Favorite model railroad company

[Anonymous]

I voted LGB, for two reasons: quality and availability. No other brand is as widely available over here as LGB, and importing per mail order is extremely expensive.

[Anonymous]

With little experience of buying anything related to garden railways I will have to put my vote for IP Engineering.

Who? Well, if you mentaly just asked that question then why not check out their website at http://www.ipengineering.co.uk/

This may be a familiar company to many but nevertheless...they deserve a mention.

I got two kits for Christmas, a deluxe chassis (from my lovely wife) and a closed goods wagon (from my brother in the UK). The kits are very well presented with all the hard work done for you. That makes a change! These are mainly for 16mm (SM32) as they are a bit on the large side.

Regards, Matthew.

[Gary Crawley]

QUOTE: Originally posted by grandpopswalt

I love Bachmann. No question the best value out there. True to scale, quite reliable and very reasonably priced, in other words a good value.

Walt

I totally agree Walt

I also voted Bachmann

Just received my 2-8-0 connie in 1:20.3 , what a fantastic loco, I couldn't believe how large it actually is.

Regards
Gary.

[grandpopswalt]

Matt,

Have you considered bashing a B'mann coach up to 1:20.3 dimensions? Mine is almost finished and in my opinion is going to look pretty good. If it turns out decent I'll take the time to figure out how to post photos and let you take a look.

Walt

[Anonymous]

Aristocraft for me, nice sales if a person is willing to wait at times.

mikadousrp

[grandpopswalt]

I love Bachmann. No question the best value out there. True to scale, quite reliable and very reasonably priced, in other words a good value.

Walt

[piercedan]

I voted for LGB as I have found they have great support for broken/missnig items, great running locos, and very robust cars that will survive being mishandled. I am very pleased with LGB's support of older/used equipment that I have had to get parts for.

[markperr]

I think this roller coaster is about to go over the first hill. Everybody hang on, it's gonna be a fun ride. My personal favorite? AritsoCraft. But that's me. Every time I look at my profile in the mirror, I realize that I am a little larger that scale size. I have that in common with AritsoCraft, since their a little oversized. Yep, me and AritsoCraft. Oversized.

Mark

[Curmudgeon]

" Plus, Mike's such a swell guy."

Plus, a genius. If you don't believe that, just ask him, he'll tell ya.

[FJ and G]

I'd have to say MTH. They make a kick-a DCS for use in O, G and even HO (I think). Plus, Mike's such a swell guy. [:D]

[jasher817]

Had to go with the Aristo Craft, primarily for the "Prime Mover" innovation.[8D] I think there should have been the " Heinz 57 "[;)][:0] option because all of the have there Pluses & Minis[}:)][}:)]

[RhB_HJ]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Curmudgeon
.......................................

For metre gauge in 1:22.5, they're great.
If I was modeling euro lines, I'd probably be in the market.
Prior to deciding on US 3' narrow, I looked at all the possibilities.

I'd guess 1/4 of my rolling stock is LGB, 4 locos out of 17 are LGB, so that's about 1/4 there.
Yes, they are reliable.
But:
Every one has had the motors change at least once.
To their credit, they have parts readily available.

Every manufacturer has their plusses and minuses (like some only do 1:29, which I challenge you to find a way to work in 4' 8-1/2" gauge for), some have nebulous scale fidelity, some have engines in 1:20, but rolling stock in 1:22.5, some have many locomotives, most it seems built on flatcars.

Dave,

On the 1:22.5 scale.... yes, don't I wish LGB would know what IIm means!![}:)][:)][:)]. Some of the stuff is so out of scale it can't even be used for bashing.
But since they are a TOY company - slowly, slowly morphing into a quasi scale mfg - there is plenty of room to improve and a lot more time to do "LGB bashing" (the method of taking an LGB item and by chopping, slicing, splicing and glueing making it into a scale item. What did you think "LGB bashing" meant?? [;)][}:)][}:)][;)] ).
Gone are the days when LGB actually mentioned "scale" in a direct fashion in their catalogue. I guess there were enough of us who really questioned that practice as being "false advertising". [:)][8D][:)]

[Curmudgeon]

Quality nothwithstanding, I have an issue or two with cast-on grabirons, diesels that are 3 different scales, depending upon where you measure them, sound systems installed for sometimes twice what a good aftermarket sound costs, at sometimes 10 times the space volume, and you can't "real-time" them.
Just about every engine I have had seems needs something to take away the gari***oy aspect.
HUGE and brightly brass-plated injector lines. Stainless air lines across the top.
Odd.

My biggest problem with any manufacturer is personnel and management, followed closely by appearance and adherence to scale.

Chalie Ro seems to be willing to work with you to get a problem fixed. I've done a couple of things with him.
Bachmann, while somewhat slow due primarily to their wholly-owned subsidiary status, also get the problems fixed.
There are others that you can lead to water, but boy, you can't even get their noses wet.
There are things I see, people I know, that cause me to not purchase those product lines any longer.
There are two right now I no longer purchase.
I suppose if they had something I really needed, I might, but if the scale is wrong and I see things that I have problems with, then that's it.

For metre gauge in 1:22.5, they're great.
If I was modeling euro lines, I'd probably be in the market.
Prior to deciding on US 3' narrow, I looked at all the possibilities.

I'd guess 1/4 of my rolling stock is LGB, 4 locos out of 17 are LGB, so that's about 1/4 there.
Yes, they are reliable.
But:
Every one has had the motors change at least once.
To their credit, they have parts readily available.

Every manufacturer has their plusses and minuses (like some only do 1:29, which I challenge you to find a way to work in 4' 8-1/2" gauge for), some have nebulous scale fidelity, some have engines in 1:20, but rolling stock in 1:22.5, some have many locomotives, most it seems built on flatcars.

[emipapa]

I voted for LGB because of the quality of there product.
Ron

[RhB_HJ]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Torby

Na... I'm not going to get mixed up in this one[:I]

Isn't it fun how these ancient threads come to life again???[;)][}:)][}:)][;)]

Of course I have a few suggestions as to the companies which should be added to that poll. [:)][:p][:D][:D]

[Tom The Brat]

Na... I'm not going to get mixed up in this one[:I]

[hobbyfossi201]

I have LGB and Bachmann Locos and cars, and from my point of view LGB´s quality is much better and more reliable for lifetime-runs. OK, there are also some negative points like scale and price, but nevertheless LGB will be the first choice in future, too.
Kind regards
Klaus

[081440]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Puckdropper

While I am partial to Aristocraft track and LGB's service, my favorite model railroad company has to be the little guys running the hobby shops. These are the guys who are most important to my enjoyment of the hobby, as without them I couldn't get that $2 jar of paint, the ONE piece of track I need, or just browse and dream.

Without them I would never have gotten started!!!!

[081440]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Curmudgeon

Odd that you would choose a company that regards adherence to scale as secondary, and one who chooses 1:20.3 for correct 3 foot narrow gauge.
Very strange.

1:20.3 for outside all year long. While the LGB is more of a collection and set up through the living room each Christmas. Very Strange indeed, I like to be different.[:)][:D]

[RhB_HJ]

The one(s) who know(s) what IIm (1:22.5 on 45mm track) means i.e. it is "to scale"; as opposed to "approximately to scale". [;)][:)][;)]

[Anonymous]

The one who makes AFFORDABLE 1:20.3 passenger cars first!

[Puckdropper]

While I am partial to Aristocraft track and LGB's service, my favorite model railroad company has to be the little guys running the hobby shops. These are the guys who are most important to my enjoyment of the hobby, as without them I couldn't get that $2 jar of paint, the ONE piece of track I need, or just browse and dream.

[vsmith]

Another Lazarus topic, raised from the dead topics grave...

My favorite is which ever one I happen to be running.

[Curmudgeon]

Odd that you would choose a company that regards adherence to scale as secondary, and one who chooses 1:20.3 for correct 3 foot narrow gauge.
Very strange.

[081440]

I have now purchased an Accucraft Live steamer and am quite happy with it, might have to split my vote between LGB and Accucraft.

[Anonymous]

Get the most for you money with Aristo. Just compare there passenger cars, the Aristo ones are cheaper than the LGB ones and have better detail. Compare the FA-1 and F7 (I think). The quality of the aristo thing is almost as good as the LGB, but you can get a new FA-1 for 170 with a caboose. Its 400 for the FA-1 alone.

[Curmudgeon]

You didn't even come close to mentioning my favorite.
ScaleCraft.
Followed by Lobaugh.
Westbrook is in there, but not near the top.
Athearn made some good "0" scale stuff, still have some. Excellent trucks.
Worst, by far, was Walthers.
TOC

[Anonymous]

OTHER? Carpenter Matt's rolling stock? It's all I got, no loco's to compare[V]

[Anonymous]

Well there is not all the above cause I would consider any that made one that I wanted in G Scale [:D]

Like I have this guy wants to sell me a new LGB Tanker for 75.00 he is in the pond business and I think he wants me abord for the trains and a nother guy wants to sell me a MTH tanker for 86.00.

Oh well.........