Model comparisons - The Whistle Post

Boss Boomer · #1 (**permalink**) 03-09-2006, 01:02 AM

Hiya Trainmen! Got a project in mind for you--since I'm coming back to model railroading there's lots of new stuff on the market that I'm not familiar with. When I was most active, the "name in trains" for engines was Athearn--good, solid, dependable, long-running. Atlas was way better than Athearn, and then there was Stewart--made some killer smooth-running locos! RS'es and AS-16's and -616's, IIRC! Mantua was about the only affordable steamer manufacturer, but I understand they are long since gone out-of-business now. AHM/Rivarrossi made steamers, but they were "questionable" at best for performance, (and over-sized flanges that went bumpity-bump down the roadway, I kid you not, unless you had some special Code 155 rail or something!)

Then there was brass stuff that's totally un-affordable unless you are independently wealthy AND spending your kids' inheritance, and brass ain't always a good-runner anyways! Collector stuff, but not necessarily running stock. What used to cost mega-hundreds for me, now costs some no-fooling un-real bucks that could buy real cars, trucks, and homes, I ain't lying!

Now...there's all kinds of makers out there, like Walthers, Bachmann Spectrum and Proto 2000. So, how about you guys share your personal experiences with the "lastest and greatest" and let me know what's worth buying and what's junk to be avoided. (I'm seeing some outrageously expensive stuff for DCC that I don't understand just yet, but I bought a book to learn more about this control system, but I'm not quite there yet. So, try to work around DCC for me and let me know about the "standard" stuff on the market, please?)

Help a Brutha out with this, if ya would?

Trainman1965 · #2 (**permalink**) 03-09-2006, 07:46 PM

Hello Boss.....Well you are on the right track with the frist two locomotives you named. Atlas make some fine loco and I guess Athearn makes some too i just dont happen to have any here to fine out how thay are. Ok the proto 2000 in my opinion are some fine running loco smooth and quiet. The bachmann spectrum line are some nice looking loco and thay are built good now i cant say this for all the models but the two GP30 i have are noisey but not bad thay are not near as smooth as my proto2000. But that mite be a bad comparassing. Now Here we have a walthers. The one i have is a cheaper model i think i payed like 29.95 for the loco. But here is the thing. It is smooth and quiet it just dont have all the nice features like the proto and spectrum line has. The front light on it comes on in farward and revearse and it lights up in the cab when the light is on just a little cheaper made loco but so far it is one i like to run. Now we have the rich mans locos Kato and brass i can not have as i dont make that kind of money LOL but from what i hear thay are some real nice loco. now for all the junk in the world tyco-lineal-cheaper line bachmann and life like. i have some of them and thay are just for the kids sets in my opinion not anything i would wont running around my hard work layout. Ok it is time for the next guy to tell you there side of the story. So i am going to set back and listen for a min. Hope this helps you out

ak-milw · #3 (**permalink**) 03-09-2006, 09:05 PM

TM,
You summed it up pretty good!!
Oh ya, all Bachman spectrum's are noisy.

Boss Boomer · #4 (**permalink**) 03-10-2006, 08:32 AM

So...you guys are saying that Proto 2000 is "good stuff," Walthers is a nice-running, but lacking detail, and Spectrum/Bachmann is a good-runner, but noisy...I got that right? Hmmm...IIRC, Walthers and Spectrum are higher-priced than Proto 2000 stuff.

Well, that helps me a lot, guys. Guess I'll have to check 'em out when I can find 'em and see for myself. E-bay and me been friends lately so I'll see what's available for bargain prices mebbe.

Poor old Tyco is still junk, h'uh? Guess they just don't get it. Too bad, because they used to be associated with Mantua that DID get it...or maybe not, since Mantua is gone now. Bummer.

Oh--you guys got any ideas or opinions about AHM/Rivarossi stuff these days? I wonder if they got around to fixing that "over-sized wheel flange" problem yet--been 20 years or more, so ya think they'd have time to catch a clue by now.

Well, gotta go--see you men later!

TallDude · #5 (**permalink**) 03-10-2006, 10:22 AM

While i agree with everything that has been said, don't forget Kato!! They are really smooth running engines as well. Also, Athearn Genesis, don't own one, but have heard good things about them. Most of the manufacturers have what i call a Budget line and a premium line. Premium lines have better details, run smoother, and usually DCC ready or DCC equipped. They also may have sound

Manufacturer Budget Line Premium Line

Bachmann:Budget Line is Bachmann premium is Spectrum
Atlas: Budget line is Atlas, premium line is Master Series (Gold/Silver)
Life-Like: Budget line is Life-Like, Premium line is Proto (1000/2000)
Athearn: Budget line are the blue boxes premium line is Genesis
Kato only makes premium stuff for the most part.

Trainman1965 · #6 (**permalink**) 03-10-2006, 05:15 PM

One more i forgot about is the tower 55 good stuff from what i hear. I dont have one but thay say that thay are some good locomotive.

ak-milw · #7 (**permalink**) 03-10-2006, 08:59 PM

Tower 55 are great if you own a bank!!!!!! Stewart makes some real nice hard to find engines too, they use Kato or Athearn drives in them.
Boss,
Walthers now owns Life-Like proto1000 and 2000, actually the whole Life-Like line!

TallDude · #8 (**permalink**) 03-10-2006, 10:01 PM

Trainman/Andy,

QUIET!!!!!! I'm trying to forget that Tower 55 exist. That way I might still be able to afford a Quarter Pounder with Cheese! Tower 55 makes some gorgeous stuff. One of these days I'll buy one I'm sure

I agree with the Stewart stuff as well.

TallDude · #9 (**permalink**) 03-10-2006, 10:06 PM

Geez... next thing you know, someone is going to mention Broadway Limited... then BRASS manufacturers

Boss Boomer · #10 (**permalink**) 03-11-2006, 01:43 PM

Hadn't heard of Tower 55 so I did a search and found out Tower 55 is the "plastics division" of Overland Models. Overland Models I have heard of and they make brass "stuff that dreams are made of..."

...more money than I could ever justify spending for myself. I mean...if I spent a thousand bucks on train stuff, I could have a pretty decent lay-out when I was done. If I spent a thousand bucks and only had ONE brass engine for my troubles, I'd deserve to have my butt kicked up between my shoulder blades!

'Course, that's just me. Other people's obsessions are their problem!

Hey, thank all of y'all for helping out with my little project and bringing me up-to-date so quickly. Got a good idea what to look for and what to avoid, and that translates into money saved and not wasted buying disappointing things that don't work well.