Rolling Stock Detail Level Various Makers

Although the Atlas Master Line freight cars are highly detailed, since MTH began drastically improving their Premier line freight cars, my preference is now the MTH product. Three main reasons lead me to the MTH cars: 1) the added-on details are brass/metal in stead of plastic as on the Atlas cars,  2) the MTH cars are not near as expensive as the Atlas products, and 3) the MTH cars are MUCH easier to up-grade to Kadee couplers.

Some Weaver cars are "basic", some are detailed. Despite the issues with the die cast Floors, the converted Troop sleepers were excellent. I also have the B&O Wagontop and Milwaukee Rd Rib Sides. Both are beautiful.

I have a bunch of PS-1's. Primarily because they are scale and extremely affordable.

For Reefers, hands down Atlas makes the best. I have many K-Lines that I would rate as a close second.

Gilly

I recently received the Weaver ARMY Medical supply TOFC. It is very well done. The car is detailed as is the trailer and the paint is perfect. The car has the heft of a Die Cast car. It comes well packed in a larger than average box.

With Weaver, read the details closely, some say scale and give details, some don't.

Weaver is also assembled and partially made in the USA.

It is possible I'm so impressed because I don't usually go for top shelf cars.

I have only 2 sets of MTH Premier and no Lionel Vision line for example.

The MTH premier are specific car sets I wanted. Sherman tanks on 40' flats and the Rio Grande Drop bottom gondola set. Admittedly, they are nice.

I am also impressed by some of the K-Line I have acquired.

What was the price difference between Weaver and Atlas ?

I agree with HW on these points.

If you don't go the Kadee route, I find MTH's hidden uncoupler equipped truck to be the best available among the manufacturers. No ugly thumbtack (we can consider that a detail point right?) and a nice metallic click when closing.

"What was the price difference between Weaver and Atlas ?"

I had quite lost track of that. I thought Weaver a maker of very high end stuff. I am still learning the ropes of the marketplace really.

Turns out I paid only $31US for that Weaver. My Atlas O Masters were all over the map but still nearly twice the price. As low as $55US and as high as $85US.

So my comparison is unfair. Thanks for pointing out that all Weaver cars are not created equal.

There is "old" and "new" Weaver tooling.  The single sheathed boxcar you show is from the old tooling.  All of the mfg have old and new tooling so there isn't any rule as to which mfg makes the best.  The newer Atlas reefers are not nearly as fragile as the old ones.  General rule of thumb, you get what you pay for.  You need to look at and research each car individually for build, detail, quality, and price.

Competition is great, most everything keeps improving. 

Dan

Send me all  the Weavers!!!!

I love the Weaver cars.....for a number of reasons. 

Price is a major concern/ I just picked up a number of cars all for under the $10 range. 

But i also like the ease of taking them apart and reworking them. Sometimes details or paint......maybe replace a broken corner step.

As for detail......rolling by at speed.....it's really hard for me to see the difference.....

But that's why they make so many different levels of O scale cars....to each his own!!!

Some of my Weaver reworked and rebuilt cars.......

I have rolling stock from all: Lionel, MTH, Atlas, Weaver, and Williams, RMT, and Menards for that reason.  

I prefer scale rolling stock with plenty of detail and have about 70 reefers, 20 flatcars of various types, etc., from Lionel, MTH, Atlas O, K-Line and Weaver.  I view the best (their premium offerings) of  - Lionel, MTH, Atlas O, and K-line as equivalent - I line up twenty four or so PFE reefers and I can't tell who made what when they are end to end - they all look great!  I view Weaver as good but not quite as good as the best from those four.   I have only four Weaver cars so perhaps I don't have a really representative sample.  

I think Menards provides the best bargains currently available, their boxcars and latest flatcar (deuce and a half military truck) being scale sized and while not as detailed as the  best Lionel, etc., being pretty good and costing less than half as much.

Terry, the specific Weaver car you show is actually from the Crown Model Trains dies, that Weaver purchased. CMT did 3 cars, which Weaver purchased the dies from: the 40 ft. Steel Side Box Car, the Outside Braced Box Car, and the Woodside Reefer.

These cars were tooled up sometime in the early 1990's by CMT and based upon smaller prototypes. At the time, there was some excitement for these cars as they are based on smaller prototypes, so while actual scale, they don't look out of place with traditionally sized trains. Which is why I know about these cars, as I have some. Crown had announced a long list of road names, but must be the sales didn't match the press (?), as many didn't get made. For whatever reason, Weaver picked up the dies.

Weaver has had these cars since the late 1990's. Remember, detail levels on rolling stock have come a long way since that time. Consumers too, have also become more demanding. You can't judge the entire Weaver line based upon these 3 cars. Nor is it fair to compare an Atlas Master Line car to them. Even comparing Lionel scale cars from 15 years ago to the ones offered today, there's a difference in detail levels... as well as in price.