I am wanting to put together essentially a narrow gauge diorama. I am just looking for a couple of pieces of Ready-To-Run HOn3 rolling stock for this display.
I see that both Blackstone (http://www.blackstonemodels.com/products.htm) and MTL (http://www.micro-trains.com/freight_car_hon3.php) have RTR offerings.
If anyone has both I would like opinions of comparisons between the two manufacturers. That is the quality and quantity of details and such. The prices are essentially (for my purposes) comparable.
Thanks,-John
I have a couple of MT cars. I don't have any Blackstone cars -yet. I probably will have one or two when the paychecks kick in. I have a hard time leaving them on the shelf at my local pusher (aka LHS). The two lines really don't overlap much, and neither really fits my era - but they are fine models anyway.
The MT cars are beautiful models of C&S prototypes with steel underframes. The C&S experimented with modernizing their car fleet; the D&RG(W) pursued modernizing their locomotives - the K series. IIRC, MT has made reefers, gondolas, flats, and log cars so far. They have sometimes been released in paint schemes for other roads that bought C&S cars, like the WP&Y. The MT cars come with N scale couplers installed, and Kadee HOn3 couplers included.
The Blackstone cars are beautiful models of D&RGW prototypes with wood underframes and truss rods. The paint schemes and details model the cars as they were in the '20s to '50s - to match Blackstone's K-27. Blackstone offers both weathered and unweathered versions. To date, they have only offered box cars and stock cars. The trucks are reportedly much more free rolling than most HOn3 models.
Pick which ever suits your theme better, or use a couple of each.
Fred W
I have both. They are of equal quality and detail.
MicroTrains requires some assembly (details like brake wheels, grab irons, etc.).
Blackstone cars are good to go OOB. Plus Blackstone has pre-weathered cars if you'd prefer not to do the weathering yourself. MicroTrains look too "new" and require some dirt and grime.
MicroTrains cars a bit less expensive than Blackstone one (but only by a few dollars).
Buy either in confidence.
-G-