[MartyE2]

I have been doing some reseach on model trains and found this forum. Having worked primarily is z scale off and on these past 10 years I want to go with a larger scale in the n to O range. What manufacturers do you folks consider to be the best at realism (detail) and quality (fit, finish)?

 

[tankist]

so which scale did you decide to go with?

i do HO. i have athearn cars mostly and some walthers . for engines i have atheran RTR (+1 genesis) and Spectrum
imho detail is very good.

 

[MartyE2]

I have not decided yet what scale I want to go with. I am leaning towards n, but having played with z scale I thought perhaps larger might be interesting like HO of O. I thought about Lionel, but I am not sure I like the three track configuration. A friend suggested Bachmann, but I heard, they were not that great if a train. Please do not hesitate to disagree with my statement as it was something I heard and know nothing myself of Bachmann's quality. One of the reasons I asked my question is to find out what you folks consider to be the best manufacturers out there. From there I can begin to look over those manufacturers and decide which scale and model to start building from.

 

[tankist]

scale is very personal choice and as such there is no right or wrong.
with my space constraints N would have been the perfect choice, but i just couldn't bring myself to like it - way to small for my taste. if the 'old school O' 3 track is a killer for you , they do have 2 track as well, just not as widespread.

almost every manufacturer has high end and low end items.
bachmann is ok. their spectrum line is nice.
athearn RTR is nice out of the box. their high end Genesis line is simply amazing, but you get to pay 30 a car and over 100 per engine. and i find that that level of detail is quite fragile .
then there is Kato. Proto2000 line of walthers, and on.

 

[Reckers]

I do S scale American Flyer; for that genre, I consider the 1950's era the cream of the crop. Detail is very good, and modern track is more realistic than the original stuff I use. That said, I would not recommend it unless your pockets are deep---figure $25 per car for average rolling stock, $50-$75 for more rare. Locomotives from the steam era and running on ac are as cheap as $30 plus shipping for a steal on Ebay; on the other hand, there's a switcher engine on there right now for a starting price of $450, with no takers.
Pre-WW2 is referred to as pre-war; I regard it as nice, but a bit primitive. It's generally cheaper. Post 1950's showed a significant drop in detail and visual quality as the company changed hands, went thru bankruptcy, etc. I don't have any of that, so I can't address functional quality. It's just as pricey as the older stuff---I guess the sellers think that age= value. Best of luck!

 

[Russ]

MartyE

I recommend Bachmann trains. Whether you are using an O-scale train track or an N-scale track, Bachmann has great trains and locomotives available to place and run on your track.

These trains are some of the most detailed and accurate you can find from any manufacturer, with the attention to details being incredible, which makes them so popular.

Good luck

 

[tankist]

MartyE

I recommend Bachmann trains. Whether you are using an O-scale train track or an N-scale track, Bachmann has great trains and locomotives available to place and run on your track.

These trains are some of the most detailed and accurate you can find from any manufacturer, with the attention to details being incredible, which makes them so popular.

Good luck

?

you saying things like "most detailed and accurate " makes me question if you seen offerings of those 'other manufacturers. bachmann is ok, bachmann spectrum is nice, but there are even better models.

or is it a pretext to a nice long flamewar? :laugh:

 

[T-Man]

O scale is also in two rails. Reseach Hi Railers. Most Lionel is under true O scale with knuckles larger than scale. In true O scale the boxcars are higher. They model true to form and can be also refered to as rivet counters.

 

[MacDaddy55]

Choices..so many Choices!

Yeah...the choice is all yours and it's our job to confuse the heck out of you:laugh::laugh:! For price,space available,and prospects of addition...HO is the most reasonable and popular. Athearn & it's Genesis line are outstanding along with Atlas,Walthers,IHC/MEHANO,Bachmann,Life-Like(Walthers purchased LL:thumbsup. We started with a LL and Bachmann Train Set 15 years ago and the engines still run as well, if not better than when first purchased. As you get further into this hobby you will notice a distinct difference in Detail/Quality. Don't get me wrong, Bachmann does good work...but, take a walk through your Hobby Shop and compare Engines,Rolling Stock,acessories even Track. There IS a difference. Just getting there is half the Fun. So whatever scale you decide you have entered a fun and exciting world(especially if you have Kids). Good luck and happy hobbying:thumbsup::thumbsup: