What do you guys think is the best value in N scale power? Not neccesarily the lowest cost or the highest cost but the best value. :tb-wink:
The Atlas GP30s / GP40s. I have not run them much but they seem to be the best bang for the buck. I have a pair of GP38's that were a matched pair right out of the box.
Life-Like FA1-FB1. Datail, paint, pulling power, smooth running etc. All for under $40 for an AB set (thats what I payed anyway).
My favorte is the Kato Mike, BUT, I think bang for buck, Life-Like has come leaps and bounds. I have several assorted Life-Like diesels, and they are very nice runners, detail is nice, and still the cheapest for what you get from them.
LifeLike GP20. Can be had for nearly pennies, runs smooth and slow, very reliable. LL SW9 is a close second. Not so much cheap, but dead reliable, will pull the paint off of walls, and silky smooth and whisper quiet: old-production Kato SD45's. The old production SD40 as well. Both have heavy frames; exemplifies Kato's famous engineering.
The best value for me is almost any kato product, the bachmann connies are also a great value. There is no better builder right now then Kato, you get what you pay for. Skip the quanity and go for the quality. Dave
Hemi, are these older issues you speak of or something that is still available new? BTW, what exactly is the deal with LifeLike? Weren't they bought by Walther's or something and only sold by them? Let me know, interested in some inexpensive reliable power...
I'd have to go with the IM F series diesels (FT's, F3's, F7's). I've got all of them and while they need their wheels to be regauged (as has EVERY N scale loco I've bought) to run on my code 55, they're quiet, strong pullers, and beautifully detailed. Other engines have required a fair amount of fine tuning/hassle to get them to run properly, but the IM's are just sweet runners out of the box.
The previous run of Kato F7, available on the 'Bay. For me, no failures yet, no maintenance, no nuttin except cleaning the wheels. I just can't imagine better value than 10 years of use with no problems.
