are con-cor locomotives any good?
im building a dockside switching shelf layout. i am looking for a switching loco in N scale, and i really like the MP-15 look.
also i think there is another one that i like i think its called an s-2, it looks like a short mp 15.
anyway i found a con-cor MP15 at www.discounttrainsonline.com for like…50 bucks, are these things reliable? if not, then who else makes the mp 15?
I’m not sure if anyone besides Con-Cor makes an MP15, but I am sure that Con-Cors are great engines. They run well right out of the box. A little tweaking gets them running better.
When someone tells you “It’ll last a lifetime”, they usually mean the lifetime of the engine. With Con-Cor, we’re talking about the engine outlasting YOU! I have several Con-Cor engines that are 30+ years old. They still run great, albeit a bit noisy by today’s standards. I don’t care! The growl reminds me of what the REAL Alco engines sounded like! And they will probably go to one of my grandsons when I’m gone. Given just regular care, I can imagine he will pass them on to HIS sons when the time comes. (Of course, they will be hopelessly outdated and true ‘antiques’, but you get the idea.
Nope, I don’t work for Con-Cor. I just appreciate a well-made product that keeps on working.
Darrell, quiet…for now
well thats good to hear, cause the only other locos i could find were sw 8 by life like, and ive had bad experience with life like
(and that con-cors only $50 at DTO![8D])
Atlas makes an MP15DC in N scale. The latest run was due out in June. If it runs anything like my Atlas HO MP15DC it is far superior to the Con-Cor.
Don’t know about N scale but my HO Con Cor MP15 may be my best running loco. As smooth or smoother than any of my Atlas or P2K’s.
Jerry
I too have a Con-Cor MP15 in HO scale and have had it for about 15 years now. Back then it was one of the best and finest smoothing running engines I had ever owned. It is however “lightweight” and could use some more weight to allow it to pull more cars. Today’s Atlas engines however have now surpassed them in all categories. But if you can pick one up you won’t be disappointed.
well, i think ill go with that con cor for now, its up to 50 bucks cheaper than the atlas one, and i can always upgrade later. are they hard to get dcc ready? or is locomotive design pretty standardized
?
Greg, they may not be DCC ready as the price will reflect. Before you buy ask if they are, many manufacturers are selling off the Non DCC locos a bit cheaper as to clear the way for the new stuff. I have an N-scale Concor GS4 and runs great on DC but I have yet to install a decoder as My layout is mostly benchwork and it SCARES me to run it.
yeah…i can get a loco dcc ready (rewire, isolate motor etc) i was just wondering if they are tricky to work on, or if all locos are pretty much the same drive-wise. (i have an HO athearn BB ac4400 that i got ‘dcc ready’ all i had to do was take off that top spring steel connector, solder some wires on to replace it, and isolate the motor with tape.)
The Con Cor MP-15 was one of the first KATO drives in HO scale. Check the chassis to see. If so it is a really great runner even after all these years.