Stock Question

[Switch Track]

Let's assume I buy Athearn rolling stock like I just did. And let's assume I buy Intermountain rolling stock, like I just did. Why is Intermountain worth twice the money? Wouldn't I be way ahead of the game buying Athearn and installing Kadee 148 Whisker couplers?

I have about 25 Athearn freight cars, and other than a few coupler issues, they've been great! How do I get better by doubling down for Intermountain???


Thanks so much,

Tom

 

[wheeler1963]

Tom, it's a question of quality and details between Athearn BB kits and InterMountain. The Athearn BB kits are good kits, but they lack a lot of details and have the XF2 couplers and plastic wheelsets. The InterMountain has much more details, knuckle couplers and metal wheelsets. So you pay a bit more for the quality. But in the end, it's all about what your happy with. My humble 2 cents worth.

 

[Switch Track]

wheeler 1963,

All of my Athearn freight cars were RTC. All came with metal wheels. While I am sure there might be minor inconsistencies in detail vis-a-vis prototypes, who can really tell? Is a mark in the right place really worth twice the price???

My only complaint with Athearn is their couplers. Buy aftermarket Kadee couplers sets things right!


Take care,

Tom

 

[UP2CSX]

Tom, this is being discussed on another thread here: http://www.modelrailroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11049

I agree that the Accurail detailing is finer and looks better but, by the time you buy new wheels and couplers, you're money ahead buying either Athearn RTR or Bachmann Silver Series freight cars.

 

[ICG/SOU]

In my area, Athearn and Intermountain (especially the tank cars and covered hoppers) run the same price.

 

[Larry]

I have over 150 Athearn cars & no others. For me(don't do much w/detailing) the A's are my cup of tea. Not all of mine have steel wheels, but they all do have Kadee or McHenry couplers & I have made sure everything is lined up(coupler adjustments, etc.). I also work on all my running gear about every year. Cleaning etc.
I pull long trains & have very little derailments(only when I have visitors).
Larry

 

[MRLdave]

Like so many things, detailing tends to be exponential.......doubling the price does not double the detail. So what level of detail works for you? At this time, a big part of my running is at NTRAK setups, so #1 I need my cars to be durable, since I don't know who will be handling them, and they need to stand up to being transported A LOT! #2 The public frequently doesn't appreciate detailing and at our setups, they are kept behind a rope and can't get closer than about 3 feet (remember the old 3 ft rule) I still look for cars with good detail, but too much detail can be wasted, so double the price isn't worth it for me, even though it might be "worth it" value wise