What are your thoughts on this engine, any problems?

On mine, the motor was weak and the cross heads caught up on the side rod screws. 

Once you remotor and bend the cross head guides out some, a beautiful, fine engine.. Hopefully future runs will correct these correctable issues.

First off, Beautiful Engine, on of my favorites. Second of all, finicky. Early runs either worked or didn't (several came with warped pickups that shorted, many bind up). I have a sound  one atm, my other was replaced by Bachmann w/ another 2-8-0. It runs well, though it tends to stall on dirty track, something that I understand to be characteristic of sound locomotives. It also has much more trouble going in reverse than fowards for some reason.

My point is, it is a finicky locomotive but it looks amazing.

Something consistent with the Bach Man's engines I have,  including the decs -.  all the electrical contact points  needed  heavy thorough cleaning before any operation at all could commence.  This means the drivers both rail surface and inside where the pickup wipers make contact, the tender  wheels both rail surface and the axle where the pickup wipers mske contact, and the phosphor bronze tender wipers themselves both at axle contact point and at bolster contact point.

This is not a flaw of the engines themselves, but rather reflects very long warehouse storage before purchase.  All model railroad engines suffer long storage the same way.  Once cleaned and with some CV adjustment, my engines ran like champs, including the decs after their surgery.

Not brave enough to remotor but I've heard of people having success in that.

I paid a guy to remotor my engines.  He had to mill the frames to get them to fit but it was worth it.  3 down, two to go.  Unless  I buy my friend's NC&St.L dec which he might let go.  That would make 6 of these choice pieces on my road.

I envy you, I've not got enough space for that. as It is I have more locomotives than I can really fit

2 bachmann 2-8-0's
1 spectrum 2-10-0
1 spectrum 2-8-2
1 bachmann 2-8-4
1 spectrum 4-4-0
1 spectrum F40
and 1 IHC 4-6-2 that I managed to get running recently.

I have basically down-sized my operational roster to mostly smaller locomotives, and a couple of 2-6-6-2s.  Peddler freights, two or three passenger cars, some way freights, and an occasional drag or merchandiser.  I had originally had visions of big and mighty engines hauling these long drags, etc; but reality set in.  Smaller, more strategic, more detail, more industry, etc.  I believe I will be happy with this concept.

RIch C.

Still rocking the 4X8 here

I have basically a 1.25' x 40'.  That's 50 sq.ft., a little better than 32 sq.ft. but the space is used more efficiently, too much so actually because I don't have much room for structures.  I can keep 4 engines on at once - a switch engine at either end and two opposing trains out on the road.  The layout can comfortably hold about 25 cars.  I have over 500 so maybe I might need some counseling ....... NO, NOT REALLY!!!!!

What I don't  have room for that I want desperately is a wye at either end ,a small shortline engine terminal, and a country town of about 3 or 4 buildings on a dirt street with mule wagons tied up .... IE MS or LA ca 1946.

Back to the Decapods.  It was a disappointment to find out that The Bach Man's 2-10-0 was detailed substantially differently than the 8 the MP had, especially the running boards, a big deal visually.  I solved that problem by numbering mine 940 and 949, one number below and one number above those on the Mop.  

Also, when I finally got a "track profile" book for the Gulf Coast Lines part of the MP that had the branch I was interested in, I found that the bridge ratings couldn't hold a decapod, a very light engine to begin with.  That fact I am choosing to pass over, those decs just look too good to exclude from the layout.

One unique thing about bachmann's decapods is that there were many different versions based on the roadname. the frisco version was different from the SCL was different from the erie. The changed were to the detail, not just the paint.

What year did the last run of  spectrum 2-10-0's made?

I guess I must be lucky as I bought 5 of the Western Maryland versions when they first came out and they all run great. I have hard wired them with Tsunamis and I've had no problems at all. They are a little light but they pull enough for me. They run well on my Walthers c83 flex and #4 turnouts.

Roger Huber
Deer Creek Locomotive Works

THe Bachmann 2-10-0 prototype was, as most of us know, was built to a set of Russian specs.  The history is rather hazy, but long story short, we got stiffed by Russia; so, left with a supply here, they got sold, mostly to the Frisco, the Central of New Jersey, Erie-Lackawana,  and other, mostly eastern roads.  They went through some "metamorphic" episodes, but never really lost that European look.
My two are good runners.  Eventually, I will give them each a decoder; but am deliberating changing that un-lovely boiler/cab for something a little more "Yankee"...   Anyone's thoughts of using a Bachmann Pacific boiler?  Sounds like a possibility; especially if I can pull off tagging the stern with a delta trailing truck, and re-incarnating  the whole as a "small Santa Fe"...

RIch C.  

They were dished out by the USRA to railroad that they thought needed them.  Some of the railroad got rid of them as soon as the USRA turned the railroad back to the owners.