What do you think are the best operating steam engines more or less readily available in HO? This could include limited releases still available on Ebay or at shows, like for example the Bachmann EM-1 2-8-8-4, which can be found out there.
I am not on some personal agenda here so please don’t read more into this. My son did not get much baseball playing time this year (local politics), so now the oldest will need to play travel baseball to get more playing time, which will cost money. I have sold all my brass models and all hybrids except my son’s engine…and am selling more expensive rolling stock too.
Being a huge Rio Grande articulated fan, as a replacement for the engines leaving, I ordered a recent run brand new in box Athearn Genesis L-97 (diverted from UP order) 4-6-6-4. It is actually wonderful…runs great, does not accumulate track dirt on tender wheels like some other engines, and the sound never cuts out. I particularly like the metal handrails that stay in position, and the lighted numberboards.
So what steam have you liked recently? Or not, and why or why not??
John
P.S. I have had premature plating wear, with excessive dirt and metal plating dust buildup on my mostly Kato and very smooth rails with some other makes of HO steam (not the brass). If the wheels are wearing, the plating gunk ends up on tender wheels destroying power pickup and dcc sound operation. Maybe for you things are different, but that is my experience. I do not and have not had that experience with any Genesis steam power–for me they have been very good.
I had a Genesis USRA Mikado about 15-years ago and aside tweaking it to get to run without derailling on my club’s layout (tweaks were easy, and the club’s track hadn’t been the best quality). And a split axle gear which they fixed pretty quickly back then, I liked it a lot and had been impressed with the smooth running even at low speeds. It did not pull to bad either, 40-cars on level track presented no problems for it.
My current steam collection is all BLI. Three Pennsy K4s, a Paragon1 and Paragon2 that I converted over to TCS-Wow decoders, and a Paragon2 with the OEM decoder. I also have two Reading T1s, a P2 and P3. I initially liked P2 more then P3 soundwise, but in recent times I’ve started to like the sounds a little better, and the running qualities significantly better. And considering for how much they go for, they’re not a bad value if Reading T1s are what one likes. The P3 model I’ve found runs considerably more smoothly and starts at a crawl on speed-step 1 which seems quite appropriate for a model who’s prototype had been used in heavy freight service. Mine has traction tires and easily pulls 60-car trains on my current club’s layout without problem. I don’t run the smoke units in either of the T1s, so I cannot comment on how good they are.
Sorry to hear about the local baseball politics, those can always be a real killjoy, and make life more difficult.
In over 55 years of modeling the best running non-brass engine I have ever bought was my Life Like Proto 2000 USRA 0-6-0. Next are my Spectrum Russian 2-10-0’s. The best running brass engines are my Sunset 1st & 2nd run Norfolk & Western J and J-1 4-8-4’s. Little gold Swiss watches!
My favorites are my Overland Western Maryland H-8 2-8-0’s and my Oriental Ltd. WM K-2 4-6-2’s.
The absolute worst steam engine I’ve ever seen was the FED/NWSL Cotton Belt 4-4-2. Just a waste of a good brass box!
My best runner ever is a PSC/Boo Rim Rock Island 2-8-2, currently in Montana with David Long for minor but professional paint touch up before final sale on Ebay…dont really want to sell but the Genesis Challenger will make it more bearable, and runs nearly as well.
Worst was either the Mint Key M64 Northern whose valve gear started falling off while it ran, or Das Supergrowlen, the PFM Crown DRGW M75 4-8-2 I once got from John Glaab that had never been run by anybody in the US, and was truly mint in every way.
Both runs were Samhongsa models. The 1st run was very smooth and the 2nd run was just as nice. The 2nd run featured better details plus they did the J-1 unstreamlined version also.
Key and Overland also did them but I have no experience with them. Both were much, much higher in price than either Sunset version.
I don’t remember Overland doing the WM H-9 in HO. I painted 2 in O scale for a fellow in Houston though and they were gorgeous. I have several of the H9 imported by Oriental Ltd. and also PFM. The Oriental came factory painted and the PFM’s were all naked brass. Wanna buy an Oriental model?
1st choice: Trix USRA 2-8-2 Mikado - Heavy and as smooth as glass. Glad I picked up both NYC models. I paid ~40% MSRP for each one 10 years ago and they were NIB. And they still run like a Swiss watch:
2nd choice: Proto 2000 USRA 0-8-0 switcher - Perhaps a bit light on pulling but wonderfully smooth switching at low speed. [Y][8D]
Hands Down my pick is my PCM Y6b 2-8-8-2. It will take tight turns and tracks like it is on rails! [:-^] Sound is great with dual speakers, slow speed is Great! Talk about pulling power? Pulled 89 coal cars by it self on K-10 Model Trains 60’ X 80’ layout.
I think BLI has a new verson but not under the PCM brand name.
I only own 2 plastic steam engines, both Bachmann.
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My 2-8-0 ran perfectly for about a decade, then an accident caused it to fail. Boo hoo. [:'(]
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My EM-1 2-8-8-4 is a dream It probably only has about 10 hours running time so far, but it has been flawless. It will even run around 19" radius curves, but it looks silly doing that.
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It is currently in the paint shop, but my plan is to run it a lot.
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I also have 3 Powerhouse light mikados that have always run well, but are kind of ugly compared to the rest of the roster.
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In brass I have a Key Light Mountain, Sunset Heavy Mikado, Sunset Light Pacific, and Alco 0-8-0. All are USRA models and all of them run beautifully. I also have a PFM/United “logging” 2-6-2 that has an open frame motor but runs surprisingly quiet and smooth. No need for a repower on that model.
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I am glad to hear about so many good running HO steamers.
Well I was wanting to get a Rio Grande 2-6-6-2 or even an L-131 2-8-8-2, but most affordable L-131’s need regeared, remotored and repainted, and most of the really good 2-6-6-2’s are rare and big money. The Custom Brass one is hard to find now, and the PFM 2-6-6-0, with a decent paint job by my guy will easily exceed the cost of two mail order blowout Genesis Challengers. So even though Rio Grande did not like them, the UP version Challengers look like a relative bargain.
Yes I am aware of the Proto 2000 L-107, and the only ones on Ebay recently were poorly weathered…If anyone has an extra Proto 2000 DRGW L-107 2-8-8-2, please let me know, thanks all. It is the non-N&W version, for those less familiar with the big mamma jamas.
If I dont find the Proto 2000 mamma jama, I may be forced to pick up a B&O EM-1 since they ran through my father’s hometown of Butler, Pa.
Just drove through there this evening, John, on my way back to OH. And the Butler county fair was going full steam this weekend when we passed by on SR422.
In my fleet I would have to say that my P2K 2-8-4 is my best performer and it pulls a good sized consist up my 1.5% grade. My Bachmanns run reliably buy don’t have the pulling power. I’ve got a number of BLI and most give me good performance but I’ve had more issues with some them than I would expect from a high end product.
“Plastic”: The winner is the P2K/Walthers model of the N&W Y-3 2-8-8-2. As I model the Santa Fe, I felt very fortunate that the Santa Fe had a few of them on the roster in the forties.
“Brass”: In general, Santa Fe brass steam locomotives produced in the last 15 years (such as class 885 2-8-2s and class 900 2-10-2s imported by Division Point, or the class 3460 Hudsons imported by Glacier Park) operate flawlessly; however, the price is accordingly. For older brass, the Samhongsa/Key class 3160 Mikados with the coasting drive are unmatched in their performance.
the Akane 2-6-6-6 C&O Allegenney. Would LITERALLY pull the wall paper and siding off of a house. Not great details by todays standards, but for running nothing could touch it . Ran smoothly, quietly and would creep along if you wanted it too.
The next best was the Samhongsa B&O EM1 that a friend of mine had. Smooth running quiet, wuld creep along and good pulling power.
I’ve never had brass, so can’t speak to them… I have had a lot of plastic, with the first ones bought back in the '70s.
Back then, for the money, AHM made some pretty good values. Bachmann did as well. Today, for the limited pocketbook, Bachmann Spectrum is the best buy.
If you can afford it, then BLI is outstanding! Yes, sometimes a BLI loco has a problem “out of the box”, but the company will take care of it and make it right.
