to figure out if I need to go another route or if I just happen to get the 2 lemons of a batch and cought service at a bad time.

Quote from: Woody Elmore on September 07, 2008, 08:39:16 AM
Buy from another manufacturer and see if you can call their service department and talk to someone on the phone. Bachmann sells a lot of stuff. I'm sure that they are deluged with calls and emails.

They told you to send your locomotive back to them and they'll probably replace it. I think that is a great policy.

Woody,
I agree, that them replaceing it is a great policy, but my concern (gripe) is for them to not return phone calls, and to have an email for service that they do not use or answer. I have seen more then one post on here that email is never answered.

 I am a new comer to this site and to trains (trains for my son), so the questions and statements I am going to make may be frowned on here .,

This topic is on Bachmanns service (or lack of) and the durability of Bachmann engines. Some of you may recall a few weeks ago I joined this forum, because my son is a HUGE train fan, and we bought him a BAchmann train set, well after the first day it stopped running, took it back for a refund, looked around a few days and bought him another Bachmann train set, first 2 hours it worked great,(my son had the biggest smile on his face, I was a happy father). Well 2 hours later it stopped running too.After doing some checking and emailing to a fellow memeber here, decided the engines motor shorted out.

So I look on Bachmann site and find the email address for service, I email them and do no get any response. Read on here that they never answer email, (then why in the sam hill do you post a email address for service? Very bad business practice)So a few days later I call service and only get an answering machine with a recording you can not understand. I leave a message, NO return call, so I ask on here and "BAchmann" tells me that it was a holiday the day I called and they would call me back after the weekend. Well that never happened either, So I call them back a few days later and finally get to talk to a human.Tell him my problem and he has to find someone else for me to talk to. Tell the new guy my problem, and he just states, well send it to us and we will send you another one in a few weeks.

This guy did not even tell me a reason for this (even a "well this or this probably happen")Just a short, "send it to us and in a few weeks will will send you one".

Needless to say, I am now wondering if going with Bachmann brand was a wise choice or just throwing good money after bad? I do know that they need to do something about the product and do ALOT with service department.

Ok, off my high horse now  So did I just get "unlucky" and buy the only 2 bad angines that Bachmann made? Did I just have a bad dealings with service and they usually are more professional?

Ok, I have tried the 800 #, and after it rings for awhile, a recorder comes on but I can not even understand what it says. Does Bachmann not have humans that answers the phone? Any time you call service do you have to leave a message and hope they call back?

How is a person suppose to get in touch with Bachman service if you do not live on the East coast. The times they give you to call if you are not on the east coast is while I am at work. I emailed service but have not received a response. So my question again is how am I suppose to get any service help?

Quote from: SteamGene on August 16, 2008, 10:28:29 PM


Do you have a place to set a 5x10 table for a train empire?  Or a 4x8?
Gene

Do not really have a very big spot to work from right now, will be just what we can fit in his room, I am
going to wait and make sure how interested he really is, then I plan to build a building (shed) in the back for him.

Guilford,
Thanks for the diffirent sites to check out, it looks like I have some homework to do.
Bob,
I will see about getting the box's out and take a few pics of the old trains and buildings, might be awhile
before I do, Back is screwed up (have an MRI scheduled for Monday AM) But as soon as I an I will.

Well I knew DC was Direct Current for electrical but I figured it was a train slang ...lol...thanks for the education

Thanks for all the great suggestions keep them coming. Ok, now I am going to show just how little I do know, What is DC and DCC? My son had always been happy with his push trains, he has container after container of these types, can not even hardly walk in his room. But then my Aunt cleaned out her attic after her husband passed, and there were 4 box's of trains and parts, not sure how old they are but the news paper that they were wrapped in was from 1962. Any way, my son going through those box's is all that it took.So now while I try and get the old system to run I told him we would get him a litle set, so that is where we are now.The old box's had all kind of things in them, from engines to cars to buildings, a little bit of track, etc. Looks like I have some home work to do.

A little update:
I first want to thank everyone for the help, this seems like a very friendly place, will have to stick around. Bob it was not the stores paper work that stated to not bring it back to the store, it was the Bachmann paper work that came with the train set. Any way, I went and returned it with no problems, but it was the only one they had, so now we are having to wait and see if they get any more in soon. In the mean time I am going to look around online for anything. Anyone have any good suggestions for a good starter set, or is the one we got a good starter? BTW Bob, I really can use a volt meter, I am an electrical contractor  Any more input from anyone on the set we bought or any other good starter kit would be great. And yes, my poor 6 year old is on the sad side right now.

Reading the paper work that comes with it, it states to not take it back to the store, but to bachmann itself. Does this sound right? Brand new set and will have to wait possibly a couple months to be able to use it?
  Also wanted to add, that I get 17.89 volts on the track with the controller on full.

Quote from: SteamGene on August 16, 2008, 09:00:56 AM
Try putting just the locomotive on the section of track that has the power connected directly to it and see if it moves.

Tried this and it does not make it run. I have taken the whole track apart and started over again, just to make sure.

Quote from: Jim Banner on August 16, 2008, 01:00:18 AM
If the light changes (goes on and off) as you move the speed controller from stop to full speed and back, then you probably have motor problems inside the locomotive or possibly a bad power pack.

This is what it does, the light starts off, then gets brighter the more you turn the power up

Quote from: Santa Fe buff on August 16, 2008, 12:11:39 AM
Dear Burly,
   Try clearing you track or cleaning the locomotives wheels.
I hope he loves his train set.

I cleaned the tracks and it did not help. And he loves any and everything that is trains.

OK sorry it took so long to get back at this.

Quote from: Yampa Bob on August 15, 2008, 10:31:19 PM
There is a possibility of a short circuit somewhere.  Turn the controller on, advance the throttle slightly and let it set a bit.  If the controller overload protection trips, then look for anything that may be shorting out the track.

Ok Tried that, but the power stays on.

Quote from: Yampa Bob on August 15, 2008, 10:31:19 PM
With the throttle at about 1/3, push down slightly on the locjavascript:surroundText('^{', '}', document.forms.postmodify.message);
Superscripto and try to manually make it go forward.  It's ok to let the wheels slide a bit.  Try the same thing with the direction switch set to reverse.  Don't force things, just give it a little assist.

This did not help either