Login
or
Register
Subscriber & Member Login
Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!
Login
Register
Home
»
Model Railroader
»
Forums
»
General Discussion (Model Railroader)
»
Best HO engine kit manufacturer
Edit post
Edit your reply below.
Post Body
Enter your post below.
I'd have to say DJH makes the best quality steam kits on the market. They are soft metal (pewter?) and brass. The drivers come with a fool-proof quartering method and the brass etched parts are superb. They make a great USATC S-160 2-8-0 kit. They currently have a Gen. Pershing WWI 2-8-0 kit that makes a nice, small engine (Texas State RR #300) as well as an SAR 4-8-2 that can be Americanized for something unique! They have done USRA 2-8-2 and 4-6-2 kits and they show up at shows and on ebay often. <br /> <br />http://www.djhmodelloco.co.uk/ <br /> <br />No one mentioned Boyd Models. They produced a great GB&W Alco 2-6-0 kit in the early 1970's. I don't know if they ever did any other engines but these were super kits. Not for the timid or beginner but they were quality pewter castings with brass and nickle parts. <br /> <br />The old Mantua kits were very good and I liked the separate brass bearings for the axles. Detail wise they were lacking but they ran well and pulled good. The Mike and Pacific really pulled! <br /> <br />The Varney engines were bullet proof and were well detailed for their time. Someone mentioned wanting an unbuilt Berkshire kit. Try ebay as they show up fairly regularly.....although they tend to get pricey! <br /> <br />The Bowser engines are also very good. They bought out the Penn Line company and have reissued their line of Pennsy engines. The originals had cast metal frames but the newer runs have fabricated brass ones. They did the same with the Varney "Old Lady" and "Casey Jones" engines they now make. I assembled one of the new Bowser PRR A-5s 0-4-0 kits with their superdetail kit and it's really sweet! It went together well and ran great and pulled better than any other 0-4-0 I've ever seen. This is a NEW Bowser engine and not a reissue of a Penn Line kit. <br /> <br />I was never impressed with the MDC/Roundhouse engines. After they started using more plastic parts I really think they lost even more quality. They may have looked better but they didn't perform as well. The 0-6-0 switcher was the best one they made. The MDC kits are great first timer kits though. <br /> <br />The Arbour kits I saw were not worth the money in my opinion. They were very soft castings and I feel their quality control was poor. The parts didn't fit well and they just didn't run from my experience. <br /> <br />The old Hobbytown diesels were really nice for the time. I think you would be better off with the newer plastic diesels and their mechanisms. <br /> <br />I never have seen a Tiger Valley kit but have heard they went togeher well and ran well. <br /> <br />Roger
Tags (Optional)
Tags are keywords that get attached to your post. They are used to categorize your submission and make it easier to search for. To add tags to your post type a tag into the box below and click the "Add Tag" button.
Add Tag
Update Reply
Subscriber & Member Login
Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!
Login
Register
Users Online
There are no community member online
Search the Community
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter
See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter
and get model railroad news in your inbox!
Sign up