i am new to this hobby and i want a little help i have my layout almost done and i want to include a steam engine
i wanted to know what are good starters at a good price, thank you for any help
At a minimum, you need to state what scale you model, what turnout sizes you use, and what your minimum radius is.
Tom,
maxman has posed some good initial questions for you. Here’s a few more:
- What is your budget for a steamer?
- Do you model a particular era?
- Are you modeling a specific railroad or region?
- Do you want one with sound or smoke?
- Will you be operating it on DC or DCC?
You can generally find good bargains on good steamers - even new. It just depends what you are wanting.
Tom
That depends on your definition of “starter” and “good price” And what size you can run on your radii curves And what electrical system you are using.
There are HO scale Bachmann steam locos that go for $50 and under $50 for DC. ANd around $100 for simple DCC control for smaller models.
If you have tight curves {under 20"R}, best to stick with the smaller steamers so as to avoid disappointment.
Here is a great place to find the Bachmanns:
http://www.wholesaletrains.com/HOProducts2.asp?Scale=HO&Item=160P262 look to the left margin, there is a whole pulldown menu under Bachmann.
Or here is a whole variety and manufacturers and prices:
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Steam-Locomotives-HO-Scale-s/1461.htm
If you are in N scale, they both have n scale too.
[8-|]
My first steamer was a Bachmann GS 4 and I had very good luck with them on 18 inch turns and #5 turnouts. Reason I sold them they where DC and I was making the jump to DCC and had no clue how to install the decoder.
Cuda Ken
i am running in dc ho scale and i have 22 radias
my prices would be in the 100 to 200 dollar range
i will be Turing to dcc soon so i probably want dcc with my loco
i want a german world war two steam engine but i don’t know if any manufactures make them,
I am afraid a typical WW II German steam loco will be above your budget.
Look here:
http://www.eurorailhobbies.com/erh_detail.asp?mn=4&ca=1&sc=HO&er=2&na=1&stock=R-62278
None of the major US brands has a German loco, so you will have to look at Roco, Fleischmann or Trix to find what you are looking for. However, don´t expect bargains there.
Start with something small, only 6 or 8 drive wheels. They are less demanding of your trackwork than the bigger locomotives which are prone to derailment on minor trackwork faults and need broad curves to stay on the track. Small engines are appropriate for pulling the great majority of trains, which are fairly short. Steamers with NO pilot wheels are yard engines, not run over the road. Steamers with two pilot wheels are freight locomotives, high speed passenger locomotives had four pilot wheels. HIgher speed demanded more weight on the pilot truck to guide the locomotive into curves and turnouts, hence more wheels to carry that weight.
Any manufacturer who is currently advertising in the hobby magazines, Model Railroader or Rail Model Craftsman is making good product. Any of them will run reliably and last a long time. For buying new, take a look at the Bachmann 2-8-0 Consolidation. I have one, it looks very good, nice details, smooth running, and reasonably priced. It would be appropriate for freight service, or second class passenger service, commuter trains or the ordinary train to small towns that ran once or twice a day in the '40s and '50s.
Used locomotives are available at train shows. Ask the seller to run the locomotive, just to make sure it does run. Any used steamer that runs and looks decent to your eye, will be satisfactory on your layout. A new coat of paint will spiff up some of the shabbier looking ones. Steamers are easier to paint than diesels, just one color, no masking off.
If you are looking at a used loco at a show, and the dealer does not have a test track. there usually are one or two people with a booth who will do a test run for you for a small fee. Discuss this with the seller and see if they will agree for you to take the loco to a test track booth. They may want some payment or full price and you can bring back if it does not work. Be sure that you know if the loco has a decoder or not, and , if it does, is is a dual function decoder that runs on both DC and DCC. The test track guy will have to know this. Be aware that dual function decoders running on DC have a much higher starting voltage, 4 to 6 volts (about half throttle), that a standad DC setup.
Tom,
With the above constraints, a 2-8-2 Mike would serve you well as they were ubiquitous - i.e. essentially every RR had some in their roster.
BLI makes a very good Mike in that price range. The Athearn Genesis Mike is a little light on the pulling but can be had for <$125 on places like eBay. The creme de la creme is a Trix 2-8-2. Beautiful German craftsmanship but, unfortunately, you won’t find one less than $350. (Usually $450 and up.) It’s a jewel though and runs a smooth as glass.
Other good-running steamers worth noting:
- Bachmann 2-8-0
- Proto 2000 0-6-0 or 0-8-0 switcher
As far as German locomotives are concerned, the manufacturers that Ulrich mentioned above are your best bet. Marklin/Trix makes some gorgeous stuff.
Hope that helps…
Tom
Bachmann has a HO 2-6-0 with on board sound for about $120.00 and a couple diesels with sound for about the same price.
They run on DC and DCC but run better on DCC.
No idea about German type locos, though I do know Bachmann makes and sells stuff on the other side of the Pond which might be appropriate.
I rarely see any advertising about locos and rolling stock for the UK and EU., though I have never looked for any.
Rich
Bachmann´s German prototype brand is Liliput, a former Austrian manufacturer. After the take-over some years ago, Bachmann stripped down Liliput´s line of products. Currently, there is no WW II loco available. Liliput is just about as pricey as all “German” brands.
thanks a lot for the insight i think i made my mind up i found a cheap bachmann 2-8-4 Berkshire and it looks great,