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I own one of the Lionel Challengers, but would not recommend it to anyone. The running qualities leave a lot to be desired and the detail is not accurate, but I like the sound and it is fun to watch it running. My Challenger had to be run on rollers for about ten hours to break it in and the model detail is way below average. The tender is a problem as they cast in a large line vertical running down the middle of both sides where a row of rivets should be. The engine comes with a weight in the tender in addition to the fact it is a cast metal tender and is allready overweight. You can increase the pulling effort of the engine just by removing the tender weight and lubricating the tender axles. Tony's Trains has a good article about improving this engine so it can pull more than eight plastic Passenger cars on a 2% grade. We had one on our club layout when they first came out and it would not pull eight cars up the 2% grade without help. I also have a reservation for one of the Athearn Challengers, but the prices that are quoted are not street prices. I have reserved my Athearn Challenger for $350. If you look at list prices, you might not get the best comparison.
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