Best engines I´ve owned:
Atlas Master Super7MP (dash8-40C-, US model) of FNM (Customized model)
P2K and Kato SD45, I love these flared Radiators!!
Bachmann ( body) /athearn (Chassis) Centennial DDA40X, A excelent Upgrade of this engine, two brand in one locomotive!!
Saludos
Esteban Tonatiuh
I think that the BEST, in terms of giving the most reliable enjoyment over the most years is an LMB brass HO side-tank 2-6-2 that I bought in about 1969. I bought it from Aubrey Olson, who ran a hobby shop in his basement and later went on to develop the Caboose Hobbies line of ground-throws that most of us use. I really wanted to buy a PFM Ma & Pa 2-8-0, but that was something like $42.50 and work bailing hay on the farms only brought me $0.50 an hour so the PFM was just out of reach. The LMB side-tank is apparently actually modeled after a Japanese locomotive (the arched windows on the front of the cab are a give-away), but I added various details to mine to make it look like a backwoods logging locomotive. That thing has run reliably all these years. In the early years of its life, it was used at a club switching layout at the county fair once and was run for hours and hours upon end. Although noisy by today's standards, it still runs nicely.
In terms of more modern offerings, I like my Bachmann HO 3-truck Shay.
And yes, I did eventually get one of those PFM Ma & Pa consolidations and had it re-motored into a fine operator.
Bill
I tried to paste it from the roster but it would take, sorry about that.
Robert Sylvester, WTRR
riogrande5761:
Here is a picture of the ICG GP-38-2, "Casey Jones". It was engine 9600. I found it on the roster. It is at ICG-pictures of locomotives. If you look right under the engine number you can see his name.
My HO Atlas model looks like this.
Having a rather large roster (according to my wife), my favorites are the Kato Santa Fe SD40-2 mid production. In fact, thanks to a couple of hobby shops who keep selling them for $119, I have almost as many as the real Santa Fe had of that model. Not a bad one in the bunch.
Bob
My two Overland NS RP-E4D road slugs. They run very well with their GP-40 counterparts and their unique look always makes for interesting conversation.
Regards,
Todd Arnett
I have a pair of Atlas GP7's that I have that predate my wife, so that is over 25 years. Still run as nice and smooth as the day I got them, on DC. Don't know if they will transition to DCC; don't run enough these days for it to matter.
rriogrande5761:
Went to Atlas web-site. Of course they don't make the 1970's version of the GP-38 anymmore. It was before they changed the detail and added grabirons, uncoupling mechanisms, mu hoses and the like.
They produced the GM&O in 2000-2001; mine is like the Casey Jones ICG version, (orange and white), that actually came to Jackson, Tennesse, somewhere around 1974-1975, give or take; which the ICG painted to commemorate the famous engineer. They put his name on the cab.
I also noticed the price today, $129.95, as I said I paid $35.00.
After I posted it I realized; wrong identity it should be a GP-38. HO (RIGHT), it was a mid seventies run of engines by Atlas. It is still a good runner as I said.
Thanks for the correction. Will take a picture and put it on the thread. Molded detail but still a favorite.
Favorites: Excellent runners
Good runners:
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
robert sylvester JLK: For me, just like Jeffery on the first page of this thread it is from the '70's. I like my Kato's and Proto 2000's but because it was the first serious engine, out side of the more toy like runners of the '60's, It was with great pride that I went to a hobby shop in Memphis and I bought an Atlas GP-35, brand new for $35.00, the orange and white of the ICG. The first time I ran it I was awstruck. I didn't realize that they made an engine that ran so smoothly. I continue to run it today, especially after I have put down new track, for some reason I really trust this engine more so that any other. It was purchased it 1977; thirty-four years and it still runs great today. All I do is oil it, keep the wheels clean, other wise I don't touch a thing. If it works leave it alone, just general maintanence. Robert Sylvester, WTRR
JLK:
For me, just like Jeffery on the first page of this thread it is from the '70's. I like my Kato's and Proto 2000's but because it was the first serious engine, out side of the more toy like runners of the '60's, It was with great pride that I went to a hobby shop in Memphis and I bought an Atlas GP-35, brand new for $35.00, the orange and white of the ICG. The first time I ran it I was awstruck. I didn't realize that they made an engine that ran so smoothly.
I continue to run it today, especially after I have put down new track, for some reason I really trust this engine more so that any other. It was purchased it 1977; thirty-four years and it still runs great today. All I do is oil it, keep the wheels clean, other wise I don't touch a thing.
If it works leave it alone, just general maintanence.
Since MR forums doesn't have scale sections, we sometimes have to guess what people are talking about, I assume you are talking about N scale as I have never heard of an Atlas HO GP35, even going back to the 1970's.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
For running, KATO chassis loco's are the smoothest - including my GP35's and Stewart/KATO F's.
For looks, my Genesis F's, Atlas GP40's and Athearn tunnel motors are gorgeous with prototypically correct details.
Hopefully, it will be the next one I build or buy. And the one after. I would like to think that I am improving my roster with each acquisition.
Fred W
The best locomotive I have ever owned?
I just pulled up my roster to look:
In addition, I have EMU and DMU in service.
After careful consideration, I can only reach one conclusion - All of the above.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with well-maintained locomotives)
csxns If Kato makes it it is the Best i have ever owned.
If Kato makes it it is the Best i have ever owned.
They do make great stuff, shame they don't make anything I want.
Come think of it, in the big picture, they don't hardly make anything.
And it appears they are loosing what little interest they had in HO.
Sheldon
Kato SD40 and SD45, Atlas U23B
Larry
http://www.youtube.com/user/ClinchValleySD40
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52481330@N05/
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/500/page/1/ppuser/8745/sl/c
Russell
Today it would be my Atlas Trainmaster, silver series with a retrofit QSI decoder
Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum
It's hard pick one "best", and everyone has different ideas about best, best running, best detail, best pulling, but balancing all factors the cream of the crop would be:
Athearn Genesis F units
Bachmann Spectrum USRA Heavy Mountains
Intermountain F units and FP units
Proto2000 USRA 0-8-0
But I can't say there is anything in my current fleet that I am unhappy with (at least now that I rebuilt the two Broadway Mikados), and it includes mostly Spectrum steam, Proto2000 diesels and steam, Intermountain, and just a few BLI/PCM both steam and diesel.
Tied. For smooth running out of the box and no tweaking, my BLI PRR Q2. For being a beast that was dropped 3 feet to a concrete floor and still kept running, my BLI C&O T1. Darn thing is a tank.
That's going to have to be a Kato SD 40-2. About 10 years old now and they just don't come any quieter or smoother.
Jarrell
Ahhhhh, another subjective question for us to discuss!
After updating my HO fleet over the last several years, most all of my locos are terrific runners and fit in with my MR parameters. And, given that the word "best" can be taken many ways, I'll have to split my answers.
My "best" in regards to overall looks and appeal is the BLI ATSF 4-8-4.
My "best" in regards to smoothness is a couple Atlas Kato powered ATSF RSD 4/5s.
My "best" in regards to bringing me back to my childhood is the P2K IC E7 A/A combo.
My "best" in regards to pulling power is a couple of Stewart ATSF FT ABBA lash-ups.
My "best" for switching fun are a couple of Stewart Baldwin ATSF switchers.
My oldest and earliest "best" loco is the Spectrum ATSF 2-8-0 loco.
Yikes, I sure have a lot of "bests", and the truth is the all are pretty special to me.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Proto 2000 GP38-2. For whatever reason these started going for deep discounts so I picked one up. I was a little shocked at how smooth the drive was on it. A year later I picked up another and the same thing. Both are just great runners with zero problems and also have fine details.
I have always loved my MDC Boxcab diesel.
For steam it would be my SHS 2-8-0.
Enjoy
Paul
I'll break it down into steam and diesel.
The best running steam locomotive I ever owned was a United AT&SF 1950 Class 2-8-0.This engine would craw on brass track..
The best running diesel to date has been a Athearn CF7..While all of my locomotives perform quite well none can beat this engine's creep-not even my Atlas locos.I never seen a RTR locomotive to do that straight from the box.
My best N Scale diesel is a Atlas GP9 with their slow speed motor..This one is slower then my other Atlas locomotives equipped with the slo-mo..
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
My Life-Like GM switchers. I've got a couple dozen of them.
Second to them would be my Atlas Alco RS units.
I love how my Atlas NRE 3GS21B runs.. Smooth like budda
That is hard because there are so many that are close...and BEST could mean many things, best looking, best running, best reliablity, best sounding, best deal, best puller, etc.For HO Scale my selection would be from....The original Atlas RS-3 with the Kato drive has to be under consideration.Then there are the original Stewart F3s with the Kato drive.The Atlas Trainmaster.The Oriental Powerhouse 2-4-4-2.A Trix Mikado.BLI 4-8-4.I've got a Bachmann Overland that has the Bowser re-build kit.
I've got a Proto 2000 F7 for GN that is probably the best looking but it is way too slow for a passenger hauller.
Someone else talked about the Proto 2000 2-8-8-2. I have three and none of them can pull much of anything.
I think I am going to have to go with the Stewart F units. I've probably put more time on them than any other unit.