Hi All,
I am looking at buy a good number of rolling stock pieces (+100). In everybody’s opinion, what is a good value but also decent quality. I just don’t want to buy the cheapest thing on the shelf but not necessary the most expensive… Who has the best bang for the buck… Thanks
If your looking for kits, I saw some really good looking Stewert kits at a recent show for $8 apeice. Greenwayproducts.com was selling them.
Athearn blue box kits when you can find them. These are all about $10 apeice car kits with pretty good detail.
Accurail kits aren’t too bad either.[^]
Regross.
This is a challenging question due to the variation of what modelers consider a good deal.
Would be helpful if you told us how much you’re willing to spend.
MY OPINION:
Blue Box Athearns and MDC cars look decent, are reasonably priced, and can be detailed reasitcially without spending a lot of greenbacks.
Check out Accurail. I think that their cars are a good value and look very good. Built well and well designed. I think they are the modern "Athearn Blue Box ". - Nevin
What are you looking for? Hoppers, box cars etc?
I would agree that Accurail make a good quality well priced kit. Are kits what you are looking for, or are you more inclined to a ready to roll model?
I’ll throw my vote in for Accurail also. I’ve been happy with every one I’ve built, and the coupler height is always right on as opposed to Athearn. Bowser and Branchline are also good and fairly inexpensive.
HD
I think dollar vs. time spent it is hard to beat the Athearn BB kits and also the MDC kits, if you can find any. The MDC kits are not currently being produced. If you go to a large train show you will find what you need. I would ask for a “bulk discount” considering the amount of money you are looking to spend.
Jim
http://www.discounttrainsonline.com/HO-Scale-Freight-Cars-Bowser/HO_FRT_006_1.html
http://www.discounttrainsonline.com/HO-Scale-Freight-Cars-Stewart-Hobbies/HO_FRT_691_1.html
Here’s a couple of Stewart links. (Greenway doesn’t list much on their site. I can’t tell if these are kits or RTR.
Bowser and Accurail are great kits, and cost around $10
Athearn BB and MDC are good (if you can find any). By the way many of MDC’s modern kits are being released in the Athearn BB.
Nick
It also depends on how accurate you want to model,pertaining to era, railroad(s) you’re modeling etc, if you’re modeling this century, 40 foot boxcars and 34 foot hoppers are gone. Some bb’s are just not accurate at all, branchline’s yardmaster series cars are inexpensive and easy as an accurail to build. Also plan on buying metalwheelsets to replace the plastic ones in the kit.You’ll have to shop around, lots of internet sites still have kits around, also look for P2K, Red Caboose, Intermoutain, Branchline trains, good kits, better details,and plenty around at good prices.
Athearn Kits and RTR.
Atlas Train man-Limited car types and road names.
Accurail…Great cars but,uses pins to hold the trucks and coupler box in place.These pins does work.
Walthers…RTR mostly.
The Athearn kits are readily available through several on line shops and at better hobby shops…
Hands down for value? Accurail! (IMHO, a lot nicer looking than Athearn.) Accurail wooden boxcars are exceptional! [tup] The downside is that you’re limited to boxcars and hoppers.
Tom
I would add another vote for Accurail. Not only a good value, easy to assemble kit, the service from the company (in the event of missing parts or ordering decals to renumber) is excellent.
But a bigger question - how are you defining value? As noted above, there are many kits (including Accurail) that are good approximations of rolling stock, but if you value highly detailed models with exceptional fidelity to the prototype, then these cars would not represent good value. You would be better off buying a more expensive (and perhaps limited run) of an accurate car done in resin or even brass.
Andrew
Here is a suggestion that will add modeling value to the equation.
Check th salvage piles at train shows and look for good quality rolling stock.
Kitbash, add details, paint and decal or just weather, add KD’s or McHenry couplers. You will probably have less the 5 bucks per car if done right.
All ov the above suggestions are all good choices also.
I like Accurail as well, but the plastic pins they use to hold in the trucks need to be replaced with screws, and the coupler boxes are also a friction fit pin that doesn’t always hold so well and needs to be either glued closed (which makes coupler replacement difficult) or replaced with a screw.
The last two Accurail hoppers I got included both screws and the lousy pins for the trucks and the coupler boxes. I guess they are starting to get the idea that people don’t really like the pins all that well.
HD
Michael,
The newer Accurail kits coming out have the 1/4" long, 2-56 screw included now. However, you still may run across some old kits that need to be converted. That’s why I always have spare 2-56 screws in my spare part box.
You’re right. The beveled pins are a real pain and don’t hold very well. I’ve learned to only squeeze the coupler box just tight enough to hold the coupler without it binding.
Tom
I have to go with Accurail too. I noticed Walthers is starting to reissue some of their “classic kits” that run around 10 bucks. The key for me has been to find nice models that are worth a bit more money, and supplement the fleet with some of the less expensive models. I have a little of everything. Don’t forget that you can get a great deal on kits, but they still have to be assembled, may not be worth the savings. I find that I can get a few built here and there.
Rick