question on gauge

[whatsamatteru]

i am new to the hobby and just completed my 1st layout.  my buddy came over to see it and now he is going to do one.  the hobby just got one person bigger.

here is my question.  he is going to do ho bc thats what he had when he was i a kid.  he is into rc really big and he likes only one company and he is going to be the same in trains.  so is there a leading company in quality when it comes to ho. 

thanks

[Jim Banner]

ho bc?  Doesn't ring any bells as a manufacturer.  Could it have been H0 PC?  H0 trains painted for the Penn Central railroad?  Or could it have been H0 BC?  H0 trains painted for BC Rail?

A leading company for quality?  It is hard to compare a Shay from Bachmann with an AC4400 from Kato if what you really want is a Southern Pacific Cab Forward.  Such apples to oranges comparisons help to explain why experienced model railroaders rarely if ever buy from just one company.

Besides, quality means different things to different people.  To one man, quality is a measure of how much fine detail is on a locomotive and how well it represents the original.  He may well tell you that custom brass is the only way to go.  The next person may want trains that will run forever with no maintenance and will withstand the rough handling and abuses inflicted by children.  His nomination for best quality will be something entirely different.  Most of us want something that runs well and has a lot of detail and is affordable.  If it requires careful handling to keep it looking good and requires occasional maintenance to keep it running well, we can accept that.  And we are generally happy that there are a number of companies competing to sell us just what we want.

Jim

[JerryB]

Jim:

I think the original poster's "BC" means "because." Us old guys have gotta keep up with the text message abbreviations!

wahoo4db: I would echo Jim Banner's excellent reply. As opposed to RC (cars? airplanes?) there is no single source that can satisfy or is that is dominant in the model RR world.

Happy RRing,

Jerry

[whatsamatteru]

sorry bout that jim, i did mean because.  in the latter of your statement thats whats he is going for.  so i will rephrase the question.  your personal opinion, which ho company would you recommend.  and yes you have to choose one.   thanks

[whatsamatteru]

hi jerry, he does rc cars and he gets everything he wants from one company.  i was going to tell him athearn because i think they do strictly ho but then i didnt know for sure.  is there a company that just does ho.  if so which one

which ho company do like the best.  thanks

[James Thomas]

Hey Yahoo.  You do realize you are on a Bachmann web site.  Why do I say that?  Just bc.

-JRT

[whatsamatteru]

i know that and i love em.  thats why i came here for help.  what, you cant ask for some guidence for a buudy who is going ho.  you know just bc

[SteamGene]

wa de sg, k
Well, no, I'm not really waiting for a reply. 
The first problem you have is we have no idea what your friend wants to do.  But let's just say he wants to do C&O steam in the late '40s, early 50s.  Great:  Bachmann!  He can get a J-3, a K-4, an H-5, and soon an H-6.  But no switcher!  For that, he needs to go to Proto 2000 for either an 0-8-0 or an SW-9.  And what if he wants an H-8?  Rivarossi is the only choice.  A caboose or two?  You may find something close at Athearn/MDC or at Walthers, but not Bachmann, I don't think.  What about those long coal trains?  Bachmann has maybe two hoppers for C&O.  To get numbers and variety, Accurail is the way to go - but what about all those great Atlas two bays?  And let's not forget the Athearn/MDC six packs. 
If you want to change the parameter to BNSF and 2009 I think you will find the same problem.  I don't think any car/locomotive company has a EOT or FRED device to hang on your last car so that kids can't wave at the conductor....
And then comes the time when you want to add scenery to the layout..... A person with a 4x8 layout set out west might be able to afford all Bachmann trees - but finding Bachmann buildings now is a challenge, and they don't have much variety. 
Gene

[Jim Banner]

Thanks for the explanation, bc now I know.  And bc there are lots of old timers over the age of 30 on this forum, hopefully that will be the last time I use it unless I am talking about the Canadian Province.  Please don't take this as a blanket condemnation of texting shorthand, because it is not.  But equally, please don't condemn us old guys who look at it and wonder what foreign language it is.

wahoo4db, I won't even try to answer a question that has no answer.  Je suis désolé mais c'est la vie.

Jim

[jward]

don.

tell your friend that if he only buys trains from one company he's going to miss out on a whole lot. for example, i know you like conrail so i'll use that as an example.

conrail prototype cabooses:
bay window, new york central style, was done by walthers. similar to classes n7, n7a, n10, n12 and n21
cupola type, pennsylvania rr prototype class n5, n5c and n8 by bowser
cupola type, new haven prototype (conrail class ne6) by atlas
cupola type, "northeastern" as used by reading and central of new jersey, similar types on lehigh valley and penn central, all used by conrail...by proto 2000 (now walthers)

i could go on, but you get the point.

tell your friend that with few exceptions, just about any locomotives and cars produced in the last 5 or 10 years are great, and alot of the models he'll probably want are unique to one manufacturer. he'll want to mix and match, like the rest of us.

[whatsamatteru]

thanks for everyones imput.  he has no idea what he is going to do or what theme he will have for a layout.  he doesnt have a single train.  i just know he is going to stick with one company.  he doesnt like to mix breeds.  i guess i will just tell him to ask the hobby dealer at the store.   

[ebtbob]

         I would be willing to bet that this new model railroader will find it almost impossible to stick to just one manufacturer.   That being said,  to answer the original basic question,   I would say Atlas would be my choice,  only if the modeler is a diesel person.  I say this because the overall variety of rolling stock and the engines are a better quality than Athearn especially if one likes sound.   
         If the person wants steam or steam and diesel,  then Bachmann would be my choice although the variety of rolling stock is not there with Athearn or Atlas.

Bob

[SteamGene]

Have him check these replies.  For this group to be in such complete agreement is an event worth noting.
Gene

[Cody J]

         I would be willing to bet that this new model railroader will find it almost impossible to stick to just one manufacturer.

I am just over a year in the hobby and all I use is Bachmann, although I am looking at a Walthers GP9M to buy some time soon

[Santa Fe buff]

Here's some manufactures with my personal rating (Because I'm on Bachmann's board has no impact.):

-Bachmann: ****
-Athearn: ****
-Atlas: ****
-KATO: ***
-ExactRail: *****
-Broadway Limited/Presion Craft Models: ****
-M.T.H.: ***
-Walthers: ****
-Browser: ****
-Con-Cor: **
-Kadee: *****
-Riverossi: ***
-Model Power: *
-Rapido Trains: *****

I believe that's the top ones.

Enjoy.


trainsrock,
The Walther GP9m is fine. I own one. If you are subscribed to Model Railroader, I encourage you to read my review:
http://www.trains.com/mrr/default.aspx?c=a&id=3141

Overall, I posted good paint job, a closer inspection showed some blending that was noticeable. I still recommend it, but it's a pain open up, with the light bulb attached to both shell and chassis.

Joshua