Best rolling stock for under $10.00 max $15.00?

[cudaken]

 Now that I am 99% over the cheap LL, Tyco and Bachman stuff I have been buying Athearn you bulid it rolling stock. Normaly I can pick up a 50 foot box car from K-10 trains between $5.95 to $6.45, he has cars that is a little more but I am cheap.

 Today I stared looking around a little more and found some Round House cars in the same prices range and some Atlas car's as well.

 For the best bang for your buck, what do you buy? I picked up a Athearn 50' SD Box car for $6.45 and seems like a fair prices to me.

 Is Conrail the right name for a maker? I think it is a RR as well. Reason I ask K-10 has some passangers cars with a name like what I listed for only $9.00.  I all most bought one, but deecided that some off set Kadde couplers, washers and another pack of # 5's would be of more use.

                    Cuda Ken, wanting to buy the best I can again.

[Anonymous]

Atlas "Trainman" stuff is great value, we will just forget about that musical advertisement. Its Atlas quality stuff, a little less detailed than a standard atlas but still better than a Athearn, Roundhouse, etc. Plus they come with proper weight, metal wheels and knuckle couplers.

You need to decide whether you would rather support your hobby shop or get great deals. If you look on the internet, very often you can find engines and rolling stock 50% off. But again your LHS gets no money from that.

[cacole]

I have oodles of Athearn and Roundhouse rolling stock.  I change wheelsets to metal and put Kadee couplers on them, and they still cost less than other brands.

Too much stuff today is R-T-R instead of kits, but I did receive an e-mail from Athearn today announcing their Blue Box rolling stock production schedule for 2006-07, and it contains quite a lot.

 

[nbrodar]

Under $10 the best is Athearn BB or the few remaing MDC/Roundhouse kits.  Although, the paint on some MDC kits, especially the older ones,  is a little hokey looking.

Between $10 and $15 - I like Bowser and Accurail kits.  Branchline's Yardmaster series kits are good too.

My fleet is primary Athearn BB and MDC/Roundhouse kits.   I'm slowly upgrading my fleet to Bowser, Accurail, and Branchline.

Nick  

[beegle55]

Buying cheaper stuff and detailing and upgrading it is what I do, like chaning the wheels and Kadee couplers, and weathering and maybe ladders, brake wheels, grab handles, etc. Sometimes I save, sometimes I don't and eBay is great as well. (Keep in mind that my LHS is 50 miles away...)

[Anonymous]

Others covered the various lower cost kits. I think your question about Conrail is answered by the kit mfgr. is Concor.

[modelmaker51]

Others covered the various lower cost kits. I think your question about Conrail is answered by the kit mfgr. is Concor.

Conrail (the Railroad) did have a business/inspection train of pullman green passenger cars but I don't know whether Concor (the model manufacturer) ever produced them. Concor does produce decently priced models though.

[claycts]

I have oodles of Athearn and Roundhouse rolling stock.  I change wheelsets to metal and put Kadee couplers on them, and they still cost less than other brands.

Too much stuff today is R-T-R instead of kits, but I did receive an e-mail from Athearn today announcing their Blue Box rolling stock production schedule for 2006-07, and it contains quite a lot.

 

That and Train shows and estate sales. I bought 50 cars (varney, ahm, walthers, atherns, silver streak and lionel) for $65.00 at an estate sale.

[james saunders]

If you want stuff right out of the box, Atlas Trainman is the way to go, they are $10-$12 (not too sure but, since i live in Aus)

If you like building kits, Athearn BB kits, Accu-rail, Roundhouse can all be had for under $10

The trainman line has a few different cars in it, Covered hopper, Gondola, 3 Bay coal hopper and Boxcar

Also I've seen Athearn RTR boxcars etc for as low as 12.50 in MR i think it was Trainworld.

Personally, I have a mix between Athearn BB, RTR Atlas ($$ line) and Trainman.

[tstage]

Ken,

Personally, I like the Accurail boxcars and hopper kits.  I think they are a great value for the $$$.  The braking detail underneath is a bit spartan but the shell itself if nicely detailed.  IMO, the wood end and wooden boxcars are exceptional.  Price range: $9-11.

Agree on the Athearn RTR boxcars.  A little more in cost but the grabirons are already attached.  Nice looking untis.  Bowser and Branchline are at the upper limit of the cutoff price but are nicely detailed.  (Branchline: "Yardmaster" Series - good.  "Blueprint" Series - NICE!)  If you hunt around, you can even find Proto 2000 kits in the $10-12 price range.

Tom

[SpaceMouse]

Look at all the advice above then start looking around. Trains shows have been a great source of bargains for me. I model the Old West so pickings are often slim, but I have bought a lot of Roundhouse kits in the $3-5 range at train shows. eBay can be good as well as long as you watch the shipping. Make sure you stick to products you know and try to buy in lots or deal with sellers that will combine shipping.

 

[simon1966]

Ken, I like kits.  I get a great amount of pleasure and satisfaction from the assembly process.  I find the Athearn BB kits to be too basic for me to get much enjoyment out of them.  The more detailed kits are better value, even though they cost a little more. (Assembly time = fun time, it it takes longer and is more challenging it is better value)

K-10 has a decent selection of Accurail, and P2K kits.  They are a little more than the Athearn kits.  You have already found the roundhouse kits that K-10 has left.  These are old stock and will not be coming back as the Roundhouse line is now all R to R.

Of the R to R models, Atlas makes the best IMO, but you are always going to pay more for R toR.

The Con Cor passenger cars are not all that great. 

[BRAKIE]

Cuda Ken,Good deal.

Allow me to get you pointed in the right direction as far as kits and good prices.

 

http://www.1stplacehobbies.com/freightcars.asp?sc=H&mfg=112&keys=&walthers=&pl=&ph=&sp=1&cp=1&lid=0

 

http://www.1stplacehobbies.com/freightcars.asp?sc=H&mfg=140&keys=+car+kits&walthers=&pl=&ph=&sp=1&cp=1&lid=0

 

http://www.1stplacehobbies.com/freightcars.asp?sc=H&mfg=181&keys=&walthers=&pl=&ph=&sp=1&cp=1&lid=0

 

http://www.bowserorders.com/.sc/ms/cat/HO%20Cars%20English%27s%20Model

 

I suggest opening another window to check the manufacturers web page to insure you are getting the era of cars you need.

[rrinker]

  I prefer kits myself - in that price range I can get Branchline and P2K. Neither are 'beginner' kits - you should start with Athearn kits, move up to Accurail, then maybe the Branchline Yardmasters (which which better detail than Athearn or Accurail but not much more difficult to assemble), and then consider tackling a P2K or Branchline Blueprint. Stay away from P2K tank cars until you have a LOT of experience - even so I had a heck of time with my first P2K tank car. After three of them though - I can put them together in a couple hours.

 I generally look for whoever has a car that fits my need, I have plenty of Accurail hoppers because I need hoppers and Accurail makes a nice 55 tonner that fits my era, and is reasonably correct. The trick to making them work right is metal wheels and removing all the Kadee knockoff couplers and using real Kadees.

                                --Randy

[tstage]

Ken,

I agree completely with Randy in regard to his assessment of kit manufacturers and their difficulty level.  I can vouch for the Proto 2000 tank cars. I think one was my 3rd kit, after a couple of Accurail box cars.  BIG difference.  Took me close to 8 hrs. to figure out the directions, cut parts, and assemble correctly.  Having had no real former knowledge of tank cars AT ALL, it was an education as well as an exercise.  Like Randy, I can now put one together in less than 1/2 that time.  (Not quite 2 hours - more like 3+.  I work pretty meticulously.)  They sure make a beautiful product though.  The Branchline "Blueprint" Series boxcars are in the same league and detail as the Proto 2000s but not quite as difficult as as the P2Ks tank cars.

I also agree with going with metal wheels.  ALL of my rolling stock are outfitted with them, they roll very nicely, and they don't degrade and dirty my track like plastic tends to do.  I'm still working on the couplers though.

Tom

[orsonroy]

Accurail

Bowser

Branchline Yardmaster

Ebay for "high end" stuff, especially P2K

[claycts]

I found some NEW KITS today:

Silver Streak Grey Commissary Car and an Ambroid Center flow Tank car. Do not think they are shake the box kits

They where for than $15.00. BUT this LHS had close to 100 kits ALL under $15.00. Depending on your taste. Picker up an Atlas RS3 for $69.95.

[james saunders]

On the Athearn Kits, These basically snapped together, I bought 5 from my LHS about 3 years ago and managed to assemble 3 of them in the car on the way home the other two i did in about 10 minutes, they are that simple.

I haven't had the pleasure of Assembling Accu-rail, branchline or P2K kits as they are really hard to come by here, although there is 5 tank car kits from P2K sitting at the LHS...hmmmm

I like building kits as it is very rewarding to say after assembling it, "I built that" it satisfies something inside.

But now I buy a real mixture 60% RTR 40% kits.

[Driline]

I agree with Tom and Nick. Accurail has some of the finest boxcars ever made. Look for the shiny yellow box.

[cudaken]

 Thanks for the answer folks, on the supporting my LHS, that is a must. You folks have been great with the help I have needed to get to where I am and that is not saying much.

 But there is only so much you can learn from the web, sometimes you need 1 on 1 help and that is what K-10 Trains gives me, plus he gives me left over stuff for free. Nothing super cool, but better than what I have.

 As many of you know I have a bunch of cheap stuff. I am cutting the Horn Hooks off the cheap LL, Tyco and Bachman cars and installing Kaddes # 5's. I asked him how much for the coupler boxes I need to do this. Ken just looked at me and said "follow me" and took me to his work station. Open a tool box tray and handed me 50 of them! Asked him how much and said "there yours".

 I have been up grading the wheels as well, only so many PK 2 wheels sets I can afford at one time. He sells me Atlas and Athearns wheels he has pulled off his and other people Rolling Stock for a prices I won't list.

 Finaly blow why I will buy from K-10 over a inter net company! My self with no wood working skills or tools and want to make the jump to a adult board. If I supply the lumber, he will cut and help me bulid the bench work!

 I will look at the other rolling stock you folks spoke of at K-10, not that I will not watch E-bay for steals. But most of the listings are for more with shipping than buying at K-10.

 As far as buliding the cars, I do enjoy it to a point but I think BB Athearns are at the skill level I need to be for now. With tuning the trucks, checking wheels, weighting and added weight, installing Kaddess, and assambley I take around a hour a car but not in hurry at all.

                     Cuda Ken, Loving K-10 trains again. 

[tstage]

Ken,

I'm glad to hear that you are supporting your LHS.  I spend 80-90% of my hobby money at my LHS: Supplies mostly, but especially rolling stock kits.  It's the only real way I can check the BLT dates to make sure that they are in my era.   If Athearn BBs are at your skill level, then you should definitely check out the Accurails.  They are pretty straight forward to put together.

Tom

[simon1966]

Ken, I am also a huge fan of K-10 trains in Maryville.  Prices are generally 20% off Walthers catalog price.  It is very rare that I can find an item for less anywhere else once I factor in shipping charges.  It is a great store and well worth a visit when in the St. Louis area, especially on the first Sunday of the month when they have the public operating session on the layout.

[robert sylvester]

Maybe somebody mentioned them, but I also like Proto 2000 kits you can order from Trainworld.  This is the Life Like co. that was purchased by Walthers, but for about  $8.00 you can get some realy nice Proto 2000 kits, that when complete with the detail you'll be amaized how complete they look. You have to add on grab irons, under carriage piping and equipement, ladders, un-coupler bars, etc.  These can almost look like brass rolling stock, or Kadee but at a lot less cost.  I have recently weathered all of my Proto 2000 kits, as well as my Accurail and Athearn stock, and they all look great.
But when you get close up to the Proto 2000 you're amaized at the detail.
Yard Master
WTRR

[BRAKIE]

James said :On the Athearn Kits, These basically snapped together, I bought 5 from my LHS about 3 years ago and managed to assemble 3 of them in the car on the way home the other two i did in about 10 minutes, they are that simple.

========================================================

James,That is how modelers gets into trouble by building these simple kits without care.These kits require some "tweaking" to get a trouble free car.We must check the wheel gauge,straighten the frame and weight(if needed) if we want to obtain the correct coupler height without that dang coupler droop that many talk about.

When properly built these cars will give hours of trouble free operation..

When built correctly your couplers should look like this when the car is ready to go into service.And no I am not picking on you.

 

[cudaken]

 I will ask Ken that owens K-10 trains about the PK 2 kits. He has RTR PK 2 for around $11.00. The extra detail at this point does not matter for me for 2 reasons.

 1 I run the board from my desk, close section is 7 feet away, farest is 26 feet away.

 2 I need new glasses Hope to get some in a few weeks.

 At this point I rather have 2 50 foot box cars for $6.45 each, than 1 RTR car.

 I did find out something of intrest on my last vist. For the life of me I could not understand why 1 50 foot box car by brand X was $5.45 and same style 50 footer was $6.45 by Z? Ken told me it is the Royallyties (spell check) they pay to use the Rail Names and Logos.

                                  Cuda Ken

[tstage]

RTR Proto 2000's...for $11?!?  Maybe a Time Saver kit?  That would be quite a deal, seeing that the Proto 2000 RTRs usually go for $25-30.

Tom

[simon1966]

 

 I did find out something of intrest on my last vist. For the life of me I could not understand why 1 50 foot box car by brand X was $5.45 and same style 50 footer was $6.45 by Z? Ken told me it is the Royallyties (spell check) they pay to use the Rail Names and Logos.

                                  Cuda Ken

Some roads, such as UP, charge a licence fee to the manufacturers to use their logos, including the logos of fallen flag RR that they have absorbed.  This fee is passed on to the consumer in the form of increased prices on these models.

[james saunders]

Brakie, I know what your saying, I checked them when I got home to make sure, but i was just using that as an example to say they are very straight forward and that if your really bored in the car you can put one together on the move

[BRAKIE]

Brakie, I know what your saying, I checked them when I got home to make sure, but i was just using that as an example to say they are very straight forward and that if your really bored in the car you can put one together on the move

 

That is true and a good idea just as long as they are checked over before going into service.