# Reliable engine brands?



## wcsjr1 (Dec 10, 2012)

As an example I see Intermountain engines on ebay for as much as $200+ but for sale from ModelTrain Stuff for $105. How does one determine a good price on ebay or Craigslist for that matter?

Everyone has an opinion on what brand is the best so there is no consensus on this board. I'm looking for good value, reliable, easy to maintain and repair if necessary engines. I am not at a point where I willing to pay for the highest level of detail. The motor truck in the old Tyco Mantua engines from my fathers collection are riveted shut making it difficult to disassemble for cleaning and lubricating. I'm afraid that if I drill out the rivets and replace them with screws it will diminish their value. This is why I want engines that I can disassemble and clean and lube easily. And then there is the old Lionel engine with plastic catches on the truck assembly that break easily.

I'll stop rambling. What are good brands to look for and what price range do I need to be in to get good value? Thank you.


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## wsorfan4003 (Jan 14, 2013)

I'm too much of an amateur to have a brand preference, with a limited budget, but that being said, I've had good luck with all my Athearns. Locomotives, and rolling stock. My favorite locomotive is my Athearns Wisconsin and Southern SD40-2


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

*Reliable engine brands?* 

Athearn Blue Box, low cost. easy to work on. not the best, but can be had for $25-$50


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## dannyrandomstate (Jan 1, 2012)

I don't have just one favorite brand. I have had some Athearns that were tip top, yet some that were pure rubbish. And then I've had a couple model powers that rans circles ( no pun intended) around a friends brand new Kato. It does come down to getting what you pay for. But where do you draw the line? As with anything else in life if you maintain it and take care of it sure it will last years, but run it ragged and it will be a paper weight. 

I do lean towards the Athearns both the BB and the newish stuff though.


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

Athearn is not my faverite. But that is not what the OP asked. my faverite is harder to work on. LOL


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Athearn!


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## N scale catastrophe (Nov 18, 2012)

Speaking from personal experience, you get what you pay for. My Bachmann engine was cheap ($75) but was not reliable or easy to work on. My Athearn was not cheap, not a blue box version, (it was a gift so I do not know exact cost) but it runs like a charm and has been very easy to mess with. It really depends on type (steam or diesel) and scale you want to model too, the smaller the scale the harder to work on.


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## trainguru (Jun 28, 2011)

*trainguru's "Soapbox Time"*

I buy my locomotives (all second hand roses), based on what I like, a little sympathy for the old timer (and a test track if one's around - ). It really can be described in a song:

Hum, hum, hum... key of "Home on the Range"

_"... Oh give a good home where Irv's Athearn Steamer's roam,
And the Trainmaster's play.
Where seldom is herd a 'Made in China' word
Except for a handful of oddballs.

Second hand rose trains, 
that say 'Made in the U.S.A.'
Or 'Made in Great Britian' if that's 
what gets your heart ticking,
Or 'Made in the U.S. Zone of Germany'

The Italian-made engines of the U.S. outline, 
can really command a high price, for being up to sixty years old. 
While an old Penn Line from the same time,
I got for twenty-nine fifty American one time 

Second hand rose trains
that say 'Made in the U.S.A.'
With the exception of one time
With a Praire by Sakai, of Japanese-made free-lance lines
It runs so fine, like a swiss watch from time to time
and it was only fifteen-fifty that time

Oh the Walther's doodlebugs 
made American and afar
run like the sweet belles
I like them all so very well
There so very swell
I'll get them all spruced someday

Second hand rose trains
They're are my dreams to this day
They're sweet o'l gent's and belle's
All run like horses, strong and well 
And when I get them, I'll never sell..."_


So you see, anything can run well, it just take's a little love. I don't care much for manufactures (except on the Bachmann's, as there a little too contemporary for my tastes on manufacturing age, unless it's something I really would like to have, and it has to be somthing really good). I hope this gives you laughs and you all take something away from my little song. I rest my case... Cheers! - :thumbsup:    

Signed:

Trainguru


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## wcsjr1 (Dec 10, 2012)

I agree with staying away from anything made in China. Not just because much of it is junk but because I hate to think I am supporting their military buildup. I actually thought about starting a thread asking what brands are made in the USA vs China.

Thank you for all the good replies. Athearns seem to be a favorite. I see them from $30 with a note "this runs noisy like all Athearns" up to $100. A previous thread had a link to how to clean an Athearn engine. It looked to be very informative. I would hope that after a good cleaning and lube it would run quietly.

I still need to find the time to clean and lube the engines from my dads collection that have been in storage since at least 1981.


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## rrgrassi (May 3, 2012)

That is more that 30 years in storage. Before you test run them, clean and lube the grears and the motors.


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## wcsjr1 (Dec 10, 2012)

That is easier said than done on the Tycos since the motor truck is riveted closed. On the Tyco board they recommended soaking the whole truck in alcohol then lubing it. I'm not sure how to lube the gears but will take a closer look.


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## wcsjr1 (Dec 10, 2012)

That is easier said than done on the Tyco engines. The motor truck is riveted closed so unless I drill out the rivets and replace with screws I can't access the gears. The Tyco forum recommended soaking the whole truck in alcohol. I'm just not sure how to get the grease to the gears. I'll take a closer look.


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## wcsjr1 (Dec 10, 2012)

That is easier said than done with the Tyco engines since the motor truck is riveted. I could drill out the rivets and replace with screws I suppose. The Tyco forum recommended soaking the motor truck in alcohol to clean it out but I'm not sure how I would lube the gears. I'll have to take a closer look.


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

wcsjr1 said:


> On the Tyco board they recommended soaking the whole truck in alcohol then lubing it.





wcsjr1 said:


> soaking the whole truck in alcohol. I'm just not sure how to get the grease to the gears. I'll take a closer look.





wcsjr1 said:


> That is easier said than done with the Tyco engines since the motor truck is riveted. I could drill out the rivets and replace with screws I suppose. The Tyco forum recommended soaking the motor truck in alcohol to clean it out but I'm not sure how I would lube the gears. I'll have to take a closer look.


 I do not recommend soaking any train parts in alcohol. I tried it it made the bourbon taste funny. Lol


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## BK R (Dec 8, 2012)

You'd want to have your bourbon in a tall glass too, or you might poke your eye out on the coupler.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Southern said:


> I do not recommend soaking any train parts in alcohol. I tried it it made the bourbon taste funny. Lol


:laugh::laugh::laugh:

I for one keep my Wild Turkey next to the trains not on them!


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Oh and cork road bed sheets make a nice coaster too!


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## TrainTex (Jan 12, 2013)

Southern said:


> I do not recommend soaking any train parts in alcohol. I tried it it made the bourbon taste funny. Lol


Funny :laugh::thumbsup:


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## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

this is one of those hard to answer questions IMO, 98% of my entire fleet (if im doing the maths right ) is second hand units, only two units are BNIB from the factory/store shelf...

one is a Hornby Class31, the other is an Atlas GP-39 BNSF PH2, haven't torn them down yet (no need to) but they are both stout runners and will pull a model house down if I were to let them...but in my honest opinion I have many second hand units that run just as well as my two "new in box" units...some were made in the USA others were either Great Britain or Germany (or Austria), so depending on what your looking for its hard to say, also buying engines are kind of a crap shoot if you well, example, you take two engines that you buy from two people (assume both are the same type, kind, ect) if one person takes good care of the engine and maintains it properly it will run just as good as it did new, where if the second didn't and mistreated the engine and failed to follow the proper lube cycles and all that it may or may not run as well and may break down early...


hope that helps some, but yea it really depends on the engine, the person taking care of it and other variables...


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## Cprail43 (Jan 1, 2013)

I would go Bachmann. It's cheaper than most others, they do mostly any engine you can find, along with their appropriate road names. Try them out


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## trainguru (Jun 28, 2011)

Cprail43, look at the thread *"Is Bachmann any good?"*, and read the post about their parent company, and their tragic conditions. -  - Welcome to the forum by the way! -


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## Cprail43 (Jan 1, 2013)

trainguru said:


> Cprail43, look at the thread *"Is Bachmann any good?"*, and read the post about their parent company, and their tragic conditions. -  - Welcome to the forum by the way! -


Oh yeah. I've heard this one before. I've always known that bachmann is a risk, but so far, the only troubles I've had with em were track radius and set goods. I've decided that if there ever is a problem with let's say a new engine, they lose a customer. I'll probably switch to athearn, but we'll wait and see. Thanks for the heads up trainguru


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## trainguru (Jun 28, 2011)

I mean about working conditions Cp. -


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## tch22122 (Jan 15, 2013)

It is true that the Athearn bluebox locos aren't the best, but there are several advantages to them, in addition to being reliable. First, they can be re-motored, to make them smoother running. Second, they are still very reasonably priced, Third, with a little doing, you can equip them with DCC, if you're so inclined (although I still run DC). And, fourth, they can be great detailing projects. All of these things can be done at relatively little expense (and some of your own effort, of course!), when you compare it to the price you'd pay for a newer release of any product these days. Don't get me wrong, I've got some of the newer beauties too (they're just so irresistable!), but I hang on to my old blue box work horses.


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## TrainTex (Jan 12, 2013)

trainguru said:


> Cprail43, look at the thread *"Is Bachmann any good?"*, and read the post about their parent company, and their tragic conditions. -  - Welcome to the forum by the way! -


I did a fourm search and could not find the thread. what am I doing wrong?


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## THE TYCO MAN (Aug 23, 2011)

Atlas Yellow Box/Athearn Blue Box engines are a little noisy and draw some up amps! Remotoring helps along with hard wiring. Athearn, Kato, Atlas, much newer Bachmann, Proto 1000/2000 and Bachmann Spectrum is good brands for steam and diesel.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

TrainTex said:


> I did a fourm search and could not find the thread. what am I doing wrong?


Here, I think ...

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=15781

TJ


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## TrainTex (Jan 12, 2013)

tjcruiser said:


> Here, I think ...
> 
> http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=15781
> 
> TJ


Thanks


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## wcsjr1 (Dec 10, 2012)

Thank you for the responses. It does sound like going with used then clean and repair them is what many on this board do. I had read the "Is Bachmann any good" thread but before the link to the article on the work conditions. Someone wrote that the older Bachmanns had issue with parts breaking.

Well I could not wait to get everyone's response. I just bought a box of engines and a few rolling stock. It included mostly diesels and some steam engines. It looks like 20 of them will run around my track forward and backward, six need work as they either do not respond or I hear grinding when they attempt to move. One turned out to be a dummy from Austria but don't know the make. And another, Life Like is missing the front truck. Only one came in a box and the box for another was in the bin.

Here is a list of the diesels I picked up;
2 Athearn F7As There was an empty Athearn Blue Box so I believe these are Athearns.
1 Fleishmann. This one has a metal shell.
1 Walthers made in China
1 RSO made in Yugoslavia.
1 ???? made in Japan
1 Spectrum by Bachmann
1 Bachman with DCC on board
4 Bachmanns
2 Life Like

It is interesting that engines of the same brand are different weights. My guess is that heavier is better.

I should probably start a new thread to find out what I have but I'll put in a picture of the engine made in Japan to see if anyone can identify it for me. Looking at the photo, magnified, it may be a Kato but it is not clear.







How do I insert pictures?


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## wcsjr1 (Dec 10, 2012)

I have two made in Hong Kong with no brand name that are not running but look like they should be easy to cleanup and lube.







Anyone know what these are?


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## wcsjr1 (Dec 10, 2012)

Here is the one made in HongKong without the shell.http://web.mail.comcast.net/service/home/~/IMAG0677.jpg?auth=co&loc=en_US&id=522780&part=19


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## Cprail43 (Jan 1, 2013)

trainguru said:


> I mean about working conditions Cp. -


Yeah, I know what your saying. That's what I mean. Sure, I haven't tried out an athearn yet, but when I have enough money, I plan to get something. It should test them out. Is bachmann really good? I can't say that yet until I try another manufacturer. Sorry for misleading you.


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## fs2k4pilot (Jan 5, 2013)

I have five or six Bachmanns, and I've only had one issue with one of them, and that was a smoke unit that was out of place, touching the side of the stack and causing it to melt. Sent it back, got a replacement no problem, but it still melts the smokestack unless you keep it fed with smoke oil. Other than that, my DCC Berk, my DCC Pacific, my DCC Consolidation, my DCC GP50, and my DCC Bethlehem Steel switcher all run just fine so far. Of course, I only run them a couple weeks out of the year, so they haven't really seen very heavy use, but they're sufficient for my needs.


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## Bman (Aug 24, 2010)

I have a mix of new and old engines, (old as in from the 1980's, I consider that old!!) My favorite has to be Atlas, in fact the best running engine I have is an old Atlas C425 from 1986, it's my very first one from when I started modeling. It came with a kato motor and it still purrs like a kitten.

I also have a number of Atlas Gold, silver and Trainman engines, I like em all, great runners.


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## Cprail43 (Jan 1, 2013)

I understand that Bachmann is sometimes hard to pass, but people saying that parts break on older engines. Well, they have very breakable couplers on consists in their sets. All they put is a little plastic strip for a spring. Probably takes two weeks of straight use and with care. They still break. But I have bought two engines from bachmann. Nothing wrong. I've checked them over for anything that could potentially break easily. Nothing. And one of them has survived two or three falls, disassembly, and even got stepped on! Still works and pulls as if it just came out of the package. I do, however, have one complaint about Bachmann's, products. They don't detail some of their engines. All three of my engines are bachmann. Two of the three don't have little detailing like hatch labels, unit labels, all the little things you'd find on the real thing. Just stuck the road livery and number on it and into the package. I find bachmann fine. But I will test out a different manufacturer next. To test performance difference.


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