BachmannTrains - Spirit Of Christmas Ready To Run Electric Train Set - N Scale 0.5 Liters

I have put this little train up at work on a much expanded figure 8 track, as seen in the picture every year between Halloween and Thanksgiving 4 years in a row. It runs 9 hours every day, at a slow prototypical speed (faster would run better) 5 days a week for at least 5 weeks. That's over 1000 hours of smooth running. Putting up the track, I run the train at various speeds for testing puposes, and invariably I find some uncupling or derailing problems. Every time it is because when connecting a section of track, I've not set the track correctly into the little crimp connector on one rail or the other. Usually, i've slipped the rail on top of the connector, and that leaves a little bump, or heigth difference that causes the derailment. It's so slight that casual observance doesn't show it, but running my finger over the joint, lets me feel the problem. I make the correct connection and look for the next problem area. Once it runs smoothly for 15 minutes at speed, we're good for the rest of the season. The students (High School) love it, as most haven't seen a "toy" train set, especially not one so small. The only problems I've had, is sometimes the kids bump it, or because I've got it running so slowly, it may stop at the track cross over, as there are some unpowered parts of the track there, necessary to keep the track from shorting out. A small bump with my finger to get it going, and adjusting the speed a little higher (so that it will coast through the crossing) and we're good for the reat of the day. I feel this is not the fault of the set, but rather design constraints for running the system. At night we "park" it near the back and turn it off. Our running speed is with the dail at about the 11:00 position. There is only one connection to the track from the power pack, even with all that extra track. I've ordered an extra set, in case this one goes out and I think I will use it this year so I can take the "old" engine apart to clean and lube it for another 1000 hours of use.Again, I can't emphasize enough, with cars so small and light, you need a well laid out and maintained roadbed, with out any bumps and good electrical connection. Also, yes the cars don't auto couple when they come together, but they do look and hold together better than the older "Rapido" style couplers. As I just leave it running all day, I appreciate the look and reliability of the newer "knuckle" connetors, even though they are harder to connect and rerail.As for engines that don't work, it gets it's power from the tender, which doesn't weigh much; mayby adding a little weight would help. I know I clean our track every year, and that seems to help with the power issues that might arise. We also live in Colorado, so the dry air may be a factor.

Full disclosure... I'm NOT a model train expert, but that may actually be why I love this set. It is easy for me to set up and take down, it runs nicely unattended around a small Christmas tree, overall is a great little addition to our Christmas decorations. Originally purchased this set in 2015 and for Christmas 2018 it will be making it's fourth annual appearance.I've taken care to gently clean the tracks and contact points on the train before storing. Thankfully, no problems whatsoever.

Track went together OK. Like trying to build a Swiss watch, especially me coming from Lionel O gauge. (Really big trains.) Rest of setup went well. Engine started right up. Went fine from to slow to fast.However... the couplers are total JUNK!!! None of them will work, in ANY combination. I did get one car to attach to the engine for a bit, but nothing after that. Makes me wonder WHY they included a bag of replacement couplers. Am I supposed to replace bad couplers for THEM??? These trains are SO tiny that no standard screwdriver, even jeweler's ones that I have would fit the screws. I can't even see the screws without a magnifying glass...Manual said go to the website for help. Website said call... They said don't take their defective stuff back to dealer. I'd send it back to Amazon. But the likelihood of them sending me a replacement that would work is negligible.I guess I'll wait till the day after New Year's and call Bachman to see if they have a fix.Pity... The engine is really cute...UPDATE: Train had had complaints for coupling problems since at least 2019! Why are they STILL shipping defective units and spoiling Christmas for so many people???

Overall, this is a great little set for the price. I've always been fascinated by electric model trains but didn't realize they came in the smaller scales until I started doing research recently. The size is perfect underneath of my four-foot Christmas tree and I think it would be fun to use this small scale to build a mini train table. Everything is very well decorated but the car couplers don't hook together very well and I've yet to get them to connect just by backing the engine up to the car. I have to connect them manually.The engine is solid but mine has been a bit temperamental in how it runs and often doesn't fire up when I turn it off and then fire it up again hours or days later. I have to remove the wheels from the track and re-seat them, sometimes once and sometimes multiple times before the engine starts running again. It also sometimes runs at inconsistent speeds. As soon as I go talking badly about it, it's now running perfectly smoothly in the background so the issues aren't consistent. It's been running for only a few days off and on but I did follow all break-in recommendations. I will update this review if it starts behaving more consistently as the engine continues to break in.I guess the main thing that occurs to me is that this might be more than the average Christmas decorator wants to deal with for a tree accessory. It's a tiny electric engine with required care and maintenance, and because it's smaller, it's more sensitive to dirt, debris, neglect. You have to oil the engine and gears, clean and oil the track and troubleshoot the issue when it's temperamental. I don't think it's something you could just slap back under the tree after a year in storage and expect it to work flawlessly.I was a little bummed that the train doesn't include a caboose, so I bought a $20 Bachmann caboose to go with mine. Things I noticed right off the bat are that the caboose is better made then the Christmas train. The wheels glide more smoothly and the car feels more solid. The coupler is also different and works as it should every time. I am new to model trains so I don't know if they make different levels of cars but it made me wonder if other engines, etc might also be better build than what comes with this set.If you're a tech geek like me, then I say go for it. It's a great price and a cool little train to play with, and it wouldn't take much space at all to build a really cool set-up. But, be prepared to break it in correctly, and take care of the engine and track maintenance to keep it in good working order.