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Anyone care to share any thoughts or comments about Model Power's quality? I have been out of model railroading for about 15 years now, and now I want to get back into it. I'm looking to do a layout in N scale due to space restrictions. The layout will be placed in a certain time era but pretty much freelanced. I am looking to incorporate late steam and very early diesel so I am looking at perhaps doing a mid 1940's West Virginia coal setting. I thought I could use some of the older and smaller steamers as old mining trains working the mines and also throw in some Alco RS-1s in the mix down in my "city area." I would like to use a 4-4-0 American like this
http://http://www.blwnscale.com/Model%20Power%204-4-0%20American.htm
However, I have no experience with Model Power locomotives. All my experience has been with Atlas and Athearn. Can anyone share any comments about Model Power?
Welcome to the forum!
I have not heard any good reviews about Model Power locomotives - they're pretty much considered 'toy' trains. If you're doing N scale, you're better off staying with Kato, Atlas and Athearn for motive power. There are a few other decent N scale manufacturers, but I don't remember exactly who they are
Model Power is definitely at the low end of the quality scale, especially in N scale. It's possible to make an HO engine that doesn't look or run too well both look and run better but a bad N scale engine tends to stay bad because they are just too hard too work on. If you're shopping based on price, there are some decent offerings by Bachmann in N scale. If price is not an issue, Kato, Walthers Proto, and Con-Cor make some very nice engines in N scale.
Hey guys, thanks for the replies. No, i'm not shopping based on price. I'm going through a walther's N scale reference book and looking online and don't see much in what I'm looking for. I wanted a 4-4-0 but am willing to settle for a 2-6-0 mogul. I wanted a small truck set because I was "toying" with the idea of tight radius turnouts in the hills of the layout. I didn't want to model a mainline. I wanted to do a small little shortline independent...sort of operating out in the boonies of small Appalachian town...at a time when steam was still around and diesels were just being delivered.
For whatever reason, Model Power seems to make most of the small steam power in N scale. I haven't seen some of their newer N scale 4-4-0 and 2-6-0 engines in person. They look decent in pictures but the price is awfully high and it doesn't even mention if the engines are DCC ready. Bachmann is the other maker of most small steam power in N scale. I guess I'd try to get to a hobby shop and do a side by side comparison between these two brands and see which have the best features for the best price. N scale quality has improved so much in recent years that Model Power may be making some decent small steam power for all I know. I'm hoping one of our N-gauger's will jump in with more information for you.
Well, I found an Atlas Shay locomotive that is starting to grow on me. It sure is a small thing...not too asthetically pleasing (in prototype) but like I said...it's growing on me. It definitely has that "born of necessity" look to it typical of specific industrial machinery.
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