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M.T.H. HO scale Challenger steam locomotive
i have one also #3983 anit runs great an sound is as good as it gets. i have two lionel challengers a they were poor pullers mainly it does not have traction tires mth also has all drive wheels are sprung.i run it with nce with upgrade prong chip with allowes all functions up to 0 28 smoke unit is great .
Some may feel that this hobby is getting too expensive but I look at this way-in 1962, when my salary was $160 a week, I bought a Tenshodo Big Boy for $175 ( I was single then) so today if my salary is $600 a week then things are equal (assuming the same financial situation). However, this Challenger is a lot more of a model than my 1962 Big Boy so you are getting more locomotive for your money. Unfortunately, being retired and on a fixed income today, this model is out of reach for me so I guess it all depends on the individual’s situation.
WAY TOO EXPENSIVE
No matter how good it is, it is way to expensive for the average modeler. Guess it is made for the rich only.
who can afford this price?
expensive is an understatement, aren’t these made in China??
i agree with richard, looks great, love to have several in my barn, but , how about 399 or even 450,but … 600 bucks? wow…
I wish I could afford to buy this locomotive. I just love the old steam era, in fact I plan to model a layout in the steam era, I wish I could afford to buy at least two of these units. I think it would be great to see two challengers in unison pulling a long freight on my layout. Maybe one day!!!
when is the really good stuff going n - scale
This hobby is getting expensive, no question. Quality has improved but when you have HO cabooses listed at $50, the old price advantage HO had over O gauge is gone for the most part.
The modeler on a tight budget who wants to amass a large collection of rolling stock has no choice but to scour the Internet for bargains, attend swap meets and train fleamarkets and
avoid stuff that does not fit your model railroad’s format even if it looks neat. In today’s economy, you have to make each buck count but it’s not getting easier.
I Purchased three of these Challengers. I think MTH did a good job on redesigning the driver mechanics and the smoke unit is terrific. They only have partial support for DCC and this is a significant problem for me. No consisting CVs, no speed matching CVs and no function remappng CVs among others.
The way F3 startup works is also a problem. Once you have pressed startup, the engine sounds come on. However, if there is a short or power loss, you lose the sound; the locomotive restarts at the last speed but without sound. You have to stop the locomotive (Throttle has to be a 0) and the press F3 1-3 times to get sound back.
Also the smoke box color is way too gray; It is a mile off UP colors. It is dark graphite while UP is more silver or aluminum in color. This bothers me so much I am having it repainted. Just look at the pictures of 3985. Its not close.
The sound is good, the smoke unit is great. With more DCC compatibility and correct paint, this could be an even better. locomotive.
I will get one of these when I can pull the money together. Yes, it is expensive but you get what you pay for with MTH steamers. They are less expensive than the equivelent in brass so price is relative to be fair to MTH. I have two other steamers by MTH and they are beautiful runners with my Digitrax DCC system. The sound is top notch with awesome features and the drive systems are rugged and smooth with excellent slow speed performance. The lighting is equal to the best I have seen with cab interior, fore & aft markers and number boards all lit up; 'makes it fun to run day & night. MTH certainly has my attention.
I love these MTH steamers for the price. you are getting a better quality model that is less than brass equivalent in price. It is all relative to your dreams and desires. Buy fewer engines and save up for this if you want to. That’s what I have done and I am rewarded with a beautiful set of models that do not dissapoint at a fraction of the cost of brass. There are other very good models out there that are good values and perform well but again what level of quality and performance are you happy with? The MTH are a good middle ground for me and they make me tingle all over when I run them!
I for one am somewhat disappointed with this locomotive. I understand that this challenger is expensive and has all these features, but it just doesn’t sound like the real challenger. I am a DCC nut and I am picky about prototypical sounds, and I feel like MTH held back and didn’t give us authentic UP challenger sounds. They did a better job in the O scale challenger, so what happened here? Everything else is great, hope MTH steps it up in the future
Gee-with the prices MTH charges, Marklin and Trix look like real bargains with better quality. Except for close coupling kinematic on the Trix items, which makes long trains a nightmare. Eliminating the kinematic solves the problems. My Big Boy has been running at least for about 8 years including some 15 inch radius industrial curves and has more mileage than any of my other engines. No problems, but , the sound system is now outdated.
Love the looks and sounds but M.T.H. went off the deep end on the price. The Athearn Genesis Challenger looks pretty good to me for a few hundred dollars less. Sorry M.T.H, but I think you’ve just priced most of the hobbyists right out the door on this one.
Every one has a good point from their perspective but apples to apples comparison gives MTH the nod for overall quality and enjoyment for the price. This is a big model and it runs just as well as their smaller steam engines with excellent lighting and smoke effects. It is all diecast metal with outstanding traction and detail. The drive train and gearing is outstanding. MTH is listening to their customers and is now offering new models that are DCC ready so you can add your decoder of choice and you can get their DCS controller to wire in tandem with your DCC system that adds more features to the current and past production models with MTH decoders installed. BLI & Intermountain have less expensive models that are very nice but quality of build, mechanical function, longevity & overall presentation are not equal to the MTH. I own several of all of these companies models so I am not being unfairly biased. You get what you pay for and most models are decent these days. MTH is a notch up hence the higher price. You can always choose a model that is more affordable for you that is still decent quality. BLI has been the closest competitor to MTH overall. Bachman also makes nice steamers at a great price. The BLI Y6b has a diecast metal boiler like the MTH with great traction and features for a great price at around $349.00 on the internet so yes, there are affordable options. MTH is worth the money but there are good options for those who don’t like the price.
Locomotives like the MTH Challenger are what brought me back to the hobby after thirty year. I had a bunch of Rivarossi locomotives in a display for thirty year and this year sold them and purchased a MTH Challenger. What a difference thirty years make. This MTH Challenger runs and sounds great using my Digitrax DT 402 throttle and it sure puts excitement back into model railroading. I used to buy every different wheel arrangement; this time around I am going to concentrate on quality, rather than quantity.
If you think this is expensive, please remember the challengers Lionel put out in HO. They looked great, but they couldn’t pull the Rivarossi 8-car sets on flat track. Dang tender was too heavy, and no optional traction tires. So if these features were taken into consideration by MTH, it’s already worth the price. Ho, and you guys comparing the Trix Big-Boys to Challengers, not the same thing. You couldn’t change much on the Trixes, especially that crummy whistle. And the chuffing was not real solid. that, and it’s not an apples-oranges comparison. So shut it. If MTH remebered to put RP25 wheels on this loco (which they did not put on the Mikes, or any of thier other 1st Gen locos), I will look more closely into this.