What do you folks recommend? DCC compatibility and price range are always important factors, for me anyway…
Life Like 2-8-8-2
Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0. Runs like a dream, has good detailing, will pull better than the Life Like 2-8-8-2 or Kato Mike out of the box, and is easy to convert to DCC. It’s also the least expensive of all the new N scale steamers coming out.
Didn’t Atlas come out with a 4-6-0 in N recently? How does that compare to the Spectrum and others? Atlas seems to have a good reputation in HO diesels… Did it carry over to N scale steamers?
Andrew
I have not seen it out yet, but I understand that it’s not an Atlas design - rather it’s someone elses being resold by Atlas (the name eludes me right now).
The first true Atlas steam engine will be the upcoming Shay.
Steam offerings is one of the weak spots in N-scale right now. Hopefully that will change over the next few years. As already mentioned, Lifelike and Bachmann are already starting to address this shortcoming.
My mistake - I just looked it up (as I should have done before posting…). It is a 2-6-0 announced in October 2003. There is indeed a Shay coming as well - announced in December 2003.
Andrew
[quoteSteam offerings is one of the weak spots in N-scale right now. Hopefully that will change over the next few years. As already mentioned, Lifelike and Bachmann are already starting to address this shortcoming.
[/quote]
Good looking and operating steam has been a weak spot since the beginning. Things are better than ever now and improving.
Atlas is coming out with a 2-6-0, originally designed and marketed by Micro Ace. Atlas has done some re-engineering to it, to give it RP-25 flanges and better power pickup. The original Micro Ace engine went to rave reviews by N scale steamheads. It won’t pull much (it’s a TINY engine) but it runs smoothly and doesn’t usually stall out over switches. It still won’t be as nice as the Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 however, since it won’t pull, and most of the detailing is cast on.
I’ve been trying to get started with N-scale railroading, and I am still at the deciding on equipment stage. I got a Bachmann steam-engine set. I am now of the opinion that Bachman products are, frankly, crap. The track is abominable – I had some new stuff delivered (right and left switches) and they were unusable. The train jumped at every attempted pass. The engine is low performance and is insanely difficult to get on the tracks. The cars aren’t too bad – although I think their couplers are too delicate and break or malfunction too easily.
What should I go to for track and engines (steam only) if I want the best, or at least as near to the best as I can afford? Thanks
Their regular line of stuff IS junk. The spectrum line is different. Much higher quality. It’s like night and day. The 2-8-0 is very nice and the 4-8-2 is excellent also. Model Power has a 4-4-0 that has just been rereleased, after some redesign that was needed, that is decent. Model Power also has a Pacific and a Mikado that are OK. The problem with the Model Power stuff is that they don’t have traction tires or all wheel pickup. Other then that, they aren’t bad. The shay from Atlas is a rerelease and the first batch was really good. Kato has set the gold standard with their Mikado, but it too has no traction tire. There is a retrofit that is highly recomended and with that it is probably the best steamer out there. That covers most of the ones that I know about.
The main thing to remember is,…STAY AWAY FROM THE TRAINSET STUFF!!!
Most of the time it’s garbage! [8D]
Oh, I forgot the MDC/Athearn steamers. Athearn has rereleased the 2-8-0 from MDC but they have not done the 2-6-0. These are excellent runners and pullers, but they are a little earlier time period then most. They are 1890’s designs.
All of these loco’s that I mentioned will take a Lenz Gold decoder, although you’ll have to solder it in. As far as I know there are no N scale steamers set up for a plug in decoder.
I can’t wait to see the shay! just something different about them…
The Spectrum 2-8-0 is the no contest winner in my book. Out of the box, it pulls quite well and looks better than anything yet released from another manufacturer besides brass IMHO. The Kato Mikado is also nice, but don’t expect see through clearance under the boiler and loads of seperate detail parts as with the 2-8-0, and a traction tire upgrade is a must. Also, a decoder installation in the 2-8-0 is quite straight forward.
The Mountain and Mallet from Bachmann are also nice, but I have had more problems with these two locomotives than the 2-8-0. Make sure you test run it before you buy if you can, as many are out of quarter from the factory and this can be a pain in the butt to fix.
Jeff
My Life Like UP 2-8-8-2, but then that might be because the newness hasn’t worn off yet. I also like my Bachmann SF 2-8-0. The 2-8-0 can pull five heavy weight cars or about twelve frieght cars with no problem. The 2-8-8-2 is a freight puller only, which I run as a slow drag pulling about twelve cars. I also own a Kato 2-8-2, which is a nice little engine, but it’s a slow grueling proccess to install the detail parts like the bell and so forth…
Tracklayer
The Atlas Shay has been out for several months now. Or I should state that the first run has been out for quite a while now. The Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 is a good little engine, especially for its price.