Atlas, Kato and other...

[electrolove]

I used a Atlas train (Rio Grande S-2) many years ago and was very impressed with the quality.

What are the best running trains today in H0 scale? I have heard a lot about Kato, but I have never tried myself. I have tried Athern but was not impressed when I compared it to the Atlas S-2. Are there other manufacturers as well with the Atlas quality?

[rrinker]

Athearn Genesis are right up there. As are Proto 2000 and some of the Bachmann SPectrum locos.

--Randy

[bpickering]

QUOTE: Originally posted by electrolove
What are the best running trains today in H0 scale?

I've got the following very smooth/quiet units:

Lionell Veranda Turbine- smooth (albeit not very quiet with the turbine blowing full-volume! [:D])
BLI E-7A/B- likewise
(both are very quiet with the sound turned down... but I only do that when the little boy is asleep, otherwise he wants to hear the motive power, horn, and bells).

Atlas C30-7 & H16-44- smooth & quiet
Proto 1000 Erie-Built & C-Liner- smooth & quiet
Proto 2000 E-6 & S-2(? can't remember)- smooth & quiet

A couple of AHM cheapies (for the four-year-old to run less-supervised) are surprisingly good- not up to the quality of the above-listed, obviously, but what do you expect for a quarter the list price?

No Athearn Genesis, but the two Athearn blue-box specials I've got are quite loud (i.e., louder than the AHMs). My Bachmann Spectrum Doodlebug is also loud. I'll need to do some tuning and cleaning before I consider adding sound to them- won't be worthwhile otherwise.

Brian "Can you hear me now?" Pickering

[dacort]

I have quite a few Katos and they are all very smooth, quiet runners. I've had some of them for more than ten years and they are as good now as when they were new. I have a couple Athearn Genesis and one Proto 2000 and they are also excellent. The older blue box Athearns can be great runners, too, with some tinkering.

[Anonymous]

A friend at work just received his Trix (Marklin) UP Big Boy. It runs very smoothly, and the only sounds you hear are the ones you're supposed to hear. The included sound decoder provides some pretty awesome sound. This is one of the finest models I've ever seen or heard.

Other locomotives that I have seen that are smooth running & quiet (unless sound equipped) are many in the Proto 2000 line (I have two new GP60s that are very quiet), Atlas, Kato and Stewart Hobbies (at least those with the Kato drive mechanism). From what I've heard of Broadway Limited, they also fall into this category, although I have not seen them run yet.

My old Athearn Blue Box locomotives are a little bit noisier, as are my IHC steamers.

-Joe

[rrinker]

The only Broadway I've heard that I DIDN'T like is the SD40-2. The mechanism is oddly loud. All their other locos I have heard are GREAT. The M1A is without a dount the quiestest and smoothest running steam loco I have ever seen (if you mute the sounds [:D]).

And how did I forget Stewart, I have two of them. Also VERY nice. The F-7 has a Kato-style drive but with a Buhler motor, and the DS4-4-1000 has a 'typical' diesel drive with a Canon can motor - that one draws a measures .1 amps running on 12v DC, I could run 25 of those suckers on my Zephyr system.

--Randy

[Anonymous]

kato,kato,kato

[CBQ_Guy]

My list:

Kato
Atlas
Stewart
Proto 2000 AND 1000

...and to a lesser extent . . .

Bachmann's ?? line (which I can't recall the name of, NOT all Bachmann locos.)
Walthers "Train Line"

This personal list is based on "best running", not necessarily prototype fidelity. I have no experience yet with the Athearn "Genesis" locos but constantly read good reports on them.