Review: Bachmann HO Streamlined K4 Steam Loco w/ WowSound 

Those "brake wheels" are access covers, or possibly "snifters" on top of the cylinders. Also, when you remove the tender cover, you can pull the excess wire to the loco into the tender, and out of the way. The "crazy drawbar" design actually allows closer coupling between engine and tender. It allows the tender to move away from the loco in tight turns. Proto 2000 Y3 locomotives were the first I saw to use that method many years ago. Broadway Limited J Class as well. Works pretty good, actually...helps to put a little lithium grease on the mechanism where it moves inside the tender. Study it a little, and you'll be impressed! 🤔 Now, if I can figure out how to program the MULTITUDE of functions of the decoder! I'd much rather have a regular "CV/ function" list instead of the "audio assistant"...some sounds seem non-existent (example: direction change sound). A CV list would come in real handy...

The thing about Bachman’s engines is that they give you a starting point to test your modeling skills. Want more detail, add them. Push your ability to modify something and be proud to see it running on your layout.

Merry Christmas to you! 😄

Uau ! Que locomotiva linda ! Parabéns, Bachmann !

That brake wheel looking thing is a valve gear. Most of the PRR steam locomotives had that same style

A smoke unit short of being a really nice engine...

Overall it seems like a decent locomotive from Bachmann. I like some of the special touches like the firebox flicker and TCS sound. I'm a little disappointed in the difficult manner in which you have to connect the tender. Thanks for doing the review of this!

If this sold for around $150.00 or less it would be worth it. TrainWorld has it for $279.00. For $90.00 more you can get the Broadway Limited version which is far superior.

Merry Christmas, James! Great review and love the new intro! I hope that you have a great time with your friends and family, and have some fun running some Christmas trains!

Wonderful DCC Pennsylvania Steam Train James, Have A Good Christmas Day.

could you run it with a set of gunderson well cars?

Very cool to see this from Bachmann. Now all I need is for them to do a PRR T1 4-4-4-4

I really love the colors and details to that engine! Merry Christmas James hope you have a very good Christmas! What do you plan on doing with the 2 new engines you got? Are you going to review them?

Merry Christmas James and have a Happy New Year and thanks for all you do

That same piece came off mine also. Good glue will hold it. I made the same mistake as you did as well when I was trying to connect mine also. Wish Bachmann made this locomotive already hooked together

Love that engine have a merry Christmas buddy love the channel

well it is a Bachman. so details are not super high. the cab figures look like they are sitting in a lazy boy lounge chair, but for a beginner steam loco. top notch. and it does sound pretty good.

Merry Christmas and a Happy and Safe New Year

I bet the TCS High Bass 28mm speaker would be a good addition to the engine. Should enhance the anemic stock bass response. The sound is there in the decoder, just need to let it out with a good speaker(s).

Great video and merry Christmas!

Nice looking engine. The drawbar assy needs to go back to the drawing boards to me. The "brake wheel" is not a part of the valve gear as this engine has Walschaerts VG. It isn't a "poppet valve" gear engine either. Those things are a cylinder relief valve usually to keep pressure from building up in the cylinders when drifting.

Happy New Years Man! Great Review🙌

low end of pulling power is exactly right has trouble with four finely tuned (shorter) harriman style cars with metal wheels and tuned trucks. in corners at a 22in radius it slows down. i dont like traction tires but if this loco had them it would be a great loco.

Kind of late right now but could you use Super Glue or like Plumbers Putty on the nuts to hold them in place?

Perhaps a blue or red or dark black version with white striping would look appealing could Bachmann make extra money from different versions of this particular engine?

muchas gracias por subir el video abrazo grande

Merry Christmas James!

Love the new intro

Please learn the parts of a steam loco. That brake wheel is actually called a drifting valve. Or sometimes a snifter. It’s so when the engine is going downhill and posting it’s not using steam and it’s not sucking steam out of the boiler it is sucking it out of the atmosphere with the throttle closed. The other thing is rehearsed removing the item from the box before you film

I like that bachmann models many different engines

Oh like it. Nice for Bachmann.

Merry Christmas happy new year to you

Great review James!

The "brake wheel" is a poppet style valve gear.

Can you do a competition with the K4 and the USRA Light?

I don't know why everybody trashes Bachman and these k4 I got all 4 road numbers and so far they have given 100 % reliability My 4 BLI K4 are junk ,and I have returned and got them back and still were junk !!!!!!!!! All new decoders that I put in and now they run fine ALSO putting new decoders in 6 BLI P5a's ,,, 3 of which had broken sound boards ,,,, the female plugs were not even mounted. ,,,, cross wired ,,, missing insulation , One was so bad ,,,, out of the box and onto the track ,,,, powered up the track ,,,,, no sound , no lights but the DAMN thing tried to beat JOHN FORCE i1/4 mile time ,,,, DIGITRAX 210 system couldn't read the decoder !!!!!!!!! Installed Econami #883001 decoder and IT TAMED THE BEAST !!!!!! OUT EVERYTHING I HAVE BEST TO WORST ALL PENNSY FLEET BRAND. . LOCOS #1 MTH . 6 F7 #2 ATLAS. 3 H2466 #3 WALTHERS. 9 E7/8 #4 GEN. 2 GP9b #5 BACHMANN. 15 GG1 4 K4 #6 BLI. 10. BH50/60 6 BF15 .6 P5a 30 steam And EVERY BLI HAS GIVEN ME PROBLEMS REPLACE ALL OF THEIR CRAPPY DECODERS !!!!!!! Now they run real good but for the $$$$ spent you'd think they wouldn't make their OWN decoders. ((((((( YES THEY DO ))) to save money !!!!!!!

That pulling power tho....LOL One reason my Bachmann Steam locos sit on a shelf. They can pull maybe 4 passenger cars or 8 freight up a 2% grade. Thats it...

So far my BLI T1 smoke unit is working, however, I think they are just gimmicks that mess up the loco and track. If it fails, I won't have it fixed.

Wow, that, by far, was the most ridiculous way to secure the tender to the loco ever! Nice loco, though. It's nice to see TCS finally hooking up with some manufacturers. See ya.

I love mine!!

What an impressive looking steam locomotive, too bad it is a lightweight from what I have heard about it, excellent model product review- Tom.

The wires from the tender to the engine sure do hang low. I can see them getting caught on a few things running around.

That is very beautiful locomotive love it. Broadway limited make some best steam locomotives...

Wow, a 21 pin decoder. When I go to a hobby shop they say “ what the hell is that, get a locomotive with an 8pin “

You should get the newest mth ho Berkshire

Does anyone know if the k4 works with dc. I got mind 2 days ago and it turned on but then it kept shutting off.

Poor engineering design on the draw bar connection. I can imagine the frustration of a purchaser new to the hobby trying to get it connected. Save up your money and get the BLI version. Superb engineering, detail, and pulling power.

Nearly 8 minutes to get it on the rail .

Serious question. My aunt got me in to the hobby when I was 10. But I had to give it up when I was 14 due to not having the space or money.. well. I'm 40 and going to be getting back in to it.. way back when my aunt got me in to it she said "never waste you're money on Bachmann or Life like. If you don't have the money for something worth buying wait untill you do" because back then those brands were cheap junk. About the lowest quality in every regard that you could get. My question is.. is Bachman still junk? I am really unimpressed by that locomotive. And after many reviews I've watched for all the brands.. I am very underwhelmed by Bachmann.

Похожа на игрушку. Нет в ней коллекционости.

That is the same drawbar as the normal Spectrum K4’s and the Bachmann N&W J class. Also Bachmann told me that chassis was different from the last run of the normal run... it looks the exact same to me. Those liars!

Epic Fail on design. Just saying. But your great James!

Bachman is way too expensive for the quality they produce. Not impressed.

Eh, Bachmann really will never be manufacturers like BLI, but they do sell a variety of steam.

Lovely loco, shame you manhandled it so badly...

Loose the turntable it scares me your gonna drop one some day your too rough unboxing these engines find a safer place to open them

I don't trust on line model railroad reviews as the reviewers are reluctant to criticize the obvious defects in the products. If they did they would be cut off from future reviews by the manufacturers. By doing so they do a disservice to the hobby. It if is of poor design they should call it just that! The model magazine reviews are also puff balls in most instances as they need the ad revenue. Buyers beware!!

Lost time by viewing and reviewing this toy quality locomotive...