I may have really overdone it this time! With so many F units in the HO mid-range market, I got curious about just how they all measure up and compare to each other. So to figure that out, I bought new-in-box models from Athearn (new), MTH (Starter), MRC, Bachmann (Plus), Stewart (Kato), Model Power (MetalTrain) and Life-Like (Proto 1000). It’s a long video and I went into every detail I could think of (outside of counting rivets), and it was interesting to see just how many differences there are! The criteria for the comparison were that all of the models were made for the same market segment, were developed after 1980 (since designs have stayed mostly the same since then), and they’re all standard DC models since only a few newer ones have come with electronics.
Not sure how to embed a video on the new forum, so here’s the link instead: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbZx2wyOOLk
Considering the 3-hour length, you might want to use the timestamps on the main video page anyway.
