Been playing around with N scale...and love it. But the eyes are getting older and I am thinking about HO. I would like to try a loco with DCC/sound,details already installed, and something modern like a GEVO. Looking for input regarding brands that are good to go. I see Athearn, Intermountain, MTH, BLI...suggestions please! Kind regards, Ski
Atlas and Kato are the two most reliable brands mechanically. BLI, Athearn, Intermountain, all good stuff, particularly if you can get a bargain. BLI only has the one modern diesel, the AC6000, with the next most modern an SD 45, if I recall. Details-wise, it's a tough row to hoe to beat Athearn, but their mechanics haven't enjoyed a rock solid reputation the past six years. While they are excellent mechanically, Atlas and Kato are 'average' for details. This is not to say they are not so great, but that they have to sit behind Athearn in that department. I don't know much about MTH, so I won't comment. I should add that I am a steam fan and have only two Athearn Genesis SD75-M's as token modern diesels. They look very nice, with lots of add-on details for the purchaser to install, but they don't stay on the tracks well without perfect track. I had the patience and energy to rip up and re-lay about three feet of a curve that my various steamers had no problems negotiating. After that, they both ran fine.
BLI does the SD40-2, not the 45. Pretty much every none trainset HO engine is reasonably solid now days excepting the occasional lemon from each of them. MTH is stupid because of DCS. They look good and run OK if you put a real decoder in them.
Could not agree more. I agree, Athearn Genesis are really good as are BLI Paragon 2s, but you get what you pay for and the cheapest one from these makers I own was just under $200. Bowsers are really nice, but I won't be getting one with sound until next month. I'd avoid Bachmann just because of their history of inconsistent quality rates. When I started I went with Bachmann and Athearn RTR. Oh yeah, I have the BLI AC6000 and a Athearn Genesis SD70ace. The AC6000 has sound and the SD70 doesn't, but they both run and look great and handle tight corners better then they should. I do have a GP9 Athearn Genesis with sound thats been really nice. It'd be better if I was running DCC, but it hasn't had any issues so far. I should also point out that the SD70 has light bulbs and the AC6000 uses LEDs. Both have lit ditch lights.
