I just bought a Proto 2000 SD60 and it is the best engine I have ever had.
Of the choices you gave us, I voted Bachmann. Of course, I’m only referring to their Spectrum line of steamers! (which, you of course know, includes two engines that are great as starting points for IC steam)
The best looking steam is Life Like’s. The best operating is BLI. Bachmann is a happy medium between the two, plus is much cheaper than either, AND is always available (hooray for no limited runs!).
It’s hard to say what is best. With all the great stuff out these days, and what you are looking for from you purchase and use. It’s like the old: what is better a Chevy or Ford. Personal preference and pocket book decides.
Bob K.
It’s hard to choose, but I say both P2K and Atlas are my favorites. I almost always have my C424s running and my SD45 is a gem that can haul!
Matthew
I could have picked either LL (P2K) or Atlas…but I went with Atlas. My engine rosters (both HO and N) include engines from just about everybody. I think that Atlas makes a better diesel…since they don’t seem to suffer from cracked wheels. However, my LL P2K GP7 is soooo unbelieveably smooth 
Perhaps the poll could’ve been split between Scales? Diesel/Steam…there is a wide variance of quality…when it comes to these areas…
Mike
Henderson, NV
If I knew which factory actually made them, I would hazard a guess…that would be MY definition of ‘manfucaturer’. Sorry to quibble.
As for brand, I really like the two brands BLI and P2K because they comprise the bulk of my roster, and they are all excellent runners. My Heritage (P2K) 0-6-0 is somewhat more highly detailed than my BLI Hudson, but if I detailed the J1 myself to match the 0-6-0, the only difference would be the perennial comlaint about P2K steam…they’re a little light on their feet. Otherwise, they might as well be from the same factory.
I sure hope my incoming Lionel Challenger is up to par. I got it reduced from the SMRSP of $669, but if it turns out to be a poor machine…[V][B)][:I]
Between Kato and Atlas, almost too close to call. But I like the detail on Atlas better so that is what I picked.
I truly like Kato the best. I just wi***hat they offered more like Athearn does.
Allan.
I ‘vote’ for Broadway LImited, although they’re not on the list.
Many issues here that need to be added, though.
-Scale would be a significant question, especially looking at, say, Kato. If you’re modeling in G scale, then virtually everyone here is out except Bachmann, and you’re missing Aristo-Craft and LGB.
-Subsets are a major issue too. Bachmann and Bachmann Spectrum are two different animals. Life-Like, P1K, P2K and Heritage are all very different, though from the same “house”. Even BLI has paragon platinum and various ‘shades’ of quality. Rivarossi is about 10 different things. Rivarossi Pre-AHM? AHM/Rivarossi? More recent Rivarossi before they died?
-Steam or Diesel a major consideration. I think you’d get lots of votes for P2K if it was a “diesel” question.
-Price range/constraints also an issue. Are we talking best “bang for the buck” (Bachmann Spectrum), best “on a limited budget” (Atlas), or best “money is no object” (BLI if we’re sticking to mass production stuff)???
All that aside, I’ll stick with BLI as my ‘vote’ with honorable mentions to Life-Like Heritage and Bachmann Spectrum.
Love the Life Like engines so far. Detail is very good and they are easy to work on. I have 15-20 of them and have never had any trouble. I just wi***hey would add more roads to there list. They all run smooth and quiet.
Purchased my first Kato and Atlas this weekend. Kato runs great but putting on the seperate detail it came with took me 5 hrs. Atlas had all the detail work done but still I can’t figure out how the shell comes off. It does run very well also.
Must mention for steam Bachamnn Spectrum and Bli are the greatest.
Bob
Kato has always been the best running of any, but unless they get on the stick and start putting sound in their locomotives, they will be left by the wayside despite their high quality mechanism.
We’ve been operating my HO Siskiyou Line regularly since the late 1990s. I have some 40+ locos in regular service that get thoroughly exercised each op session, and have been such for years now. I run mostly GP and SD EMD diesels.
I have Kato, Lifelike, Atlas, Athearn, and Stewart locos.
Kato, Atlas, and Stewart run the best “out of the box.” LIfelike perform fairly well, but not quite as good as the first three. Modern Athearn locos run well, but I rate them third just behind the LLs.
The real telling point, however, is how these locos wear if you really work them for years like we have on the Siskiyou Line.
The first to develop maintenance problems if you really work them a lot are the LifeLikes. Their power pickup goes to the dogs, and I’ve not found an easy solution … and I’ve tried everything. At this point I’m starting to replace the LL’s guts with Stewart A-Line/Protopower mechanisms rather than fight it any longer. I’m also turning about half the LL’s into dummy units with sound decoders in them.
The Kato and Atlas locos just run and run and run, with almost no maintenance. The Athearn units keep running as well, but the need more maintenance than the Kato’s and Atlas’s (lubrication, wheel cleaning). The Stewarts are too new to have much miles on them, so time will tell …
For smooth running,overall detail,and good,crisp paint,Atlas is best in my opinion.Kato engines run smooth,but thier paint isn’t always the best.On my C&NW SD45 the separation between the green and yellow is a bit fuzzy,and their MRL SD40-2 is too light of a blue.
I didn’t vote. Actually, I couldn’t vote because I don’t think there is a “best.” All of them make some darn fine locomotives, and all of them have produced a dog from time to time.
It’s like asking someone who makes the best automobile or the best anything else. You’ll get as many different responses as you do people responding. If one manufacturer truly was “best,” there wouldn’t be any others to choose from (or vote for).
These are all for HO
For all around accuracy, level of detail and running quality I chose Atlas (for diesels).
For steam I would have chosen P2K or Bachmann.
Kato probably makes the smoothest mechanisms but they don’t make that many HO locomotives.
Bob DeWoody
For quality, it’s Kato, hands down. For value(And a second on quality), it’s Atlas.
this is a trick question, right? well for me kato and atlas are so close i couldnt pick between the two. so i am putting my answer right here, BOTH.[;)]
How about Walthers
Better in terms of what? That’s really kinda too general. I chose Bachmann, because bang for buck is high on my priority list. I think the Bachmann spectrum steamers blow ALL the others away hands down in that catagory. They may not have the absolutely highest quality, but they certainly have to be one of the best offerings for the money. That puts them on top in my book. I’m also disappointed you limited this to N and HO. There are many more scales.