Are there any current HO scale Big Boys or Challengers on the market? DCC and sound of course.
If there is, which one runs and sounds better?
There are always Big Boys and Challengers on the market. They are out there to be found from more than one manufacturer.
It’s more a case of which ones are available at the given dealers you happen to frequent, or train shows one might choose to attend.
It’s pretty hard to beat the Athearn Genesis ones for the money, when you can find them.
The new MTH DCC versions, if they are actually on the street yet, are more money–and are beginning to approach the prices for some used brass versions (though the brass models at those prices would be much older ones, and likely inferior).
My 2c.
John
Let us not forget that Rivarossi/Hornby has recent releases of both of these locomotives. I had a chance to closely examine a set a couple of weeks ago and I was very impressed with both of these engines. I am not sure of their pricing but based just on seeing these in action I would be hard pressed not to take the Rivarossi engines over the Athearn releases.
Two years ago you could get a lightly weathered Rivarossi BB for quite a bit less than their excellent H-8 Allegheny. I don’t know anything about them, but if they are as good as the Allegheny, they are darned nice.
I believe Athearn Genesis may be bringing a Challenger or BB/and/or FEF out this summer, but not sure.
MTH has had the tooling for the BLI BB for nearly five years alreayd, a bit less, and I expect it is a good model. Costly, though. I don’t know that they come out in DC only.
Crandell
Don’t do it, Bruce!!! Don’t succumb to the big monster!!..
Tom
Hi Bruce,
If you can wait a bit Athearn Genesis is indeed coming out with the following models.
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Challenger in late May
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Big Boy in late July
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FEF in late October
I am led to believe that these will be all new models. You can also take manufacturers delivery dates with a grain of salt but as of late Athearn has been on time or pretty close
Check out the Athearn website for pricing on each model and road numbers available.
Don’t listen to Tom, buy em all[swg]
Good Luck, Derek
Athearn Genesis plans to release new Challengers, Big Boys and FEF 4-8-4s this year. Currently shows May, July, October, respectively. I think the Challenger has already slipped. I’m waiting for them because I’m back in this game, DCC this time, model the UP mostly and have personal history with the UP, from my great grandad’s day to chasing the running 4-8-4 with my grandson. The new items should all have Tsunami sound (not the older MRC that folks had issues with). The website was not clear on the articulateds so I e-mailed and they assured the new type decoders in all three.
If I can’t justify all three, I will lean toward the Challenger and FEF-3 #844, just preference and the longer one would look the worst on my 26" curves.
The website will take you to pages for each engine, but also you can download their catalog which gives some more info.
If Athearn is re-releleasing the Challenger I hope they’ve upgraded their Sound Decoder as the original one was not the best choice IMHO. Tsunami or Lok Sound would be nice
Yes as Paul suggests and what I was led to believe at Amherst the decoder should be Tsunami. Never say never, but I think it will be long odds that Athearn will ever use a MRC decoder again ever.
Lionel, Rivarossi and Genesis have been or are on the market, depending on stock–for both. I have a Rivarossi BB and FEF, a Bowser Challenger I built and a Genesis Challenger(with MRC OEM sound). The best running is probably the Bowser–heavy. The Rivarossi required a lot of work to get all the drivers to P/U power add sound, etc. The FEF has been great. After looking at MTH, I would probably buy their BB, if I were interested in buying another. MTH OEM decoders are DCS(DCC compatible), not pure DCC. I haven’t heard anything bad about the Lionel HO line for BB. I wouldn’t mind buying them used either.
Richard
Lionel had a Big Boy? Are you sure, perhaps you meant a Challenger
Only a Challenger and a Turbine. They stopped producing them back in 2003 or thereabouts. I have one of the greyhound Challengers and consider it a very nice locomotive, albeit not up to snuff details-wise compared to the Proto 2000 Heritage series of locomotives in plastic also available at the time.
Crandell