Having just recently joined a local MRR Club I now find myself in the market for a good locomotive. Really will probably want 2. One diesel and one steam.
Would anyone want to make any recommendations as to what I should look at and what all will I need to go with it (DCC Controller?)
Anything would be helpful.
Thanks.
[alien]
daff,
A few questions for you:
Answering those questions will help determine what suggestions will be helpful for you.
If it doesn’t matter then you can’t go wrong with a Stewart diesel. Their Buehler and Canon motors run very smoothly. Atlas would also be a very good choice. For steamers, Proto 2000 and BLI are good choices.
You mentioned that you belong to a club. Do they operate with DCC? If so, it might be wise to purchase a system from the same manufacturer as the one at the club so that you can use the throttle at the club layout.
Tom
You will need a throttle(controller) that works with hte clubs DCC system: IE do they use MRC, Digitrax, NCE,? DCC sound loco’s are around $200.00 plus for 1. Joe
Some of those I cant answer. Haven’t had to opp to meet with the club yet… Im sure that will resolve the control issues
Price isnt a big issue…say 200-300 range (retirement has been good to the ole boy!)
Steam passenger from the late 60’s and one of the more modern diesels may even want to spring for a decent little switcher also…
And one other thing. DCC equipped loco comes with all the sounds or do you have to pick and choose?
Gettin there!
Thanks[alien]
It is possible to purchase DCC engines without sound. If you want sound, be sure the engines you are looking at have both DCC and sound.
I am probably going to.takesome heat for this but I would avoid MTH products initialy as they are somewhat incompatible with all other manufacturers products and control systems. BLI for steam or diesel. Athearn genesis, proto 2000 are all good
I’m going to respectfully take issue with the last comment.
The MTH steamers run exceptionally well, and might be an option depending upon whether or not the buyer is dead set in favor of DCC, and whether or not the buyer wants factory smoke that works great.
MTH’s steam engines generally ran better on my layout in plain DC mode than any steamer from BLI–including the Y-6B latest version, ever has. The BLI ones are more sensitive about any track dirt at all.
MTH’s DCS system–which as pointed out above is not DCC, is still compatible with plain DC running, and for some folks can be a better option than DCC, at least for awhile…
It depends on if the modeler is dead set in favor of operating smoke, too. MTH’s operating smoke in steam power is the best; their lighting is very good, and their engines do what they advertise they will do–and do it reliably.
My favorite dealer has experienced significantly more quality control issues with HO scale BLI steam versus MTH steam power.
My recommendation to the original poster is to find a really good train store that has excellent service, and go there–even if it’s 100 or 200 miles or more away–and have them show you some models and operate them in person so you can experience all the pros and cons, see the smoke, lights, and hear the sound for yourself. Do not rely on Youtube videos, or other people’s experiences–do your own homework, and don’t just go buy the latest Bachmann steamer or diesel because it’s an exceptional value for the money, when there might be better ones to be had for your purposes.
Respectfully submitted–
John
In diesel, in terms of bang for the buck, it’s very difficult to beat the Atlas Trainman (economy priced series) or the Athearn Ready to Roll (also economy priced series), or the newest Bachmann engines. With the possible exception of Bachmann, they all have basically the same mechanism as other more expensive, more highly detailed series.
I also like the running qualities of the Proto 2000 F units–but they will cost more, too.
Athearn Genesis Series, Atlas Silver series (without sound/DCC) or Gold series (with sound and DCC), and Broadway Limited Diesels all cost more than the economy series units, as does the Proto 2000 Series from Walthers. Most of those engines can be fine options–but will cost more. Depending upon one’s preferences for exactness of prototype detail, various people might prefer one brand over another.
John
Without knowing what railroad or era you are looking for…I am going to let my bias show…[:-^]…and put a good word in for any of the Athearn Genesis SD70ACe’s with DCC & sound. There are many different railroads to choose from as well as multiple unit numbers for each road. Mine have performed flawlessly right from the get-go. The UP Heritage Units are sweet looking machines…again in my humble and biased opinion. But seriously, I do like the Athearn Genesis with DCC & sound modern locomotives. Kato is also quite nice, smooth runners, reliable and nicely detailed.
Enjoy!
To our originator, did you mean late Fifties steam vice late Sixties steam? Virtually all steam, except for very small ones and twos here and there, had dropped its fire by 1959, and most of that was north of the 49th.
Do you want mainline steam, passenger and/or freight, maybe only a small industrial or yard switcher? It matters because if you opt for a smaller 0-6-0 or 2-6-0, you could get away with tighter curves…although you would have to keep the configuration of the diesel in mind as well. If you want mainline steam, they would have more distance between the axles of the first and last drivers in most instances, meaning their driver base is longer. That characteristic requires broader curves as a general rule…usually.
You have good advice: Broadway Limited, Walthers Proto 2000 Heritage series, and MTH all make good quality stuff. It just happens that there are some incompatibility limitations in motion control between the MTH and those that offer only DCC decoders.
Crandell
I like the running characteristics of Athearn diesels but find them a bit fragile from a handling point of view (if you are going to be taking it back and forth to the club). I an also impressed with the Bachmann sound value locos they give a decent bang for the buck.
Tom, if I could buy another Stewart with a Buehler motor for $10.00, I would burn the $10.00 bill first! I bought two set’s of them, both ran great for a while. Guessing around 40 hours, then they BBQ decoders! I sent the engines to Jeffery as trade. He replaced there motors because they where junk.
Sorry, I know many people here love Stewart’s, but after 2 sets of them, I am done.
Cuda Ken
I would think long and hard about what era YOU want to model, and what railroads from that timeframe you are interested in. Certain railroads used certain equipment. Do a bit of research - a little Googling will send you down some pretty interesting tracks.
Consider what you might have for a home layout. If you’re restricted for space, then remember that the large articulated steamers of the past and the mega-diesels of today are not going to work on sharp 18-inch curves, while most of the shorter 4-axle diesels and smaller steam locomotives of the Transition Era will run just fine on such tracks, even if they would look better on wider turns. If you decide you still want large power, you may be restricted to running it at your club.
You’re going to have to use a DCC controller that matches the system of the club, so ask them what works well–pluses and minuses. As far as diesel locos, Kato is outstanding in quality. I like them with Soundtraxx that I install. The cheapest steam locos that seem to work good are Bachmann’s high end group. I have some Rivarossi/Hornby’s that I’m not crazy about. The Athearn Genesis line isn’t too bad with steam, but their diesels are hit and miss. I have had great luck with our MTH diesels too.
Richard
Don’t exclude Bowser/Stewart diesels. They can be wonderful.
The motors vary. Perhaps the decoders discussed above were not compatible with the Buehler motors?
Yes, Stewart did use Buehler motors for awhile, and some folks really really like them. I don’t know if they are even still using Buehlers. That does not mean they are the best motor out there, but they are not the worst either. Overland Models has used a whole lot of Buehler can motors in their brass imports. At least some of them are fantastic.
You can get a bad motor from any maker and in any engine.
The fact is that China will make and deliver to your door a wonderful can motor for about 1/5 the price that Bowser or anyone else in the U.S. can make the exact same motor for–in minimum lot sizes of 10,000 motors. (This is based upon real numbers provided to me a few years ago by Lewis K. English, Sr., of Bowser, who has since passed on).
Whether German made or Chinese made or wherever, a certain percentage of motors are going to fail, just like a certain percentage of computers will fail within the first month or two. I’ve had bad motors in other manufacturers’ products–that doesn’t mean they’re all bad or that I avoid that manufacturer’s diesels. Stuff happens.
John
The very best small steamer is the Proto 2000 0-6-0 and the 0-8-0 is fine also. Next come the Specturm 0-6-0 and their Decopod. For larger steamers, each maker has their winners. For diesel, nothing beats a Kato in my opinion but they can be hard to put DCC into the older ones. A lot boils down to exactly what you want as each manufacturer makes only so many types. Decide what you want, like a 4-6-2 and then get recamendations on that. Sometimes you have to settle as I have with the VO1000.
That is truely bizzare. I would guess I have more Stewart F units with both the Kato and Buehler drive than any other brand. I have units that I have been running at train shows for decades now. A show is basically 10 hours non-stop for 2 or 3 days. I would guess some are into the thousands of hours. I’ve tortured them with pulling contests - 2 units pulling 65 cars up a 2.5% grade around a 36" radius curve. I’ve never had a motor go bad. I’ve never upgraded a decoder so that means some of them have 1st generation decoders in them. I have one set with Railcommand decoders(1991?). The Stewarts are the old reliables that I go and pull out when the BLIs and Genesis break down.
Possibly the most used Stewarts in my fleet. I think they were the first DCC units I ever converted. Lentz LE103 decoders if I recall properly. This was at one of the GATS train shows at the Western Stock Show complex in ummm 2002.
I did have an Atlas with a similar Kato drive train that melted down but it was my own fault. It got a short circuit and I let it just sit there thinking something else was wrong.
