I have the opportunity to buy a Athearn RTR GP38-2. How is the detail? Is it similar to Walthers Trainline or Atlas Trainman? How do they run? Is $50 a good price?
Thanks,
Harrison
Homeschooler living In upstate NY a.k.a Northern NY.
Modeling the D&H in 1978.
Route of the famous "Montreal Limited"
My YouTube
The picture you showed has similar detail than the Trainman. No wire grab irons or other applied details, but it also has thinner handrails than the Trainman.
Advantage Athearn.
Other Athearn RTR GP38-2s have the wire grabs. It depends upon vintage. Further advantage to Athearn.
Older Trainman models have the older and better motor than the newer Trainman models, but both are better than Athearn, IMO.
Advantage Trainman, especially the ones with the older motor.
Athearn has incandescent bulbs. Trainman has LEDs. Advantage Trainman.
$50 bucks is a good price for a NIB grab-less Athearn. It would be a great price for a NIB Trainman.
My preference, the Trainman with the older motor is by far the better loco, if its NIB for about $65. The newer version is probably still more desireable than the Athearn, but not by much, and the Athearn is traditionally cheaper.
- Douglas
What about an Athearn RTR RS-3 for $60? Its from 2006.
I don't know anything about the Athearn RS-3, other than its not a premium loco. But if you can find an Atlas Classic RS-3 from before 2012 for $60, that's a better buy.
Harrison What about an Athearn RTR RS-3 for $60? Its from 2006.
The Athearn RS3 RTR is an updated version of the MDC Roundhouse RS3. The RTR version is nicely done including the grab irons, see thru fan, better window glass, updated weighted frame and fuel tank. It has the typical RTR( hex flywheel )drive system. It is supposedly more accurate than Atlas, the one thing was the orientation of the exhaust stack and some other thing that I cant remember. But atlas just retooled their's to fix that. The drive in atlas is better especialy the older yellow box as they were Kato drives.