After modeling in HO scale for a couple of years, I have started building my first N scale layout. At present I only have one LifeLike Locomotive.
While browsing eBay I noticed some locos made by Intermountain. I knew they made rolling stock, but I didn’t know they made locomotives.
I always liked Atlas locomotives in HO so I am wondering how Intermountain compares in quality to Atlas in N scale?
I got out of N in college, but Intermountain has always been a quality maker of rolling stock. I have heard good things about their F units in HO.
I don’t follow N scale closely and the only N scale loco that I am aware of is the SD40T-2 from Intermountain. They beat HO to a quality version of this loco so N scalers have been quite lucky! AFAIK, it is a good runner and looks pretty nice.
I’d say Intermountain is in the same “Ball Park” with Atlas and Athearn Genesis when it comes to quality and detail.
I don’t know about HO engines, but N scale Tunnel Motors are great. Much similar to Atlas engines - they share several components from the mechanism. Also, they run very well and have a detailed body.
My experience is limited to the FT’s, but I assume they are functionally the same as their F3’s and F7’s. I’ve found them to be smooth runners, have decent pull up grades, look good and are fairly easy to put DCC decoders into.
I’d put them up with Kato and a half a notch above Atlas in the world of N-scale locos. For looks, they are probably the best of those three. That is, with the exception that the stock headlight in my FT’s was a blue/white LED, which is not the correct glow for that era. Replacing it with a golden white is simple enough, but does require disassembling the two halves of the frame and enough soldering skill to remove and replace two wires from the light board/decoder.
That’s good news that they are good quality. I am wanting to model the Cotton Belt and there is an Intermountain SD45-2, a Kato GP30, and an Atlas GP30 for sale on eBay.
I guess I couldn’t go wrong with any of them, but the Intermountain is quite a bit more expensive. That sort of gives me a reason why.
Here’s a review of the IM SD45T-2 (‘T’ as in tunnel motor). I’ve heard generally good things about IM - including their customer service.
In terms of looks, they are some of the best although earlier models does have wrong fuel tanks which does make 6 axels looks silly. I am still yet to convert one to DCC and run them but I believe in terms of performance, nothing compares to Kato. I get a few Intermountain F7’s because of the factory installed photoetched grills, it’s just unreal. Digitrax have drop-in decoders for them so it will be as easy as Atlas for conversion to DCC. Atlas start to drop from the top of my list as favourites beause their motors are just not up to Kato standards especially for the ones coupled with the factory cheap Lenz decoders. Although I do notice that the most recent ones have some improvement or you can just swap the factory Lenz decoder for a Digitrax or NCE to gt rid of the humming at low speed and improve low speed performance.
If you are a Southern Pacific fan, Intermountain has the most comprehensive selection of locos and different schemes.
I have a set of the IM FTABBA’s in N scale, these are very well detailed, strong pulling and reliable locomotives. They will pull up a 2% grade, around 9 3/4’ curves and all of this with 60 cars in tow. They are heavier than most of my Atlas and Kato locomotives. They compete with or beat the other manufacturers for quality and customer service. While I have not had reason to return anything to them, they responded very quickly when I had a question on how to reattach a grill that had fallen out. It took longer to find the grill than to get the reply from IM.
Bob