excellent video. just bought my first bachmann superchief set. well, first in over 40 years! learning everything pretty much from scratch and taking it slow.

Between these, for North American gear, there is (contrary to your statements) a CLEAR winner: Kato! (after the mid 80s, when they quit building to Con-Cor junk specs). See below at the bottom for other excellent makers! Intermountain is nice, but noticeably more expensive, so when on a budget, Kato wins. Broadway Limited Imports is a whopper of a con-job: How to drop in 30 bucks worth of electronics, and turn an 80 dollar locomotive into a 300 dollar "value" with less pulling power AND pair it up with a non-powered dummy for added sound. DCC? BLI is basically all DCC, and I hate it. No thanks, I do not need the expense, or the complications of DCC. I tried it and hate fumbling with a multi-controller, fidgeting for the loco-address I need to bring to a stop, and crashing the train, because I just hit the wrong loco-throttle! Separate simple DC power-packs on segmented tracks is where simplicity and frugality lives! Bachmann? DEARY ME! They promised several times over the last 40 years they got better ... and then their locomotives broke after short usage ... again! I will never trust them, and will certainly never spend as much or more on one as on a Kato. I am pondering Atlas, as there a view nice sales right now, BUT all the fan-boys are giving them "grade A" in tests, while also giving the same old Con-Cor junk models I know are lemons that grade A rating. Kato, who built Con-Cor models 40 years ago, was still learning in the 80s, but they learned a LOT and really got better. Bachmann white gears, then black gear Spectrum, and then whatever ... I yet have to see one that lives up to promises by people, who are just out to sell off their clunkers! Nope, for European N-Scale gear, Minitrix, Brawa, Piko, Hobbytrain (aka Kato!) and SOME Roco/Fleischmann gear is tops. For North-American gear, Kato is first choice. I yet need to try Athearn and Atlas, but I will need to make my own judgement, because the fanboys in the forum have covered up a LOT of flaws with old equipment, apparently to not dunk the "values" of what they themselves have and want to resell. My European gear is dandy, but I also never bought Lima or Rivarossi, and I can only strongly warn everybody off them. My H0 experiences with Lima/Rivarossi as a kid were disastrous, so after switching to N it was strictly just Minitrix, Arnold, Fleischmann, Roco, Brawa, and Piko :)

Most of my Kato f7s are from 1995/96 era and my the Kato f3s from early 2000s. In the future I may upgrade the f7s to DCC. I do have few of those old Atlas/Riverossi steam engines that I will check for frame rot.

I used to have the top 2 about 10 years ago when I was a kid

I learned long ago when I was in my O scale faze. Put a drop or 2 of transmission fluid on your tracks. Let trains work it around layout. It keeps tracks clean. It has conditioners in it. Also lubes wheels on rolling stock. Grime can't stick to rails. Trust me it works. I had way less shorts, Loosing contacts and less cleaning intervals. Idk if it will be necessary on n scale ? I use my hair clipper oil on my locomotives.

Love east coast people. Use people in Ontario need to learn more from you!

I have themes locos but the. Trucks fall apart. Does inter mountain sell spare parts.

Wow this was so helpful. Couldn’t even figure out how to get the hull off! Thank you!

This video was very helpful for fixing one of these that had a broken truck that need replacement. Getting the shell off was the difficulty I was having.

Absolutely fantastic video. Your presentation skills are superb and very thorough. I have an Atlas GP7 that needs this service performed and since I am 77 years old I usually pay someone to do these for me but after watching this video I am going to attempt to do this myself using your video step by step. PLEASE make more video tutorials of this quality. Thank you very much !

Would be cool to see scaletrains do locomotives that aren't just new ones. I don't think they should venture into steam yet, but I'd love to see stuff like E8s and GG1s and prototypes like a sharknose, or centipede.

Best breakdown video I've seen. Thank you for your level of detail and explanations.

After waiting almost 5 years I finally received my preordered Intermountain PRR F7 . The newest / latest version of these the number boards light up very well and there is a reverse light now to . The overall details are even better . Time will tell if it runs as good as my older ones .

Just got a latest run of the Intermountain F7 in Pennsy green . The detail is even a little better and the number boards light up very nice now

OUTSTANDING VIDEO. One of the best I have seen on servicing older locomotives. Thank you for posting and doing such a thorough job. Camera and Audio were spot on as well.

I kinda like that "gear growl". It reminds me of the prototypical generator whine in the older geeps.

Want great detailing go HO! 😉

Excelente video. Ideal para quien no sabe desarmar una locomotora en escala n. Todas las orientaciones muy atinadas. Gracias por difundir la escala n.

Thanks. I wish you had shown how to open them, i.e. take the shell off.

Thanks, GREAT video. Really easy to watch. You gave me the knowledge and confidence to disassemble and lube my rough-running Atlas SD-60 and it runs fantastic now. Please make more videos.

Thanks. You have to glue the fuel tank on because they tend to hang too low.

Thank you. Last month, I bought three of them. But the FARR intake grills on all three models still are as wavy as the ocean on a stormy day.

thank you very much. have you been able to switch the shells of kato and bli f units?

Outstanding tutorial-thank you so much.

I have two Kato N Gauge EMD F7’s (an A and a B) with MRC Sound decoders in them. I’m using the MRC Tech 6 and walk around handheld to run them. Can you tell me if it’s possible to turn the sound up on these? At the present, the sound is very puny… Any help is greatly appreciated. Kind regards, Bruce

Can you tell me what type of soldering iron you have? My cheap one does not cut it.

Excellent video! I'm just sad to find out that you only made a couple :(. Here's hope that you come back at some point and share more knowledge - I'm subscribed in anticipation!

great and interesting video. thank you.

You answered my questions, good video.

You're really good at controlling your camera. Everything is crystal clear!🎉

Oh boy. I'm getting my soldering iron in the mail today to properly install a dcc chip in my kato p42. I'm nervous but this video helped so much. Thank you!

Nice video, I'm having a problem with a Kato E8 Loco. I have converted it from DC to DCC using the appropriate decoder form Digitrax, (No Sound) This was my first ever doing anything like this. It works very well, except, when I put the Loco shell back on, very gently, nothing works. I removed the shell and tested it 4 times, getting the same results. Why!!?

Don't the two units need to be speed matched and programed as a consist?

Very pretty trains

Broadway limited end of video.

Sry but the best are clearly minitrix Fleischmann and kato.. Fleischmann is piko minitrix is märklin the details are the best of the best .. kato has the best tram (in n scale)

Very informative. What kind of DCC system are you using?

Thanks for the video. I followed your steps on the A unit, and all went great! Onto the B!

I have been trying to do this installation for the past few hours. I did not solder the motor contacts because I have never soldered before. The light comes on but the loco will only move if I put my finger down on top of the clip where to motor leads are held down. Is the soldering a mandatory step in order to make this work? Do you have any possible suggestions? I have also made sure to install the kapton tape correctly as shown. Anyone else with a similar problem?

ins't that a gorgeous NP passenger set in the background at the end of your video ? 😎

What gets me, these manufactures don't make enough of the geeps and they always sell out. Intermountain finally made a Milwaukee Road F7 freight locomotive in N scale which nobody has ever done before. They also made the sky blue Great Northern F7 in N scale and that's my next one. I like the GP7's and 9's.

Fantastic tutorial! Would appreciate part numbers. Like you, I also custom paint my equipment, to my freelance railroad, the Pacific Belt. I'm starting my 8th layout soon in N scale, and just subscribed!

Great video and very handy. Always enjoy watching other people working on N HO etc locomotives and rollingstock and refresh the mind and pick up little tips. 👍🇦🇺

Try holding the coupler screw onto the screw driver with a tiny dob of 'Bluetack', or even a tiny dob of vaseline from the chemist or local stupa market. Also worth inducing magnetism into a screw driver by stroking on a magnet. Work over a cloth so dropped screws won't bounce. That is a first rate shell moulding. Thanks: Pete

Thoroughly enjoyed that - at 20 past 2 in the morning. Spending too much time watching Utube. Not sure of the current situation with spares, but historically Kato's spare parts service stood them out wonderfully. Most importantly brushes were obtainable (see Dave Ramirez kzbin.info/www/bejne/e2a6YauvZ7iAr68 Why didn't that go blue?). It means a loco lasts longer than its first set of brushes. Also, replacement motors can be obtained when magnets weaken. I have no experience with the very latest productions of N scale, but the Kato/Atlas pick-up system has historically been a winner. The weight of the loco kept the contacts between the trucks and the chassis touching, and the spring system did not crush or weaken. Hopefully the other three locos are as good as historical Kato and Atlas, and hopefully Kato and Atlas are not slipping. Long my spares be obtainable. Many of the folk who rely on these models to brighten up their lives are unable to service them. Trouble-free running and serviceability matter; and mostly they matter because of the challenging circumstances of many of the owners. Shall keep an eye on your channel and occasionally bore the fur off you. We who read have a responsibility to contribute at least something. Be encouraged: Peter

Been looking all over for a 101 series on locomotives. Yours are wonderful. I hope you do more, esp in getting some running again as well as the servicing. Thank you! Know you can...John

You didn't show how to reinstall the front coupler, I followed everything else and then huh!!!!! Left in the dark. Thinking I will pull another F7 shell off and hopefully see more clearly. Still, very informative. Thank you!

The sound o this video is terrible and nearly impossible to hear

What is a good starter set

Great video! I live in UK but love North American Locomotives.👏😊