What brands are worth buying?


S

SouthGaCSXFan

New Member
Hello all,
New to the site and to the hobby. Just purchased my son (4yr old) two HO and one N scale Bachmann sets and I have been playing with it more than him! I realize these are very basic sets, but it has me wanting to build a nicer layout for myself (I meant for him ) It has even prompted me to go into my parents attic to get the old set I had as a child. They were Tyco, Bachmann, and Life-Like brands and are not compatible with the newer sets. I have noticed the couplers are different that what I had as a child (mid 80's). What is the quality level from worst to first of the brands? I see so many options out there. Is the Bachmann bottom of the barrel and Althearn a premier brand? I would like to build an average entry level layout and not a award winner.
Thanks in advance!
 
I just bought a Bachmann dcc/sound alco 2-6-0. I am quite satisfied with it and I would recommend it based on the fact that your layout will probably be on the small side. All brands have their gems and their duds. I would also recommend a dcc controller such as a digitrax dcs 51 which I use for both g scale as well as ho.
 
Bachmann has been surprising people since they first brought out their 2-8-0 in the 90's. This one locomotive changed the landscape of model railroading. You can still get a "bottom of the barrel" with Bachmann, but you can do that with all brands now. I would rate Bachmann overall 4th, with Atlas, Kato, and Athearn the top 3. Others will give you differing opinions I'm sure. I rate Bachmann better than BLI because of their warranty.

One thing I would recommend however, is do some research! Find out which brands you really can afford. Whether or not you want sound installed in the locomotives, (more$), A type of control system called DCC, as opposed to just DC. DCC allows numerous locomotives under independent control on one track, with no real special wiring, on a simple layout. DC, which has controlled model trains for the past 75 yrs, isn't as flexible. But it is still the majority control system out there, although DCC is catching up.
 
Kato HO and N #1
Atlas HO and N #2
Athearn HO #3
Life Like PROTO (stay away from cheap sets)
Bachmann Spectrum very good HO and N, Go for newer models and stay away from cheap sets. There Steam engines are some of the Best.
 
bobwrgt said:
Kato HO and N #1
Atlas HO and N #2
Athearn HO #3
Life Like PROTO (stay away from cheap sets)
Bachmann Spectrum very good HO and N, Go for newer models and stay away from cheap sets. There Steam engines are some of the Best.
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Ill second this. I've always preferred atlas and Kato over Athearn engines. Although I haven't bought new engines in probably close to 5 years. Athearn seems they've really done a nice job with their new RTR and genesis fleets so I'll be buying a genesis engine soon actually.
 
SouthGaCSXFan said:
What is the quality level from worst to first of the brands? I see so many options out there. Is the Bachmann bottom of the barrel and Althearn a premier brand?
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No, many brands now have levels of quality. For example Bachmann has their toy train stuff and then they have a top of the line called Spectrum. Likewise Athearn has their normal middle of the road stuff and their premier brand called Genesis.

Sorry here is First to Worst.
My ranking for HO locomotives (ignoring the Brass brands) is as follows:
Top of the Line
1. Trix (Marklin equipment modified to run on two rails instead of 3)
2. Kato
3. Atlas
4. Walther's Proto-2000
5. Broadway Limited (BLI) Paragon Series
6. Athearn Genesis
7. Intermountain Hobbies

Good Stuff
8. Bowser/Stewart - excellent runners a bit short on details.
9. Bachmann Spectrum
10. Athearn Ready to Roll (RTR)
11. Walther's Proto-1000 (best runners for the $)

OK
12. Walthers Trainline
13. IHC / Mehano Steam Locos (run great, no details)
14. ConCor (depends a lot on the specific unit)

Toy Train quality - like the old Tyco (avoid)
15. Walther's "Life-Like" brand
16. Bachmann straight brand
17. Model Power

Hmmm seems like I am missing a few brands but cannot think of them off the top of my head.... Of course if you get into the older used market there are a lot more entries, and possibly in different rankings. For example the Athearn Genesis line had some really bad units in their past history (many can gag up a few SD70s with warped trucks, F7s and SDP45s with garbage DCC/sound electronics in them.)
Note that Life Like is not longer a manufacturer, Walther's bought them out a long time ago.
 
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I don't think you can go wrong with Atlas in any scale.
The Model Power brand should be outlawed, period.
 
Every manufacturer/importer has his dogs. All of them. MTH steam has fallen into disrepute in the last couple of months with their horrible Big Boy that the whole world is b...tching about. BLI was in the doghouse from 2009 to late 2011...then things got a lot better after MTH lost the suit against BLI. BLI has been pumping out quality locomotives ever since...with the odd individual reporting some problems, but they're always rectified under warranty.

Bachmann Spectrum line diesels were never much to sneeze at, but most of their Spectrum steamers are quite good. Notable exception is their J Class 4-8-4 that they are now flogging in toy train sets such as the Cavalier they sell for a couple hundred dollars. If you can buy one (good luck, they're scarcer'n hens' teeth), their heavy mountain 4-8-2 is diecast throughout and gets thumbs up from 'most everyone who has one. Some went out and bought several because they turned out to be excellent.

MTH..no experience with them, but many in the hobby won't buy them because they haven't been especially nice in the sandbox. Too pugnacious.

Walthers bought Life Like nearly 9 years ago, including their Heritage Steam and Proto 2000 diesel line. Both very good generally. Their steam's weakness for the two small 0-X-0 switchers is the coupler that doubles as the wire tether. Otherwise, nice running and highly detailed. Not very heavy, though, and this was a constant complaint for all Heritage steam.

Athearn's Genesis diesels are excellent, although now people beef about fragile details. Seems the good people at Athearn just can't win with the complainers who whined long and loud, in some strident cases, that they were not well detailed a few years back. The Genesis steam gets good reviews. They could do more steam in my opinion and probably retain a decent share of the market if they didn't compete directly with BLI as MTH does.

I wish Atlas would do steam because they would also do well. Their Master Gold series gets very enthusiastic support in all my readings from forum posts. I have their Fairbanks Morse Trainmaster H-24-66 which is excellent...very pleased with it.

I don't own a Kato since I have few diesels, but after reading over the years, it would be a wise choice. They 'do it right'.

I have no experience with ConCor or Intermountain. Intermountain struggled with their AC Cab Forward steamer. It really set them back. I hear good things about their diesels, generally. Same with Stewart.

My only other two steamers are a single Rivarossi 2-6-6-6 which is a very nice model, and a Trix Mikado 2-8-2....superb and worth every penny I paid. I also snagged a Trix GG1, and it's a gem.
 
Rico said:
I don't think you can go wrong with Atlas in any scale.
The Model Power brand should be outlawed, period.
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My wife was smart enough to get buy Atlas for my xmas gifts this year. I asked her how she knew and she said she looked at what I had in the train room and the Atlas ones looked the nicest. Thank goodness she's smart! I could have wound up with some junk!

(I have a few Model Power rolling stock, but I can't stand the way they come from the factory. They look like toys, so I have to weather them just to make them worthy of rolling on my track. Their buildings are terrible too. Colors are all just way off.)
 
Iron Horseman said:
Did you get it recently on eBay? I got one for a steal from some fellow in Germany.
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I purchased it from modellbahnott in the USA in 2008. It was his last one, and except for the odd one on eBay, I could find no other. I am not positive what they retailed for on the street in the early part of last decade, but if the Trix Mikado were a good indication, they went for well over $500. If so, I got both of them for about half-price, with the Mikado being the better deal of the two. Ott no longer sells Trix, but he may be able to help with parts, if only to point you to a supplier. I had to replace the drawbar assembly on the Mike three years ago. I seem to recall asking him, and he pointed me to Trix.USA.
 
I saw some stuff posted on eBay recently by (username) goldminer. I bought 5 undecorated black, unweighted AJc.c. thrall gondolas for $32.95 and must say, I'm happy with my purchase.

I put them to the test on my Bachmann ez track using my poorest running Bachmann loco and they passed the test! 5 laps forward, 5 laps in reverse and no derailments. I haven't even weighted them yet!
They do some of their own production and have some parts made for them by Athearn and Atlas.

They may not make the cut for some of you die hards, but I thought they were a good buy.

Here is a link to their eBay profile....

http://www.ebay.com/usr/golddminer
 
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