Hello all! I'm new to the forum, so understand if this topic has been hashed out before. Anyways, I am looking for a nice locomotive or two that will be used for display. I don't have the room or money to have a full layout at this time, as I am currently in college. But, I would really like to display a couple of my favorite locomotives in my room. Ultimately, I would like to find either one O scale or two HO scale locos that are either an EMD sd70ace or GE ES44 or ET44.
I have looked in to MTH O scale locos, which do come in a dummy varient that helps get the cost down. Are the dummies made to the same detail standards as the powered units?
It would be best if the locos were dummies to reduce the cost and O scale would be prefered, assuming they have good details and are dimensionally accurate. If anyone could help by suggesting a company or specific model, I would be very grateful!
I'm mostly looking for the most cost effective way to get some nicely detailed shelf models to look at in my room while I slave over my homework!!
Thanks!
Are you buying these locos with the intent of having a layout to run eventually? If so, I would recommend you do not get dummies. Depending on how much detail you crave will balance out how much you spend. You can get nice ho scale gevo models from scaletrains without sound in rivet counter or operator versions. I would say that you should be prepared to spent AT LEAST $150 to get what you want, regardless of scale...
I'm beginning to realize that Windows 10 and sound decoders have a lot in common. There are so many things you have to change in order to get them to work the way you want.
I think you’re right that dummies may not be the way to go. I would like to have a layout in the future, though it may be 5+ years until then.
Depending what road name ES44's you want, Tower55, which was an offshoot from the Overland brass models, did nice UP flag units and BNSF units by Ajin in South Korea.
Silly NT's, I have Asperger's Syndrome
Thanks for the reply. My preferred road names are in fact UP and BNS. So, I’ll go check those ones out
DavidB I don't have the room or money to have a full layout at this time, as I am currently in college. But, I would really like to display a couple of my favorite locomotives in my room.
I went to college. Study hard and pick a major that will get you a job. Microsoft doesn't hire a lot of philosophers.
Tyco is what you want, buy a few. The guys in your dorm will come in your room and play keep away and catch with your loco. When it bounces off the cinder block wall, you can pull a spare out of the drawer.
In four years, you will get a decent job; you can ditch the Old Milwaukee, Boone's Farm and Tyco, for craft beer, a good cabernet and a Scale Trains Rivet Counter loco.
And I am absolutely being serious.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
You know... as somebody who is currently a college student myself... no I never had any roommates play keep away with my stuff. I had plenty of Lego displays rotating through my last dormroom and my roomate and nobody else in the dorm messed with it. Then again that really all depends on the level of trust you have with your roommates. I could probably put a ScaleTrains Rivet counter or some Athearn Challenger onto a shelf with my last dormmates and it would have been fine, they wouldn't touch it or break it or steal it. The ones I had prior? Well they seemed to be in desperate need for drug money ... I wouldn't have wanted anything to valuable sitting around them for to long since I fear it would have grown legs and walked away. My recommendation? Buy one nice Athearn, Walthers, MTH or ScaleTrains unit and get a small display case for it (No offense intended, but when did Tyco ever make a SD70M or a GS ES44? I'd rather say put the money into one quality product DCC and all that can be kept for future use instead of buying one trash unit to only be thrown out after college)... then leave it at home. At least until you know your roomates a bit more and can trust them to leave that engine alone while your not there. And really that's the key. Are your roomates drunkards, in desprate need for cash for their next fix? Are they womanizers bring in a constant parade of girls to their bedroom, locking you out from your own room and train while they well... you know...? Frat boys willing to toss the ole' pig skin around an indoor room with no concern about damages? Or are they serious students there to get an education who treat school like a job and their roommates like proffesional colleges if not friends? Even a polite sociallite could be dangerous to your collectible if they are the type of guy to leave the door unlocked to ensure anybody can come in and visit anytime (I am not kidding, ALL my roommates always left the door unlocked to allow people to visit anytime. I was the only sane one who seemed to know how a lock worked. Its a miracle we were never robbed).
I don’t have too much to worry about. My roommates are guys I’ve been best friends with for 6 years and would never disrespect my possessions. Furthermore, my room is separate from theirs and locked. So thanks for the attempt at humor
Thanks for the reply. What you’ve said is essentially the conclusion I have drawn. One nice one in a case in a place random people won’t get to.
As I said in a previous reply, I have no worries about roommates because I’ve known mine for 6 years and have a room that I can lock separately.
Thanks
I was in college a decade ago. I tried to buy locomotives for displaying or build one which never happened. I chosen to draw, painting on freight car and locomotives with pictures on railroad paint shop website. I designed my own railway to life which was more easily seating on the computer.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
Here’s an idea that’s a bit pricier but would be something you could use when you start to build. Buy one DCC loco and build a programming track. You’d have to make the initial investment in controls, but you could experiment with loco programming, make the bell ring, move the loco back and forth... If you didn’t want to go into DCC right off, get a DC loco and old used power pack, and build a test track.
Genesee Terminal, freelanced HO in Upstate NY ...hosting Loon Bay Transit Authority and CSX Intermodal. Interchange with CSX (CR)(NYC).
CP/D&H, N scale, somewhere on the Canadian Shield
Welcome to the forum! To answer your question, yes they generally have the same level of detail. But the level of detail will vary depending on the manufacturer and whether it is new or old (used). There is nothing wrong with buying a single non-motorized unit. But if you want to go beyond that, you might want to do some homework about the pros and cons of O and HO scale.
Simon
If you are just looking for an engine to display, how about getting a Revell kit of a UP Big Boy? Assembled and properly painted the kit makes a nice looking engine, doesn´t cost a fortune and is no big loss, should one of your mates at college decide to toss it around!
Revell Big Boy
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
We tend to be somewhat HO-centric here. So guess I'm the first to offer a serious O scale suggestion. How about this bad boy?:
https://shop.atlasrr.com/c-149-0206.aspx
Atlas has lots more choices in O at affordable prices.
Now, the problem when you get into O is what are your power preferences? 3-rail? DC? DCC?
You can put off DC vs DCC, but you should decide going in whather 3-rail (like Lionel) is a factor. You're either into it or not.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
My plan for college is to keep a aluminum Louisville Slugger always within my reach, why? Well if room/dorm mates get outta hand the "Enforcer" will straighten them out.
I'm kidding and serious at the same time.
I keep a LS in reach now at home and we do not have problems with crime! Boy scout motto, BE PREPARED!
I really am dreading having a roommate, I'm hoping to get a pass because of my "condition" aka Aspergers Syndrome, call it a cop out, call me antisocial, but I am the type of person that my room is MY ROOM, and the only person I intend on sharing it with is the girl I marry.
Anyways back to the point of this thread.
Have you considered an shelf switching layout? Something really small, enough to keep your interest but not take a lot of time and dedication.
Steve
If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!
mlehman We tend to be somewhat HO-centric here. So guess I'm the first to offer a serious O scale suggestion. How about this bad boy?: https://shop.atlasrr.com/c-149-0206.aspx Atlas has lots more choices in O at affordable prices. Now, the problem when you get into O is what are your power preferences? 3-rail? DC? DCC? You can put off DC vs DCC, but you should decide going in whather 3-rail (like Lionel) is a factor. You're either into it or not.
NWP SWP My plan for college is to keep a aluminum Louisville Slugger always within my reach, why? Well if room/dorm mates get outta hand the "Enforcer" will straighten them out. I'm kidding and serious at the same time.
Whoa. Hope you don't end up with an unfortunate event due to a case of mistaken identity or a surprise party. *bonk*
I keep a LS in reach now at home and we do not have problems with crime! Boy scout motto, BE PREPARED! I really am dreading having a roommate, I'm hoping to get a pass because of my "condition" aka Aspergers Syndrome, call it a cop out, call me antisocial, but I am the type of person that my room is MY ROOM
I really am dreading having a roommate, I'm hoping to get a pass because of my "condition" aka Aspergers Syndrome, call it a cop out, call me antisocial, but I am the type of person that my room is MY ROOM
I imagine we all want to be special and want a room to ourself - as a freshman at California State University Sacramento I had several roommates during my first year. I would hazard that half the people on this forum are introverts or antisocial in real life, hence a preference for online life. I wonder how many people are considered NT's but really are somewhere on the spectrum and not officially diagnosed. My wifes son who is 24 has never held a job and mostly lives in one or two rooms in the house. He is probably Asbergers but when we got funding to have him evalutated, he blocked us from doing it, which ticked me off because it could have provided funding to get him help. Instead we have to try to make him independant, which my wife is working on but it's slow progress. At least you are ahead of him and probably can work better with the system to get educated and in the work force and independant.
Anywyay, like you, I would've prefered not to have a roommate, but like most schmucks without a free pass, I had to deal with roommates and I did live to tell the tale. Of course if you or parents want to "pay" for a private room, for the extra money, it might be possible. Money tends to open doors.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Rio grande, that's a good one! El Kabong!