Bachmann is probably the most despised manufacturer.......you'll find few people with nice things to say about Bachmann, except for some of the Spectrum line steam engines. Their track is also not the greatest and is not gauged the same as NMRA standards. Having said that, I have Bachmann stuff that I'm perfectly happy with, although in most cases I had to do a little fiddling with the gauge on the wheels to get trouble free operation. If you have some Bachmanns and you like them and they run well, don't worry what others may tell you. Just keep in mind that sometimes Bachmanns quality control can be hit or miss, but to offset that, they also have the best warranty out there.
Kato seems to be most peoples favorite and they ARE nice and great runners, but I've had a few issues with a couple of mine. Kato also does virtually nothing but big modern diesels and some really nice passenger sets. So my personal #1 is Atlas. Atlas Also has a lot bigger variety of cars and engines, and does small regional roadnames and cars and engines going back into into the 20's and 30's.
In the end, what brand you get will depend on what you decide to model.....if you decide on steam, you wouldn't have much if you stick with Kato OR Atlas.Kato makes more big modern diesels than anyone else......Atlas makes more early diesels and smaller diesels...... For the most part, just pick the cars and engines you like. There really aren't any "bad" manufacturers out there, but look at what you're buying. There are still some manufacturers using the old Rapido couplers, some manufacturers have more detailing on their products than others, some might run a little quieter or run better at low speed. But in the end, if you like it buy it......just remember you might need to do a little work to get the item "perfect" , like change the couplers from Rapidos to a MT compatible coupler......if you're like most of us, personalizing your stuff with details, custom painting and weathering, ect. is half the fun.
