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Which Model Train Manufacturer?
Dhiraj asks readers:
“I am Amateur Train Modeler, starting with my first HO train. It might sound silly but I wanted to know which train set manufacturer should be looking at when I am buying my train set? Eventually I want to take the model train set to JMRI Controlled train model. I understand every train set has prons and cons..So I want to start right. Thank you so much.”
7 Responses to Which Model Train Manufacturer?
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I believe that train SETS are a poor way to GO!! stick with Good name Brands , Athern , Atlas, Stewart,Spectrum Intermountain .Have Fun!!!
I am also new at model railroading but I have spent about $7000 so far and am not done yet. Have learned that the two most important things about building a model railroad layout is 1. Quality tracks installed properly 2. Quality locos I have also learned that doing research on various loco manufacturers does yield positive results. To the best of my knowledge the only manufacturer that makes locos with remote controlled couplers is MTH. I have 10 locos so far and 8 are MTH. They are the best quality with the most sounds, smoke, etc. Now I am buying MTH the 35’s for use as switchers since they are shorter and have remote controlled couplers. I am really looking forward to using them as switchers in my coal mine, ethanol plant, and coal towers. Hope this helps you in making a decision. Good luck1
Wow you guys make me envy on spending a lot of money I don’t have lol. Well for me ,I bought a Athearn F-7 War Bonnet set at a Wal-Mart 10 years ago for 25 dollars. Now I got over a 100 pieces. I got 5 different railroads that I like. I don’t go for all the so called the bells and whistels on an engine. As for the name brands they are all the same. Find bargains and sales. I bought 50$ engines that ran better than 100 dollar ones. As for the “Starters sets” that is a good way to start a railroad. and just add track and cars as time goes by. As for the whole value of my “train set” its over $1000. But for me its priceless. I got cars you will never find any more and had them for years. One year I just went to Flea Markets and garage sales and found good condition trains cheap. If you want to get into the collecting side of it .do some research on what’s valuable. I bought a lot of train stuff at on-line hobby stores . Look for sales are the best way to save money. I hope this info help you. The War Bonnet set was my 10th train set I bought over the 50 year of my life. My 9th set was a N Scale set but it got burned up in a fire where our model club was at, that was 25 years ago. For several years I didn’t have a train to run till I found the starter set. Then I caught the railroad bug and had to have it lol. And for these last 10 years I been adding cars engines and track. Hope you guys enjoy the thrill of just running a train like I do. Don’t make any difference what brand it is just as long as it runs . And here’s a hint , buy train cars of your favorite railroad. Mine is the Gulf Mobile & Ohio that ran from Chicago to New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama. I lived near the GM&O as a kid and got to know the train crews when they was switching cars. I even got to climb into the caboose when it stopped in front of my house. Talk about a kid’s dream come true lol .
Hi Louis,
You can spend big money or little money and come up with the same or near so results. You cannot go wrong with good manufactured engines and sometimes these coming straight from the manufacture ready to go with this DCC already in them is Great. But like everyone else I started with inexpensive cheap starter type stuff as a kid and some wore out over the years and some even if I get them back up to speed will never perform like I want now. But 25 dollars for a Box car (or more) ready to roll is too expensive for my fleet The 5.00 kits are almost gone. I look at the smaller train shows for used cars and sometimes an engine to fill my needs. I like working on them to get them up to speed. But things like a Walthers Amtrak Superliner that you can get for 85.00 or more is quite out of line considering what you get. I can go to a train show, Find a used car, maybe replace the wheel trucks and usually the couplers for far less that that new car. If you look at the new cars, for that money you still get the cheap coupler that will not last. If I am going to pay these new prices I expect some bells and whistles on them and not junk like they do with the couplers as an example to make their profit line better.
I have been going through my fleet of inexpensive cars, cabooses and the like and looking at what all it would take to bring a good looking Tyco or Bachman up to speed. I am getting pretty good at it. Refitting mounted coupler boxes instead of truck mounted, Replacing trucks and the way they are mounted. Yes they all still need some detail work but that will come later. I have collected good Athearn engines among others over the years and other than cleaning and lubing them up they are still great engines. So as I get a few Dollars I will convert the engine to DCC that I run now. No Reason to give up on those good engines. Even some cheaper engines such as the Hogwarts express and yes Thomas will be getting the Chip installed in them. Until then they run on my portable layout at train shows. As long as the engine performs good it will perform under DCC.
To show you how much things have changed over the years, Kits such as Wood kits are almost non existant and several times I have come home with that 40 year old kit that was never put together. Well that kit can compute to a second or third kit by following the instructions and replenishing the would to build multiple cars.
My favorite thing is that what I do to fix these up I can call it my work even if the original was not. I fixed that or I built that and none of them are not hard. Even doing the higher end detailing can be easy once you get the practice. I even found some old Comic-Com cars that were put out in cheap sets years ago, you know Superman, Batman and Super Woman. I found them in some stuff some neighbor gave me years ago and I just boxed away and didn’t know they were there. They are now on the bench starting a refit of wheels trucks, body mounted couplers as I write this. A little cleaning and they will be with the best of my fleet. So eat you Heart out Sheldon Cooper on the Big Bang Theory Show. I have a Comic-Con train and he doesn’t. (Yes only 2 cars at the moment) The plans now will be a place to deliver these cars and a small Comic-Con Festival from time to time on the layout might be just the place. Can’t wait for that.
To date I have not resold these fixer-uppers. I am using them for my own fleet. Even if I did I would have to sell them for a lot just because of my time. Then I wouldn’t have time for my own. But I have been going through the old stuff and fixing it up and will give some youngster and family a small starter set and just maybe they will get the bug and become Great Model Railroaders too.
This is real model railroading by doing as much of it you can with your own work.
Newman
Well I just had to bring up one more thing on this, As I finished the note above I received an email form an On Line Model Railroad Store that always says they have good Prices. Well beg to differ with them but, A similar passenger car I told you about, the one in this email just happens to top out over 100. dollars.Plus shipping Yikes!!!s
They even sell well how shall I say pre-order items like engines. (They don’t even make the engines till they have all the orders in. And you get to wait for it. They do not make enough to hit your hobby store shelves. That way they can keep the price up and sell it as a limited run item. Hey, to tell you the truth even if I were to want to purchase it I would want to see that engine perform first. I would also like to see how my buddies like the engine. There was just an engine on there recently HO Scale listed at 700.00 (well 699.99 but who is counting. They had it on sale for 599.99 plus shipping and for that you get to wait for it to be made. I had wrote the online store and told him he was out of line for selling something like that at such a high price. It had better have everything on it including the kitchen sink. Well I got back on the email and found that for that price I still get to add the smoke system, I still get that cheap coupler that is going to break and will need to replace it. So I just wanted to reinforce how simple things of finding used stuff and fixing them up with quality parts as I do make Model Railroading a Hobby I like. Keeping in budget makes a happy wife and I get to keep working on my trains…… Happy Railroading Everyone, Newman.
I had trains as a kid. I know I am starting over. I have been buying some new track, but have bought hundred of pieces on e-bay. Even some engines and rolling stock. Building Kits as well. I have set up an L-Shape that is 36′ long and just now laying all the track out. Not all the e-bay stuff is in great shape, but you sure can get alot for a little money.
I did a lot of research for my layout and got got great help from a couple of local experts and have also gone through some trial and error. Train sets are for younger beginners, not the best quality although Walthers train line is decent. Walthers is a good place to shop for train needs. Personally I like Broadway Ltd and Atherns for quality, detail, and performance in my locos. Good deals can be gotten from Factory Direct Trains or Broadway Ltd refurbished site (MY opinion). Most local hobby shops can’t compete with on line sites price wise. Do your homework, ask questions ,atten some train shows if possible, and good luck.