Varney is still being produced but by another company that bought the molds (tyco comes to mind but that may be the wrong company). Very few manufactures have gone away completely, alot are still with us but known by other names. As for the ?, go with Spectrum to start, great detail and cheap on e-bay for DCC ready!
To all: Appreciate the information and the time you took to answer.
Tomikawatt (Chuck): Hayes 1959
1966-1971 Castle Hill 1971- 2011 Co-op City
Again, thanks to all.
Hi traindaddy1, back to the HO hobby.
A few things have been pointed out, and I will agree with them here.
Most everybody has their favorite brand of loco they like and use. {and most are all made in China]
FIrst, I would say your best bet is to decide in advance: steam, diesel or transition? What era you thinking of ? What type of modleing will you do- prototype, proto-lance or freelance? What types of industries do you want on your railroad to determine what RR cars/engines you might run?
Once you figure out those things, you may find it determines what brands you will buy. WHy? because not ALL types/models of locos are produced by ALL manufacturers! If you want a GP7 or GP9, for instance, Bachmann or Athearn may be your first choice. If you want a SD50 or SD60, Athearn may be the only one coming out with them soon, and Bachmann doesn't even offer them. Yet. If you want a Genset diesel, I think Atlas is the only supplier. You get what I am meaning.
Then there is the issue of DCC or not to DCC and go only DC. SOme locos come only DC. SOme locos come DCC Ready. Many locos now come DC AND DCC capable. Some come with a DC jumper and are ready for it to be removed and an 8 or 9 pin plug and play DCC decoder or your choice {or one made to fit it} to be plugged in to convert to DCC. Some come with DCC already installed, such as Bachmann's DCC OnBoard locos. SOund pretty much guarantees you need to go DCC, but that's not the hard fast rule either.
Then there is your price range. If price is no object, then disregard this. If it Is a consideration, you will have to find what fits your budget. For instance, Bachmann has decent running DCC OnBoard diesels at around $50-60, and steamers around $100-120. Other brands may be more expensive. Bachmann's Spectrum line is considered it's cream of the crop and the price is higher than their standard lines. THe Bachmann DCC SOund OnBoard locos come at a higher price also. Others may not touch a Bachmann with a ten-foot pole! MTH and BLI tend towards the higher priced locos. MTH's higher price has NOT guaranteed a "better" "trouble free" "long lasting" product either.
Last, but not least: all the newer knuckle style couplers will play well with each other, How long they last, or how many RR cars you can pull wiht them may be another matter. Avoid the old "horn hook" coupers like the plague, unless you are prepared to change them out. The general consensus is if youhave to change out couplers, go Kadee couplers and save yourself some {more} grief. If you buy old stuff that has Horn hooks, here is a Kadee conversion chart for about everything:
http://www.kadee.com/conv/holist.pdf
Good luck in choosing your locos and your enjoyment of the HO hobby!
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
I can't help on brands, unfortunately. My roster includes Kato, KTM, Tenshodo, Adachi - you get the idea.
Horn hooks can be replaced, and the train-show special + Kadees will often be less expensive than brand-new with Kadee clones, especially if you are willing to settle for less than museum-quality rolling stock.
Somewhat Where in the NE Bronx? I used to live within walking distance of both Pelham Bay Station and Pelham Bay. Now I inhabit a few square meters of the Dessicated Desert in Sin City, about three miles from the nearest casino...
Chuck, (Bronx Science 1955 modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
If you go to your local hobby shop, all you will see are the "survivors" of the model train industry. You won't find any Varney's or Mantua's etc. because they no longer exist. You will go with what is available. Athearn still lives and breathes albeit in a slightly different way (Horizon Hobbies owns them). Mostly all ready to run. Kadee was, is and has been the defacto standard for many years. They were 20 years ago and still are. Walthers has gobbled up scads of former manufacturers. Not necessarily a bad thing, because had it not been for Walthers many brands would have gone the way of the Dinosaur. Pick up a 1" thick Walthers catalog and see for yourself. Unfortunately the model RR industry still exists, such as it is, with promised release dates that never materialize, products that never make it to market etc.
I'm not bitter, just accepting the realities of this hobby. I've only been at this for 55 years or so. Many hi tech items have come down the pike (DCC comes to mind). Maybe if I stick with this hobby another 50 years maybe things will change...............Nah!
joe323 Regrettably a lot of stuff from train shows is horn hook and I pass on that stuff.
Regrettably a lot of stuff from train shows is horn hook and I pass on that stuff.
I know we can tend to be quite spoiled w/ most of the newer offering, but this doesn't mean that "show" stuff w/o Kadees should be a pass. There's a lot of good old Athearn BB, MDC/ Roundhouse, even Accurail, Bowser etc. that can be had. You can always add the Kadee and change the wheelsets. Just need to know what you're looking for.
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org
Joe Staten Island West
traindaddy1Hi! Athearn, Bachmann, Life-like, Mantua, Model, Rivarossi, Tyco, Varney...to name a few. Been out of the H.O. world for awhile. Based on your experience, to start again, in whose direction would you recommend we consider.
Diesels excluding brass at the high end there are the Atlas Masters, Proto-2000, Stewart/Bowser Executive, Intermountain Railway, and Athearn Genesis. If one sticks with the current runs they are high quality in all aspects. Good details, well running, good electronics.
A bit down is the BLI units, and Atlas Silver.
Mid range is the Proto-1000, Atlas Classics, Athearn RTR, Bachmann Spectrum, Stewart/Bowser tradiional. These are fine runners but down on the details. In fact my classic Stewarts I would say are the BEST runners of the bunch.
Then one falls off into the low end with Athearn blue box, Walthers Trainline, Bachman Plus, They run ok and look ok. I have no problem owing, buying, recommending any of these. The Standard Athearn blue box might be the most reliable units ever made.
Then finally is the toy train junk. MRC Regal, Standard Bachmann, Standard Lifelike, Mehano, IHC, and umm.
Steam is a different story. Rolling stock follows a similar pattern. Passenger cars are their own story as well.
There are always exceptions too. I have some early Athearn Genesis that I put in the junk classification. That is why I specified "current run". Other specific units in the lower category deserve a move up, but generalities must be made lest one ends up writing a whole book.
ATLANTIC CENTRAL Virtually everything today comes with Kadee compatable couplers so no problems there. Actual Kadee brand couplers are by far the best, but until you get to pulling long trains, the others will be fine and all work together. Sheldon
Virtually everything today comes with Kadee compatable couplers so no problems there. Actual Kadee brand couplers are by far the best, but until you get to pulling long trains, the others will be fine and all work together.
Sheldon
If he picks up anything secondhand at shows or swap meets there's a good chance that a lot of that older stuff will come with the old style horn-hooks. The horn-hooks and knuckle couplers (like Kadee) are definately not compatible with each other, but in most cases it will be possible to retrofit older cars with Kadees.
Chris van der Heide
My Algoma Central Railway Modeling Blog
Yes, all the plastic couplers are Kadee-compatable, but from personal experience I would not go so far as to say they're OK until you start runnng long trains. On my room-sized layout, I seldom run more than 8 or 9 cars in a train, but I've had numerous failures of non-Kadee couplers, some after as short as a few days of service.
My advice is to run with what comes on the car, but don't be surprised if it fails. If a Kadee fails, tell us all right away because it's one of those rare happenings, like a supernova that visible to the naked eye.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Welcome back to the HO hobby.
There are basiclly two types of couplers in HO, hook horn and knuckle. Most manufacturers have gone away from the older hook horn type, but you will still find them in older kits. Some folks still use them successfully.
Kadee patented a very good knuckle coupler with magnetic uncoupling capacity a number of years ago. Today they make several different models to match various manufacutrers models. In rolling stock, most use the old #5 or newer #148 (whisker coupler - a single piece to put in). They also make scale size head couplers for those interested in being more prototypical. They have a very useful chart at their website that will tell you what type coupler you will need to convert. They have another useful conversion chart for locomotives that even tells you (with drawings) the modifications you need to make to get their coupler to fit.
The Kadee patent ran out some years back and clones have come out. Some are all plastic and if you run long trains, some folks seem to think they give up and need to be replaced. Proto has recently come out with a metal coupler which may prove to stand up to use, more like the Kadees.
All the knuckle couplers are all compatible, so if your car comes with one, you can run it. Many people convert to Kadees before allowing a car on their layout, others wait until they have a failure.. There was an article some years ago on how well they would couple with each other on varring degrees of curves. Avoid coupling on curves if you possibly can.
There is a manufacturer named McHenry. They are similar, but different. I have no experience with them so can't help you there.
Good luck,\
Richard
traindaddy1 First of all, thanks to all for the information. Mr. Beasley brought up a good point when he noted the Kadee couplers. If we were to purchase different makes of rolling stock, are they generally coupler compatible or do we have to anticipate changing the couplers on certain brands? Again, thanks.
First of all, thanks to all for the information.
Mr. Beasley brought up a good point when he noted the Kadee couplers.
If we were to purchase different makes of rolling stock, are they generally coupler compatible or do we have to anticipate changing the couplers on certain brands?
Again, thanks.
The good news is that you don't have to choose. I have motive power from Walthers, Bowser, Bachmann, IHC, Broadway Limiited and Athearn. They are all very good. Similarly, my rolling stock spans an even wider spectrum of manufacturers, and everything plays together well.
The thing that makes this possible is Kadee couplers. They make a wide variety of models that let you mount them on pretty much anything.
Diesel or Steam? I model modern-ish diesel Atlas and Kato are great, the Atlas trainman is less detailed that the Gold Line. Athearn RTR is good for the money, mine have sounded like a blender when new but a little bit of running and they quiet down. Athearn Gensis is good as well, but there have been a few with issues out there, such as the SD70Ace that a few had warped trucks but mine has been trouble free. I dont have MTH or BLM so I cannot comment on them.
cacole Correction: Model Power is producing the old Mantua line, not LifeLike. The new Mantua products have received mixed reviews. LifeLike is now owned by Walthers. Rivarossi is back in business. Varney is long gone. Every brand is made in China.
Correction: Model Power is producing the old Mantua line, not LifeLike. The new Mantua products have received mixed reviews.
LifeLike is now owned by Walthers. Rivarossi is back in business. Varney is long gone. Every brand is made in China.
Rivarossi is part of Hornby and not making a full line of product.
Athearn, Bachmann, Walthers/Proto2000, Atlas, Bowser/Stewart, Intermountain, Accurail - all good product lines.
Some Model Power/Mantua products pretty good, others not so much so.
Pricey but nice locos - MTH and Broadway Limited - be careful about MTH and their special control system.
If you want sound go DCC - learn about DCC before you select a system - "Easy DCC" one of the best in my view.
Several makers now have new "direct radio" control systems as well - these generally have easier to use wireless controllers than DCC.
And there are wireless controllers for regular DC as well.
AFAIK Rivarossi never went out of business. There may have been a time when there was no importer into the US, but Hornby purchased a going-concern, not a defunct business. All Hornby/Rivarossi is made in China as well now.
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
Hey TD
You may want to decide what era, kind of operation (logging or industrial etc) And the ask for an opinion on specific engines that you like. From what I can see on this forum, most of the manufactures have their good and not so good.Hope you have much fun and enjoy the return to a great pastime.
Lee
Athearn is owned by Horizon Hobby and LifeLike is owned by Walthers. Both are still producing many different models, all made in China. One brand you never mentioned, Roundhouse, is also owned by Athearn.
Rivarossi is back in business and is owned by Hornby of England. Varney and Tyco are long gone. Every brand is made in China and they have all had their lemons as well as some very high quality products.
Varney & Rivarossi are gone. Lifelike is producing Mantua. Lifelike proto 2000 is owned by walthers. Both Athearn & Bachmann offer a wide selection of equipment, some very expensive some not. Do you want DCC? Most come with at least DCC & some with sound also. Figure what you want to spend, & you will generally get what you pay for.
Hi! Athearn, Bachmann, Life-like, Mantua, Model, Rivarossi, Tyco, Varney...to name a few. Been out of the H.O. world for awhile. Based on your experience, to start again, in whose direction would you recommend we consider. As always, many thanks.