Being fairly new to the hobby...I'm still trying to familiarize myself with the different makers of rolling stock. I have plenty of Athearn blue box and Roundhouse. I would rate Athearn over Roundhouse...but going up the chain...who is the next maker (i.e. Exactrail??) in terms of bang for the buck?
Quality of rolling stock
- Thread starter AllenB
- Start date
nsconductor
Member
I model HO, and have mostly Exact Rail, Atlas, and Walthers cars. I have a couple Genesis cars and a couple Athearn RTR cars. I'd say 80% of my stuff is the first 3.....I have around 50 cars. The first 2 I listed are top of the line in my opinion.
P
Photogdad
Guest
I would imagine Atlas and Walthers woul be close. I have never had a problem out of either and the detail is good.
I model HO.
I like Exact Rail, but they don't make much that I need. True Line Trains I like also and they make cars that I can use for my period and railroad.
I have a couple of Proto box cars and a Atlas box car.
I don't care for the wheels/trucks and usually replace them with Kadees.
Here are four shot starting with an Exact Rail, True Line Trains, Proto, and an Atlas. These are for my 1974 period collection. I also model 1956.
I like Exact Rail, but they don't make much that I need. True Line Trains I like also and they make cars that I can use for my period and railroad.
I have a couple of Proto box cars and a Atlas box car.
I don't care for the wheels/trucks and usually replace them with Kadees.
Here are four shot starting with an Exact Rail, True Line Trains, Proto, and an Atlas. These are for my 1974 period collection. I also model 1956.
I have never heard or seen Exact Rail or True Line Trains?
Athearns new RTR stuff are BARS above what it used to be! Their newer Trinity covered hoppers and 2-bay covered hoppers are beautifully detailed from the factory. My 5-car sets of Bethgon Coalporters are much better detailed than the Walthers equivalent. My only complaint, is they are a tad light for my tastes, for a loaded coal hopper.
LMB has come on the scene with newer RTR cars. There Trinity hoppers are detailed almost the same as Athearns, and their upper loading doors or on actual hinges, to open.
Proto, as was mentioned, is making a very nice car now, with lots of older styles and road names.
Intermountian's RTR have come "leaps and bounds" away from their old kits, that were gorgeous once assembled... but needed to be everything short of a master modeler to have the patients to assemble the full kit!
BUT, I will say that prices have jumped up with all this new factory installed detail. Its not like buying the $8 to $12 Athearn bb or roundhouse kits anymore.
If anybody has any questions on the detail any of those RTR variants come with, please ask. I can get pictures of anything I have. I just haven't gone into factory cars in my own thread.
Athearns new RTR stuff are BARS above what it used to be! Their newer Trinity covered hoppers and 2-bay covered hoppers are beautifully detailed from the factory. My 5-car sets of Bethgon Coalporters are much better detailed than the Walthers equivalent. My only complaint, is they are a tad light for my tastes, for a loaded coal hopper.
LMB has come on the scene with newer RTR cars. There Trinity hoppers are detailed almost the same as Athearns, and their upper loading doors or on actual hinges, to open.
Proto, as was mentioned, is making a very nice car now, with lots of older styles and road names.
Intermountian's RTR have come "leaps and bounds" away from their old kits, that were gorgeous once assembled... but needed to be everything short of a master modeler to have the patients to assemble the full kit!
BUT, I will say that prices have jumped up with all this new factory installed detail. Its not like buying the $8 to $12 Athearn bb or roundhouse kits anymore.
If anybody has any questions on the detail any of those RTR variants come with, please ask. I can get pictures of anything I have. I just haven't gone into factory cars in my own thread.
You will get a million different answers on this question. While some people will rate a manufacturer based on the availability of products for the era they model, I believe a fairer assessment is in the quality of their products and their performance on the rails.
Im sure Ill leave some out, but here's my ranking from in order from first to worst:
1. Intermountain. Kadee couplers factory installed, factory installed metal wheels that are the standard for the hobby, lots of nice detail, good weight. You pay a bit more, but you get what you pay for. 5 stars.
2. BLMA. High quality, excellent detail, metal wheel, knuckle couplers, grab irons, decent price for excellent quality. They seem to never disappoint with their products and quickly sell out.
3. Exactrail. Very similar to BLMA, although sometimes a little bit more. Nice rolling wheels, incredible detail, usually kadee couplers.
4. Atlas. Sturdy, good detail. Come with metal wheels that I sometimes replace, and with Accumate knuckle couplers that I always replace.
5. Kato. They are not a big player in the HO rolling stock market, but what I have of their's runs well. Namely a couple of sets of the Maxi IV well cars. Nice detail. I replace the couplers with kadees bc I find the stock Kato couplers dont play well with others. Ive heard their hoppers are nice.
6. Walthers. Gold and Platinum Line. Although they come with metal wheels, I replace them with Intermountain wheelsets bc they run so much better. The New Protomax couplers are nearly an exact clone for the Kadee coupler #5 and work well. The wheels on these models and the weight of Walthers products can be hit or miss. Nice quality overall and decent detail. I have alot of these. The Proto 1000/2000 cars are popular too.
7. Kadee. I dont have any, mostly bc most of it doesnt fit my era. But they offer alot for the price. Made in USA.
8. Athearn/Athearn Genesis. Again, I have alot of these bc of the selection/sheer amount of product they put out. I have found the wheels, although metal, can have bad flanges or be out of gauge. Sometimes alot of quality control issues. I find the stock McHenry couplers to be absolute garbage and always replace with Kadees. Seems to me, that the new RTR models are the old Genesis models at the same price without the spinning wheel hub.
9. Atlas Trainman. IMHO, a tremendous value. Good detail, and you can easily update the couplers and wheels and grab irons if you want.
10. Accurail kits. I dont have any of their RTR products, but the ACF 3 bay covered hopper kits are decent. Easy to build, affordable; I replace the wheels with Intermountain sets and add Kadees. Not the greatest of detail, but the run well.
11. Athearn Bluebox. The ubiquitous HO kit car. Very customizable. You cant go wrong. Detail and looks depend alot on how long ago it was made. I dont have many, but the ones I do have, Ive upgraded the wheels/couplers.
12. Roundhouse. I like the detail on these and with some metal wheelsets and couplers you have a nice car.
13. Bachmann. Decent looking paint jobs that seem to be either very flashy for what you see actually on the RRs or very bland. The stock couplers are junk.
14. Lifelike/Tyco/ahm. Train set quality. Look plasticy and cheap. You can do better.
Im sure Ill leave some out, but here's my ranking from in order from first to worst:
1. Intermountain. Kadee couplers factory installed, factory installed metal wheels that are the standard for the hobby, lots of nice detail, good weight. You pay a bit more, but you get what you pay for. 5 stars.
2. BLMA. High quality, excellent detail, metal wheel, knuckle couplers, grab irons, decent price for excellent quality. They seem to never disappoint with their products and quickly sell out.
3. Exactrail. Very similar to BLMA, although sometimes a little bit more. Nice rolling wheels, incredible detail, usually kadee couplers.
4. Atlas. Sturdy, good detail. Come with metal wheels that I sometimes replace, and with Accumate knuckle couplers that I always replace.
5. Kato. They are not a big player in the HO rolling stock market, but what I have of their's runs well. Namely a couple of sets of the Maxi IV well cars. Nice detail. I replace the couplers with kadees bc I find the stock Kato couplers dont play well with others. Ive heard their hoppers are nice.
6. Walthers. Gold and Platinum Line. Although they come with metal wheels, I replace them with Intermountain wheelsets bc they run so much better. The New Protomax couplers are nearly an exact clone for the Kadee coupler #5 and work well. The wheels on these models and the weight of Walthers products can be hit or miss. Nice quality overall and decent detail. I have alot of these. The Proto 1000/2000 cars are popular too.
7. Kadee. I dont have any, mostly bc most of it doesnt fit my era. But they offer alot for the price. Made in USA.
8. Athearn/Athearn Genesis. Again, I have alot of these bc of the selection/sheer amount of product they put out. I have found the wheels, although metal, can have bad flanges or be out of gauge. Sometimes alot of quality control issues. I find the stock McHenry couplers to be absolute garbage and always replace with Kadees. Seems to me, that the new RTR models are the old Genesis models at the same price without the spinning wheel hub.
9. Atlas Trainman. IMHO, a tremendous value. Good detail, and you can easily update the couplers and wheels and grab irons if you want.
10. Accurail kits. I dont have any of their RTR products, but the ACF 3 bay covered hopper kits are decent. Easy to build, affordable; I replace the wheels with Intermountain sets and add Kadees. Not the greatest of detail, but the run well.
11. Athearn Bluebox. The ubiquitous HO kit car. Very customizable. You cant go wrong. Detail and looks depend alot on how long ago it was made. I dont have many, but the ones I do have, Ive upgraded the wheels/couplers.
12. Roundhouse. I like the detail on these and with some metal wheelsets and couplers you have a nice car.
13. Bachmann. Decent looking paint jobs that seem to be either very flashy for what you see actually on the RRs or very bland. The stock couplers are junk.
14. Lifelike/Tyco/ahm. Train set quality. Look plasticy and cheap. You can do better.
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diburning
AlcoHaulic
The Walthers Gold line and earlier will either come with molded on details or come with grab irons that you will need to drill out holes for, install, and paint (good luck finding a paint color match). The Platinum line costs about twice as much, but come with the grabs already installed and painted. The Walthers wheels are decent, but I swap them out for Intermountains because they roll better. (I did an experiment. I flipped the car upside down, and spun the wheel. The Walthers wheel spun for 6 seconds before stopping. Then I replaced it with an Intermountain wheel and spun it. It spun for 15 and a half seconds)
I am particularly fond of Atlas Trainman Thrall 4750 hoppers. The roofwalks pop right off, and Plano roofwalks can be glued right on without any modification or the need to replace the risers. Cheap car + roofwalk = expensive looking car for a low price.
I am particularly fond of Atlas Trainman Thrall 4750 hoppers. The roofwalks pop right off, and Plano roofwalks can be glued right on without any modification or the need to replace the risers. Cheap car + roofwalk = expensive looking car for a low price.
ho/ttothemoss
Member
I got mostly blue box but once in awhile I find some walthers goldline for cheap and I buy it up but I also got some athearn rtr and that's about as good as it gets on my layout as far as rolling stock!
Here's two more shots of TLTs and an Intermountain. I always get the guy at the hobby shop to open the box to inspect RTR cars. Sometimes they have QC issues so I pick out the best one. The tanker, I love, but don't remember who makes it.
diburning
AlcoHaulic
ExactRail is relatively new to the industry compared to the giants such as Walthers, Athearn, and Atlas, but they've been consistently putting out really nice overpriced cars.
True-Line Trains is a Canadian manufacturer that doesn't put out much due to the fact that they are a smaller company. Rapido Trains is another one that makes a quality product, but takes a while due to the size of the company.
True-Line Trains is a Canadian manufacturer that doesn't put out much due to the fact that they are a smaller company. Rapido Trains is another one that makes a quality product, but takes a while due to the size of the company.
TLT was the first to come out with a prototypical plastic RTR Canadian Caboose. Should be coming out soon with a reefer. For those who model Canadian railroads, they've been a good thing. The only thing I don't like about them is sometimes the paint jobs are a tad askew.
Love the paint jobs on the Rapidos, but they have can have assembly QC issues. Some can be tweaked by an experienced modeller. I like Rapido because they back what they sell and never had a problem with getting a replacement part.
I've seen them at the hobby shop. Look nice, but never opened a box. I don't think they model anything for my era.
Thanks. I know in this hobby you largely get what you pay for, but for what they charge for a car, I figure they just might get themselves out of the box.
Theyre made/hq'd in my state of NC, so Id like to support them, but like you, they dont make much in my era.
I love some of those Accurail cars. Nice plastic; easy to carve off moulded on details. With all this RTR (which I like) I do miss kitbashing and kit building.
Here is a hopper that I never carved anything off. I think it looks good as is. And a shot of one of their smaller hoppers I kitbashed.
cv_acr
Well-Known Member
Absolutely beautiful. Top end of the scale.
Thanks. I know in this hobby you largely get what you pay for, but for what they charge for a car, I figure they just might get themselves out of the box.
Theyre made/hq'd in my state of NC, so Id like to support them, but like you, they dont make much in my era.
I too like to support local stuff, but nothing made in my country except for detail parts for specific Canadian rolling stock and motive.
I wish Tangent and ExactRail would make more 50's and pre 50's stuff.
bigB What coupler did you use ? On the Kadee site I can only find instructions that include cutting off the existing couple pocket and replacing with theirs. Not very appealing but the set that were on there are already broken so it just sits on a shelf.
