athearn engines??? are they good quality?

[Anonymous]

hey everyone!!! i was looking at some engines online and i ran into an engine i really like its a norfolk southern n scale and it is made by athearn. i have heard of them before and i was wondering if they are good quality engines? please write back and thnx for all the help on my other posts!!!

[cacole]

Athearn has always been about the cheapest line of products available in kit form. There are cheaper brands, but Athearn has always been a better product for the price than brands such as LifeLike or Model Power. I have no experience with Athearn N scale, but there are probably more Athearn HO scale locomotives on layouts than any other brand. Athearn motors and drives are reliable, but they are lacking in a lot of the smaller details that the more picky modelers prefer to see on their models.

[Anonymous]

ieth my norfolk runs good but is very loud also the coupler is not very good on my engine
im

[tstage]

Their Genesis series is their best line. I have a 2-8-2 MIke that I've been very happy with.

Tom

[Anonymous]

I have a few Athearn engines they run ok out the box, somewhat noisy ,not to expensive in the price I would suggest that you invest in one.

[Anonymous]

I'f its athrean "GO WITH IT".good luck!

[Anonymous]

I have 2 F units from the genisis line, they are noisey as previously stated, but they also come with wieghts so the get more pull power, i run both of them pulling a dummy and 8 passenger cars, and they run like magic. I would highly recomend Athern for the price range. And whatever you do dont touch life like, cause they are NOT LIFE LIKE.
Good luck!

[Anonymous]

train buff i feel the same way about life like but the only thng i like about them is i bought a csx from the springfield train show in january and i got it for 20$ and i love the thing but i have a rock island and the day i bought it from life like it crapped out so....

[CP5415]

Yes there are more expensive locomotives out there & yes they are nice looking, but Athearn is still the best bang for the buck.

They may tend to run a BIT noisey, but they can haul quite a bit & with a little time & patience, you can have a nicely detailed, quiet locomotive.

Gordon

[Anonymous]

I used to like Athearn. For $25 to $50 they are a fair value. Then I tried a Lifelike and an Atlas for $80 to $100. They look better and run smoother and quieter. I couldn't go back to Athearn after that. Then I tried Broadway Limited. For $200 to $300 they run great and give you sound. If you run more than two of them you start to get a headache and have to turn down the volume. Lately I've noticed F-7's and Mountains on the internet as closeouts for $125 - $150 at Standard Hobby and discounthobbywarehouse.net. You cannot go wrong with them. I also picked up a couple of Rivarossi's. They list for $200 plus. Thank God I only paid about $70 for them as closeouts from Trainworld.com because they suck. They look okay and run marginally at best.

[Anonymous]

For those who don't wi***o spend $200+ on an engine they are very nice. I have recently bought a GP35 from them it's RTR and runs very well. I also bought an SW-100 of of ebay. This engine is i think atleast 15 years old. It still runs almost flawless. They are great eninges.

[Anonymous]

I have almost 20 engines currently and I've gotta say for the money you can't beat them.
I have 2 Genesis Athearns (SD70Macs-both) and they also are great.
Other brands I've got are Proto2000 and Atlas and while they look great and run quieter, I'm not sure I'd say it's worth the extra cash.
I got an undecorated SD40-2 dummy from a show for $15 and have detailed it to be a nice looking HLCX lease unit! Total cost: $25 or so--maybe.

[Medina1128]

Athearn's are good locomotives, as are Atlas. I've also been very happy with Life-Like's higher end units from Proto 1000 and 2000. Walthers Trainline are decent for the price, but a bit noisy, but they do come with directional lighting. If you can pick up some at a decent price, remotoring is an option.