Highest Quality Rolling Stock...


Night Train

Night Train

Member
I'm at the point where I'm going to be buying rolling stock for my new layout soon. I want to get quality merchandise and am wondering what brands should I look at and which to avoid.

Any ideas or suggestions are welcomed.
 
Probably better in the N scale forum this one, but regardless, I have rolling stock from Atlas, Athearn, Kato, Roco, Trainworx, Walthers, Bachmann and InterMountain. For passenger sets (Metra, California Zephyr, Super Chief) Kato cannot be beat, but for freight car range Atlas is on top (from what I've seen anyway). I only have a few things from the last five names listed but they don't really have any problems.

The most problematic for me has been Athearn. I only have a handful of freight cars from them but nearly all were poor rollers, and McHenry couplers are an abomination which I have mostly replaced.
 
I personlly love athearn genesis rolling stock ,but it is fairly pricey but for roller bearing trucks that actually move and metal details already installed imho well worth the cost.
 
Night Train said:
I'm at the point where I'm going to be buying rolling stock for my new layout soon. I want to get quality merchandise and am wondering what brands should I look at and which to avoid.

Any ideas or suggestions are welcomed.
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Metal wheels have much less rolling resistence than plastic wheels. You can buy some rolling stock with metal wheels and you can get replacement wheel sets too if it ever becomes important to you. This makes a huge difference when you're pulling 30 cars or more.

Mike
 
I would second the point about the McHenry non-couplers. As far as quality rolling stock, you really have to do some individual tuning of each freight car and passenger car that ya own. As far as showing off details, back in the earlier days of the D&J Railroad, when it started attracting attention, I would have a few very detailed cars in a train so that I could pull one car out to show the detail involved. The rest of the train would be standard moulded on grab irons and other stuff, but the car I pulled out had wire grab irons, air hoses and other detail which would leave the guest with the impression that the whole train was like that.
 
Intermountain is my personal favorite. I like that they come with Intermountain metal wheels and Kadee couplers bc that's what my entire fleet gets fitted. They have nice weight and detail. Their cylindrical covered hoppers are my favorite.

Kato makes great intermodal cars. Very nice. Atlas is very nice and they seem to have a nice weight to them.

Walthers and Athearn are a tie in my book. I have found the wheels on the Walthers products to be hit or miss but the Proto couplers to be nearly identical in every way of the running properties which is a great thing. I am not a fan of Athearn's stock McHenry coupler so they get replaced with Kadees but their detail and paint jobs on their cars are usually excellent.

This is all in HO btw.
 
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If I'm correct.....Nighttrain has N scale.

I like most all major brands of rolling stock. The ones I've seen from Model Power come with bizarre rapido couplers....so I avoid those. Amazing how those bulky antique couplers continue to survive. :confused:

Kadee and Microtrains are a favorite of mine. Here is a link to my friend Dave's Yardsale Trains in castlerock colorado where I got much of my collection. He sells only used N scale equipment and has a selection of microtrains rolling stock of most types.....especially boxcars...and has some very high priced collector pieces.....and also a bunch for around $8.....and other brands from $4 to $8.....plus locomotives and other stuff too. Since I've spent my train budget for now I don't mind sharing him with others.

http://yardsaletrains.com/index.php


Mike
 
I agree with BigB about always using Kadee couplers (as well as Kadee trucks with real springs). Intermountain is a good brand for detailed models and if you can still find Red Caboose the same thing applies. Kadee makes some beautiful PS-1 boxcars that rival anything available.

You didn't seem to mention what era and railroad or region. It matters as much as scale.
 
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