advices for a beginner

Hello Deminoo

the headboard refers to the name board on the front of the train.

A number of English trains in particular have names such as "The Merseyside Express" or "The Royal Highlander'.

I have a few Ace Locomotives and I am pleased with them, i have not purchased any Darstaed or Seven Mills, simply because they have not produced any model that I do not have an older model of such as a GNR Atlantic.

Had Darstaed proceeded with their proposed line of Single driver locomotives, it is likely i would have bought several.

I hope this helps

Roland

Williams locomotives have some detail, with enough weight to pull a respectable train. Good runners, we ran one for almost two hours last Sunday and it did not get warm.  John

Are you asking about European models?

hello prr1950

not especially . as long as it is mechanically strong. but but but I prefer the English steamers: for me the prettiest in the sense that they are typical and original, not to mention the colors without comparison with those of the "continent". and the names of the trains: for ex "there was "the lord of isles" from hornby. it makes you dream. otherwise there is mth in die cast may be better than tinplate/ but I prefer the English one.

is there a brand that also manufactures in die cast .

tx for  your response

bye

Read and understand about Die cast parts and Zinc Pest. Zinc Pest is when the diecast material is not pure enough and then crumbles over time.

tx roland for ur  reSPONSe

of course u have helped me. also daerstead.!  it's difficlut  to choise without seing the m matérial is not it. i to had go to paris to seee them there are some sellers for this material

it's the nearest for me; there is a  forum that named "ace" i thought that ace would be the most popular brand then ibelieved then it was ths best. but the responses are  motley shared.i hopened it was a brand that did tue unanimyty. wrong. it is more complicated than that!

tx and bye

@gftiv posted:

Read and understand about Die cast parts and Zinc Pest. Zinc Pest is when the diecast material is not pure enough and then crumbles over time.

tx  for ur response gftiv

yes  in ho there are no pblem yet wtih the  zamac but i did'nt  know  the zincpest  always persist with the diecast . i hope that with tinplate This is not the case!

bye

@rattler21 posted:

Williams locomotives have some detail, with enough weight to pull a respectable train. Good runners, we ran one for almost two hours last Sunday and it did not get warm.  John

tx four your response

william ... i did'nt know this brand. is it a  site where i could see  them or/and  a seeler to see. then it seem to be solid: sturdy interested

bye

www.bachmantrains.com     

Then on the left of the home page, click on WILLIAMS.  You should then click on Steam Engines for the current selections.

An auction site usually has several Williams engines available, diesel and steam.

John

You may not realize it, but you have contacted a forum sponsored by an American model railroad magazine publisher and by mostly US based train manufacturers.  Most of the participants here will have very little knowledge about the products you seek to buy except for those formerly made by Mike's Train House (MTH).

At one time, MTH made some European model trains in O gauge (American), but they have changed their business model and have not manufactured any such models in some time.  Search the second-hand markets and you might find something available.

As to quality of models, there are three prime factors, mechanical, electronic and scale fidelity.  On the electronic end, many here who own MTH products are now a little worried because MTH used a system that only they developed and made, so if something goes bad, you may have to install a brand new system made by somebody else.  On the mechanical side, most of their products are made well, but there can be some major differences in that opinion with certain products.  Similarly, scale fidelity can vary from piece to piece, but I think most European models were good representations of their prototypes.

Chuck

yes i've already heard that mth is good matérial and reliable.   when Americans make this kind of product they are not kidding.   they know how to make quality they put the means in everything they do. that's diecast not tinplate  too

tx for ur response

Are you looking for more modern scale tinplate?

hello Brian

maybe I hesitate between several brands that manufacture 100% metal and zero plastic. I do not support. I don't know all the brands. It seems to me that: ace. darstead. seven thousand are good from what I have been told. the most RELIABLE I would like to know. it seems to be the same.. don't know. exactly what I'm looking for. MAYBE THERE ARE BETTER BRANDS. I left for ace then for darstead.... then for S. mill I expect a great connoisseur to guide me. you are all there! tell me why this or that brand you prefer. example: morisation (such engine as mabuchi) or such brand has all-wheel drive or/with worm gear and quality of the bodywork.... no rust finally you see

for u what the best....and why. you can tell the inconvenients-what u don'tlike- too of  the precise brands

bye

I (like many others on this forum) am fairly happy collecting the US made brands like Lionel, American Flyer, Dorfan, Ives, etc... I don't know if those would be your cup of tea though, as you had mentioned earlier that you prefer British locomotives and (what I assume ) the more royal shades of colors as opposed to the garrish toy-like colors of their prewar American made counterparts. I personally really enjoy the bright colorful toy trains rolling around the track, with all of the flashing, rotating, and swinging accessories flailing around them; they bring out a sense of nostalgia for me of a bygone time that I will never be able to experience. If you're looking for realism though, having every locomotive be a bright blue or red 2-4-2 isn't particularly going to satisfy you like the more true to scale higher end European trains.

As for reliability, the Lionel classics trains re-issues from the 80's/90's I have found to be absolutely excellent in form & function, better than the originals. Unfortunately they came out with limited models that were available, most being Standard Gauge as well, not 0. As for originals, I quite like any of the brands that existed during the pre-war era, but like anything old, it really depends on how well maintained these toys were, as reliability means nothing without regular maintenance. Many children and parents neglected to take good care of their toys, so these days you find them in all sorts of conditions, more often than not with severely worn bearings and odd things shoved where the brushes should be.