Well here is my opinion on the steamers I have. 1 - 10 , bad to best. Mantua 6 smooth runners, good looks Rivarossi 5,6 runs/looks good, too $$$$$$ Athearn 8 smooth, good looks, good price LL Heritage 10+++++ High price but worth every penny. Best looks & performance. Bacchman Spectrum 4 Superb detail, good price poor performance The only reason Bachman got as high as 4 was for looks. They really are beautiful. I know several will disagree with me on Bachman though so go ahead and try one. Several well respected modelers on this and other forums seem to like them. Good modeling, SA
Rate: 1-10 (10 Best) W.D.Wilson (Sr) 10 Varney 8 Mantua 8 Franklin 9 Loubough 9 Hallmark 8 Bachmann 2 LifeLike 1 Rivarossi 1 PFM 2
Watash, have you run a Life-Like Heritage steamer?? In other words, the Proto 2000 series. These locomotives are among the best out there. Their N&W Y6b class 2-8-8-2 can pull at least 67 properly weighted cars on no grade. As for me, only run the new stuff, so that's all I can rate. Bachmann: 7 P2K: 9 Genesis: 8 P2K and Genesis both got docked a point since their units DON'T come with factory tender pickup. ------------------ Corey Lynch Pres - Rensselaer Model RR Society, NEB&W RR http://www.rpi.edu/~lynchc/Railfanning/railfanning.htm - My Site http://www.union.rpi.edu/railroad/ - NEB&W
hmm. As someone mentioned above, I can only rate what I own. So here it goes: an IHC 4-6-2 Pacific in ATSF(no derailments, could be detailed more, big flanges)...8 Rivarossi 4-8-8-4 (4010--UP) and a 4-6-6-4 (3967--UP) (real long and runs good, little more detail would be nice, correct flanges)..8 A Bachmann Plus 4-8-4 (4454) SP (more detail, could run a lot better, but it could be track, flange problems?)...6
Corey, the latest engine I got of the brass purchased ones was 1974, the custom was 1942. The latest purchasted "toy" Ready-to-Run was 1976. The latest Scale "Kit" was a Varney 4-4-0 that is still in the box, never assembled yet. All brand new engines, just older stock. I will not spend the kind of money they cost today for any engine that is plastic, or that has rubber bands on the drivers, or that has plastic drivers, plated or not. SO-- To answer your question, no I haven't even looked at the new engines. I only rated the ones I have or have had. My experience with the engines I rated, should in no way reflect on a present day engine from the same company, or a rating in anyone else's opinion, it is only mine.
Hey Guys! Great Forum! Its hard for me to answer this because the only pre-manufactured steamer I own is the Proto 2000 0-8-0. I am one of the last holdouts who builds his own steam. At least it seems like I am. Every time I go into a train shop, and ask for this, that, and the other thing, they all look at me like I am a dinosaur. It saddens me to see that the hobby isn't growing in terms of self made steamers, kitbashing, and detail parts. The baby boomers, in this regard, have completely changed the hobby. Instant gratification, having its rightful merits, I feel has changed the hobby negatively <marquee>How many kids will learn to solder properly, or use their imagination, and practice research skills to find a particular engine to model unless the love of building is pasted on? </marquee> I rate Mantua Mechanism's a 10++++ They never fail! All Mechanisms are completely interchangeable frame to frame, and are all metal, no plastic fakers! Cary boilers are still out there, and are awesome! Bowser Kits, while tough at times are awesome! MDC Kits offer a great challenge! Find a Mellor Kit, or a Aberdeen! Oh baby! Then take all these steamer, load em up with dual flywheels, NWSL gearboxes, and Sagami Cans, and you have an awesome machine! Weighing in at anywhere from 2-5 pounds, they have great realistic pulling power! So, when you look at spending 200.00 on a Proto, or 100 for a Spectrum and get good to minimal satisfaction, think how great you feel when you build one, and it goes chugging down the track and pulls it weight. The satisfaction is far greater! Are there any other modelers out there that feel this way? I know Watash appears to! Kudos for him! Take Care Randy SLSFFRISCOKID [This message has been edited by slsffriscokid (edited 21 January 2001).]
#1 on my list of new steam is the Proto 2000 series. I have 2 of the 0-8-0's they are well detailed, I like the fact that the pipes hanging from the engine are flexible, harder to break off!. Bachman Spectrum- 2-8-2, not up to the Proto at all, detailing is sparce, not the greatest runner and very hard to dismantel to install working marker lights, etc. ------------------ When in doubt, empty your magazine. Member #33
Rate what you have... I have a brass 4-6-0, remotored (NWSL), that is very beautiful and runs great (even tho' it picks up only on one side of the loco and one side of the tender. I have a brass 2-6-2T (both it and it's new motor are NWSL) and it runs great when everything's perfectly clean, otherwise... (it picks up on the drivers on both sides, but it's not very heavy) I have a Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 and after two trips back to Philadelphia it works great, has better pickup than my 4-6-0 and pulls as well (if not better). It picks up on both side drivers and both sides of the tender. I also have a couple of IHC steamers that aren't very detailed, but they sure like to run. And with a little detailing and paint... I have a Mantua Pacific which ran pretty well, except at slow speeds and with dirty track, and it wasn't too detailed -- and even with Mantua's re-motor kit it still wasn't a stellar performer, so it lives in my "to do cabinet" in my workshop. I should mention that I will tinker with any engine until it runs pretty well, otherwise it will just sit on my workbench (or in the dreaded cabinet) ...till I get around to it...
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by slsffriscokid: Hey Guys! ... Are there any other modelers out there that feel this way? I know Watash appears to! Kudos for him! Take Care Randy SLSFFRISCOKID [This message has been edited by slsffriscokid (edited 21 January 2001).]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I agree - to the extent I want to build some of my own steam. I thought I'd start with a couple Bowser kits and build up some skills before moving on. I have to admit I have purchased some of the recent offerings (both steam and diesel). I get a lot more satisfaction from those that take more effort to get running and looking right. I guess there is a tradeoff somewhere between convience and building up enough of a roster to keep things active and spending the time to assemble a craftsman kit or scratch build something. A little of both never hurt. ------------------ Union Pacific - Hawaii sounds nice until you realize there are no trains.
I hope you guys realize I am a lot older, and grew up in the days when there was no ready-to-run equipment. You either built it from a kit, or you started from bar stock and machined it from scratch. (That term came from the Tool & Die trade, where Dykem Blue was painted on to tool steel, then we used a compas and scriber to layout the shape we would cut by scratching just through the paint, thus "Scratch building".) We had been "Kit Bashing" for years before some author used the term in an article in Railroader, but we were not offended. When the first out-of-the-box-ready-to-run- equipment came out, it was so poorly done, we all laughed at it, because it was directed at kids to play with, so was not "Scale". It was considered only a toy. To me there is a major difference between scale and factory put together engines. If you have ever noticed while looking down a railroad track, it is neither flat, nor level. Real engines had equalizing mechanisms to allow any single wheel to go up or down as needed to stay on uneven track, so scale engines were always made this way also. Even Varney kits, had equalized drivers. The "toy" engines had rigid frames that did not allow any wheel movement except to roll, so would derail on anything except glass flat track. Solution? The extra long flanges came to be, making the ready-to-runs even more like a Lionel toy. To us the whole idea was to try to be scale as much as possible. We tried to get as much weight in the engine as possible so the equalizers could work and keep the engine on the track. We would have been ashamed to have those big flanges, rubber tires on our drivers, plastic wheels, and rigid frames. Even Box car trucks had real working springs, or were pivoted so they could follow scale track. I still have two Varney Pacific boilers that weigh two and a half pounds each, solid lead. One of my articulateds weighs nearly six pounds and has two motors, big Pittman #71's. When that baby slips its wheels, you better stand back! ------------------ Watash #982 "See you in the Pit"
Listen to that man Watash - you will learn from someone who has forgotten more than most of us will ever pick up in our whole lives, but he will teach you in such an inimitable, humorous, humble way that you won't realize you are being taught, you will just enjoy what you are reading and feel good from sharing the experiences of a really nice man. Ben
Steam, I love steam...not to say anything bad about diesel, but I still like my steam better. My first steam engines were a Flieshmann 0-6-0, beautiful runner, clockwork until she lost something is the motor, a clasp of some sort or another that keeps the gear from slidding; anyway, she pulled more cars then all of my diesel could. Mantau have to be my favorite at this time in my life, especially those made back before the Tyco days. I have picked up many in damaged conditions, ordered parts, and ended up with a nice engine...the detailing could be improved, though. I have three IHC steamer, and I am almost fed up with them, especially after my first real quiet Mantua. These IHC are chunks of loud plastic. I have a Bachmann somewhere, great detail, not sure how it runs...the diesels always seemed to hum right out of the box. And don't ever use couplers lesser then Kadees. I learned that after going through a batch of McHenry that just didn't work right for me.
I've got a Genesis 2-8-2 Mikado, which I love. The detail is good and you can hardly hear it run. It just doesn't pull. It looks like I'll be adding about 3 ounces of lead to the boiler, loosening or removing the pilot wheel springs, maybe adding some lead to the pilot wheel axles to compensate for the loss of pressure, and adding some weight to the tender. I'd rate it an 8 or better now, and I expect it to be even better after I take the time to fine tune it. Now if I could just get the time to build that dream layout......... Mark
Ok, I'm new here, but my vote is: P2K--9 MDC--8 IHC--8 I am impressed with a smooth quiet running engine at realistic speed. These three do an excellent job. I haven't tried a Mantua yet, but based on comments I think I'll give it a try. Rich ------------------
<font color="336633">Welcome to Trainboard Rich I also am thinking about Mantua, I always thourght they was a pile of the brown smelly stuff but looks like i been wrong all these years </font> ------------------ Matthew wheres all the C636's???? stickymonk.com Matts Photo gallery TrainBoard member #257
Perhaps i should clarify myself on Mantua. I just read a page over at hotrains.com, and based on their ratings, the newer ones aren't worth it; I haven't got one of the newer ones to test out. Those that I have were built almost before the Tyco takeover, and as we all know, most of the tyco wasn't very good. Much of today's stuff I would have to side with watash, especially after reading about the sheer staggering number of junk Bachmanns out there.(a person went to a hobbyshop with his, and the owner wouldn't believe him. Than, after testing all that was in stock, both were quite humbled because all of them had problems after fifteen minute. I don't know what has happened to bachmann. I always thought that their diesel ran rather smoothly(I have owned two, and the both ran at 6 right out of the box, and still are the first ones that show life after being in storage).
Its sort of dificult for me to rate the locos I own. Every one of them runs well and quietly, I wont buy them otherwise. For me it mostly comes down to the detail. My favorites (but just by a hair) is the P2K Y3. next would be the 2 Sunset 4-8-0 M1as'. Next would have to be the Bachman 2-8-0s. and then the Athearn 2-8-2. (waiting for the Athearn 4-6-2 to come out, looks like its close to the N&W E2). Its odd how some people have problems with the Bachmen locos, I've never seen a bad one and none of the shops in my area have had enough returns to mention.......Mike
