Looking to buy my first newish steam engine.

There is a lot  of information to digest from post war to modern control/sound model trains.   You may want to join a club or access a friendly dealer/hobby shop to upgrade the learning curve. 

Just a thought

 Mike CT

The original QSI MTH lcomotives are problematic, so look for an MTH Rail King engine that has a 3-volt PS2 or PS 3 operating system in it. The Rail King 2-8-0 is the best value in o-gauge steam.

Ditto what Bobby said.  Be sure seller guarantees it's operable.  It's better to buy one from the For Sale topic on this forum.

Out of all the steam engines I have (Lionel, MTH, Sunset 3 Rail) I am finding that I get the most satisfaction running and watching my Lionel Legacy engines. They are not cheap but they have held up beautifully in the "fully satisfied" department. In fact I now won't look at an engine if it's not a Legacy engine.

But this is just IMO.

happy training!

JohnJr

I really like the Williams by Bachmann 4-6-0s,  and LOVE my new WBB 4-6-2 with sound!! These "lower tech" engines run great and are very reliable.  My 2 MTH Proto Sound 1 engines are relegated to display pieces on sidings.  Also, The Lionel starter set engines, such as the 4-4-2 are inexpensive and reliable.

If you're looking at early MTH, I'd suggest the Locosounds over the PS-1 product. IF you go PS-1 it's best to start with a nice fresh battery before you put it on the rails. As for WbB, I've had nothing but good experiences with them.

While Williams by Bachmann is dependable the prices have gone up very much on the new Bachmann offerings because of their new sound system.

I would look at MTH or Lionel for a new starter set with a steam engine in it.

Lee Fritz

Any of the various MTH steam engines are just fine,  I own many,  both PS1 and more current PS2/3 steam.    To me it is a given up front you want to make sure any engine you buy is in what condition, running condition or not.   Putting in a new battery (I would use a BCR battery replacement) is also a given.

That said,  buy what road name,  engine / wheel configuration you prefer.   These days, secondary market are quite low relative to issue pricing so I suggest buying the latest technology if MTH is the way you go.   The run great either in standard transformer control or in command mode.

Mark

Best new steamer deal out there: Lionel's LionChief 4-6-0 Camelback. It's actually a scale model, properly detailed, it's small and can take small curves, has sound and cruise, drop-dead-easy command control (if you choose to use it), and a price that is right in there with some used MTH PS1 steam.

Also, it's a Camelback - distinctive and "exotic".

I would recommend the  MTH "Imperial line" of Steamers if looking for more detail than the postwar engines.

Go for PS2-3volt or PS3 as mentioned. Imperial line is not scale like Premier but cost is reasonable and looks great on small radius curves.

Are you looking to Model the White Pass? My brother has an amazing G scale WP&Y collection.

Install a BCR (Battery Component Replacement) in a PS1 locomotive and eliminate problems or damage from a low or a dischaged battery. For info, go to www.jandwelectronics.com. Apply 10 volts for 1 minute and a PS1 locomotive is ready to run.

Lionchief locos are good. The new Ten wheelers from MTH are good too.

Hello

May be one of the most over looked is the baseball Berkshire sets.

This one has the upgraded motor,

Can of paint fixes it 

Good running engine  with three pass cars ,a loop of track and transformer.

I think one of the sponsors has them on sale cheap @ 150 - 170 NEW !

JW

I personally have a PS1 F3 set. I highly reccomend that you replace the battery with a BCR and you should be happy with your item. they're some of my favorite engines.

I have 2 mth locosound steamers 1 a mountian type the other is a L&N berkshire.The sound is not that great but they will pull a long train.How long you may ask.I have had my mountain pull between 30 to 40 cars.And will smoke with the best of them.You could also try and take a good look at the railking imperial line.

Tom M,

   The guys are giving you some real good advise, I especially like the Camel Back  idea for it's detail, got one better however, the Legacy Shay is a seriously detailed Engine and is just a fantastic engine to watch run, sounds great and pulls lots of rolling stock.  

Patrick's Trains in WVa might have one left in stock and he gave me a great price on mine a while back.  IMO the Legacy Shay Steam Engine, is the best detailed engine for the price on the market today.

PCRR/Dave

Any Railking PS2 with a 3 volt board. I'm not positive but I think all MTH-Railking engines produced after 2004 have 3 volt boards.

Tom M, there's some nice info here already, but to help a bit more, what are you looking for when you say 'detailed'  and what sort of price range are you working in?  There are some fantastically detailed models out there if what you are looking for is something as close to a perfect scale model as possible, but they tend to cost, for the most part.  

On the other hand if what you mean is you are looking for something more realistic than post-war stuff, but not necessarily prototypical scale models, the field opens up for many locomotives made in the last 20 years, many of which can be had rather inexpensively.  

Lots of good advice....but remember a BCR (great product) will not "cure" a MTH PS1 engine that has electrical issues....The member who mentioned the Railing Loco-sound engines reminded me of my NYC 4-6-0 that has never given me any problems either  !  Another solid recommendation....happy train season!!

I dove in last year and purchased a circa 1999 MTH premier Berk with ps1 that I got a great price on.  Made sure the seller had tested and I put in a brand new battery just to make sure. Haven't had any issues and love that thing. It's going to be upgraded as it's too beautiful for the shelf and I'm running mostly command now. The hours of enjoyment my son and I have had with that thing are priceless, and I didn't worry quite the same way with him at the throttle as I would've with a 1200+ engine. 

Thanks for the insight everybody. I'm looking for one under $350. I found a MTH 4-6-0 with protosound 2.0 I'm thinking about. Merry Christmas to me. My dream engine/set is the NYC Water Level Freight set. Ever since I watched Eric Siegel's review I've wanted one real bad. Maybe once tax returns roll around...

I am thinking of putting a White Pass livery on a steam engine, that's why I'm leaning towards a 4-6-0. I'm not trying to be prototypical I just love O-Gauge and the White Pass and Yukon. Here's my other White Pass O-Gauge.  https://ogrforum.com/t...hite-pass-collection

phillyreading posted:

While Williams by Bachmann is dependable the prices have gone up very much on the new Bachmann offerings because of their new sound system.

I would look at MTH or Lionel for a new starter set with a steam engine in it.

Lee Fritz

I totally agree Lee.  Solid advice!

I think with a MTH Railking PS 2 or PS 3 you will definitely get a bigger bang for the buck... and also with Lionel.

Just throwing it out there, there are a number of 'like new' lionel and mth mohawk 4-8-2 engines on the big auction site at the moment in the $350-450 range if your heart is set on that type.  The lionel ones all appear to be conventional models with chuffing sound.  Not sure what the quality is on these, but they look nice.  You might also find one posting a 'looking for' ad here on the forum.

 I'm particularly partial to the hudson Jr's from the early 2000's if you're looking for a fairly good looking engine that will slip right through O27 curves and pull a small mountain.  They tend to go for $200-$350 with tmcc and railsounds in my experience.  

Lee Fritz (and others) ...Williams trains can always be found online and from hobby shops in OGR and other magazines for about half the listed Williams retail.  The new 4-6-2 (awesome!) lists for $599, but can be found for $350....got mine from Mario's Trains.   Their 4-6-0, 4-8-4, and semi-scale hudson can also be found at the $220-$300 range newsroom retailers.....

I meant new, from  retailers, in my last post!!