I have been planning to build a train layout for a while now and have decided to use N scale. I have about 8 engines and a ton of rolling stock but the engines are old and poor quality (one is from an old atlas postage stamp train set!) So I would like to know which companies make quality modern engines and rolling stock.[?]
You can’t go wrong with Kato or Atlas
Lifelike have some pretty good Geeps - especially when you consider how cheap they are. Detailing is a little basic and they have the old Rapido couplers but for the money they’re hard to beat. DCC is tricky as you’d need to replace the frames though this is possible - Aztec offer a service whereby they’ll mill a piece out of the frames to allow a decoder to fit. Hope this helps!
Kato and Atlas are very good - have several that have run fine for years.
Mini-trix steam – if you can find it.
Model Power has a die-cast 2-8-2
Life-like Proto 2 E8’s have awesome pulling power (I’ve heard)
Concor has a 2-10-2 thas apparently will pull 54 free-rolling cars
( I originally posted 2-10-4… YEAH! PRR M1/M1a)
Have fun!
–Ed
Adding to what Matt said, you can pick up those LifeLike GP-20s for under $17 at their website. Nice runners.
Since you don’t say what era you’re interested in, here’s the run down of topnotch stuff at good prices:
Early Steam: MDC 2-6-0 and MDC 2-8-0, available online for $60 each.
Mid Steam : Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0, available online for about $90. Test run is a must with Spectrums, spotty quality control. Otherwise, this is da bomb.
Late Steam: Kato 2-8-2 Mikado. online @ 95-120
For diesels, Kato and Atlas. New ones run great, look great, don’t have Rapido couplers, can be found anywhere from 50-100 online. The $50 is a rarity, clearance pricing that pops up occasionally. Expect to pay 70-80 for most.
thanks a lot. I will be modeling the present so off to the hobby shop.
As in anything else, you get what you pay for…
You’ll never go wrong with a Kato, and Atlas is just about as good.
I would suggest you test run anything first though as I have seen a few noisy right out of the box.
Not with a Kato though. They run great and keep on running great.
However it doesn’t hurt to break-in any new locomotive a little when you get it.
Good luck,
gtirr