Perhaps this is too general a question but I am spending time watching auctions trying to guess what is a quality railcar and what is not. So I was wondering what reputations do different manufacturers have?
My take so far:
Tyco - Introductory quality "holiday gift" trains although some seem to be collectable.
Model Power - Has some gimmick cars with spot lights and the like for cheap, makes me think neater designed Tyco.
Life-Like - Next step up. Offers some more spirited selections.
Bachman - Life-Like's big brother.
Atlas - pretty good stuff for the money. Either Atlas or Athearn has a couple product lines I do not know what to make of.
Athearn - getting more expensive, pretty good stuff.
Walthers - About the same as Athearn
Kadee - tinkers in railcars, logging cars in particular. Bet they are nice (and I know they come with Kadee couplers!)
Kato - Probably the nicest I need to worry about as a newby. More of a locomotive company though.
Do I seem to have it down generally? For my needs I might like a quality riding railcar and I would happily sacrifice some detailing for ride quality and toughness.
Thanks guys.
First off, I would hardly say Kadee "tinkers in railcars". Known for their PS-1 boxcars, the quality of Kadee RTR cars is VERY nice. I would also put Atlas closer to Kadee as far as quality and definitely above Walthers and Athearn
A few you didn't mention:
MDC - Bachmann equivalent as far as quality. Decent but just okay.
Accurail - Primarily boxcar and hoppers but recently added gondolas to their line. Although spartan on the undercarriage brake-detailing, Accurail makes good quality rolling stock. Still made in the USA and one of the few companies still making kits. Shells can be upgraded with further detailing - if desired. (Dr. Wayne, this is your segue for pics ) The 6- and 8-panel wood boxcars are exceptional.
Proto 1000 - On par with Accurail but not as nicely detailed
Bowser - Known for their proliferation of PRR rolling stock. Good quality kits and RTR rolling stock. A notch above Accurail. Painted shells have too much sheen. Can be dulled.
Fox Valley - Good to very good quality RTR rolling stock
Branchline - Known for their AAR boxcars, reefers, and passenger cars, they come in two series: "Yardmaster" and "Blueprint." The Blueprint Series cars have more detail and better quality (but fragile) parts. Blueprint on par with Branchline Proto 2000 cars. Yardmaster on par with Bowser.
Intermountain/Red Caboose - Very good quality kits and RTR rolling stock. On par with Branchline "Blueprint Series" cars.
BLI - Very good quality RTR rolling stock
Proto 2000 - Very good quality kits and RTR rolling stock. On par with Branchline "Blueprint Series" cars.
ExactRail - Beautifully detailed RTR rolling stock and generally less expensive than Atlas or Proto 2000 cars
Athearn "Genesis" - More modern RTR rolling stock and similar to ExactRail as far as quality
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Gidday Mark, By railcars I presume you mean freight cars. I think generally speaking your observations are correct though I would put Atlas above Athearn and Walthers, and add Model Die Cast/ Roundhouse to those two.
A list like yours can be reasonably subjective though.
(1) With the limited time I have for model railroading, and being a cheapskate I like making cheaper brands, though only if I want a particular car, into a reliably running model.
(2) Second hand freight cars offered at auction may already have steel wheels and kadee couplers added thus increasing their value.
(3) I rarely follow auction sites but if Ready-To Run cars are offered that too will make a difference in pricing.
(4) Cheap cars can be good donors for kitbashing projects. Have a look at the work that doctorwayne does.
"Do I seem to have it down generally? For my needs I might like a quality riding railcar and I would happily sacrifice some detailing for ride quality and toughness."
Others may disagree with my options, but the majority of my freight car roster are the Athearn BB cars that I've weighed to the NMRA standards, added Kadee couplers set to the correct height, and checked the wheels for correct gauge, rarely do I convert to steel wheels but as I have already stated I am a cheapskate. Other members of the local model railway club comment how they like the running quality of my rolling stock. As for detail they are lacking but I take into consideration the "3 foot rule and the fact that my rolling does travel to run at local exhibitions, so are less suseptable to handling damage.
Bottom line is, in my opinion, you have to be happy with what YOU want, like and are prepared to pay for.
Have fun
Cheers, the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
For my needs I might like a quality riding railcar and I would happily sacrifice some detailing for ride quality and toughness.
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For "tough" cars with smooth running here's my list...
Athearn's old car kits/some RTR.
Atlas/Trainman cars
Accurail.
Walthers.
Unless the car comes with metal wheels you may want to think about replacing the plastic wheels with metal wheels.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
tstage ....(Dr. Wayne, this is your segue for pics ) ......
....(Dr. Wayne, this is your segue for pics ) ......
Thanks for the opportunity, Tom, but since pretty-much all of my rolling stock is modified to some degree, it's probably not a fair assessment of what's readily available.
Of the ones that you've listed, I have nothing from Fox Valley, BLI, Exact Rail, or Athearn Genesis. Most of these, as far as I know, are either more modern cars or out of my price range. Except for the Genesis line, these are generally not available at my local hobby shops unless one orders them, and I like to see what I'm buying in-person before ordering. Even the Branchline stuff is seldom seen around here - too bad, 'cause their kits and separately-available parts could have proved useful for several projects.
Most of the higher-end stuff and r-t-r seems to be of both good quality and offering decent running capabilities, so if you can afford them and the cars offered are suitable for your era and interests, you should be happy with them.If you enjoy building and modifying kits, or even modifying so-called r-t-r, don't rule out the lower-priced options or even so-called "train set" cars. Many of them can be turned into credible models of prototypes. It's up to the individual to decide how much time and money to spend to achieve their goal.
Exercising great restraint, I'll offer only one (well, one and a half) examples of the latter.A Con-cor gondola, bought for $1.00 off the "used" table at a local hobby shop. I spent less than $5.00 to turn it into a good-running and quite accurate model of a Pennsy G-31, following an article in RMC. The "half" is the Proto1000 Fowler boxcar to which it's coupled. It came with all sorts of free-standing grabirons and other details, but most were over-size or incorrect. The original cars were over $40.00, but mine was built from a body shell costing $2.00, plus a $6.00 pair of trucks and a lot of labour.
Wayne
The problem in creating a "best to worst" grading list for model manufacturers is most of those companies offer different levels of quality, sometimes marketed as different lines. Athearn makes the Genesis line with really high-quality / well detailed models, but also still makes their "blue box" line of cars that dates back half a century. Bachmann, Walthers (Like-Like) and others similarly make some really "state of the art" equipment, and some that is more "toy train grade".
Hi!
I generally agree with the assessments but have to add that "runnability" comes into play here somewhere.
In example, I have 50 year old Athearn cars built from kits (with KD couplers and Intermountain wheelsets added) that run with the best of them. I have other far more expensive and detailed cars that took a lot of work to get them to run reliably. Funny, the so called "RTR" cars are typically the most difficult - in my experience.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
but also still makes their "blue box" line of cars that dates back half a century.
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Actually those old BB comes that comes RTR has been upgraded and is superior to their kit counter parts.
I have other far more expensive and detailed cars that took a lot of work to get them to run reliably. Funny, the so called "RTR" cars are typically the most difficult - in my experience.
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The hardest thing I need to do is change out couplers or the plastic wheels on the Walther's cars.
I found it was harder to get the coupler height correct on a BB car due to the frame,floor or weight being warp.This is why I stopped buying BB kits and started buying RTR cars.
Some good observations, but here is some history:
You did not mention Bowser or Accurail - good quality freight cars. There is also companies like Tangent, ExactRail, BLMA, and Intermountain that produce 'premium' freight cars. Lots of great detail. I only buy some of the older Tyco/Model Power and even more ancient AHM cars for specific projects when no one else has the model available.
When looking for freight cars, think about:
You will eventually migrate to the 3 above criteria and convert what you have to make them reliable runners.
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
doctorwayne Of the ones that you've listed, I have nothing from Fox Valley, BLI, Exact Rail, or Athearn Genesis. Most of these, as far as I know, are either more modern cars or out of my price range.
Of the ones that you've listed, I have nothing from Fox Valley, BLI, Exact Rail, or Athearn Genesis. Most of these, as far as I know, are either more modern cars or out of my price range.
Wayne,
Fox Valley and ExactRail both offered the B&O M-53 wagon tops in the '37 paint scheme. The ExactRail version has a little more detailing than the Fox Valley but they are both very nice models. Here's a pic of the Fox Valley version:
What most importers/manufacturers are know nfor is applying foobie paint schemes to existing cars which the prototype road never owned. A lot of research is needed in buying pre-painted cars to ensure that a real prototype car is made in model form.
Another manufacturer not listed is Ribbed Side Cars, which make a good representation of the MILW Horizontaly Ribbed Cars in all the different phases that were made.
Here is a car I did purchasing the undecorated kit, then applying the decals that came with the kit.
Rick J
Rule 1: This is my railroad.
Rule 2: I make the rules.
Rule 3: Illuminating discussion of prototype history, equipment and operating practices is always welcome, but in the event of visitor-perceived anacronisms, detail descrepancies or operating errors, consult RULE 1!
One thing just touched on here is that in my experience there is a trade off between detail and fragility. For example the Walthers Gold line coil car and the Athern well cars I have are nicely detailed but the delails were not glued on. Athern Locos seem more detailed and more vulerable to detail breakage than say Bachmann. I have not tried the more premium brands like Exact Rail yet.
I am willing to sacrafice some detail because my RR is working road so I want my cars out not sitting in the repair shop.
Joe Staten Island West
Quality. An illusive concept in HO model railroading. Resale value of most HO models is negligible. Buy something only if you want it for your layout. You won't be able to sell it for what you paid for it. It is not an investment.
All of the makes you list will run, stay on the track, stay coupled up, and last a long time. Many of us are in the hobby to build, or at least tinker with, rolling stock models. We get our pleasure from working on the models, and so, changing wheels and couplers, adding weight and wire grab irons, glazing windows, repainting and decaling, adding loads, are all enjoyable evening activities. Buying something that needs a bit of work is an excellent thing to do.
Just a little work on the lowest of low end cars (Tyco for example) can yield a good looking, good running car to your fleet. So anything you see for sale that you like the looks of, is reasonable to buy, especially if the price is right.
Your rank order is about right. Most of us would place Atlas above Athearn for overall niceness of product. Athearn's bread and butter "bluebox" kits are plenty nice enough and their new "Genesis" line is very nice indeed, as nice as anything else out there. Kadee rolling stock is always in the "very nice" class.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
Saturaday is the Greenberg Train & Toy Show in Edison NJ. Basically its a flea market for trains. When looking at rolling stock new or used this is what I will look for:
1) Body mounted knuckle couplers preferrably Kadee or at EZ mate mark 2 (NOT Mark 1)by Bachmann but remember couplers can be changed I stay away from cheap horn hook cars Even these can be upgraded its just not worth the trouble unless there is a specific car I want that doesn't come in a better configuration.
2) Metal wheel sets Again wheels can be changed.
joe323Saturaday is the Greenberg Train & Toy Show in Edison NJ. Basically its a flea market for trains.
I always got the impression that Greenberg T&T Show was mostly a O gauge (read: 3-railer Lionel) concern, with plenty of non-railroad toys and collectibles (as it's very name states), and not a lot of HO or N scale items. How true or not is this impression?
There will be a lot of Lionel and non train vendors there but I have found that there is enough HO and N to justify the trip twice a year. I also have some classic Lionel that I am bringing to the train doctor for service.
But mostly I go looking for odds and ends one time I picked up a bunch of pre made trees for like 5 bucks. Another time I picked up some structures for the layout (In HO The Lionel is for dislay & xmas) The thing is it IS a flea market and you'll never know what you find. There is usually N guage there as well.