Hi… I’m new to this so I hope I’m posting in the right place.
I’d like some opinions on a good, mid-price HO scale DC loco to start off with. Is Bachmann a good manufacturer?
Also, what manufacturers make the best freight cars?
Thanks in advance
I will recommend a Atlas Trainman locomotive or a Athearn RTR locomotive.
I have seen Bachmann locomotives run at the club and they seem to be smooth runners.
As far as freight cars I recommend the Atlas Trainman,Walthers and Athearn.
If you prefer kits then Accurail is a excellent choice.
Athearn, Bachmann SPECTRUM, Atlas (any), Walthers, LifeLike Proto-series (Now Walthers), and others that go on up in price.
Brad
[#welcome]
Which manufacturer is best depends on what you’re looking for. At this point, Bachmann is an all-around good brand for the 1880’s up to today. Their standard line is typically generic but smooth running, and their Spectrum line has more detail and more advanced mechanical and electronic features. Watch out for some of the older stuff though. They had problems with splitting nylon gears for a long time, and their train set diesels used to use a single plastic drive truck that was unreliable more often than not. I run some of their older stuff mostly because I know I can fix it.
Freight cars are all over the place with what’s “best”. What price range are you looking at?
Always remember, you get what you pay for. Bachmann is cheaper but historically they have not been all that good, although in the last 5-6 years they have improved significantly. Never the less, the saying is still true, you get what you pay for. If you go on the cheap, you will get something that doesn’t run as well or doesn’t have as good a fidelity to the real thing. Bachmann has made slightly better lines including “Plus” and “Spectrum” which have been less toy like and ran better as a rule.
I’d suggest you step up a bit and go with Atlas Trainman, Proto 1000 or Athearn RTR (which ranges from basic to more detailed).
Bachmann Spectrum are no earlier than 1915. I have some. The Spectrum 2-8-0 has been a good runner from many reports here and a couple other forums.
You can also look at the Bachmann forums. Many Bachmann users are there.
Since you are new, I would go with a diesel. Generally less issues. Bachmann tenders, sometimes are light on the front truck and there are connecting wires between the tender and loco which can be a hassle for some users.
Be careful, if an ad says DCC on board, there is a DCC decoder in it and those run different on DC than a loco that is DC only or what some companies, label, DCC ready.
Try to buy from a local hobby shop. Some shops do have a test track, at least good shops do.
If you buy on line, the ad should show all the specs and even then, you can ask here first if you see something you like.
What is the best is sometimes a good way to start an argument in these forums.
Rich
HI and welcome to the hobby!
there are a few things that can determine which is the “best” loco.
~I favor Bachmann DCC OnBoard locos as I run DCC. You will need to decide if you want DC or DCC for running/command power option. DCC controls the individual loco on the track, whereas DC uses current to the track to control a loco. TWO locos on the same track in the same power district can be “told” different things to do on a single track in DCC, whereas two locos on the same track in DC will BOTH do the same thing! I choose DCC when I got back in the hobby 7 years ago so I could control each loco separately. My Bachmann DCC OnBoard locos, {14 of them, both Steam and diesel} all are great runners and {except for one} on start up are very quiet runners.
~Bachmann Spectrum locos are the cream of their crop.But their regular locos {I have some of each} are good runners too. The Spectrums may have more detailing to them as well. Their DC locos should work well also.
~Price- well, Bachamann DCC {more expensive} OnBoards to control lights, speed, direction start At about $40-$50 for diesel and $100 for steamers. Bachmann DC locos can be had for less.Just because a loco is a $300 loco DOES NOT guarantee GOOD quality! I have seen many complaints on here abuot the $300 locos failing!
~Also, Bachmann tend to manufacture for dealers to have on the shelves, many of the more expensive locos are pre-order only{Order up front and before they make them and HOPE they make them within a year or two year period while you wait}!!!
~ I have yet to use it, but Bachmann supposedly has a GREAT customer service/repair center from what I have read! They willl replace a loco with something comparable if they no longer make the one you return and if they don’t make your model anymore if they can’t fix it!
~Another consideration is WHO makes WHAT you want. If you are tied to an “era” {timeframe} or a “type” {k
As far as locos go I usually get Atlas, Walthers and Bachmann. Athearn blue box when I can find them. I used to buy the Athearn RTR locos but nearly every one I got had some problem so I stopped buying them. Bachmann has improved their locos significantly in the last ten years and while their detail is more or less like the Athearn blue box locos they have proved to be good runners for me. Changing out the decoder with one more advanced helps a lot too. The Walthers locos I have are GP9m’s. I bought one new from Walthers and picked up two damaged ones on Ebay and rebuilt them. All are good runners but they’re not DCC Ready and must be hard wired. There’s plenty of room inside for the decoder. My Atlas locos are all older models ranging from 1978 to around 2000 so I can’t speak of the newer ones. Most of mine run well. Some of the older ones had to be remotored but they run well too.
Well, It depends upon what “mid-price” means to you. Do you mean mid-priced in the range of normal model trains, or is mid-priced a price range you have a budget for? It also depends if you are talking about list price, or if one is considering a normal street price. Are you willing to go hunting for deals. How about the used market? All of these things should be considered.
The list price for a top of the line DC diesel locomotive is around $179. Toy train locomotives (like Model Power) list for around $47. I used to like an recommend the Proto 1000 series for a mid-range good starter locomotive. I see, their list price has crept up to the $100+ plus mark. Even Athearn Ready-To-Rolls (RTR) list price is generally right around $129. These used to be the staple good value of the hobby.
Yes and no. Yes, they have a Spectrum line that is what I would consider good. A few years ago they had some quality control issues so any specific unit could be a lemon, but over all they were good. Plus they have the limited lifetime warranty. I just sent a really old G-scale 4-6-0 to them. Its motor had fried earlier this summer. They sent it back with a completely new chassis. All I had to pay was $20 for return shipping. But be aware that Bachmann also makes a line of equipment that is strictly toy train caliber stuff. Many model railroaders would simply call this line junk, while I won’t go that far I do believe they are more trouble then they are worth to get them running 1/2 way good.
I hate “best” questions. Best rolling, best looking, best detail, best
I have some Bachmann locomotives that have been completely satisfactory. I have their 2-8-0 Consolidation steamer and their three truck Shay geared steamer. I also have their 44 tonner diesel switcher.
Other good makers of locomotives are Athearn, Proto2000, Proto1000, Kato and Atlas. Well made HO locomotives last for years, so you can purchase used locomotives at train shows with confidence. If it runs smoothly and quietly on a test track it will keep on doing so. IHC, now out of business, made a series of nice plastic steamers, and Mantua made very nice die cast steamers. Mantua got started back before WWII and produced a lot of locomotives over the years. The company fell on hard times and disappeared from the market for a while, but they are back now, making what looks like the same engines, and asking more money for them. The old stuff was pretty good. I haven’t bought any of their new stuff due to price.
Rolling stock is simpler than locomotives and nothing can fail that cannot be fixed fairly easily. Any thing that looks nice to your eye will be satisfactory on your layout.
Thanks to all who replied.
Being new to all this, I was pleasently surprised to fnd so much friendly, informative material.
That’s a real loaded question…and then some. It’s like asking, “Which starter car is the best for me?”
For Diesel, I would get any F unit (F-3, F-7, F-8, F-9) If there’s a possibility of small hands, or you want it to run around a tree, There are multiple manufacturers to choose from and F Units don’t break as easy.
Athearn, Walthers Proto, Stewart/Bowser, Intermountain, MTH, all make a quality F units. Even Bachmann’s F units aren’t that bad. If you shop around, you shouldn’t have a problem finding a new quality DC F unit for $130.00 or so.
F units are usually quite heavy, which means they will pull quite a bit. F Units are also short, so they do well on tight turn radius layouts
If you want to go steam, your choices narrow considerably. Steam isn’t made in the quantity it once was.
That being said, the Bachmann 2-8-0 Consolidation is a nice unit. It’s a little light, but easy to maintain and works well on tight curves. It’s also reasonably priced. I just picked one up for $100.
And then I show up, lol. How much are you willing to spend? What type and what size layout do you have in mind? Do you want something in a diesel or a steam era loco? A few people have recommended some absolute junk in my opinion so before you go out and blow your hard earned cash on garbage answer the questions and include what scale you want to model. It will help in giving you a better opinion of what you can afford. Cheap is cheap for a reason.
I assume you’re talking about diesels and not steam. Just about any locomotive produced these days is good quality. Bachmann used to lag in this area, but all of their new releases compare well to others.
These days the difference in prices reflect differences in the level of details and electronic features more so than reliability, durability, and running quality. Details applied to the shell bodies cost more. Computer friendly circuit boards and speakers cost more than just a lighting circuit.
I concur with the F unit recommendation if you want a durable loco that will withstand rough handling to a point.
First, welcome to the hobby.
Athearn, Proto, Atlas Trainman all make decent locomotives to get your feet wet without getting burned with buying junk or sinking a small fortune into the hobby…yet!! [;)]
Stewart (now Bowser), Walthers both have good locomotives as well.
Walthers, Accurail, Athearn, Atlas & Roundhouse ( if you can find kits ) all make great starting kits & Ready to run freight cars.
Feel free to ask questions, we don’t bite, we just all have different opinions! [:D]
Gordon
Cheap is a relative term. I have several Athearn R-T-R’s, all under $100. The F7 I have is one of my favorite engines, it’s a pulling beast. At one time just trying it out I was pulling over 40 cars around a layout, including a slight upgrade. Ready-To-Run model, I do believe it cost me 55 bucks, although I did luck out and it had the ‘super weights’. It can pull around a dozen cars up a 2% grade with out problems, but add a few more cars and it may need help. Side note here this really doesn’t reflect on the engine itself, on a train this big the club would either use two engines or a helper locomotive.
I have also seen some basic Atlas models pull really good, but don’t have any, yet [swg]