1900 - 1950 engines

[Anonymous]

As I said in the other forum, I'm just getting back into the hobby after 35 years. A lot has changed.

As with all hobbies you approach the point of diminishing returns quickly. In other words, to get the last 5% of detail you pay 100-300% more in price.

Considering the accuracy and detail without breaking the bank of a retiree which company sells the best engines without going over the top on the budget? I'm looking for rolling stock say 1900-1950. Also interested in kit cars. I prefer to build rather than buy. I get more out of building than actually running.

Opps, forgot, HO scale

Thanks for your response.

Darrell

[Hudsonmike]

Ok Darrell; I am also a retireee . but I have found that for the era that we both model
and the engines that are out there I found and prefer Bowser over all the rest, I have 72 engines and the best running ones are Bowser. I always buy kits so I can fine tune them myself. I do have two Bachmans Niagras which I had to replace the drives with
Bowser replacements just because the axles kept breaking.
I have over 400 hundread pieces of rolling stock and the ones I like best are the ones
I scratched built, again for the same reason you mention about Detail.
It seems that I am always cutting off grab irons and step rungs ( the ones that didn't break off ) and replacing them with metal ones.
and As far as the kit cars go, It doen't bother me because I'll always rework them anyway.
so buy cheap ones and have a ball.
Remember the name of this hobby is relax and have fun.
I model the NYC pre 1957 era.
I don't get to come on here to often so If you like E-Mail me and we can talk.
Mike

[orsonroy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by oceanbear

As I said in the other forum, I'm just getting back into the hobby after 35 years. A lot has changed.
As with all hobbies you approach the point of diminishing returns quickly. In other words, to get the last 5% of detail you pay 100-300% more in price.

Not true at all. Back in the bad old days, an Athearn 40' box cost $4, while a McKean 40' box cost $9. Just over twice the price for 1000 times the accuracy. Today, a Bowser USRTA light Mikado costs $185 for a poor-running kit, while a BLI USRA light costs $175, RTR with better detailing and onboard DCC and sound. You get 10,000 times more model for less money.

QUOTE:
Considering the accuracy and detail without breaking the bank of a retiree which company sells the best engines without going over the top on the budget?

Bachmann's Spectrum line of steam, Proto 2000's line of diesels, and some of BLI's steam. Look for them on sale (use Trainworld as a guide; they generally have the best prices). Top of the line would be Atlas, Kato and some other BLI, as well as Proto 2000 steam.

QUOTE:
I'm looking for rolling stock say 1900-1950. Also interested in kit cars. I prefer to build rather than buy. I get more out of building than actually running.

That's a HUGE time difference Darrell. In 1900, there were still some 28' all wood boxcars running around. By 1950, 65' mill gons were relatively common.

If you want the old Athearn shake the box kits, they're mostly gone. But they've been replaced by Accurail and Bowser. If you're truly into building REAL kits, start looking at resin freight car kits by Westerfield, Sunshine, Funaro & Carmelengo, Sylvan, and Wright Track, at the wood caboose kits by AMB, and by the "craftsman plastic" Tichy kits.

[ndbprr]

a Bowser USRTA light Mikado costs $185 for a poor-running kit,

Not if you take your time and have pride in what you are doing. If you are of the I have to have it today crowd then stay away from them.

[pcarrell]

Darrell,

You didn't mention what scale. Z, N, HO, S, O, ?

[twcenterprises]

Look again, he said HO scale?

Brad

[pcarrell]

QUOTE: Originally posted by twcenterprises

Look again, he said HO scale?

Brad

He added that after I posted.

[Anonymous]

Darrell:

Bowser is good for detail and fine running if you're willing to take the time and assemble them the way you should -- there's an almost endless variety there for Pennsy engines and a handful USRA types. You can also hire one of half a dozens guys that will custom build exactly what you want from Bowser kits and they will make you happy.

These same rebuilders can take a Rivarossi and make it a respectable model. For the $90 cost of a Rivarossi Heavy 4-6-2 and shipping, I had one gentleman completely redetail it for the Erie and the model is 95 percent what you can see and 90 percent when you turn it over. My total cost, purchase price to detailing was about $750.

That gave me a satisfying model to start eyeballing everytime I start a new project. It gives me something to look up to and beat one of these days.

Bachman is all plastic and pretty good on detail, but mostly made in China. Broadway Limited are die-cast with nearly all the bells and whistles you can find in Steam Locomotive Cyclopedia drawings. But they're not date specific.
It all depends on how anal retentive you are.
I recommend making sure your steam models have a metal frame/chassie ... old timers swear by them that they'll last longer, be easier to repair and cost you less heartache in the long run.

I also endorse orsonroy's sentiment for really good resin kits, Furnaro and Camerlengo and the like. Don't forget, you might also like wood kits, check out Ye Olde Huff and Puff and LaBelle Woodworkers models ... or something like that. They're good kits at reasonable prices.

For stand-by easy knock-off I really like Accurail in freight. They are cheap, accurate, easy to assemble, easy to weather, easy to modify prototypically and they're made in the USA... Bowser too, but they're mostly ready to run.

Good luck and welcome back.
SMS

[orsonroy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ndbprr

a Bowser USRTA light Mikado costs $185 for a poor-running kit,

Not if you take your time and have pride in what you are doing.

And not if you have access to Fauhaber can motors, DOW delrin chain sprocket gears and drives, and a Bridgeport lathe to square up the Bowser frame.

The Bowser USRA 2-8-2 is a poor model; it's not even a real USRA engine (the cab is wrong, the valve gear is wrong, half the superdetailing parts are wrong, the tender is wrong). With what it takes to create a "real" USRA model out of it, I can crank out a superdetailed USRA light Mike that runs better, looks as good, and has SOUND, all for less time and money. I've got a BLI light Mike on the workbench now, turning it into NKP 624, circa 1950 (not "an NKP Mike", but a specific engine in a specific year); it'll blow away any Bowser you send my way.

QUOTE:
If you are of the I have to have it today crowd then stay away from them.

Or, if you're a member, of the "I want a quality engine that doesn't require 100 hours worth of work" crowd.

I'm not against modelers who want to build steam kits. Far from it; I've built them myself. BUT...when the choice is a stock kit that's less than stellar or an RTR engine that's a near-perfect starting point for superdetailing, the RTR wins every time. The point for me is to get good running, good looking, prototype-close steam running on a layout in the least amount of time, without breaking the bank. Good RTR plastic steam allows me to get there.

[selector]

BLI locomotives, except for the Platinum Series Die-cast K4s, are all plastic bodied, contrary to what was said above. Their frames are metal die-cast, but the boilers anc cabs are plastic. Many add-on features are metal.

This debate comes down to what of the model railroading experience do I want for myself? Do I want to build kits, and to do the research required to get the detailing right, or do I want pretty good enough and get running trains already? The IHC locomotives are notorious for being poor followers of their prototype conventions, but they run well. They can cost as much as, even more than, a Spectrum steamer, and the Spectrum is decidedly better all around...almost always.

They are somewhat pricier, but the Life Like (now Walthers) Proto 2000 Heritage Steam series engines are the best of the sub-$250 locos, and even come close to some brass in terms of accuracy. Unfortunately, they are also light on their feet, and cannot pull as many cars as their competitors' models.

-Crandell

[Anonymous]

I googled for Funaro & Carmelengo!!

Who sells the kits? I found lots of references but most right back to this forum or to Atlas forum. No dealers popped up!

Oh, and by the way, many thanks for all the responses. Since I've been out of the hobby longer then some of you have been alive the vital information is very much appreciated.

Darrell

[Anonymous]

Darrell:

Try this url: http://www.fandckits.com/Index.html

Randy

[orsonroy]

BC Enterprises sells F&C kits at a steep discount. They also have several on Ebay auctions:
http://www.bcenterpriseinc.com/

I've bought the bulk of my 50 or so F&C kits from BC; they're a great little company to deal with!

[TakeFive]

Late to the party myself, I just started purchasing some steam engines last August. I started with Athearn Genesis and progressed to Broadway Limited, Bachmann and Proto 2000. In bang for the buck, Bachmann is hard to beat. If you want a specific engine, Rivarossi/AHM has some that no other (except brass) maker has, but they suffer from the well-know Rivarossi drawbacks. Big wheel flanges, generic prototypes that may have never even existed, poor running, etc. That being said, I do have a Rivarossi Allegheny on order. I hope it lives up to better expectations. Another model maker that has ups and downs is Mantua. I have a nice 2-6-6-2 logger, and a horrible 0-4-0 shifter from them. This site has helped me make some buying decisions:

http://railroad.union.rpi.edu/article.php?article=1524

Click on the manufacturer and get some good model information.

The most important thing I've learned so far is that brass is the only venue that has everything you want in terms of a specific engine, wheel configuration, detailing, etc. BUT it costs a LOT of money that we retirees have far to little of to start with. Since your original post is almost a year old, how about an update on your progress?

[Texas Zepher]

? I'm looking for rolling stock say 1900-1950.

There is a huge difference in freight cars from the beginning of that period to the end.   It includes all the USRA WWI stuff, and all the "modern" steel stuff applearing after WWII. 

I haven't seen anyone mention Accurail.  They make some really cool looking outside braced box cars.   Watch for announcements of runs of Athearn blue box (almost not a kit) wood side box and reefer cars.  The Proto-2000 8000 gallon tank cars are great for that time period but expensive unless you get the kits which I picked up for $5 each on clearance sales.   Lots of companies have made the 50 ton USRA hopper cars both RTR and kits.

P.S.  Wow, I just noticed this thread really got pulled up from a long time ago.   

[marknewton]

Not if you take your time and have pride in what you are doing. If you are of the I have to have it today crowd then stay away from them.

You're joking, yeah? Ray's a true craftsman - his engines are amongst the best I've ever seen for detail *and* accuracy. The poor old Bowser kits can't compete with what he's built.

[Anonymous]

 .......I'm looking for rolling stock say 1900-1950. Also interested in kit cars.  Darrell....

Hello, Everybody

Maybe, You try with Branchline Blueprint kits? They are, like a Kadee in look (they have see-through runing boards, air hoses, cat levers separately mounting grab irons etc.)