Question regarding brands other than Lionel & MTH.

Try using each company's web site.  Also add Williams by Bachmann (WBB).

many of the old companies have gone by the wayside, but some are still around.  MTH is fairly new, but big and innovative.  some were primarily HO scale, but branched out into O and others.  Atlas pioneered many new innovations and offers true O scale, which others have only recently offered.  Bachmann is another that offers what the others may not.  Each has something unique, and provide great competition for what I call the big two.  Check them out - I like Atlas.

Jeff, for some decent pics of the different types, try ebay under O scale, then search the given name of the brand - that or look around wheaton on the 12th to see what's out there....you might even see my son and I there depending on when you go, we like going early.

 

Oh, remove Aristocraft from your list unless your talking about RMT stuff{aristo is actually G gauge/rmt is O} and add MTH/Rail King or even K-line to your list....

• 3rd Rail/Sunset are high end scale, usually brass models
• SMR Trains are museum-quality high end scale brass models
• Atlas Master Series is highly-detailed scale
• Atlas Trainmaster is scale, but more molded-in detail and less fragile added on details
• Atlas Industrial Rail is smaller, non-scale (similar to Lionel Traditional)
• RMT (formerly RMT by Aristo) is smaller, non-scale (similar to Lionel Traditional)
• Weaver stuff is scale and mostly made in the U.S.A. (not the engines, though) - some older products come with cheap plastic trucks - they do a wide variety of road names
• Williams by Bachmann is mostly smaller, non-scale, but they do have some scale engines - WBB conventional engines are generally considered to be some of the best runners out there

 

That would be my $0.02...

Andy

 

 

The more I surf here I see 3rd Rail, Sunset, Atlas, Aristo, Weaver... I know nothing about these brands and others I may have missed. 

Obviously all the companies have their niche markets. How would you explain what each of the other companies do well or what make them unique. Thanks!!

For scale O guage

 

3rd rail and sunset are the same co. Sunset is the 2 rail high end]brass brand while 3rd Rail is the 3 rail division of the same co. This company markets unique high end brass and plastic scale models with lots of detail.

 

Atlas O another high end and some middle of the road product [trainman line] that offers scale models with good details at an affordable price[ not extreme as brass]

 

Weaver models. Middle of the road scale product line with a smattering of unique brass loco models [high end]not offered by other mfgs. Many of their ultra line freight cars are made in the U.S.A. Some details are delicate and can easily break. other details are molded in and seem dated up close. Good news is if ytou like LONG trains, their freight cars make great fillers for long trains without straining ones train budget. the co has been producing scale cars since the 1970's so many of their products can be found in swap meets.

 

LIRR1555    RMT is still in Business. Just ask Walther M.

Just the type of insight I was hoping for!!  Thanks for all the comments!

 

I will admit Legacy has me steered in a certain direction, but I will spend a little more time looking at some of the others offerings!

 

Thanks Again!!

Jeff, I don't know what you have to run with now, scale wise....tin plate, pre-war, early post war, semi scale, scale for rolling stock or engines...so this makes for a very wide assortment to choose from, and some folks like running more than one type{I have two clockwork trains to mess with along with my fancy electric trains}.

I will admit, TMCC/Legacy has left some of the others on the shelf! I'm leaning more and more towards scale as well...

see loco dans post above.

I believe that Williams is scale.

 

Jan

Jeff

 

    As you are in the Chicago area, stop by our club and you can see and touch all of this. We run Legacy/TMCC, DCS and conventional on our layout and you are welcome to try.

 

Ray Marion

Some is, but much isn't.  You have to know what you're buying.  The new models released by Bachmann under the Williams by Bachmann brand are scale or darn close to it (RS3, GP30, Peter Witt trolley).

Ray - It's on my calendar! Thanks!!

I long ago decided against TMCC, so that leaves only MTH engines, all kinds of rolling stock as long as not semi-scale (there are some beauts out there by all), and absolutely ATLAS track.

All brands have something to offer a buyer. I buy engines that are compatible with TMCC/Legacy as I don't want two systems. That only leaves out MTH so I still have lots of choices.

It's Jeff T's thread so I think it best to follow the intent of what he asked for.  He wanted to know about the other companies and their offerings, not what one individual preferred.  Honestly, Lee's post was created to start something and added nothing to the thread.

 

Personally, I think Marty R said it well.

 

I like offerings from all the companies.  I do command and don't much consider Williams but they are great if running only conventional but the value is lost on most when converting them to command control.

 

Atlas is awesome, but you have to watch their descriptions carefully.  Some are 2 rail and many of the 3 rail come with Kadee style couplers only.  An issue if you run the standard Lobster Claws as I do.  The way around this is to have a transition cars with a Lobster Claw on one end and Kadee on the other, or convert all to Kadee (expensive and can get complicated on some cars/engines) or convert these to Lobster Claws which can also be difficult and may require swapping trucks.  Not a deal breaker but something to be aware of.  Kadee couplers also require wider radii curves.

 

Kline has some great stuff which can still be found and their scale offerings are top of the line with wonderful detail.  I have several of there cars and love them.

 

Weaver sometimes lacks the finite detail but they offer scale sized cars and are a great value.  Going by at normal speeds much of this detail is lost anyway.  As said beware some of the older ones have crummy plastic trucks.

 

RMT is a great value, but I don't run traditional which leaves out most of their offerings for me.  I would have purchased the track had their been more options, maybe that will change in the feature.

One thing that is scale at RMT is the ore cars, I bought a ton of those when they were $10/ea, great value and very nicely detailed and painted cars!

 

Atlas is awesome, but you have to watch their descriptions carefully.  Some are 2 rail and many of the 3 rail come with Kadee style couplers only.

I have never seen a 3-rail car come directly from Atlas with anything other than 3-rail couplers.  Have you gotten 3-rail cars with Kadees from Atlas?

 

 

 

Hi Folks,

 

I own and operate engines and cars from just about every manufacturer.  Each company makes quality products.   Sometimes you can only get an engine or car in the road name that you want by buying from only one company.   For example, you can only get a Jawn Henry from 3rd Rail, New Haven I-5 and 1-4 steam engines from Weaver, etc.   I believe that you are really limiting your model choices if you only buy the products of a couple of companies.

 

My primary model interest is the New Haven RR.   I have FL9s from 3rd Rail, EP-5s from K-Line, EP-3 and EF-4s from MTH, PAs from MTH. RS-3s from Atlas, and Weaver steam engines, etc.    I would not be able to fill out my NH roster without buying from many sources.  I am pleased with the products of all the manufacturers.  

 

Joe

Yes, when they are scale wheeled versions.

I have mostly MTH and a little Lionel. I think Atlas has some nice offerings as well as Weaver and Kline and RMT. If my budget was bigger I would also have some of their offerings. So far MTH has consumed most of my train items budget as they seem to have what I like the best in the road name I am trying to stay with.

 

I am using Atlas track, I think it is really nice, quiet and well thought out. And they have some very detailed scale freight cars that I have seen. I know they are also well thought of in HO as my brother-in-law has a bunch of their HO stuff and speaks highly of it.

 

One thing that would sure be nice for us that are newer to the hobby is, if they would label their offerings as scale or conventional or O or O27 or whatever.  MTH seems to be pretty good at this but I have no idea with Lionel, Atlas or the others. I haven't been able to tell what the RMT offerings are, or I would have gotten some of their sale stuff they have had recently. This thread has been helpful with a lot of info about the lines and scales though, thanks to all for starting and posting it.

 

 

Are you sure you're not confusing them with the scale wheels versions that MTH offers in most of their Premier engine line?  They're the only ones I know of that currently make "scale wheels" versions that work in either 3-rail or 2-rail and with 2-rail coupler mounts.

 

The only "scale wheels" engines that are 3-rail compatible by Atlas O that I'm aware of is as an aftermarket service that they offer for anyone that has bought Atlas O 3-rail engines and want them converted to scale wheels & Kadee couplers.

 

And having said all that, I have never, ever seen any freight cars from Atlas O, let alone MTH, that were 3-rail but with Kadee Couplers installed from the factory.  Only thing I've seen is cars that were converted by a previous owner, or were 2-rail to begin with.

I can answer this form a conventional standpoint only.  I presume you understand 'convetional', but if someone is later researching this topic, perhaps it is a good idea to define it.  Conventional = YOU control the operation fo the engine - no "systems" of digital elements are used.  Think of it another way:  1950's style train running.

 

These are brands I have:

 

MTH - great trains.  Even PS-3 can be run conventionally, just not all features can easily be activated.  Great rail cars in the RailKing (the yellow boxes) and Premier (purplse boxes) lines.  RailKing is semi scale, typically, and Premier is scale sized and more detailed.  Quality very good on both lines.  Engines are tanks.

 

Williams - excellent value.  I have Williams by Bachmann (WBB) and pre-merger Williams (when it was in Columbia, MD).  They are like Hondas.  Always work, easy to fix (if needed), and a good value.  Many dealers selling older styled inventory (a.k.a. old tooling) for good deals.  Even the new tooled items are great sounding and not terribly expensive.  Trainworld selling the newer engines with Tru Blast II for around $250 +/-.  True Blast II is the newest generation of sounds to Williams, and they sound pretty good.  Willaims cars, I pass on.  Too much the 'toy' size, what some call O-27 scale; not detailed either.

 

Weaver - most of my Weaver engines are 10+ years old.  Tanks.  Well made.  Their cars are excellent, but if buying used units be aware that they might have plastic trucks.  Currently made units, I believe, are all metal trucks.  Quality and detail are excellent.

 

ETS - these are Czech republic made trains that look similar to tinplate.  They are nicely made in passenger and freight.  I have one set of each.  Reliable.  Nice runners.  The ones I have come with European couplers, but some are now made with knuckle type couplers that we see commonly here.  But the engines and cars are older style - not like the modern, Euro trains MTH sells.  They are a great value in my opinion and a nice conversation piece.

 

Hope that helps.

 

 

 

Seems like I forgot about Weaver. Anyway I had a few Weaver freight cars and had problems with them when using them with my postwar and MPC era Lionel trains. The Weaver cars would derail my other freight cars unless I ran them by themselves.

There was a coupler issue that I did not know about, the Weaver cars had frame mounted couplers and Lionel had truck mounted couplers, so they didn't work with each but would fight each and cause derailments.

 

While all companies make good products, sometimes you have to watch out for production variations such as coupler mounting and coupler style.

 

Lee Fritz

This was on rail cars not engines.

I only run TMCC so I don't have much from MTH. My 3 MTH diesels are older PS1 units that I converted to TMCC
I have a few lionel engines and freight cars.
In my opinion, AtlasO makes the best Diesel engines and freight cars. I have 3 of their engines with TMCC. All of the new Atlas freight cars that I have came with 3 rail trucks and couplers.
I also have a dozen or more Weaver freight cars. Nearly all of them came with plastic trucks and truck mounted couplers. I actually prefer the weaver plastic trucks over the die cast.

If it was an atlas freight car with scale wheels and kaydee style couplers it was actually a 2-rail car. 

Sunset/3rd Rail is not high end.  High end is Kohs and Key Imports.  

Sunset/3rd Rail is your Chevy/Ford. Kohs and Key Imports are your Mercedes/AstonMartin.

Regards,

Ed

 

 

...and if you read my last paragraph previously, I also said that I have never, ever seen any freight cars from Atlas O, let alone MTH, that were 3-rail but with Kadee Couplers installed from the factory.  Only thing I've seen is cars that were converted by a previous owner, or were 2-rail to begin with.

I guess your experience trumps mine.  Not worth arguing over in my opinion and is adding nothing to this thread.  If I am wrong, then it affects nothing.