As I watched this, I was struck with sheer TERROR as I realized the Bradford QE II was only the THIRD worst of the year. My god, I thought, can I stand the shock of the next two? Dare I allow my family (cats and dogs) to look over my shoulder as the two worst were revealed? What if my neighbors saw the rictus of fear on my face? What if own one of them? Is self-immolation a solution? What if there is a Lionel product in the next two? [later edit]: There was! [last edit]: Bachmann U.S. is no surprise, not even closely related to Bachmann Euro. This obscenity proves it. 'Nuff said. Good on ya, mate! Well done, and quite entertaining. (I think I worked for Dickie Dickson once.)
haha I know - I think the fact that it ran well got it a better rating than it deserved! haha thanks mate - and you did well to get away from Dickie Dickson's employ for sure! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
At least the first two - the Lionel loco and the Bachmann streetcar - bear some resemblance to a prototype, but those responsible for the Bradford Exchange monstrosity deserve a long jail sentence...
I'm glad you've come to your senses and smashed the tram, it's only good feature was the led, I think the Bradford exchange Queen Elizabeth loco was an act of high treason. It could have been so good but ended up an insult to the late Queen and to anyone who purchased one.
Excellent video as always, Sam. Now let’s give it up for 2023’s worst rolling stock as rated by the big man himself!: 5) Hornby Gresley Suburban Coaches 4) Lionel £10 Wagons 3) Bachmann’s Dancehall Brake Van 2) Evermodel Box Cars And taking the number one spot of awful is the SPA wagon from DJM! Thank you, thank you! I’ll be here next week!
You're building a good demo reel for your breakout acting career 😂. Nice job on this video, the time you spent filming & editing do show and I certainly appreciate your efforts. ❤
Dickie Dickinson’s endorsement is so quotable! I need him to write my cover letters ‘A couple of them ACTUALLY worked ,’ ‘they are absolutely adequate,’ 😂 golden
I actually went and bought a Collett with the ROD tender after your review lol - I found one on eBay for 40 quid being sold as a non-DCC ready version... I actually think it's a nice model - takes all sorts, eh? :)
The near miss/hit compilation made me laugh. Like Sam always randomly hits things with a hammer, he always rolls backwards in a chair and he always just has a track leading to the edge of the table. The PCC car just so happened to be there.
I honestly think that the Queen train set thing should have had the #1 spot. The straight up blatant lies and outrageous price for it are just completely inexcusable. That's just my opinion though. Great video Sam as always!
That was really funny, you're a great actor! I've got an old Bachmann PCC tram with none of the gimmicks available on the "new" version, so I'm actually quite pleased with it ...and it was cheap! Looking forward to the Best Of 2023.
@@SamsTrains yes, it's got the small Bachmann pancake motor on a split chassis bogie and umpteen small plastic gears. A previous owner had lubricated it with ballbearing grease! I'll review it on my channel during the Christmas holidays. It's entertaining, but on the noisy side.
My favorite time of year! Laughing at the worst of the worst feels like the last one happened just yesterday haha Also if I may add on a recommendation… for next year, what if you also added on the worst rolling stock of the year as a bonus entry? Just a little thought I wanted to say ^^’
A fitting tribute to these abominations of model trains. On the other hand, this video also demonstrates why your channel is a favorite of so many; your script and video quality are superb and constantly improving. Well done, sir!
I wholly agree with you this time. Every model has good and bad points alike. To make you feel better, there's a spooky 00 gauge sized Ghost Train headboard on the way from Fox Transfers.
My goodness the EFE J94, well I almost bid for one on eBay then I remembered how bad the model was that you reviewed and I thankfully didn’t confirm my bid.
Your punishments were hilarious (and well deserved), Sam. However, that Bachmann PCC streetcar deserved worse, in my opinion, and I like model trams! I wish you and Chloe best wishes for the holidays from across the pond in Wisconsin!
I remember going to Locomotion Shildon and seeing the NCB J94 in the shop. At first I laughed at it because I was reminded of this review, and then I faltered because I noticed it cost £200.
The Bachmann PCC car must be well over 50 years old now, so god knows how they justify that kind of price, even with the new DCc socket and extra lights. I have a Bradford Exchange Christmas train, it looks as kitch as you would expect, except that it is based on standard Bachmann stock and EZ Track, and the loco is the On30 4-6-0 with split chassis features. It’s okay, works fine and the Grand Children love it. I wouldn’t have thought it possible to down grade it, but hay, how wrong could I be.
Here is a fun (ish) fact about the collet The possible reason (other then lazyness) for the tender to not be conected to the loco is that I'm quite sure it's recicled from the bachmann O4 (some were fitted with robinson tenders from Rods from 2-8-0s) Also explains why the tender looks slightly better then the loco
Yeah that's right - it's a tender designed for another loco - but this happens quite often, and there's absolutely no reason for it to have that drawbar and no electrical connection, haha! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains Very true! Bachmann is a very difficult brand You have to be careful what models you buy from then, their new stuff tends to be excellent, but they also sneek a lot of older models in their current range, so research is always necessary. Great video as always!
@@SamsTrains believe the Bachman collett is from 2007, so the faults of it are kind of explainable , plus i don't think they sell it brand new anymore so second hand is the only way to find them anymore
@@kltmilliken “2007” yeah produced The tooling is way older and dates back to mainline Even compared to other models from 2007 (or even older ones) it is lacking, there is no way around it.
Oh yeah, use the hammer on the Badford (not “Bradford”, I mean “BADford”!) Exchange POS, instead (then please give the remains to the scrap man so he doesn’t go hungry.) The PCC trolley can be improved with stay-alive capacitors for the decoder (this will improve the performance over the points, and it won’t cut out and reset quite so much) and you have a handy 3D printer; you could make an “interior” kit for it - there must be a couple of people with this same model who’d like a real interior. And the sparking trolley pole was a nice effect! Also, the wheels have nice bolt detail. This model does have the potential to be at least a “C”-rated model, but the paintwork pretty much limits that. 😭
10:10: You could say that Bachmann’s lust to make sub-par models is rather huge. 🤷♂️ Marry Christmas, Sam! 16:29: *I wish to consume the forbidden crust.*
There is a reason why Tyco models are available in such large numbers and are cheap because they mass produced them to be so. Bachmann in comparison is rehashing its old catalog of product, making it cheaper, and then raising the price.
Well thank goodness none of those appear in my roster! That Queen tribute monstrosity was beyond the pale for me. It was an insult to humanity, which for a non-royalist like myself is going some! I’m amazed she didn’t just come back to haunt the thing! 😂 Shame as I was so hoping it would meet a grisly end, but I guess the other two were just that little bit more dreadful. Ah well, can’t lose them all, eh? 🤔 Happy new year mate 👍🍀🥂
I have an older Bachmann Collet Goods from when I was a kid. There's no DCC socket and it has square bearings but it has sprung buffers, more weight, isn't split chassis and still runs pretty well for a loco of its age that I've had from before I knew how to do a basic service. How on earth did Bachmann manage to make the newer version so much worse?
15:47 Funny enough, the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe (ATSF for short) actually did have some Berkshire engines, in the form of their 4101 class, which I think lionel was attempting to represent (admittedly rather pathetically)
That's likely the brand they were going for, but the Berkshire Lionel makes is based on the Pere Marquette N-1 class, and it's literally the only HO loco they make, they just put it in a bunch of different colors.
What a great video Sam, looking forward to the next one...I have just retired, and want to get back into this great hobby from when I was just 11 years old... your channel has given me great inspiration, wishing you and your GF a happy Christmas...
I called that Bradford QE2 as the worst model of the year as soon as you reviewed it. I'm utterly stunned that there are even worse rip off's being sold.
Honestly, I have to let you know that the Hornby Toby is actually bad as well because he is too tall and has trouble going under bridges, tunnels and sheds
If it helps, rip out the Lionel Berkshire’s sound unit and replace it with a more conventional dcc/sound decoder. I’d recommend either a TCS WOWsound, Soundtraxx Tsunami 2, or an ESU Loksound decoder.
Some years ago, Lionel released The Polar Express in HO Scale and looking at the loco from the Hosptial Train Set, I believe Lionel have just reliveried the PE Locomotive tooling.
Lionel's entire HO line is just rebranded Model Power product...with different paint jobs and higher prices. Same lousy quality as the original MP trains, but you pay for the "saintly" Lionel name. Which is why they don't sell much of it in the US.
@@FreighttrainDaniel1225probably not. I believe I’m one of the only people in the UK to own the Lionel 3-pack HO Scale Polar Express Coaches. I’ve only got those because my Uncle just happened to be in America sometime before Christmas. The import charges would be a stab in the wallet
Definitely rhe best video in the entire series! Not often do I have to pause videos because of laughter but this has happened many times whilst watching this. Completely excellent.
Good heavens, another year just flying by..., remembering all those reviews and some astounding shocking ones indeed. Absolutely staggering and infuriating what some companies are trying to pull, and can continue doing... Sad, but at least our hobby is blessed with more than enough gems to be had. Those ghastly melons are a good replacement for golf balls as well for having a go at the course 🤣
haha very much Linda - some of them beggar belief... but there are still tonnes of great models, as you'll see with the top 5 list! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Thanks for the video, Sam. Seriously, I would have thought in this day and age that getting a truly dud locomotive was a rarity from the “Fly-By-Night” model railway company, but it appears I was wrong. Truly when companies pump out substandard stuff that is worse than the old Triang or Playcraft models of the 1960s, you gotta just wonder what’s going on here … 😢
How I enjoyed this roundup so much , at one point I thought you might come out with some of the( group desturbed) singing of the sound of silence, and just so much fun so close to Christmas. Good on you Sam, Merry Christmas From Canada,P
I want to say sam, I've grown up with your videos and I am glad you are still going strong in this field, thank you for your service to the model railways around the world.
God, this video is priceless. Thanks so much for doing these videos every year!!! Also name the trolley's driver Bertie, after the bus from Thomas and Friends! Because the name also sounds like the creature probably responsible for the fact that his eyes look like hollow sockets where eyes SHOULD be! And with him being a blind driver, he reflects the designers who thought this model looked good enough to sell for a DASTARDLY 175 pounds! ALSO THANK YOU FOR CALLING OUT THE STUPID PHRASE "NEAR MISS" I HATE IT WITH A PASSION!! If someone told me they had a near-miss with a train, I'd say "Well, what made you think you could beat it in the first place, dumb**s?!"
Playing the devil's advocate !! I have 3 EFE and 7 DJ models J 94s mostly Hattons limited editions all bought fairly cheaply. Most are factory weathered, the liveries are all excellent and they ALL run faultlessly unlike some of models that are supposedly much better !
I'll say one thing in the Bachmann PCC's defense - it seems to sit lower down on its wheels than the historic ones did. That may be its only refeeming feature though.
I'm sure that motor in the expensive queen loco had a Hornby code on it. I've been searching the codes stamped on them recently to try and find the specs of the motors.
I'm not sure about that - 99% sure Hornby don't manufacture their own motors, so if the codes match they could have just sourced them from the same supplier! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains not made by them, but made (and stamped) for them so a possibility that the origins and production of the locos could be a back room in hornby hq.
I think Lionel just took their O scale models, shrunk them down in an animation software, made a couple other modifications to make the model cheap and nasty
Lionel never installs flanges on inside drivers on locomotives with more than six drivers since the 1940's. That is so the locomotives can negotiate curves with less a diameter than the track provided with your set. I operate pre and postwar Lionel O scale. I have found the Lionel trains made in China to be mostly garbage. Great video.
Funny stuff. And at ~ 22:06 I felt you sounded like a Banjo Kazooie character. Not sure if it’s because the British have some sort of comedic stock laugh from time to time? I enjoyed it. Thank you.
Well, another year down and once again, with this list, thank you for giving me something to look forward to at the end of the year. Thanks again for another year of lovely and chilled content and all the best to you and yours Sam. And cheers to 2024 🥂
I think some that in some the models mentioned, we have an issue of mispricing, is not that they're beyond redemption, but more that they should be cheaper considering what they offer ancient models should be available at entry level prices instead of high end prices
Very entertaining. Well done. Re stop / start of a DCC engine. I have a Lionel Polar Express DCC sound + 4 light fitted carriages. Ran for ages on a small oval with a Bachmann DC 1 AMP 12V powerpack. Decided to get a 2 AMP controller. Stop / start all over the place. Back to the old Bachmann power pack and it was OK. Seems I'd bought a DC PMW controller which interferes with DCC signals! ie confusion over wireless instruction versus a track instruction.
I actually have a more recent Collett. Granted there isn't a DCC Decoder but mine does have sprung buffers. Granted the buffers on your Collett are super thin and fine, but given that Oxford Rail has similarly shaped buffers on the Dean Goods to your Collett, Bachmann should've re-engineered those buffers to be a tad thicker so that they could spring and be sturdy. On that note, the spring on my Collett's buffers are pretty weak unfortunately.
For the Queen Elizabeth the Second in model train form it would be better if it was a flying Scotsman with an headboard saying "in memory of Queen Elizabeth II"
As far as I’ve ever been able to see the DJM now EFE J94 has pretty much only 2 detail advantages over the Hornby (ex 1980s Dapol) J94: the lack of seam line along the saddle tank and the separately fitted smokebox door dart.
I have the Collett Goods in GWR livery and am quite happy with it. It looks good, runs beautifully, and only costs about £60 in the real world. The tooling may be more worn by now.
What is a Sam'sTrains engineer? I was just wondering if that was something I should look into. Now for the more important business. I liked the professional way you Konducted the worse tranes of 2320. Such care have I never seen before. This makes me want to hang around until next year to see what transpires this year. lol God Bless My Friend.
A near miss is a press corruption of the term Air Miss which is the term used when two aircraft pass uncomfortably close to each other. As you say, a near miss, means a hit.
Hilarious near miss. George Carlin actually pointed out the incorrect use of near miss in one of his stand up routines tearing apart airline vocabulary. Great video as always
Hey Sam, I know that you primarily review more UK based engines and what not, but maybe sometime you could take a look at what the Walthers company has to offer! They have some pretty great loco’s, and I’ve gotten many engines from them over the years that have proven to run quite well! You should definitely check out their catalogs!
I'm sitting here in sheer disbelief at the atrocious quality of these models, especially the J94 and Bradford Exchange abomination. I remember seeing that same J94 in the ugly NCB livery heavily discounted on Rails of Sheffield, but I never bought her. Ironically, and in stark contrast to that rubbish, I've got my Hornby Turbomotive sitting on the desk in front of me. As for that PCC tram, that thing is so bad that she's worthy of being made into a meme.
J94: Dang, that weighs less than many of my N scale locomotives. As for the detail, I'm an unapologetic fan of LGB's G-scale models, even their entry-level stuff, so I'm willing to tolerate a somewhat more toyish look with molded-in details, but this is bare bones even for molded-in - seriously, this is "unmodified plasticville building" levels of detail. (As a side note, I've noticed that most model railroading manufacturers seem to either go all-in with separate details or do a full-on el-cheapo molding job when it comes to anything running on 16.5mm track, despite the fact that both N scale models AND the miniature wargaming hobby manage much higher levels of detail with injection molded ABS.) Looking at the motor, that's most likely a coreless motor. It may be tiny but coreless motors are pretty much only beaten by brushless motors in terms of power-to-weight ratio. The benefit to using one is that you can use a smaller motor and dedicate more of the internal space to the more dense cast metal frame, but that's assuming you actually take advantage of that benefit which this model doesn't appear to do. Collett: I do want to note that a plastic constructed model isn't _necessarily_ guaranteed to suck. But if the model itself is plastic it needs to have either a metal frame or a significantly large internal weight. Most N-Scale models do the former, while LGB's plastic G-scale models do the latter. Even most HO and OO scale plastic-bodied models usually do one or the other. I do feel like this model can be improved with a few small upgrades, such as some fishing weight, a bit of wiring work and some paint detailing, but as-is... what was Bachmann thinking? Queen Elizabeth: ...lol. That's something not even Lionel would do. As for the track, it looks to be Walthers Trainline, which isn't bad track in general but tends to tip outwards when assembled in a basic circle or oval like that. Something about a full circle's worth of turns actually being 361 degrees instead of 360 when actually measured. But it's not bad if you get it to sit flat, you just need a larger layout than what comes with this set or any of the Walthers Trainline official sets to actually do that. Army Hospital Train: Yeah, welcome to modern Lionel. They exist solely to make overpriced, low-ish quality collectables for their hardcore fans now, and have basically given up on any sense of respectability. Honestly, if you want more novelty-esque model trains, the themed sets that LGB produces on occasion are a far better value at this point. MRC made better sound decoders, and they were NOT known for their sound decoders. Streetcar: These seem to be meant to be used alongside Bachmann's low detail Plasticville models. If you take a look at their San Fransisco cable cars they're just as low-detail, apart from the fact that they actually have interior details to begin with.
Now that there's no more Salvage or Scrap but you still have the Evil Scrap Man lurking in your crawl space and no more junk locos to feed him, these turds might provide some nice snacks to keep him from starving to death.
11:23 I’m with you on that Bradford Exchange Sam, they are schemers who sell crap… and that thing was an insult to your Queen. As one who lived in America I am ashamed of that insult to her majesty. 😢
The "Queen Elizabeth || remembrance" engine is American with UK decals is because the US and UK helped each other since the end of the American Revolution in 1783
i gotta say i was flabbergasted when you actually went through with whacking an engine with a hammer lmao Was this the first time sam actually intentionally broke a train?
It has to be the Bradford Exchange one for me. Not only because of the quality, but also because of what it represents. That is the biggest crime for me.
The only one I have is the Collett Goods. Mine is in GWR livery and doesn't have the awful seam line for some reason. Good runner too. Excellent vid Sam...very funny!
Ahh excellent - the Mainline versions of the model had better seam lines actually... maybe they bothered to sand them out?? Thanks for watching, Sam :)
The Queen Elizabeth ll Royal Rememberance Express Colloection is a crime to eyes everywhere.
The Royal Family should sue Bradford Exchange for making such an abomination that is supposed to honor her late royal highness.
pretty much everything from bradford is garbage
It looks so out of place when put on a model railway like this 13:44
I fully agree with you! It should be thrown in the garbage bin
As I watched this, I was struck with sheer TERROR as I realized the Bradford QE II was only the THIRD worst of the year. My god, I thought, can I stand the shock of the next two? Dare I allow my family (cats and dogs) to look over my shoulder as the two worst were revealed? What if my neighbors saw the rictus of fear on my face? What if own one of them? Is self-immolation a solution? What if there is a Lionel product in the next two? [later edit]: There was! [last edit]: Bachmann U.S. is no surprise, not even closely related to Bachmann Euro. This obscenity proves it. 'Nuff said. Good on ya, mate! Well done, and quite entertaining. (I think I worked for Dickie Dickson once.)
haha I know - I think the fact that it ran well got it a better rating than it deserved! haha thanks mate - and you did well to get away from Dickie Dickson's employ for sure!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
LOL! :D
And with the most recent review, it would be fourth worst!
At least the first two - the Lionel loco and the Bachmann streetcar - bear some resemblance to a prototype, but those responsible for the Bradford Exchange monstrosity deserve a long jail sentence...
I'm glad you've come to your senses and smashed the tram, it's only good feature was the led, I think the Bradford exchange Queen Elizabeth loco was an act of high treason. It could have been so good but ended up an insult to the late Queen and to anyone who purchased one.
haha absolutely - treason indeed!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I have an idea for a proper queen Elizabeth loco, I looked up her date of birth and worked from there and decided on the SR Lord Neilson class
Excellent video as always, Sam. Now let’s give it up for 2023’s worst rolling stock as rated by the big man himself!:
5) Hornby Gresley Suburban Coaches
4) Lionel £10 Wagons
3) Bachmann’s Dancehall Brake Van
2) Evermodel Box Cars
And taking the number one spot of awful is the SPA wagon from DJM!
Thank you, thank you! I’ll be here next week!
Thanks a lot David - yeah I'd say that's pretty much as it should be!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
You're building a good demo reel for your breakout acting career 😂. Nice job on this video, the time you spent filming & editing do show and I certainly appreciate your efforts. ❤
Haha thank you so much, really appreciate it!
Yeah Sam is actually got some chops! He could be to model trains what Mike Bustos is to formicarium hobbyists.
Dickie Dickinson’s endorsement is so quotable! I need him to write my cover letters ‘A couple of them ACTUALLY worked ,’ ‘they are absolutely adequate,’ 😂 golden
Hahaha I’m sure for the right amount of money Dickie would do absolutely anything!
Does Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden have any degree of kinship with Dickie Dickinson 😀😀😀😀😀?
I actually went and bought a Collett with the ROD tender after your review lol - I found one on eBay for 40 quid being sold as a non-DCC ready version... I actually think it's a nice model - takes all sorts, eh? :)
hahaha blimey - at least for £40 it's not too bad!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
The near miss/hit compilation made me laugh. Like Sam always randomly hits things with a hammer, he always rolls backwards in a chair and he always just has a track leading to the edge of the table. The PCC car just so happened to be there.
I honestly think that the Queen train set thing should have had the #1 spot. The straight up blatant lies and outrageous price for it are just completely inexcusable. That's just my opinion though. Great video Sam as always!
That was really funny, you're a great actor!
I've got an old Bachmann PCC tram with none of the gimmicks available on the "new" version, so I'm actually quite pleased with it ...and it was cheap!
Looking forward to the Best Of 2023.
haha thanks a lot Patrick - ahh interesting - is that one with the old chassis design then??
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains yes, it's got the small Bachmann pancake motor on a split chassis bogie and umpteen small plastic gears. A previous owner had lubricated it with ballbearing grease! I'll review it on my channel during the Christmas holidays. It's entertaining, but on the noisy side.
My favorite time of year! Laughing at the worst of the worst feels like the last one happened just yesterday haha
Also if I may add on a recommendation… for next year, what if you also added on the worst rolling stock of the year as a bonus entry? Just a little thought I wanted to say ^^’
haha it does feel like yesterday doesn't it?! And great idea - a few people have recommended that!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
We all know number 1 would be the Coca Cola Lowmac.
haha thank you so much - yeah quite a few people have asked for that, it's something I might look at next year!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
A fitting tribute to these abominations of model trains. On the other hand, this video also demonstrates why your channel is a favorite of so many; your script and video quality are superb and constantly improving. Well done, sir!
👏👏👏 The Martin McMartinson Company part made me laughing the hardest. Keep up the great work Sam. Your Christmas story was also excellent.
hahahaha they're a company who likes to keep on giving... that's for sure!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I wholly agree with you this time. Every model has good and bad points alike. To make you feel better, there's a spooky 00 gauge sized Ghost Train headboard on the way from Fox Transfers.
haha glad to hear it Kelly - ahh that sounds very spooky indeed - hope you enjoy!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I have literally been waiting all year for this!! Good to see this up Sam. Can’t wait for the best!
hahaha awesome thank you so much! :D
haha thanks Tommy, glad you like these! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
My goodness the EFE J94, well I almost bid for one on eBay then I remembered how bad the model was that you reviewed and I thankfully didn’t confirm my bid.
haha not one I'd personally recommend... wish a manufacturer would come along and do a proper one!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Your punishments were hilarious (and well deserved), Sam. However, that Bachmann PCC streetcar deserved worse, in my opinion, and I like model trams! I wish you and Chloe best wishes for the holidays from across the pond in Wisconsin!
haha thanks a lot Andrew - you're probably right! Might have to try and find a better tram!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I remember going to Locomotion Shildon and seeing the NCB J94 in the shop. At first I laughed at it because I was reminded of this review, and then I faltered because I noticed it cost £200.
Blimey was that for a sound fitted one or something? What an utter ripoff!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I think it was, but it was a while back and I can’t remember. Regardless, I didn’t want to buy it.
The Bachmann PCC car must be well over 50 years old now, so god knows how they justify that kind of price, even with the new DCc socket and extra lights. I have a Bradford Exchange Christmas train, it looks as kitch as you would expect, except that it is based on standard Bachmann stock and EZ Track, and the loco is the On30 4-6-0 with split chassis features. It’s okay, works fine and the Grand Children love it. I wouldn’t have thought it possible to down grade it, but hay, how wrong could I be.
Here is a fun (ish) fact about the collet
The possible reason (other then lazyness) for the tender to not be conected to the loco is that I'm quite sure it's recicled from the bachmann O4 (some were fitted with robinson tenders from Rods from 2-8-0s)
Also explains why the tender looks slightly better then the loco
Yeah that's right - it's a tender designed for another loco - but this happens quite often, and there's absolutely no reason for it to have that drawbar and no electrical connection, haha!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains Very true!
Bachmann is a very difficult brand
You have to be careful what models you buy from then, their new stuff tends to be excellent, but they also sneek a lot of older models in their current range, so research is always necessary.
Great video as always!
@@SamsTrains believe the Bachman collett is from 2007, so the faults of it are kind of explainable , plus i don't think they sell it brand new anymore so second hand is the only way to find them anymore
i don't think it's right to criticize models not produced in 2023 and 17 years old
@@kltmilliken “2007” yeah produced
The tooling is way older and dates back to mainline
Even compared to other models from 2007 (or even older ones) it is lacking, there is no way around it.
Oh yeah, use the hammer on the Badford (not “Bradford”, I mean “BADford”!) Exchange POS, instead (then please give the remains to the scrap man so he doesn’t go hungry.) The PCC trolley can be improved with stay-alive capacitors for the decoder (this will improve the performance over the points, and it won’t cut out and reset quite so much) and you have a handy 3D printer; you could make an “interior” kit for it - there must be a couple of people with this same model who’d like a real interior. And the sparking trolley pole was a nice effect! Also, the wheels have nice bolt detail. This model does have the potential to be at least a “C”-rated model, but the paintwork pretty much limits that. 😭
haha I certainly have the urge to bust it up badly, haha! Stayalive is a great shout - think that'd be well worth doing!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
10:10: You could say that Bachmann’s lust to make sub-par models is rather huge. 🤷♂️ Marry Christmas, Sam!
16:29:
*I wish to consume the forbidden crust.*
*consume*
hahaha dammit, that must have been it!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
There is a reason why Tyco models are available in such large numbers and are cheap because they mass produced them to be so. Bachmann in comparison is rehashing its old catalog of product, making it cheaper, and then raising the price.
Well thank goodness none of those appear in my roster! That Queen tribute monstrosity was beyond the pale for me. It was an insult to humanity, which for a non-royalist like myself is going some! I’m amazed she didn’t just come back to haunt the thing! 😂
Shame as I was so hoping it would meet a grisly end, but I guess the other two were just that little bit more dreadful. Ah well, can’t lose them all, eh? 🤔
Happy new year mate 👍🍀🥂
I have an older Bachmann Collet Goods from when I was a kid. There's no DCC socket and it has square bearings but it has sprung buffers, more weight, isn't split chassis and still runs pretty well for a loco of its age that I've had from before I knew how to do a basic service. How on earth did Bachmann manage to make the newer version so much worse?
Ahh very interesting - wonder why they added sprung buffers and took them off again? Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
The models might be awful, but your end of year “worst model” video gets funnier every year. I really look forward to these!
haha thank you so much - really glad you liked it!
15:47
Funny enough, the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe (ATSF for short) actually did have some Berkshire engines, in the form of their 4101 class, which I think lionel was attempting to represent (admittedly rather pathetically)
Ahh very interesting - thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
That's likely the brand they were going for, but the Berkshire Lionel makes is based on the Pere Marquette N-1 class, and it's literally the only HO loco they make, they just put it in a bunch of different colors.
16:31 “revolting crust” made me laugh more than it should have
What a great video Sam, looking forward to the next one...I have just retired, and want to get back into this great hobby from when I was just 11 years old... your channel has given me great inspiration, wishing you and your GF a happy Christmas...
Thanks so much Glenn - congrats on your retirement, hope you can have many years of fun with model railways! Thanks for the lovely words,
Sam :)
I called that Bradford QE2 as the worst model of the year as soon as you reviewed it. I'm utterly stunned that there are even worse rip off's being sold.
Honestly, I have to let you know that the Hornby Toby is actually bad as well because he is too tall and has trouble going under bridges, tunnels and sheds
If it helps, rip out the Lionel Berkshire’s sound unit and replace it with a more conventional dcc/sound decoder. I’d recommend either a TCS WOWsound, Soundtraxx Tsunami 2, or an ESU Loksound decoder.
Did he almost crack during the merciless rant 😂😂
Some years ago, Lionel released The Polar Express in HO Scale and looking at the loco from the Hosptial Train Set, I believe Lionel have just reliveried the PE Locomotive tooling.
Yeah absolutely - it is indeed the same base loco!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Lionel's entire HO line is just rebranded Model Power product...with different paint jobs and higher prices. Same lousy quality as the original MP trains, but you pay for the "saintly" Lionel name. Which is why they don't sell much of it in the US.
If they retooled the locomotive would you buy it
@@FreighttrainDaniel1225probably not. I believe I’m one of the only people in the UK to own the Lionel 3-pack HO Scale Polar Express Coaches. I’ve only got those because my Uncle just happened to be in America sometime before Christmas.
The import charges would be a stab in the wallet
@@terrier_productions oh but if it was cheap or at least affordable would you buy it if it was retooled
Definitely rhe best video in the entire series! Not often do I have to pause videos because of laughter but this has happened many times whilst watching this. Completely excellent.
Hahaha great stuff - thank you so much!
haha thank you so much - glad it gave you a laugh!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Good heavens, another year just flying by..., remembering all those reviews and some astounding shocking ones indeed. Absolutely staggering and infuriating what some companies are trying to pull, and can continue doing... Sad, but at least our hobby is blessed with more than enough gems to be had. Those ghastly melons are a good replacement for golf balls as well for having a go at the course 🤣
haha very much Linda - some of them beggar belief... but there are still tonnes of great models, as you'll see with the top 5 list!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Thanks for the video, Sam.
Seriously, I would have thought in this day and age that getting a truly dud locomotive was a rarity from the “Fly-By-Night” model railway company, but it appears I was wrong.
Truly when companies pump out substandard stuff that is worse than the old Triang or Playcraft models of the 1960s, you gotta just wonder what’s going on here … 😢
How I enjoyed this roundup so much , at one point I thought you might come out with some of the( group desturbed) singing of the sound of silence, and just so much fun so close to Christmas. Good on you Sam, Merry Christmas From Canada,P
Thank you so much Paul - really glad you liked this one! Always great to have a bit of fun with them :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
That movie scene was some real comedy gold🤣
I want to say sam, I've grown up with your videos and I am glad you are still going strong in this field, thank you for your service to the model railways around the world.
Thank you so much- that's my pleasure! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I do love Mr. Dickinson. Guess we'll be waiting until April go see him again 😂
haha maybe, we'll have to see! ;D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
God, this video is priceless. Thanks so much for doing these videos every year!!!
Also name the trolley's driver Bertie, after the bus from Thomas and Friends! Because the name also sounds like the creature probably responsible for the fact that his eyes look like hollow sockets where eyes SHOULD be! And with him being a blind driver, he reflects the designers who thought this model looked good enough to sell for a DASTARDLY 175 pounds!
ALSO THANK YOU FOR CALLING OUT THE STUPID PHRASE "NEAR MISS" I HATE IT WITH A PASSION!! If someone told me they had a near-miss with a train, I'd say "Well, what made you think you could beat it in the first place, dumb**s?!"
haha so glad you enjoyed it! Ahh Bertie, that sounds fitting! Yeah near-miss has always bugged me... now I've avenged it!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Playing the devil's advocate !!
I have 3 EFE and 7 DJ models J 94s mostly Hattons limited editions all bought fairly cheaply. Most are factory weathered, the liveries are all excellent and they ALL run faultlessly unlike some of models that are supposedly much better !
I'll say one thing in the Bachmann PCC's defense - it seems to sit lower down on its wheels than the historic ones did. That may be its only refeeming feature though.
Ahh interesting - wonder if that's accurate then??
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
The Collett rant was awesome!
I'm sure that motor in the expensive queen loco had a Hornby code on it. I've been searching the codes stamped on them recently to try and find the specs of the motors.
I'm not sure about that - 99% sure Hornby don't manufacture their own motors, so if the codes match they could have just sourced them from the same supplier!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains not made by them, but made (and stamped) for them so a possibility that the origins and production of the locos could be a back room in hornby hq.
I think Lionel just took their O scale models, shrunk them down in an animation software, made a couple other modifications to make the model cheap and nasty
That would be way more effort than Lionel actually made on their latest attempt at HO.
That would be the case for the 50's/60's Lionel HO line, the current one however is just rebranded Model Power.
haha I wouldn't be surprised... it certainly looked very low effort!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Lionel never installs flanges on inside drivers on locomotives with more than six drivers since the 1940's. That is so the locomotives can negotiate curves with less a diameter than the track provided with your set. I operate pre and postwar Lionel O scale. I have found the Lionel trains made in China to be mostly garbage. Great video.
Funny stuff. And at ~ 22:06 I felt you sounded like a Banjo Kazooie character. Not sure if it’s because the British have some sort of comedic stock laugh from time to time?
I enjoyed it. Thank you.
Well, another year down and once again, with this list, thank you for giving me something to look forward to at the end of the year.
Thanks again for another year of lovely and chilled content and all the best to you and yours Sam. And cheers to 2024 🥂
Ahh you're most welcome - many thanks for your very kind words!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
My little boy loved this. Especially when you took the hammer to the streetcar.
Have a great Xmas.
haha that's good to hear - tell him hello from me!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Superb stuff Sam although I thought that the QE 2 loco would romp / stutter home as the worst.
haha yeah that one really sucks - if it didn't work so well, I think it would've been bottom!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I’m glad to see someone finally pointed out how weird the term “near miss” is
Sense of humour is a must...Merry Xmas Sam
Great to see Simon… I mean Dickie Dickson make an appearance! Your posh accent impression always gets me!
hahahaha glad you like it! ;D
I think some that in some the models mentioned, we have an issue of mispricing, is not that they're beyond redemption, but more that they should be cheaper considering what they offer
ancient models should be available at entry level prices instead of high end prices
Yeah very true - a lot of the time it's the ridiculous prices combined with lack of features that makes a model bad!
Yeah I'd agree with that - at the right prices many of these could be acceptable budget offerings!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
BRO ACTUALLY SMACKED THAT STREETCAR WITH A FECKING HAMMER!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Wow, no heljan this year! A miracle!
15:35 thats basically all of lionels models, they are only good as foamer food
Probably the best video of the year!
haha thanks you very much! :D
Very entertaining. Well done.
Re stop / start of a DCC engine. I have a Lionel Polar Express DCC sound + 4 light fitted carriages. Ran for ages on a small oval with a Bachmann DC 1 AMP 12V powerpack. Decided to get a 2 AMP controller. Stop / start all over the place. Back to the old Bachmann power pack and it was OK. Seems I'd bought a DC PMW controller which interferes with DCC signals! ie confusion over wireless instruction versus a track instruction.
Been waiting all year for the worst and best videos
I swear the third judgement had me on the floor in tears laughing 😂
I’m telling ya Sam, ya gotta try one of Lionel’s O gauge locomotives
Maybe I should! Do they make 2 rail??
they did make some 2 rail locomotives for their smithsonian series
also they made a 2 rail prr t1
I actually have a more recent Collett. Granted there isn't a DCC Decoder but mine does have sprung buffers. Granted the buffers on your Collett are super thin and fine, but given that Oxford Rail has similarly shaped buffers on the Dean Goods to your Collett, Bachmann should've re-engineered those buffers to be a tad thicker so that they could spring and be sturdy. On that note, the spring on my Collett's buffers are pretty weak unfortunately.
For the Queen Elizabeth the Second in model train form it would be better if it was a flying Scotsman with an headboard saying "in memory of Queen Elizabeth II"
As far as I’ve ever been able to see the DJM now EFE J94 has pretty much only 2 detail advantages over the Hornby (ex 1980s Dapol) J94: the lack of seam line along the saddle tank and the separately fitted smokebox door dart.
This is always my fav video of the year. I especially loved the intimate movie scene. I’m still laughing hahahah! Thank you Sam and Merry Christmas!!!
haha thank you so much - really glad you liked the skits! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Any time the Martin Mart Martinson characters appear it's a good day.
haha, top tier marketing tactics as always ;D
I think those Bradford Exchange locomotives are the same ones (different liveries) that come in train sets from Home Bargains for £20.
They look a bit like the Christmas train sets designed to run around the base of the tree.
Nooooo! That movie scene actually made me cry 😭
I was going to say, "Well at least the Union Flags were the right way up." But the next clip had them upside down.
Bradford exchange is advertising a flying Scotsman clock 😉 😂
hahaha I've seen it!!
I have the Collett Goods in GWR livery and am quite happy with it. It looks good, runs beautifully, and only costs about £60 in the real world. The tooling may be more worn by now.
What is a Sam'sTrains engineer? I was just wondering if that was something I should look into. Now for the more important business. I liked the professional way you Konducted the worse tranes of 2320. Such care have I never seen before. This makes me want to hang around until next year to see what transpires this year. lol
God Bless My Friend.
Martin Mart Martinson Models - any resemblance to any company living or dead is purely coincidental (especially one based in Margate).
Hahah the perfect disclaimer!
Merry Chrismas and a happy new year Sam!! Cheers Onno.
A near miss is a press corruption of the term Air Miss which is the term used when two aircraft pass uncomfortably close to each other. As you say, a near miss, means a hit.
Ahh fascinating - thanks for the fun fact!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
If Lionel ever made a good HO steam locomotive, I have never heard of it.
i can tell you had a lot of fun with this video, great ranking as usual!
Any modeler with half a brain will tell you to stay away from Lionel HO/OO products. Nice video!
I do enjoy the increasingly insane punishments on these videos!
hahaha thank you! :D
The ruined romantic movie scene was the best thing I've seen in ages - top video Sam
Hilarious near miss. George Carlin actually pointed out the incorrect use of near miss in one of his stand up routines tearing apart airline vocabulary.
Great video as always
Morale of the story- check the reviews before buying or else you are going to get some crap.
Love your judgments clips, great content. I was so worried I would not see the near miss. LOL
haha thank you so much!! ;D
Always an enjoyable video at the end of the year, a good laugh, thank you
Thank you so much glad you enjoyed it! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
18:39 actually made me laugh out loud 😂
Hey Sam, I know that you primarily review more UK based engines and what not, but maybe sometime you could take a look at what the Walthers company has to offer! They have some pretty great loco’s, and I’ve gotten many engines from them over the years that have proven to run quite well! You should definitely check out their catalogs!
I'm sitting here in sheer disbelief at the atrocious quality of these models, especially the J94 and Bradford Exchange abomination. I remember seeing that same J94 in the ugly NCB livery heavily discounted on Rails of Sheffield, but I never bought her.
Ironically, and in stark contrast to that rubbish, I've got my Hornby Turbomotive sitting on the desk in front of me. As for that PCC tram, that thing is so bad that she's worthy of being made into a meme.
Seeing my beloved J94 on this list and finding out about it's mechanism hurt my soul
J94: Dang, that weighs less than many of my N scale locomotives. As for the detail, I'm an unapologetic fan of LGB's G-scale models, even their entry-level stuff, so I'm willing to tolerate a somewhat more toyish look with molded-in details, but this is bare bones even for molded-in - seriously, this is "unmodified plasticville building" levels of detail. (As a side note, I've noticed that most model railroading manufacturers seem to either go all-in with separate details or do a full-on el-cheapo molding job when it comes to anything running on 16.5mm track, despite the fact that both N scale models AND the miniature wargaming hobby manage much higher levels of detail with injection molded ABS.) Looking at the motor, that's most likely a coreless motor. It may be tiny but coreless motors are pretty much only beaten by brushless motors in terms of power-to-weight ratio. The benefit to using one is that you can use a smaller motor and dedicate more of the internal space to the more dense cast metal frame, but that's assuming you actually take advantage of that benefit which this model doesn't appear to do.
Collett: I do want to note that a plastic constructed model isn't _necessarily_ guaranteed to suck. But if the model itself is plastic it needs to have either a metal frame or a significantly large internal weight. Most N-Scale models do the former, while LGB's plastic G-scale models do the latter. Even most HO and OO scale plastic-bodied models usually do one or the other. I do feel like this model can be improved with a few small upgrades, such as some fishing weight, a bit of wiring work and some paint detailing, but as-is... what was Bachmann thinking?
Queen Elizabeth: ...lol. That's something not even Lionel would do. As for the track, it looks to be Walthers Trainline, which isn't bad track in general but tends to tip outwards when assembled in a basic circle or oval like that. Something about a full circle's worth of turns actually being 361 degrees instead of 360 when actually measured. But it's not bad if you get it to sit flat, you just need a larger layout than what comes with this set or any of the Walthers Trainline official sets to actually do that.
Army Hospital Train: Yeah, welcome to modern Lionel. They exist solely to make overpriced, low-ish quality collectables for their hardcore fans now, and have basically given up on any sense of respectability. Honestly, if you want more novelty-esque model trains, the themed sets that LGB produces on occasion are a far better value at this point. MRC made better sound decoders, and they were NOT known for their sound decoders.
Streetcar: These seem to be meant to be used alongside Bachmann's low detail Plasticville models. If you take a look at their San Fransisco cable cars they're just as low-detail, apart from the fact that they actually have interior details to begin with.
Now that there's no more Salvage or Scrap but you still have the Evil Scrap Man lurking in your crawl space and no more junk locos to feed him, these turds might provide some nice snacks to keep him from starving to death.
11:23 I’m with you on that Bradford Exchange Sam, they are schemers who sell crap… and that thing was an insult to your Queen.
As one who lived in America I am ashamed of that insult to her majesty. 😢
The "Queen Elizabeth || remembrance" engine is American with UK decals is because the US and UK helped each other since the end of the American Revolution in 1783
Turd on wheels...that got me laughing....lololol
Absolute gold......totally entertaining and well produced!! Cheers!
Thanks a lot Paul! :D
i gotta say i was flabbergasted when you actually went through with whacking an engine with a hammer lmao
Was this the first time sam actually intentionally broke a train?
It has to be the Bradford Exchange one for me. Not only because of the quality, but also because of what it represents. That is the biggest crime for me.
noooooooooooo john
The only one I have is the Collett Goods. Mine is in GWR livery and doesn't have the awful seam line for some reason. Good runner too. Excellent vid Sam...very funny!
Ahh excellent - the Mainline versions of the model had better seam lines actually... maybe they bothered to sand them out??
Thanks for watching, Sam :)