Yard Boss Ready To Run Electric Train Set - N Scale

After seeing such mixed reviews, I knew this purchase was a bit of a gamble. However, I did not own any trains this small, and I have had good experiences with this brand before (Bachman) so I decided to purchase this product. I am glad I made this decision. The train easily fits on almost any table (except one that is extremely small) and the train is even so small it would fit on a bookshelf. If you only make the circle it comes with, it fits in a pizza box! Great train for people with limited space. The train seems to operate extremely well and is very realistic. I bought extra track with it, as the circle would have gotten boring. I recommend the Bachman 10 inch easy track that can be found on amazon. You can get 6 for under 15 dollars. This is a great addition to the set. Keep in mind, if you want to make an oval, the set alone DOES NOT come with enough curves. So, to make an oval, you would need at least one more curved piece and at least two straight pieces. Great holiday decoration for a table etc, but a bit small to go around a tree, I’d recommend HO scale for that application. Overall. Great product. Never falls off track and has no problem operating at slow speeds, contrary to many reviews. The train is fragile, but all model trains are. Extremely easy to set up track and run product. Anyone can do it once they know how to put the train on track (line up wheels) and put the track together. NOTE: the clips on the tracks must match up, otherwise connection will be weak and the train may not run. So, make sure that the track is FULLY together before operation. A video in the product description shows you how to make sure. Highly recommend watching it. There may be some defects in these sets, but I have experienced no issues. Definitely recommend great set easy to operate and assemble track

This was a Christmas gift for my husband. He loved it. The price was great, I had originally purchased it at a store that will not be named and it was $50 more. So I returned it and bought it on AMAZON. The detail is very well done. The track makes a 24" circle, but you can purchase extra track.

I previously gave a somewhat negative review due to problems running these on my layout. The problem was my fault by mix and matching different coupler brands and styles. This set runs well with the 3 cars included, and with other cars with the identical couplers. The set is a good deal for a starter or expanding existing layouts.

The train is very small, which is what I wanted. The train has a lot of detail and the cars and caboose look really nice. I am happy with the train.

This is more than I expected. I read bad reviews about this train being unrealistic looking and having a poor performance. I disagree with them. I found the locomotive works well. I played with this for a few hours and there wasn’t any problems. The details are great. It looks like a miniature of the real train rather than a toy. I think this is well worth paying for.

I'm an old, retired guy just now beginning to "relive" the model trains of my childhood. I had an extensive S-scale American Flyer then, but don't have space now so wanted to try N-scale. I like steam locomotives, so this Bachmann set seemed reasonably priced (as opposed to $30-$40 for some individual, new boxcars!). The engine and three cars seem nicely detailed at this price and they run just fine. But I have a cautionary point and one strong dissatisfaction. The caution is that the two-foot diameter circle of Bachmann track lacks quality control. Although it goes together easily, my first assembly had the train derailing at the same point on each circuit. I managed to fix that by switching the positions of pieces of track so that the rail height matched at every join (feel with your fingers as the instructions suggest!) My dissatisfaction is with the couplers which Bachmann designates as "dummy couplers" and even provides a bag of alternative couplers (if you have a miniscule screwdriver, a good magnifying glass, and lots of patience!) I've now learned that there are at least FOUR major types of N-scale couplers which seems to me to be the seldom-mentioned "dirty laundry" of N-scale at this time. Although the instructions state that the cars will couple with a gentle push together, I've found that the ONLY way I can couple and uncouple them is by lifting the ends of the cars off the rails to drop the couplers together. N-scale cars are then challenging to re-rail (but a Kato re-railer ramp helps to lift, couple, and rerail cars). I simultaneously bought a Kato steam locomotive and in the accompanying video you can see its performance together with the Bachmann yard boss on the same track. I am happy with both engines and the rolling stock (except for the dummy couplers!)

Unfortunately, this Bachmann N scale train set ended up being my first ever return to Amazon. We followed setup instructions carefully and no matter what we did the train engine would not work. When we called Bachmann technical support the nice lady asked us to find a 9-volt battery and touch the two battery terminals to two of the train engine wheels in order to see if the engine would work. It did not! We tried this nifty diagnostic trick on an HO Bachmann train engine that we own and it started up immediately. Cool! The nice Bachmann lady asked me to package the train engine and ship it to the factory for repair or replacement in anticipation of an eventual return of a working train engine. I said no because I wasn’t willing to wait weeks and pay for the privilege. She next offered to send me a prepaid shipping label, which would add five additional days to the wait, she said. I said no and suggested that Bachmann send me a replacement train engine today along with the prepaid shipping label. She said no. Next I said I’ll simply return the train set to Amazon for a refund. She said that I’m not supposed to do that because their policy is to resolve product defects directly with the end buyer. Sorry nice lady, but we’re not going to open a brand new product box and then wait weeks for a replacement. The Amazon return was easy-peasy. We simply requested the return online, received a return authorization QR via email, and brought the Bachmann train set in its original box to our nearest Whole Foods store. Thanks, Amazon. I see that we’re not the first to complain here about the Bachmann Yard Boss train set shipping with a non-working engine. I would have been content to wait a few days for a replacement, but Bachmann doesn’t work that way. Perhaps there’s a quality control or manufacturing issue at their factory. I’m just not willing to roll the dice on this product again.

It’s awesome and goes fast but a little fragile for his age. But he loves it.

LOVE IT!!!!

Great value at the price

This track is poorly made. When the train goes fast over the connecting piece it derails 4/5 times.