For those who own both or have actually seen both first-hand: Will I wish I had held out for another Proto2000 FA-1 or FA-2 if I buy a Bachmann. I am concerned, for the purposes of this post, with the cosmetics. Thanks-
Mike
A Honda Accord or a Yogo?
There is no real versus.
The P2K will win out every time since it a superior locomotive as far as details and operation.
Hold for the P2K.
I might go higher than Accord, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen an FA with more details than my Proto units. All the handrails, grabs, lift rings, etc. are there. As 3 dimensional parts, nothing’s molded on.
–Randy
Depends on what you really look for and what bugs you. The Bachmann truck sideframes are pretty awful unless current production has improved versions.
The comparison is ridiculous, the price of the Proto is likely about 3 times the price of the Bachmann FA-2 with sound.
Of course the Proto has more detail.
It had better, or you would have just been wasting your money.
You are comparing a train set locomotive to a vastly superior product.
So, if you are surprised I hope someone else goes shopping for you.
Maybe, but my A-B, both powered, Proto set cost me $60.
I don’t buy fresh out of the gate when everyone else is fighting to obtain something, be it electronic gadgets or trains. I wait. And buy later, on eBay or at train shows. One of my Proto Geeps was $15, new in the box, at a train show.
–Randy
Randy $60.00 is a excellent buy. I would wait for another set to come along at $60.00.
If possible look around at train shows…I seen A-B set as low as $45.00 and GP7/9 for $38.00.
Comparing a Proto 2000 FA-2 to a Bachmann FA-2 on the basis of details is like comparing an Atearn blue box GP38-2 to an Athearn RTR GP38-2. Sparse detail and great detail. If I wanted to buy a Proto 2000 FA-2 new, well forget about looking at Walthers. It’s not even listed. That would mean looking at train shows and on Ebay and some other venues in hopes of finding one at a good price. The Bachmann FA-2 is lasted at Walthers at $109 for standard DC and $185 for DCC and sound. Well, I use P2K FA-1’s and FA-2’s for parts for rebuilding other locos so that’s all I’d want one for so on that basis I’d be looking for the lowest price possible whether it had the details intact or not. On the Bachmann model I’d have to go with the standard DC model for two reasons. #1 It’s cheaper and I’m not worried about detail. I can put in a cheap decoder myself and #2 I have no use whatsoever for on-board sound. I find it to be annoying. If I decide I want an FA-2 I’ll be watching Ebay to see if I can snag one at a good price. At this time there’s not a single FA-2 in my fleet though there are the remains of a few P2K FA-2’s and FA-1’s in my parts box.