What would you consider to be the best 'Train-Set' locomotive out there?

[Great_Northern_Fan_5]

Any of the Athearn RTR, Walthers Mainline, or Atlas Trainman series. Pretty decent power train and chassis for a not too high price. Might lack some “high end” options and details, but very good value.

I would throw in Walthers Trainline. They are really sturdy and have great mechanisms

[snjroy]

No, the requirements are as follows:

Durable Design with minimal separate pieces

Affordable cost, Less than $100

Easy to repair and replace

Good Durable Mechanism

And Must be able to do 18’’ Radius Curves without issue

Ok, well that’s useful. Most sets suggested here are out of range in terms of price, looking at two major distributors online. Unless you look for something on sale, it’s mostly Bachmann stuff, which are OK for what you pay for. Steamers are out of range, except for Thomas the train sets. I have a Thomas that I have for younger audiences. It’s actually a pretty good mechanism, although it is light on its feet.

Simon

[YoHo1975]

YoHo1975
Isn’t the Kato F7…and really all the Kato HO F-units the exact same mold as the Stewart/Kato F’s? I was under the impression that there was no effective difference.

I am not aware of an HO scale F unit marketed as a Kato model. Every one I have seen has been in a Stewart package, hence the Stewart/Kato designation.

Kato did market an F unit in N scale under their own name.

If Kato did offer an HO scale F unit under there own name, I would love to find out about it. Maybe it would be the same model as the Stewart branded product, but maybe it would be better.

-Kevin

My Dad got me a Kato F9 in the late 90s. And I could have sworn it was in a Kato box with no Stewart name on it.

[Great_Northern_Fan_5]

Great Northern Fan 54

No, the requirements are as follows:

Durable Design with minimal separate pieces

Affordable cost, Less than $100

Easy to repair and replace

Good Durable Mechanism

And Must be able to do 18’’ Radius Curves without issue

Ok, well that’s useful. Most sets suggested here are out of range in terms of price, looking at two major distributors online. Unless you look for something on sale, it’s mostly Bachmann stuff, which are OK for what you pay for. Steamers are out of range, except for Thomas the train sets. I have a Thomas that I have for younger audiences. It’s actually a pretty good mechanism, although it is light on its feet.

Simon

Well this is referring to an individual locomotive. Not a Train Set

[Lastspikemike]

The lifelike Proto locomotives aren’t trainset level but they are cheap. At some level the fragile detail features don’t really matter because you can remove them and still end up with a good looking usable locomotive that will usually be DCC ready in some sense. Some are pretty much plug in ready while others need a bit more work.

For robust and cheap reliable DC only locomotives that are in effect the equals of current trainset level you just cannot beat an Athearn Blue Box. They are bulletproof, lack any fragile detail, haul very well and look rather good at usual viewing distance. Fit Kadee couplers and maybe get the plastic window set available from Athearn for the F7 line anyway, and you’ll be satisfied.

[snjroy]

snjroy

Great Northern Fan 54

No, the requirements are as follows:

Durable Design with minimal separate pieces

Affordable cost, Less than $100

Easy to repair and replace

Good Durable Mechanism

And Must be able to do 18’’ Radius Curves without issue

Ok, well that’s useful. Most sets suggested here are out of range in terms of price, looking at two major distributors online. Unless you look for something on sale, it’s mostly Bachmann stuff, which are OK for what you pay for. Steamers are out of range, except for Thomas the train sets. I have a Thomas that I have for younger audiences. It’s actually a pretty good mechanism, although it is light on its feet.

Simon

Well this is referring to an individual locomotive. Not a Train Set

I focussed on the loco, but there are a few Thomas the Train sets. Here is an example:

https://www.trainsetsonly.com/bachmann-thomas-with-annie-and-clarabel-set-ho-00642.html

Simon

[SeeYou190]

My Dad got me a Kato F9 in the late 90s. And I could have sworn it was in a Kato box with no Stewart name on it.

I don’t doubt it, it is just something I have never seen.

I have a large population of Stewart/Kato F units, and these make up the largest plurality of my locomotive types. I look for good models new in box to have a few spare mechanisms on hand. If they were sold with just the Kato name, that would give me something else to look for.

So far, none have failed, but if I run my trains as much as I intend to, something will break eventually.

-Kevin

[Ulrich]

The Triang F7 unit. I had two and they ran well although perhaps not as detailed as one might want.

[Lastspikemike]

My first Canadian train set was a Triang CN F7 freight set. I sold it to my LHS to buy an Athearn BB F7 undecorated which I only just recently painted and decalled.

This is entertaining. The CP version is really not right.

https://tri-ang.weebly.com/single-ended-diesel-loco.html

[Great_Northern_Fan_5]

The Triang F7 unit. I had two and they ran well although perhaps not as detailed as one might want.

That thing keeps me up at night