Intermountain F units vs. Athearn Genesis F units

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Intermountain F units vs. Athearn Genesis F units? Just wondering what the opinions are comparing the two companies locomotives. Which is best for details and operations. Thanks

2

On my Intermountains, I think i’s cool that the number boards stay lit when the headlights go out.

3

Im in the Intermountain camp but I would draw my own conclusion by visiting your LHS amd looking at both side by side, eyeballing details and watching a test run to notice starting speeds, jerky motions ect. Then you tooo will camp by the fireside with us…LOL. However I do know a few Athern Genisis that love them…but then then they babble am mumble to themselves a lot…John

4

I am a fan of the Genesis Fs. The Highliner shells are the most accurate F shells on the market, and I really don’t like the way the Intermountain trucks look because they aren’t painted, but are “silver” plastic. The mechanism in the Genesis units is really nice, although the Intermountain units are still nice overall. It is just hard to beat the detail of the Athearn units.

5

I’m a Chevy man.

Everbody knows Fords are better.

No wait Dodge, Toyota, WV

Seriously, I like the Genesis, fantastic detail and reliable performance.

The Intermountain run just a little better, but are lacking in detail.

6

I’m in the same boat as you. See thread http://www.trains.com/TRC/CS/forums/1189121/ShowPost.aspx

I went yesterday to my LHS and looked at the detail on a FP7 Intermountain unit and I was impressed. It looked really good IMHO. I’m no expert - it’s all in the eyes of the beholder anyway. I have several steam units with the BLI sound and I am very satisfied with the sound and have had no issues with any units and having to upgrade the QSI chip.

So, I’ve ordered some MKT Intermountain FP7 units and hopefully will arrive in Nov-Dec. If you get one before then please let us know what you think.

Regards,

7

Be aware too, that there’s a new F7 coming out from Proto 2000.

Brian

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We all have our favorites. I have both but there is only one best.

Cheers

9

Genesis got theirs on the hobby shop shelves sooner than Intermountain and at a lower price too. So Intermountains haven’t sold nearly as well. I never cared for the wider post between the windshields but otherwise Intermountain look almost as good as Genesis. The telling thing for me is that Intermountain has never painted the single stripe Rio Grande scheme so I never buy them, and Genesis does a much wider variety of paint jobs.

10

Now John, I don’t mumble THAT much, LOL!

Seriously, though, I’d probably gone with Intermountain F-3’s because they offered the original Rio Grande black and yellow, but I had a CZ just sitting there on the tracks waiting for a diesel set, and my LHS happened to have the Genesis F-3’s in Rio Grande (the later silver and gold 4-stripe, but what the heck) and would have to order the Intermountain set which would take several weeks and I was impatient. But I’ve heard wonderful things about Intermountain running qualities, and though I really like my Genesis (remember, this is my first set of F-3’s EVER, I’m still just about all steam), I would have liked the older Rio Grande paint scheme better. However I’m REALLY impressed with the Genesis details and the smooth, powerful running. And yup, I’m starting to mumble, mumble–

Tom [:P]

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Hey Tom,

If you are a steam era Rio Grande fan, then you might be interested in Bryan Lemonds D&RGW 1953 layout.

http://www.utahdivision.com/January2007Utahdivision/Home.html

I used to be in a round robin club with Bryan when I was in graduate school in the early 1990’s. Bryan is building a “serious” hand laid track layout that should be nice when it gets near completion some day.

12

I’ve got a pair of the Genesis F7s and chose them over the intermountains after seeing both in action. It was just my decision, whatever works for you though mate. I am looking forward to seening the P2K F7 though, it’s great to have these kind of options on popular engines, same thing with the GP38-2 (I chose P2K on those.)

I would like to see more SD40-2s though.

Cheers!

~METRO

13

Much is made of the “high accuracy” of the Genesis ‘F’ shells - because the original design could be configured with 3 different grills, dynamic brakes, and high or low fans, and all but ignored the better pulling power of the InterMountain.

Early InterMountains had plastic hand rails (like P2K) that would break, but early Genesis had motors that went bad, and coupler pockets that won’t take regular KDs.

Todays IM product has metal handrails and more dependable drive in the F-3, F-7, and FP configurations, and Genisis is better in the more noticable headlight appliations. Walthers’ new GN F-9’s (Proto 2000s) have yet enter the fray.

I would guggest the Genesis are slightly more for ‘show’ and IMs for ‘go’.

Some like Genesis’ ‘chrome plating’ representing stainless steel sides on the F-7, but the IM’s paint looks more like the real thing when visiting the Sacramento Rail Museum.

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Personally I love the “show” of the Genesis units I have! Ain’t she pretty?? The loco below is a good example of the “high accuracy” you mentioned above. This is a wreck rebuild F3 into an F9m with F3 roof top features but F9 sides.

Honestly, when all the units are powered I’m not that worried about the “go” factor as long as the units run quiet and smoothly. Rio Grande always had ample power on the head ends of freights and passenger trains so a 4 or 5 units set of F’s on the Cal Zephyr pulled by Genesis will likely be just fine for power.

And Don, Intermountain doesn’t paint single stripe Rio Grande and I’m not into painting my own. Genesis offers alot of paint schemes.

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Don. did Genesis ever get the coupler pockets to where they will accept KDs or will the new whisher couplers work ok. Thanks

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I’ve never actually seen more than pictures of the IM F units, but the newer ones with fine handrails do look pretty good. I’ve also always heard that they run well.

I do have a Genesis F3A I got a while ago, and it really is one of my most impressive diesels.[:D] I did a review on it when I got it, which is right here: http://www.trains.com/TRC/CS/forums/767484/ShowPost.aspx

17

The 33’s work well on the B ‘connections’ and a #28 for the ‘A’ nose will match the original’s prototypical ‘close coupling’. For 18"r curves, longer shanked #38 /26s are recommended.

A simple Whisker coupler for the nose is worth a try. Problem has been the size of the original coupler pockets barred the use of KDs regular couplers.

Purchase of McHenry’s may have changed that.