The Proto kits are NIB (no kidding…) and all detail parts are plastic. Wire would work but I’m a bit lazy about things like that.
Close is good enough for me, has to be…I’m too lazy to do detail.
It’s hard to get those older model locomotives to run very slowly and very smoothly. That is my #1 expectation of a locomotive.
In our club environment, I love the simplicity and durability of Athearn and Roundhouse freight cars… no detail for the ham-fisted to break off.
But for locomotives, one I saw see-through handrails, it was hard to go back!
I’m on a tight budget so I’ve gravitated towards Life Like Proto 2000 locos. Nice mix of detail and Athearn drivetrain simplicity and at reasonable prices. Fragile, but not too fragile (and you can’t see a broken handrail from 20’ away anyway).
But – we’re DCC at our club and a new loco on sale at TW or Walthers is a good a deal as putting sound in an old BB. If you’re patient you can find what you like.
A friend with a wholesale connection has hooked me up with some Genesis locos at a cheap price. Lovely locos but yes, I fear for fragility. I’ve broken details just taking the shells off for service. I rarely leave them at the club, they usually go back in their boxes after a run.
Athearn’s RTR diesels can be a very good deal… BB simlicity with the details you’d be adding on anyway. A tad fragile but decent value. Every once in a while an RTR w sound pops up on TrainWorld for very cheap.
Aaron
Athearn Blue Box, maybe. However, my Stewart/Kato F units, Proto-2000 models, and my Atlas/Roco S2 run slowly and smoothly like champions.
-Kevin
They were making Proto 2000s in the 1950s?
The title of the thread was Athearn Blue Box, Atlas Yellow Box, etc.
Many of the previous responses included Kato, Proto 2000, etc.
Did the conversation take a turn to 1950s models that I missed?
-Kevin
Silly me. I conflated “Athearn Blue Box” and “Atlas Yellow Box,” and I saw “Athearn Yellow Box,” and immediately thought of rubber band drives. I might have blamed it on drinking, but I’ve been sober for nearly a week.
I have two sets of Proto 1000 F3 A&B units, and they are my go-to locomotives.
Carry on.
ALL of the Kato built Atlas models came in the yellow box era, along with the Roco built ones. Kato driven Atlas models are the RS3, yes a wonder of the world at the time for smoothness and quiet running, the RS1, RS11, RSD4/5, RSD12, C424, C425 and the GP7. The remaining yellow box models were Roco driven with their typical “growl” they have. The S series switchers have a unique sound to them but are smooth and pull really well thanks to the diecast chassis. The GP and SD and FP diesels have their own sound to them. Yes the fuel tanks suck on the GP and SD models, and the windshields look like the FP is squinting. But for the time, they were and still are great models. Finding certain road names on specific models is hard. Try finding Clinchfield yellow/grey GP7’s or BC Rail Alco C425’s. I am looking for both road numbers of the latter with no luck lately. The early Stewart F series were Kato driven as well but switched to a China clone of the Kato drive, looks identical but the performance is a tad lower and there are no “Kato” markings on the truck gear cases. But they still run really nice overall. I just prefer the Kato drives over pretty much anything on the market, both in HO and N scale. The molded on details or lack of them is not a detraction from models that I handle on a regular basis or would take to the club layout on regular occasion. Less to break or get mangled, and if I wanted that detail, I would add it myself. The whole task/project of detailing a model how I wanted it, was all part of the enjoyment of the hobby. Detailing a diesel whilst watching a game on TV was an enjoyable evening or Sunday afternoon. Mike