What's your choice for the best looking and detailed steam engine in the $450 and lower price range?

Well, the one OGR magazine  and others have raved about is the Williams by Bachman 4-6-0...but I'd have to refer back to that article to see how it smokes...It can be had for less than $200, so...buy two, and an enginehouse to put them in...with $450....

K-Line Mikado. Beautiful engine with TMCC. Recommend adding cruise. 

Lionel Legacy NYC F12e 4-6-0 (10 wheeler). The slow speed is fantastic, the sounds are out of this world and the size is perfect for small radii layouts...

You have to see and run one of these.... 

The C&O looks very cool but I like the NYC's whistle sound the best, not sure about the CP version.

Maybe a tad above 450 though. I did see them go for about 500.00 if you look.

Anything from the Railking Imperial line. Right in your price range, nice engines, fantastic detail. 

K-Line's scale Hudson is one of the best engines you can get at that price point. Comes with TMCC and Railsounds and is still the most visually accurate J1e Hudson in O-Gauge.

K Line or Lionmaster Hudson's and the Kline 4-6-4T engines found in the aftermarket, great detail, great runners and great value hands down!

I agree!

I just picked up a supposedly new in box K-line scale 5343S for $250 online... (NOT DA BAY!).

Thanks,

Mario

There was a scale K-Line Hudson on the FS board yesterday WITH the ERR Cruise &TMCC electronics for conversion. Appeared to be a good deal. 'Stock' the K-line will negotiate fairly light curves. As Nick said, one of the nicest scale Hudsons (or any steamer) out there.

from ad-

Mint in original box including an electric railroad cruise commander and sound board with coil coupler and wires and fat boy  speaker to add.   currently has just the whistle and bell.  road # 5343   400.00 plus postage.  in original box and outside box.

MTH Premier and RailKing Proto-Sound (Ps-1) steamers are available for $400 or less. Just be certain they run before purchasing one. If necessary, replace a battery with a BCR. Apply 10 volts for 1 minute and a locomotive with a BCR is ready to run.

I have to agree with this.  You can also find the conventional Atlantic in this price range if you look hard, but frankly this is a slightly handsomer locomotive. 

K-Line is hard to beat when you are looking at detail vs. cost. The Hudson is a great choice if you are looking for a passenger engine. If you are running freight, the K-Line scale Mikado is an excellent choice. Lots of really nice detail, available with or without TMCC, and a good runner. Lionel agrees; their latest Legacy Mikados use the K-Line tooling with some minor changes to accommodate the newer electronics and smoke. The K-Line Mikados had full valve gear and specific details matched to the railroad they were painted for, such as Harriman style number boards on the UP engines, headlight on top of the smokebox for PRR and B&O, and correct builders' plates for each railroad. Prices on the secondary market generally run between 350 and 450, depending on condition and whether it is a conventional or TMCC version. Here's a photo of the UP version. You can click on the photo for a bigger blow-up.

As it happens, I have one of these for sale in C&O. It's like new in the box, test run only, with TMCC. Not the one in the photo, which is UP and has some miles on it. If you're interested, e-mail is in my profile. 

I got my hands on a K-Line TMCC Big Boy in your price range.  Also, The Western Depot has some K-Line engines on sale right now in that price range, one being the 4-6-6T (Which I'd have on order right now if I didn't owe my wife a dishwasher.  For some reason it's expected of me to put my family 1st over my hobby... ).

Only note there is as far as I know, the full Cruise Commander is not the appropriate upgrade for a model that already has TMCC (the seller informed me this was the TMCC "S" version). You would want the Cruise Commander M for that locomotive.

I absolutely agree with Nick 100%.

Rod

I 100% agree with this one.  

Here is my C&O one repainted for the Michigan & Great Lakes.

I am debating if I should order the NYC version of the sound chip, as the whistle is way better the then C&O version. 

I had a K-Line Hudson. Nice, but not that nice.   Everyone makes a big deal about the prototypical fidelity of this model and no doubt that was extraordinary on it, but the difference between that, and the detail and accuracy of other models, is just not important to me.   They all look good - and when a loco is moving I can't see to count rivets (not that I would anyway).  Meanwhile, many more recent locos like the Lionel Atlantic and 4-6-0, and the some Railking and low-end Premier locos in this price range, run much better and sound much better. K-Line locos are getting on in age now and not that great compared to the best of the latest.  I gave mine away: it was an okay loco, but I lacked shelf space and it lost out to more recent locos.

I'd be inclined to say the same if the K-Line Hudson cost closer to $1,000. But it doesn't. It falls within OP's target price range of $450 or below, and for the level of detailing and accuracy it's a stupid good value at that price point even without today's level of sounds and performance sophistication. Let's also be real here; the K-Line models don't exactly run and sound like dogs either. The Hudson has a very nice NYC sound set and its already adequate performance can be greatly enhanced by a simple bolt-in cruise upgrade.

You may also want to re-read the title of this thread and OP's original post. In both he specifically states that detailing and realism are the most important factors in his future purchase. So it honestly doesn't matter that you don't care about those aspects.....

You can pick one up now for under $ 450, so my choice is the Lionel Legacy C&O Ten Wheeler. Nothing better in this price range.

Harriman Consolidation is a fantastic runner. I posted it here but no takers. Went to an auction site where its currently listed. TMCC at a very very good price.

Yet another vote for the K-Line Scale Hudson!  I also like the Rail King Allegheny at $300 -  http://www.ebay.com/itm/MTH-Ra...;hash=item3383e181f7

To be fair, the full-on PS2 upgrade that JDS Limited does is likely going to put the total cost of the Hudson over the $450 max. However, simply dropping an ERR Cruise M in the TMCC version is very doable if you get a good deal on the engine. Here's my #5343 TMCC version running totally stock on my layout. As you can see, runs and sounds fine with six Lionel heavyweights.

I understand the need for detail and realism but there are other locos that deliver that quite well.  It's just impossible to find K-Line Hudson new anymore, and I seldom recommend used: I've bought used a lot in the past and that's why I avoid it anymore and seldom recommend it.   The point I will stick to is that the K-Line Hudson is always brought up as super detailed, which is true, but otherwise, while good, it is not outstanding in my opinion compared to more modern loco technology.  They are a handful of good, detailed and realistic looking new locos out there like the Lionel 4-6-0 and conventional Atlantic and some MTH Imperials with more modern electronics, cruise, and sound that can be found in this price range if you look.  They look good, they are detailed, they are new with a warranty, and they have better low speed running and sound than anything available when K-line put out its Hudson (or at least, when they put out the Hudson I had).  I think they will give more pleasure to someone who wants to run the loco a lot.

I like older brass, acquired on the secondary market ($450 or less). There are some very good models out there with exceptional detail if you exclude modern electronic drive systems and do some shopping.  As made they are usually good runners.  I have done some extensive electronic upgrade to most of these older models.   Mike

Sunset ThirdRail Pennsy E6  

Sunset ThirdRail Decapod to the right in this picture.

Weaver Pennsy H10

Lionel ten wheeler; Lionel Atlantic.

There may be others, but I am not familiar with them so I cannot recommend.  

I agree with Lee vis a vis K-Line's Hudson:  nice looking but there are locos that simply run better today.  Moreover, I am not crazy about buying a locomotive used in the first instance and those risks / complications are only potentially compounded given that K-Line is out of business.  Why go that route when there are so many other solid alternatives available?  

     http://www.ebay.com/itm/K-Line-K3270-53434-NYC-J1e-Hudson-Steam-Engine-TMCC-Railsounds-Factory-New-/380680061520?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item58a24cc250

The only bummer about the scale Hudson is the sound units K line put in multiple steam engines. 

I had a cheaper semi scale pacific and it had the same exact sound unit in the scale Hudson. 

I absolutely agree with Nick and Rod 100%.

          paul m.

The K-Line scale Hudson is THE most detailed steamer for under $500 but not nearly the best runner. As a runner it is merely acceptable and that is with the speed control. The original sounds are terrible compared to the Legacy F12 which I also have.

The Legacy F12, however, is not nearly as well detailed as the K-Line. Underdetailed is what I would describe it as. Runs and sounds incredibly well, however.

Take your choice.

If you want small the MTH 0-8-0 and 0-6-0 are with ps 2 and 3 can be had for that price.