Limited budget questions

I was wondering if anyone has a particular manufacturer they stick to and why? My budget is limited on what I can purchase right now, so do I go for the lower priced rolling stock and convert them (magnetic couplers right away)? Or, do I go with the moderately priced rolling stock, and use them until I want to upgrade them?

I would like to have logging and coal mining on my layout, so I envision quite a few hoppers and flats and box cars on the layout. I see that some cars go for $22 a piece! Are they really worth it?

My layout will be a fictional shortline affiliated with the Pennsylvania RR in the 1940's to 1950's, the Steam-Diesel transition. With that being said, I will see a lot on Pennsy cars, some Penn Central, maybe even a Norfolk-Southern or a Burlington Northern unit or two in there for diversity.

Any help on where I get the most "bang-for-the-buck"?

 

I find a lot of used/old cars at flea markets, then I upgrade them myself.. wire grabs, new trucks etc..

although, the Atlas Trainman series are very affordable

 

I noticed their prices and I like them. I take it that you are happy with their performance? Did you modify anything on them, or are they really RTR?


Anybody have any ideas on what type radius the Bachmann trolleys can take? I want to incorporate a couple in my layout in a couple towns.

 

It's a personal judgment call. Most of the time I personally go for quality over quantity. I don't see any point in buying cars with Rapido couplers. I would not invest in upgrading Accumates. Replace them if they fail or take that car out of service and used it for a kit bash or line side structure. If you do not have steep grades or trains over four feet you should not have too much trouble with Accumates. On a smaller pike it really is not an issue.

I buy the Atlas 70 Ton Ore cars for under $7. Cheep little things but I likem. I also ordered one MT KCS covered hopper listed at $35.60!, (online price somewhat less). I wonder what makes it worth so much.

 

Atlas Trainman cars are RTR. I own quite a few.

You may want to avoid the Bachman trolley. I have seen a lot of negative things about them and nothing positive..

 

Looks like I will be kit bashing my trolleys then. Maybe by the time I am ready to do that, a few better ones will be available.


I was looking at the Wathers website today and I noticed a ton of new N scale stock and locos that are coming out in the next few months. Time to gather the rest of the spare and take the change jar to the bank!:tb-biggrin:

 

In general, I'd say go for quality over quantity. If youare careful, you sometimes can get both. But 2 cars you can use are much more useful than 6 you can't.

 

Weight is always a problem with inexpensive cars. The NMRA recommends a weight, but most cars need a 1/4 of lead added. Yep, lead. Other weights tend to make the center of gravity too tall. For cheap, get to know someone who works at a tire shop. I got a whole box of 1/4 weights for the price of one stick at the hobby shop...

Avoid Rapido couplers. They are not fun.

An easy fix is to replace the thick roof walks with thinner ones. Also, cars normally have their walks painted the same color as the roof. The roof is just about all we see, so spend some time here! :tb-tongue:

 

Try running your railroad like a real short line railroad would be ran.

Buy rolling stock you need. Buy the cheapest that will do the job, and is compatible with the rest of your stuff(couplers, code 55 track needs low prof. wheels). Atlas Trainman is good. Athearn cost a little more but are pretty good cars. Micro Trains cost more, but are also good cars. Only buy cheap rapido cars if the price of converting to knuckle couplers is less than the price of buying new knuckle coupler cars. With the price of trainman rolling stock, this probably wont be the case.

Buy motive power that you need. Why buy a set of F units when all you need is an switcher? Second hand locos are ok. Atlas seems to have a great parts department so even if its abused by the first owner, you can fix it. You can also fix it if its purchased new. I think Kato is about the same way, but some of their older products are probably not supported?. Life Like can be found for pretty cheap, and are good products.

For steam. MDC/Athearn, Bachman, and Kato are all good choices. Should pull well. Steam costs more, and for the most part that can't be avoided. Most people have had good expereances with these companies, they run well and most are good pullers mostly because they have traction tires.

Money invested in good track work is money well invested.

Shipping cost money. Driving to your local hobby shop cost money. So does shipping bad products back. So you figure out what you want to do there. Ask for insurance on anything shipped by USPS, and group shipments together.

 

You might try swap meets. I pick up oddball stuff at those. Next time I got to one I am going to buy one of those Bachmann trolleys and see about putting a Tomix critter chassis in one. The wheelbase and the distance between the centers of the trucks is almost the same, and I am sure it would run better and be a lot quieter than that loud thing.

Don't be intimidated. I own only four locos, three of which I bought used. A lot of these guys that have hundreds of locos have been collecting them for decades, and even there they aren't running more than maybe 10 at a time.

Adam

 

You might consider spending just a little more for your power pack if you run the cheapest engines. A power pack with "pulse power" will allow you to run them much better than one without.

 

I find that if I squint it all looks good.

Honestly, once it's on a train on the layout and at standard viewing distance, I do not mind a regular cheapie.

Atlas is still reasonable on many of their cars.

Ebay or even trainboard selling section is a good place to buy lots of cheapo older cars. There is no reason to practice weathering on a 20$ car when you can buy a lot of cars of the same amount and not worry if you screw up.

Save your money for your favorite cars.

On the same note. You will be happier if you buy just one or two really good locos, than if you buy ten cheaper locos.

 

This is just a thought, don't take it wrong. Perhaps a better use for train money would be a US Savings Bond? It's not as much fun, but your future is more important than trains. I know, heresy, but life is hard that way...

 

I wasn't one of those kids born with a silver spoon in my mouth...maybe a plastic spoon. Grin!

My first experience with model railroading got a hefty send off when my great granddad and grandfather purchased a S scale American Flyer Passenger Set. Christmas morning found me and the train unseparable under the sparse little Christmas Tree. It reminded my great-daddy of the trains he used to hog while working for the Moffit Line, as a young engineer. Relatives managed to monopolize and destroy it...makes me heart sick every time I think of it.

At the age of 12, I started building a layout mostly supported by earnings from little odd jobs. My dad and grand-daddy pitched in with a HO starter set. I worked at little odd jobs, mowing lawns, washing cars, watering lawns while friends and neighbors were on vacations. My dad who shared in the hobby would pick-up a car or two or a engine and pitched in to help-out by purchasing track and switches as the layout came into being.

Christmas time was always good to me. I would find a car kit or that new Athearn locomotive. It's coming up on Christmas here fairly soon and you can always drop a few hints.

When I made a decision to add N scale to my model collection it had to be one car or engine at a time and again a starter set got me off and running...at my expense. I had kids to raise, a job to maintain and those kids eventually grew-up and needed help with college tuition. My budget was and always has been limited. On the work front, I managed to achieve to the status of a Hospital Administrative Assistant, a position with little or no authority, acting more like a gopher then a leader. Anyway, all that aside and shared here just to let you or any other perspective hobbyist know that it can be done. One step at at time, one car at a time, one engine, one transformer and so on.

Here is a little advice.

Power packs....avoid the "Pulse Power", do buy "Momentum". Pulse will effectively burn out an electrical motor and the performance is extremely poor as compared to the "Momentum". With DCC becoming the preferred choice of many modelers you will find these power packs readily available...for sale at swap meets for $20.00 or better.

DCC, do consider this as you can purchase equipment DCC ready and you won't believe the fun you can have.

Common Wire or Common Rail, avoid this wiring procedure. It has flaws that will bite your locomotives in the butt and send them down the river for a funeral.

DPDT, do use these toggle electrical switches for setting up your blocks.

Bachmann, avoid purchasing any of the earlier equipment. Trains cars, locomotives...whatever, the quality is poor and you will only have headaches trying to switch out couplers, trucks, or add DCC. Most of the equipment is over sized and not prototypical. DO...look at the new equipment coming out from "B". It appears they have stepped to the plate and are upgrading everything they produce....GOOD NEWS! The same can be said for Life Like.

Micro-Trains, Kato, Atlas, Inter Mountain have always been top of the line. DO buy these products.

Athearn, has produced workable products in the past for HO. As a company they are responsible for bringing HO into a time of it's own. Today, they are producing N scale and it's safe to say they are one of our leaders... rather then a follower. They are producing some exceptional pieces of equipment.

Rapido Couplers, avoid purchasing equipment used or otherwise with Rapido Couplers. Most of the older stuff is just that stuff. Consider purchasing equipment with Micro-Trains preferred but at least with knuckle couplers... already installed. I prefer Micro-Trains over all the others. They have proven themselves on my layout and hold together well on grades, when in reverse moves and during switching moves. I buy them not because they are popular but because it's the "Right" thing to do.

Kato, Peco and "New" Bachmann Switches. Do consider purchasing these for your layout. Atlas is ok but you end up with a ugly box sitting next to the track for your automated switches. Best resolution is the under the table "Tortoise" slow motion switch machine. A tad difficult to install but well worth the effort. Kato has automated switches that have the works built into the roadbed and operate on DC. These can be wired using a momentary DPDT center off.

Kato Unitrack, do consider utilizing this product... to get you started. If you want to know how to build a layout with cork roadbed and Atlas Flex track... all you have to do is ask.

One car at a time, one switch at a time, one step at a time and before you know it you will have one fine, dandy, smooth running layout.

Go for it and best of luck!

 

When I started in the hobby (N scale), I purchased at shows and swap meets as many cars and locomotives painted for Midwest railroads (suiting my location and era). All had Rapido couplers. That was a bad decision although the rolling stock and locos were quite cheap. I ended up converting nearly 100 cars and locos to MT couplers/trucks. Now I buy MT except when Atlas Trainman (Accumate couplers) has items that I want. My early decision to buy cheap cars was a bad decision. Converting them to knuckle couplers (MT) was more expensive than the cars and engines themselves.

I concentrate on MT and Atlas products.

 

Unfortunately, the older Bachmann items is all I have. It is a collection of my older equipment from about 20 years ago. Since it is of no additional cost to me, I would think that I would be able to get some trucks with knuckle couplers already installed and swap out the old ones.

I did manage to get an Atlas 0-6-0 switcher recently and some 50' box cars. Unfortunately, they have Rapido's. Looks like a few more bucks there.

Thanks for everyones advice. Looks like Atlas Trainman will be getting some business from me, especially for coal hoppers and some logging cars.

 

Do the Atlas Trainman couplers and the Micro Train couplers interact very well?

 

An interesting story, Rick, and an inspiring one. Thanks. :tb-smile: I will think of your story in the coming year or two (or three) while I tighten my belt to pay for an experimental Lyme Disease treatment.

Makes me think of some old adage that I can never quite remember right: Happiness comes not from having what you want but from wanting what you have. That is so very, very true!

But now, why does pulse burn out your motors and perform badly for you? Is it because you use DCC? There is pulse built into my MRC Controlmaster 20 and it works beautifully.

 

Yep, it's easy to do. The new trucks will make the cars run much nicer. I'll echo what some others here have said: there's nothing wrong with Bachmann cars. I have one that I'm not going to let go of, a nice big hopper. Sometimes they were a little out of gauge or some other small problem interfered with operation, but the problems were always fixable. Sanding down the running boards will really improve appearance. Weather those cars really nicely and they'll look great.

Everyone starts somewhere.