The Guide to HO Steam Locomotives

Athearn

Advantages

• The 2-8-2 is a very well running and strong locomotive with good low speed performance for prototypical speeds.
• The 2-8-2 can easily pull 30 cars up a grade.

Disadvantages

• The add on detail parts are not up to the quality of the rest of the model. The grab rail standoffs are a poor fit, but at least a lot are supplied. These should have been factory installed. Otherwise, excellent looking model, except boiler plastic is a bit shiny.
• The only draw back one reader noticed is that the LED light glows a little greenish.

Other comments

• frank writes: My athearn USRA light pacific, und G9040, out of the box the motor spins and the drive wheels dont move. Is anything aviable to repower these. No parts list came with the engine, A folder showing the various parts and some very basic info comes with it. The Mikado is the same. Searching Athearn's site gives no info on this loco. It seams athearn justs wants to sell locos and doesn't care what happens later.
• American Flyer writes: I just recently purchased an HO Genesis UP 4-8-4. It is of extreme high quality. It has tremendous ability to pull. It is fast beyond belief. The sounds are mediocre. All-in-all, it's by far the best steam locomotive I own. I'd recommend this model w/o reservation.
• Andrew writes: 2-8-2 is sparsely detailed by current standards,one 2-8-2 I had suffered from the split drive gear that is fairly common,lightweight and weak puller (ten cars at the most with a lot of wheel spin).I have two of these locomotives. 4-6-6-4 by comparison is a beauty, strong puller, smooth running, the remote has roughly a six foot range (in my admittedly cluttered basement).
• Tuna writes: I have four Genesis steam locomotives - 844 FEF-3, 3958 Challenger, 4020 and 4024 Big Boys. I'm very happy with them as they look very good and work very well. The sounds available are impressive. I've had to upgrade my track to larger radius turns to handle these big locomotives.
• Christopher Smith writes: I have had nothing but good luck with the new 2-8-2. It handles the 30" radius curves and the switches admirably and I have nothing but respect for these engines. They are a bit tough to put together, but the end results are indeed worth it.
• A viewer writes: Model flanges are low, and will derail on less than perfect track work curves pulling a moderate consist. Reason is that location of tender coupling pin is too far back, and the cab swing out on a 18" curve creates a significant torque on the loco that derails the front drivers over track imperfections. Boiler weight is too small to counteract this. Solution is to relocate tender draw bar pin to the loco trailing two wheel truck frame, which effectively causes the consist pulling force to be exerted much closer to the centerline of the loco, and eliminates the twisting torque. No derailments.
• A viewer writes: I installed a Digitrax DCC using the new type of provided plug. Performance is somewhat worse at low speeds, I have not tried to program start voltages, etc yet. Also the electrical contact is now poor, as I suspect the DCC circuit is more sensitive to minor continuity disruptions. I think the decision to only provide contact at the drivers was not the best, and I am planning to add more pickup points, possibly using the tender axles ala Rivarossi and Bachmann. Still a great model for the price.
• Charles Emerson writes: I have installed Soundtraxx decoders in a number of Athearn 2-8-2s and have found no problems installing a decoder and speaker in the tender. As for the derailing problem that is not limited to 18" curves. I have 48" curves on my layout and it derails on these as well. I found that the front set of drivers jam when the spring is compressed. I tried to rectify this by polishing the bearing faces but to no avail. I solved the by installing heavier springs from NWSL. You have to drill out the the spring cups in the chassis to fit the NWSL springs. These springs are longer and heavier so they limit the travel of the wheel and the bearing doesn't jam. I haven't found mine to be noisy at low speeds, unlike Bachmann Mountains, its just that they are so light they won't pull anything worth a damn up a grade. I would venture to guess that Athearn's new pacific will pull even less.

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Web Sites

• Athearn

Bachmann

• Original Bachmann: These are low quality locomotives that are worth maybe $30 at the most. I would consider these to be toys.
• Bachmann Plus: This was Bachmann's mid-range line of locomotives. Their quality is better than the original Bachmann line but are not worth more than around $80.
• Spectrum: This series was introduced in the 1980s and is of high quality.

• 3-truck Shay (80 ton, various lines)
• 4-4-0 (various lines, old and modern)
• 0-6-0 (USRA)
• 2-6-0 (various lines)
• 2-6-2 (various lines)
• 4-6-0 (M&P)
• 4-6-2 (PRR K4)
• 2-8-0 (various lines)
• 2-8-2 (various lines)
• 2-8-4 (various lines)
• 4-8-2 (USRA Heavy)
• 4-8-4 (N&W, SP, various lines)
• 2-10-0 (Russian Decapod, various lines)
• 2-10-2 (USRA Light)

Advantages

Disadvantages

• Historically, the Bachmann line of steam locomotives has not been known for its workmanship. Some would argue that the serious modeler should approach these locomotives with caution.

Web Sites

• Bachmann Trains

Other comments

• Yves Boisvert writes: I have 2 Spectrum, 4-8-4 Daylight and a 2-10-2, both have the same problem, the front pilot wheel makes contact with the cylider in curves. Can someone help me with this? Thanks
• Kenneth L. Bird writes: Bachman has excellent detail but I have experienced the following. 2-8-0: Main gear on motor came loose on shaft. Doodlebug: Same problem on wheel sets, gears loose. 2-10-0: I have two of them and even when double headed they can't pull more that 10 cars. 0-8-0 Same problem, low traction. The J Class 611 derailed constantly due to a poorly designed rear truck mounting. I modified mine and it is now OK. Most of the manufacturers, including Bachman,have adapted the McHenry Kadee knock off couplers. They are very inferior to the Kadees, won't stay coupled on long trains, and the knuckels break easily. I replace all mine with Kadees.
• Elliotte Norton writes: I have a Bachmann Norfolk and Western 611 "J" class. I pull the entire Rivarossi 611 passanger car set. The train has digital comand control with all the bells and whistles. I have it running around my living room suspended about 8 inches from the ceiling. I can sit in my easy chair and control it with my digitrax empire builder controller. I love it and highly recommend it. The only problem I had was, Bachmann does not offer passanger cars that are era correct. I found my set on ebay. Rivarossi only made them a few years. I was lucky to find them. They are fully detailed with interiers. The only addition I had to make was to change the trucks and adding lighting to the passanger cars. I plan to soon have it on you tube. It will be listed as ( Nates HO N&W 611 "J" class ) in my opinion, it's the most beautiful passanger train of all time.
• American Flyer writes: Without too much elaboration, I'll not buy another Spectrum...or Bachmann locomotive. Of the three I own, 2 Heavy Mountain and 1 2-10-2, none have worked properly. None can pull a hot knife through melted butter. I'd recommend spending a little more money and getting a BLI or Genesis.
• Ryan Marrs writes: All of the Spectrum locomotives run well at first. However after about a year they seem to wear out. They don't pull very well at all. The newer standard line locomotives (the ones with decoders) run very well but don't look as good as they could.
• Ozark Southern writes: I own a Spectrum 0-6-0T. It's very light. I have a 1% grade on my layout and it strains to make it with more than 5 cars. Detail is excellent. Noisy when it runs forward. Silent in reverse. Headlights a tad dim. I'd give it a 7 1/2 out of 10.
• Roddo writes: I have three spectrum locos: a 2-8-0, a 2-10-0 and the NYS&W 2-8-2 which was very expensive. I like the running qualities of the 2-8-0. The 2-10-0 is fine, especially with a lenz BEMF decoder- but it does have wobbly drivers (ie the wheels move back and forth on their axles. Unfortunately the 2-8-2 has a rotten bind and runs like a brick, even with a top line decoder. Will probably need to strip down completely, re-quarter (or put away forever depending on how much time I have). They are also quite light footed and pull very few cars (the 2-8-2 is quite good though). Suggest trying before buying whenever possible. QA seems to be an issue at Bachmann. They look great nonetheless.
• Anders Nyquist writes: I have a Bachmann USRA 0-6-0. Wheel slip is very excessive.
• Scott K writes: I have a Spectrum 4-8-2 Mountain with the factory-installed Tsunami sound decoder. It is a great locomotive. In terms of detail it rivals my brass Akane 4-6-2 Pacific and my super-detailed Mantua 2-8-2. In terms of performance it is a very strong puller and runs very smoothly at slow speed. The Tsunami sound system is fantastic. The sound quality is better than any of my other sound decoders. The chuff matches the drivers exactly. The performance options for this decoder are very good. It was a little more expensive than my BLI Blueline 2-8-2 but the BLI didn't come with an engine decoder (only sound), so add that cost and the BLI was more expensive. Overall, I think the Spectrum is slightly better than the BLI Blueline.
• Harvey Stern writes: I have five Bachmann Spectrum locomotives. They run smoothly at first but after 50 hours of running the motor brushes are worn.
• Tuna writes: I have a Bachmann Spectrum 2-6-6-2 Mallet Mogul. It's been nothing but reliable.
• Ernest Gatzke writes: I have a Spectrum 4-8-2 mountain type locomotive with a firebox that glows. I don't know why this feature was added because most steam locomotives ran with the firebox doors closed. They were opened by the fireman to shovel coal or rake the fire to even it out or to pull clinkers. It would have been made much more realistic if the glow would have been placed at the bottom of the firebox.
• Steve Workman writes: I have a Spectrum 2 truck Climax as Moore-Keppel #3. I have mostly ran it on a 3' test track, but it runs smooth, and does well at low speed. The detail is excellent, and the piston rods/flywheels move as on a real one.
• Brian M. writes: I own a Spectrum NC&StL Decapod. Since last Xmas when I got it, various bits like the windows, the cowcatcher, a pipe, and a wire have either broken off or disconnected. And I don't run it very often.
• Fred Jensen writes: I have recently purchased the Bachmann 80 ton 3 truck shay. The performance is excellent, but I had to take the front trucks off for slippage.
• Randall Smith writes: The Bachmann Spectrum 3-truck Shay runs extremely well pulling 12 log wagons up a constant 4% grade in true shay style.
• Robert DeWoody writes: I also have the 2-8-0 and I must say it is one of the best plastic HO steam locomotives I have come across. It's somewhat generic and may need some detailing specific to the railroad you model but overall it is very nice.
• Cal writes: I have several Bachmann Engines (H0). I would suggest that you stay away from the ones that actually puff smoke. Their smoking is a disappointment. Also they are especially fragile. Spectrum engines are better than my other Bachmann engines. Some of the Western Maryland Engines are used on the Western Maryland layout at the Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum. However, the view seems to be (also my experience) is that if you want a H0 smoking, the MTH trains are the best. Unfortunately, right now MTH only makes the Penn K-4 steam engine. I bought one and am very happy with the MTH Penn- K4; also enjoyed the sound system of MTH's K-4 (and this was heard by using my existing Spectrum power box).
• John Patton writes: I have a lot of Bachmann equipment such as the 3 truck 80 ton shay, a Russian Decapod, all by the "Spectrum" line. All are well detailed, the Russian Decapod, could have a thinner boiler walk to be scale. BUT it runs well and pulls decent for its size. I usually use it for a helper with my converted Rivarossi 4-6-6-4 Challenger as these 2 models are in Western Maryland livery, with this said, the Russian Decapod, runs VERY well with the Rivarossi 4-6-6-4. The Shay, runs well, a little faster then prototype but runs well, pulls well as well for its size and weight. I also have a few of the Bachmann "Plus" line steam locomotives, a 4-8-4, and a 2-8-0. Both run POORLY! I will be buying Bowser made "Bachmann re-power kits for these! These locomotives also are in Western Maryland livery.
• Bill Garry writes: I have the Spectrum 4-8-2 lettered for NYO&W. The detailing is average and the performance is excellent, but the pulling power is not 50 cars (unless perhaps if they are equipped with needle point bearings, which mine are not).
• Jerry Leeds writes: Have Spectrum engines. As a rule they don't pull very well but they do run well and look great. I guess my favorite is the Climax with the Decapod a close second. Really want a K4 with sound, but am torn between Bachmann & BLI. Probably go with Bachmann for the good sound decoder and price.
• Sam Dwire writes: As far as I can tell the Spectrum Line is far and away better than old Bachmann. As far as I can tell cost less then Broadway. I own three: a 4-8-2, a 2-10-0 and a 2-8-0. They are all good running and pull rather well. I intend on getting another 4-8-2 and at least two 2-10-2`s as well.
• Michael York writes: There is a lot of confusion over Bachmann's quality. Older Bachmann locomotives were essentially low quality locomotives with nice detail. Spectrum was introduced in the late 1980's to produce better models. Bachmann Plus was introduced to bridge the gap between the two (and no longer exists). Bachmann's Spectrum 2-8-0 is one of the finest models ever introduced in HO scale (1998 MR product of the year). This wonderful locomotive sometimes gets confused with the not-so-good Bachmann Plus 2-8-0 (I had one) and their old standard line which was little more than train set toys that looked like models. Their Spectrum line is outstanding quality and a tremendous value. Their newer standard line entries (such as the new 2-8-4) are also much better than the old stuff.
• Garrick Kautz writes: I have recently obtained a large variety of Spectrum locomotives. The attention to detail is exceptional. The locomotives run smoothly and I am very happy with their performance. Best place to get them is Micro Marx. Nothing bad to say other than a missing instruction sheet for my Acela dual loco set. A simple letter resulted in a replacement. In addition, you can download most of the manuals from Bachmann.
• Larry Skonieczka writes: Bachmann used to be one to stay away from, but lately they have been producing some very nice locomotives both in the Trainline and Silver Series lines. The Spectrum series has always been above the rest and the equipment, sight wise, is equal to or in some cases exceeds the more expensive BLI, Trix and Marklin locomotives.
• Maxwell Holmquist writes: The J1a 4-8-4 runs well with passenger consists and 100+ cars of freight. When used with a Tsunami sound decoder and 2" speaker in the tender, the sounds are AWESOME. A smoke generator can be added for more effect but do not attempt this project if you are unwilling to spend some serious time installing it. A great locomotive.
• Robert DeWoody writes: Bachmann 4-8-2: Nice looking and mine runs very smoothly. Most detail is separately applied to locomotive. Tender (USRA short) looks a little small for this locomotive and has very little detail.
• A viewer writes: Bachmann Spectrum have released an N&W auxiliary tender that matches the Life-Like Ys.
• Rick Uglum writes: I have a Bachmann Spectrum Southern Pacific light mountain. Other than the fact that it is sold with a coal tender (SP burned oil) the loco runs well and is nicely detailed. I found that it will only pull 35 cars on level track (modular club). The cars are all weighted to NMRA standards. It runs well, quiet and smooth.
• Charles Emerson writes: The Bachmann Plus 2-8-0s are really good engines, I would say better in the pulling respects than their Spectrum counterparts. While not prototypical for any of the lines except the Reading, they are overall really good engines.
• A viewer writes: The 3-truck Shay runs slow and very smooth and is DCC ready.
• A viewer writes: Flea market price for the 4-8-2 is around $110.
• A viewer writes: All are reported to have good mechanisms. One report stated that the 4-8-2 can pull 50 cars on a level track.
• A viewer writes: The 4-8-2 I purchased (new) looked very good but did not run as well as I hoped. Poor electrical contact due to weak and loose main driver spring contacts was the reason I suspect. These brass contacts are very thin and fragile, and I did not try to bend them into contact. Very poor headlight illumination, but the firebox sure glows! I returned the model for a refund, disappointed.

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Bowser

Advantages

• If you want PRR steam locomotives, Bowser is the supplier for you. They produce the old "Penn Line" series of steam locomotives. They also make a Big Boy and UP Challenger.
• Since the boilers and frames are entirely made of metal, they are heavy. As a result, they are generally good pullers. I've seen one person write: "A Bowser can pull the bumper off a Chevy.".
• Without the "super detailing kit, they can look somewhat plain. With proper detailing, these steam locomotives can look very impressive. If you know exactly what detailing you want to add, you can just buy the proper parts instead of the "super detailing kit" and save some money.

Disadvantages

• The open-frame motor and gearing produces some noise. This can be improved by re-motoring and re-gearing using NWSL parts.

Other comments

• SEY writes: I've heard that Bowser will discontinue making the steam locomotive kits!! So sorry to see this. I guess it is a sign of the times. Get these while you can.
• Benz writes: I have a Bowser Northern that I built. If you take your time getting the running gear to work smoothly (it must be able to roll freely on it's own with out the motor installed) it will be quiet even with a DC71 motor installed. Hardest part I had was scrapping slots in the inside of the tender for a NCE D408SR decoder. These are the last HO scale locomotives made in USA.
• John Patton writes: I have built many Bowser Challengers, these locomotives take a lot of work but with the detail kit and a little work they look as good as brass locomotives, and will pull a house down the street! Although they're built just like the real thing, they require large radius curved track for the articulation, 30 inch radius at least. I've also built and rebuilt two PRR I-1s from Bowser and these will also pull a house as they are extremely heavy locomotives due to the cast metal boilers. I made one into a Western Maryland I-2. With a little detail nd mill work they turned out well! As said many a time here, take your time building these locomotives as they will run like Swiss watches if the time is taken. I will buy more of these in the future for I love the process of building of these locomotives!
• Larry Myers writes: I recently completed a Bowser kit for an USRA 2-10-2. I had some trouble getting it to operate smoothly until I increased the diameter of the drive rod holes. The super-detail kit took some work but the end result was well worth the effort. The valve gear wasn't that difficult to assembly with the tool included in the kit. If you can built this kit you shouldn't need to purchase the assembled valve gear. I painted it with pollyscale steam power black.
• RL Whiting writes: I have assembled over 7 different Bowser kits, from Mikados to the Bigboy. If you pay particular attention to the fit, and smoothness of the mechanism they run wonderfully. If you do not, you will have binding and stuttering motion especially at slow speeds. I found much of this was due to clearances for the main rods, and valve gear components. As far as pulling power, I have a Challenger that will pull over 200 cars, The engine weighs 3 pounds alone with the optional weight. The Mikados will all pull about 40 cars up 2%. I usually weight up my locos as far as possible without having any weights show. Super detail kits are not hard, but I found experience is helpful in putting the parts on. It also helps if you have a good basic working knowledge of steam locomotive design and what the parts actually do, to better fit and apply them. As far as the DC-71 motor, it could be better as they can draw over an amp under load. Can motors are far more efficient. Still, for a reliable solid puller, I would buy Bowser.
• Doug Kisala writes: The Bowser "13000 gallon" tender is a model of a 130P75/130F82, and was used (in varying configurations) behind class I1s/I1sa, K4s, K5, L1s, and M1.

  According to the Spring 1988 Keystone, 100 130F82 tenders were constructed for use with I1s Decapods. From the mid 30s to 1949, all were converted to 130P75 tenders and were used mostly by K4s engines. A few were used behind M1 Mountains and L1s Mikados.

  Two 130P70 tenders (with different trucks) were built in 1929 for use with the 2 K5 Pacifics. These were later converted to 130P75 when the K5 engines got stokers. Still later, they received 2FT2 trucks (like the kind Bowser sells with their tender) making them look just like the other 130P75 tenders. After class K5 was retired in 1953, the tenders went to K4s Pacifics.

  Starting in 1952, a small number of 130P75 were converted back to 130F82 for use behind I1sa Decapods.

  The Bowser 13000 gallon tender needs some modifications to be correct depending on time frame and the engine modeled, but is a starting point for their I1sa, K4s, and would be appropriate behind M1 and K5 engines.

  K4s 1361's current tender is 130P75 3950.

• A viewer writes: Bowser steam locomotives are usually sold in kit form.
• A viewer writes: Building a Bowser kit requires patience. Riviting the valve gear assembly probably requires the most. This is not necessarily a drawback -- some people get as much enjoyment out of building the model as running it. I have written a few paragraphs about building Bowser kits that is now part of the rec.models.railroad FAQ.
• Andy Miller writes: The Bowser locomotives are accurate models of their prototypes. However, in some cases the tenders are not always correct or at least ordinary for the engine to which they are attached. For example, the K4 tender is rare for a K4. It is much more appropriate behind the L1. A very good looking, and far more common tender for a K4 can be made by shortening the body casting of the "long distance" tender which Bowser provides with its I1. Several feet have to be spliced OUT of the middle and the resulting body then mounted on K4 tender trucks. The E6 tender is just wrong for an E6. The right tender can be had from MDC. It should be mounted on Bowser's Dolphin trucks.
• Wes Barris writes: Although Bowser sells both a Big Boy and a UP Challenger, they do not sell a centipede tender. They sell an optional semi-Vanderbilt tender instead. If you really want a centipede tender, you have a several options.
  1. Find a lone Rivarossi centipede tender at a flea market. This may take quite a while. I have seen one at a flea market for $50. This tender will need to be modified for electrical pickup. I've done this using NWSL wheels and some brass wipers that I fabricated.
  2. Find a Monogram Big Boy kit at a flea market. I've seen many of these. They usually sell for around $10. You will also need a conversion kit that Bowser sells that has brass wheels for this tender. Last time I was there, Caboose Hobbies in Denver, CO had a couple of these Monogram centipede tenders with the Bowser wheels installed. They were priced at $75 ea.
  3. In 2002, Rivarossi has begun selling individual centipede tenders. I have no information on availability. Check at your local hobby store.

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Best Source

• The best source for Bowser locomotives is probably a mail order company. Standard Hobby Supply sells them. I would hesitate to buy a Bowser kit at a flea market because you would be buying a box of parts not knowing if everything is included.

Web Sites

• Bowser

Broadway Limited Imports

BLI also has a cheaper line of locomotives (still with DCC and sound) with molded on boiler details and some other omitted features from its Paragon Series (BLI's standard line) called the Powerhoude Classics series. Only a Heavy USRA Mike and a Rio Grande C-16 have been released in this series. BLI had a problem with locomotives shorting out for various reasons, but they have fixed this. A second release heavy 2-8-2 has no problems. They also had a few detail shortcomings on a recent HO scale model of ATSF #3751. BLI has announced a PRR K-4s in the new "Paragon Platinum Series", in which the boiler shell is cast metal and (from what BLI says) has even more separate details. This engine is on the pricey side for not being a Mallet, at $450. So far BLI has shown a liking for Eastern prototypes, although BLI has announced four (one UP and three Santa Fe)western engines. Like all of the other manufacturers, BLI seems to ignore any Midwestern or Deep Southern prototypes unless you count the two N&W offerings they have. Their selling point right now seems to be offering prototype-specific steamers with sound and DCC.

Information provided by Christopher Meyer.

Other Comments

• SY writes: I bought a new PRR J1 2-10-4. It made gear noise right out of the box!! I sent it in, 6 weeks later I got it back, they replaced the gears which they said were defective. Later I had exactly the same issue with the M1A 4-8-2 Mountain.
• Jeff Hunsaker writes: I bought the USRA heavy 2-8-2, the PowerHouse series. It ran well on DC for about a month, then it began to short out at random places on the track-not even on any turn-outs, it would quit, shut down and then re-boot itself. Then the sound would start fading in and out and need to be reset to the factory settings, but even then it would soon start it all over again. I am quite dissapointed with it.
• John Mock writes: I have two of the most recently released BLI Blueline USRA Heavy 2-8-2's, and I run only in DC mode. They run very well and the sound is good, and not as loud from the factory as my Precision Craft PRR I-1sa (whose high pitched Banshee whistle scares my youngest son). With the DC Master, you can "play" the whistle of the Blueline engines a little bit. My only complaint is that once they start moving, the speed curve progresses quite rapidly (in DC mode) to a rather fast speed. I wish they were geared for a little bit more gradual speed curve.
• American Flyer writes: I own an ATSF 4-8-4. Everything works as advertised. It's a good, solid locomotive. It will pull 30 cars with lots of power to spare. I am a Genesis aficionado, but I'd certainly buy another BLI steam locomotive. In fact, I pray the yet-to-be-released Paragon2 Hudson is as good as this locomotive!
• Alan Arthur writes: We have been running a BLI cab forward several hours a day for over 3 years. It pulls 35 flatcars of die cast tractors up a 3% grade quite well.
• John Baker writes: I just purchased a BLI 2-8-2 Heavy Mikado. I am running DCC. It shorts when it goes over switches, but not every time and not the same switch each time.
• Al Crawford writes: I recently purchased two BLI Mikado's (Paragon series) from two different sources. One runs great while the other shorts out my DCC system when it goes left around any 24 inch radius curve. It goes around a right-hand curve just fine. I contacted Broadway but received no reply. My new BLI Hudson works great in all respects.
• Al Turkel writes: I have a 2-8-2 and a 4-6-6-4. Both ran good to start but then the sound units went (within one week of each other). Next, the 4-6-6-4 starts bucking and soon it was smoking and not from the smoke stack. I called customer service but it was a waste of time. They offered to sell me some other locomotives at a special price. They didn't seem to value the customer.
• John Patton writes: I too question BLI's quality. I bought a Blue Box series "heavy" 2-8-2 with sound. I had it for less than a month when it stopped running and the sound only "idled" in place. I had it replaced and the new locomotive did the same thing within a week!
• Frank Pedone writes: I'm seriously questioning the quality of Broadway engineering. In April 04 I bought 3751 Class 4-8-4. The headlight didn't work. BLI tech dept.support sent me a new headlight. That was defective. They instructed me to send back the entire unit for repair. I complied, put it in the mail and then had second thoughts. It was brand new so I called them and insisted on a new unit replacement. They complied and i got a new unit. On Jan.15, 2008 I bought EMD F7/A and B both powered with quantum sound. This week the B unit wouldn't move and while trying to use the sidekicks it was making relay clicks, muffled sound and then went to a loud static noise before it completely died. Again I had to send it to them and am facing a 4-6 week wait for it to be repaired. Not Happy! To add to my anger, the A unit isn't running smoothly on pristine clean track and wheels.
• Jim Trowbridge writes: I have a BLI light Mikado and a BLI New Haven I-5. The Mikado has the traction tire and easily pulls 25 to 30 40' cars up a grade. I have put a new QSI chip in it that supports more sound features. The I-5 is beautiful with a low whistle that sounds like a steamship horn. It can pull 8+ heavyweights up a grade on an N scale power setting on a DB 150 at 55 to 60 Mph. Add 10 mph or so for an HO setting. The sound of power functions are great.
• Charles Ditmore writes: I bought a new Mikado used it very little when it developed two significant issues, the second of which required that I send the entire unit back to the supplier for repair. The first issue turned out to be caused by the wires under the cab getting pinched between the solder points on the IC board and the underside of the cab. This resulted in loss of sound in one direction and was easily fixed by routing the wires better. The second issue resulted from excessive solder on the backside of bottom IC board shorting to the chassis when I attempted to use the volume control knob to lower the volume. This resulted in complete loss of all engine functions even after the short was removed and a hardware reset was performed. As others have stated, the detail is great, as is the quality of the sound.
• Donald Penniman writes: I just received an I-5 New Haven Railroad Hudson. It is a great locomotive. All I had to do was change the coupler on the tender. Then I found the draw-bar from the locomotive was too short so I found a Mantua draw-bar that was 1/16th of an inch longer and hooked it up and now I'm running a train I call the "Yankee Clipper". I must say Broadway did a great production with this locomotive.
• Gary Nahass writes: I bought five of them, a Hudson, Mikado, Norfolk & Western 4-6-6-4, Mountain and a F-9 Diesel. They are beautiful. Lower the volume from the factory settings and give them a little oil if the wheels squeak. You can operate the horn and the bell with a regular DC power pack. They merged with Precision Craft which require a $50 button to operate the sounds in DC. They have come out with the economical "Blueline" engines which need another $50 button to make the horn work. It's time for me to spring for a DCC system so I can use any brand of loco.
• Bill Neale writes: I regularly run 2 of the Broadway M1a 4-8-2 engines on my railroad. They have prooven to be extremely reliable and are strong pullers. I run 25 car trains up 2% grades and have no problems. I do recommend that owners apply light lubrication to the driver journals as these tend to run dry. The exhaust sound and the whistle sound are very realistic, hence, these engines are the ones used to show off the railroad to occasional visitors. Consequently, they get a lot of use. The only drawback is the QSI sound system that does not match chuff rate to driver rotation at higher speeds.
• Robert DeWoody writes: BLI 2-8-2 Light Mikado: Nice looking and the sound is impressive. Some detail molded on the boiler but most are separately applied parts. Starts and runs at a very low speed. It comes with traction tires on the last pair of drivers but has a spare set without tires if desired. My only negative comment is that there is no glass in the cab windows.

Add Broadway Limited Comment

Web Sites

• Broadway Limited Imports

IHC (International Hobby Corporation)

Advantages

• IHC steam locomotives have can motors (although they are cheap ones). They have exceptionally low current draw.
• They also use a small flywheel. However, the flywheel is too small to have any noticeable effect.
• They are cheaper than Rivarossi (but then so are a lot of things).

Disadvantages

• IHC will sell a number of locomotives of one design where only the railroad line is changed. For example, they sell a Mountain (4-8-2) in GN, UP, SP, C&O, etc. This particular locomotive is based on a C&O prototype. The other lines never had this particular locomotive. In this example, the model is pretty true to the prototype except the coal bunker of the tender is not correct -- it is too large.
• These locomotives are plastic with some lead weight added -- but not enough. They are too slippery.

Best Source

• The best source for IHC steam locomotives is probably a flea market. I've seen the Mountain sell for around $100, the Prairie for around $60.

Other comments

• Andrew Cayer writes: I just bought an IHC 4-6-2. I was surprised. For the price this loco works very well. I had a bad experience with a Bachmann 4-4-0 Spectrum. I had to send it back. It took three months to receive a new one and it still doesn't work too well. I think that I'll be buying a few more IHCs and forget about Bachmann.
• Jim Valimont writes: I have a 2-10-2 Sante Fe, a 4-6-4 Hudson, and an 0-8-0 switcher that I bought directly from IHC. I have them all equipped with Soundtraxx Tsunami decoders for DCC operation. All locomotives were made in Slovenia, and I'm pleased with all of them. They are the workhorses of my layout and I've been running them for over two years now. They pull great and have good low speed movement. I also have some Bachmann steam locomotives which are OK but do not perform quite as well as my IHC locos.
• Tom writes: It appears that Mehano is now out of business and they went to China to build their new loco's. My first 2-10-2 made my Mehano was great, and the second one made in China was junk. Also their diesels made in China stink. I returned the 2-10-2 made in China for a Proto which was great. Seems you get what you pay for. So if you pick a good contract manufacturer in China it is ok, but if you buy junk, that is what you get and sell to the public. Buyer beware.
• Ryan Marrs writes: I have four IHC locomotives (a 2-6-0, 2-8-0, 4-6-2 and 2-10-2). These are all wonderful performers. They pull better than most locomotives. The 2-10-2 is DCC ready which is very nice. The detailing could be much better but they are pretty cheap.
• tman writes: According to the pacificcoastairlinerr.com, the IHC 4-4-0 locos are not actually HO scale (3mm/ft), but the British OO scale (4mm/ft). I don't know if this is also true for their other locos.
• David Starr writes: I have a pair of IHC 2-6-0 Moguls. They are good runners, reasonably priced, have nice low speed creeping, and quiet mechanisms. These are small and light so they don't pull all that much, but then the prototype Moguls didn't pull much either. The interior is packed pretty full of weight. There isn't room to add much more. The pilot coupler can be replaced with a working Kadee coupler after a good deal of Dremel work on the pilot to open out the coupler mounting hole. Looks can be improved by painting the bright and shiny tender wheels grimy black.
• Anders writes: I got an IHC 2-8-0. Lots of wheel slip. It's a poor puller.
• Tuna writes: I have 2 IHC locomotives - a Mountain and a Pacific. The Mountain was my first locomotive. It runs pretty good for what it costs. The Pacific is the IHC Gold version done up in the ALTON LIMITED paint scheme. I just got it and have not run it much. I added a Tsunami sound decoder and it appears to be working ok.
• John Patton writes: I've got the IHC 2-8-2, 4-6-2, and 4-8-2. They all run OK but don't have the greatest pulling power as they're too light. However with added weight and some removal of cast-on detail, and re-applied road specific detail, they make for a decent locomotive for a low price. I've taken an IHC 4-8-2 frame and replaced the boiler with an extended IHC 2-8-2 boiler and replaced the Vanderbilt tender with a Rivarossi tender to make a B&O T-3. In summary, these locomotives aren't the greatest out of the box, but excellent for kit-bashing a prototype of your choice with a little work. Don't forget to add weight for pulling power. The newer series from IHC seems to have an improved motor and drive.
• RL Whiting writes: I have several IHC locomotives. (3 consolidations, 2 mountains, a mikado and a pacific). The detailing is average and not very specific roadwise. The Pacific, Mikado and Mountains are basically USRA design copies. The 2-8-0 is very generic. I have had some of these for a long time, since about 1995. They all run smoothly, but the smaller engines are not great pullers. Still, I would rather have a smooth running engine than one that pulls hard but is not smooth. The prices on these have risen considerably in the last few years. The mergers of the manufacturers has caused all of the HO prices to rise so this is not unexpected. To be totally honest, unless I find an IHC model worth buying at a flea market I would buy and assemble a Bowser kit instead.
• Alex writes: I have owned an IHC Mountain for about 8 years or so. In all that time I've only had one major complaint. The wiring on it is kinda flimsy. The connecting wire between the tender and the loco broke. Furthermore, when I take the engine apart I feel like I have to treat it very gently for fear of pulling the soldered connections apart. Only one other minor complaint is that its definitely not a GN P-2. It is some other roads engine, probably a C&O from pics I've seen, but Im not knowledgeable enough on eastern RRs to confirm). My model has TONS of detail, but all for a different engine then its made out to be. The tender has loads of room for DCC. Still, short of brass, I haven't been able to find any good plastic GN P-2s, and I don't feel confident enough to scratch-detail this one to be a P-2, so I'm content with it's little masquerade.
• Sam Dwire writes: Having went to a salvage store I found a IHC 4-6-4 in a trainset that was selling for $15.00. The rest of the set was junk but the locomotive ran so well that I decided to keep it for my layout.
• Jeff Deprato writes: I recently purchased an IHC premier series 2-10-2 locomotive that came DCC ready. It has been a very good engine and have run it for several hours at my club. It will pull a fairly long train without any problems. I would consider purchasing another one like it in the future.
• Steve Wysowski writes: I have four IHC produced 4-4-0s. I re-powered all of the New Haven 4-4-0s using Nihon motors with 3:22 gear-heads from the motorman in Texas. This provides an operating speed of between 5 and 20 MPH, prototypical for these locomotives for a branch line. I also super-detailed them all using Cal Scale parts. I redesigned the pick-ups using Tomar Wipers so they run very smoothly and are weighted to pull as many as 15 cars on the straight and level. These are outstanding running little locomotives and the price is right.
• Tom Clarke writes: The IHC 2-8-2 Mikado is great value for your money. However, the sub-frame is made of rather soft plastic, which will allow the drive wheel axles to eventually burrow into it, even with the most generous lubrication. This wear makes the drive wheels sloppy and wobbly, which in turn makes for very a poor connection between the wheels and the track, often causing stops over switches and elevation changes. I have finally done some modifications to my engines to eliminate this problem; I have drilled out the sintered bronze bushings that normally house drive shafts. I then went on to cut them in two, and install the half-bushing into the Mike's sub-frame, with a little dremel work to make them fit. The axles of the drive wheels no longer rub against the plastic sub-frame, but are instead contacting the sintered bronze bushings, saving the sub-frame from terminal wear. This is perhaps the ONLY drawback to these IHC 2-8-2s. Aside from this, they are fabulous in terms of looks, quietness, low-speed power, and overall elegance.
• A viewer writes: Mountain and Consolidation: Run well, but not much low speed sensitivity. DCC can be added to either. The Mountain is difficult to disassemble and put back together. The DCC converter can be located in the tender on both.
• A viewer writes: I now own 3 IHC loco's: the Pacific, Mike & Consolidation. I found all of them ran poorly out of the box but found this was caused by poor lubrication of the motor bearings & gearbox. I simply squirted a few drops of oil into these areas and now all 3 perform superbly - virtually no noise from the mechanism. All three now outshine my Spectrum K4 which is by no means bad.
• A viewer writes: Low speed pull is excellent, and engine weight feels good to me. I'm only pulling around 10-12 cars at the moment, but even on a 3.5% incline it doesn't slow down or slip at all. Moreover, it's extremely quiet running. Only drawback is that it doesn't come with a smoke system. This can be easily added (IHC makes a smoke system add-on, which I've purchased but not yet tried to install). They don't mention the add-on in the engine's docs however).

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Web Sites

• IHC

Life-Like Proto 2000 Heritage Steam Collection

Advantages

Disadvantages

• Expensive ($350+)
• Proto models are too delicate for much operational handling.

Other comments

• SY writes: I have an N&W 2-8-8-2 and a C&O 0-8-0 and 2-8-4. These three engines are the three best running steam engines I have ever had (I have had probably 150 engines over the years!!!). They run like Swiss watches and look very nice as well. Easy to add Decoder and/or Sound!!
• Kenneth L. Bird writes: I have a large number of their diesels and they run well. The early models had a problem with cracked gears on the wheels sets. They sound like a "flat wheel" when they run. I have had to replace five sets of them this year. I have not had any problems with recent production models.
• Jim Valimont writes: I recently purchased a 2-8-8-2 in which I plan to install a soundtraxx Tsunami decoder. While I'm pleased with the appearance and initial operation of this locomotive, I find the drawbar connection to the tender very fragile and of poor design as it broke the second time I connected the locomotive to the tender. I question whether this connection arrangement is truly reflective of the origional design.
• Andrew writes: I have the first run 2-8-4 & 2-8-8-2 (both non sound equipped)both are beautifully detailed, smooth quiet runners, weak slippery pullers (the newer run locos have traction tires which have improved things in this regard).
• A visitor writes: I purchased my 0-8-0 on Ebay (new & sealed) for $50 and it runs very well without any trouble whatsoever.
• Roland Kucharski writes: The Proto 2000 0-8-0 is the best running loco I've ever had and I've got a lot of engines. It is extremely smooth with a load or without that machine can actually crawl.
• Jake Fischer writes: I recently bought one of these engines, the sound is top notch and very prototypical. I must say that they are among the smoothest steam models I have ever seen. The only drawback is that it suffers from lack of traction. I struggled to pull a load of 30 hoppers on a 1.5 percent grade, but this can be fixed with the new included traction tires. When added it pulled 95 hoppers up a 1.5 percent grade. Overall, best steamer ever purchased, and highly recommended.
• A viewer writes: The newly released USRA 0-8-0 sells for $225 retail.
• A viewer writes: The appliances and tender size of the various 2-8-8-2 models are customized to match that of the prototype.
• The eccentric cranks on the right side of the locomotive are offset in the wrong direction.
• A viewer writes: Flea market price for this locomotives is around $275.
• A viewer writes: This locomotive was reviewed in Model Railroader, March 2000, page 16.
• Charles Emerson writes: I also have 2 P2K 2-8-8-2s and 3 0-8-0s to which I have also installed Soundtraxx decoders. These models are excellent and have exquisite detail perhaps even more than some brass (Sunset) models. My only criticism is that as beautiful a model as they are, for which we are paying top dollar for a limited run model and there is no crew. A bit stingy on Life-Like's part.
• Robert DeWoody writes: P2K Heritage 2-8-4 Berkshire: This is a great model locomotive and has railroad specific details for the names offered. I have the NKP Berk and think it is the best non articulated plastic steam locomotive to date. It pulls about 18 freight cars up a 2% grade and would pull more if either heavier or if it had a traction tire. I've pulled over 30 cars on flat grade. P2K Heritage 0-8-0: This model is loaded with applied details and runs as well as it looks.

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Web Sites

• Life-Like Proto 2000 Heritage Steam Collection

Mantua

Because Mantua was a major manufacturer of HO steam, and because many people still have Mantua locomotives, information on them will remain as part of this page.

In the late 1990s, Mantua steam locomotives underwent a transformation. They used to offer the following wheel arrangements: 0-4-0, 0-6-0, 2-8-2, 4-4-2, 4-6-2, 4-6-4 (two versions, one with pacific boiler and one with mikado boiler), and a 2-6-6-2 articulated logging locomotive. They were all powered by an open frame motor. The newer incantation of these locomotives included more wheel arrangements including several camelbacks. The newer models also came in a variety of road names and had Sagami can motors and improved gearing. I have heard that these can motors made a considerable difference in locomotive performance.

Mantua made steam locomotives in the "small to medium" size range. The switcher is a fairly accurate model of a Reading 0-4-0, except that it scales out about a foot too high. The 0-6-0 version is not a model of anything other than an 0-4-0 body on a 0-6-0 chassis. The switchers come with a rubber tire on one wheel.

Mantua applied two versions of a larger boiler to different chassis to produce both light and heavy USRA designs of both the 4-6-2 and the 2-8-2 wheel arrangements. The 4-6-2 is very close to a USRA light 4-6-2 or a B&O class P-7 4-6-2. The 2-8-2 is very close to a Lehigh Valley 2-8-2 or CB&Q O-3. They also used it as a generic camelback boiler.

Advantages

• If you want affordable camelback steam, you don't really have any other choice.

Disadvantages

• Steam locomotive designs used for Mantua locomotive are more or less generic.

Other comments

• David J. Starr writes: The older Mantuas are decent runners. The boilers are Zamac castings which give them weight. The stock Mantua mechanisms run smoothly despite the open frame motors. I put a can motor into a Mantua Pacific which made a good runner into an even better runner. Stock, the lowest creep speed was about 5 scale mph. The can motor dropped that down to 0.05 scale mph. That Pacific served as the base for a B&M P4 kitbash. The overall dimensions match those of a P4 to within a few scale inches. Parts are still available through Yardbird Trains. The works are simple and there is little that can go wrong that cannot be fixed. In many cases a new paint job is all that is needed to revive a tired looking used engine.
• James writes: Mantua's HO scale replica of Sierra Railway 4-6-0 No. 3 has proved to be an absolute godsend for my modeling purposes. The protoype is the famed, so-called 'Movie Star Train' that has appeared in a number of films and televisions shows, including "Back to the Future", "Little House on the Prairie," and "Petticoat Junction". This locomotive suits the time period and atmosphere of the protoype railroad I'm modeling to a tee (1880-1920). The best part is that Mantua offered various different versions of this locomotive featuring different dome styles, different stack styles, different wheel arrangements, even different tender loads (coal or wood). Alas, HO versions of this lovely engine are no longer commercially available through any maker. Fortunately, however, Mantua's are easily found on Ebay and for sale at train shows at terribly reasonable prices. With Sierra No. 3 currently being restored it will be interesting to see if any of the current HO makers decide to offer it.
• Scott K writes: I have a Mantua 2-8-2 Mikado with a nice super-detail kit but the boiler is massively over-sized even for a USRA heavy Mikado. It's bigger than the boiler on my 4-8-2 Mountain and nearly as big as my 2-10-2 Big Six. I was hoping to make a passable B&O Q Mikado by adding a Vanderbilt tender but the whole loco is just too big. Then I thought I might try to kitbash it into a 4-8-2 but it will be too much work to relocate the cylinders and replace the rods to accommodate the 4 wheel truck. Oh well, I just pretend it is a freakish B&O frankenengine :). Otherwise, it is tough as nails and heavy enough to haul a small building. The detail is nice and once I replace its horrible open-frame motor with a can, I'm sure it will be a very strong, smooth puller.
• Mary Kutner writes: My Husband and I picked up their 0-6-0 and goat locomotives as we had luck with their loggers. We must have 50-55 steam locomotives of all makes. I must say you can't kill these little beasts. We only put 5 cars on the 0-6-0 but on the Goat we have 14 cars of various sizes and weights. Jack and I run this line 4 hours a day 5 days a week and we really like the quality. They are detailed fairly well. Whomever bought them seems to know how to make a loco run. Anybody can make a $400.00 loco but a very good one for $150.00 is what we need.
• Jon Altemac writes: I have a new logger running 6 hours a day. No problems and it's pulling 22 logging cars up my 2.5% grade.
• John Patton writes: I own several Mantua steam locomotives. They are generic, but with a little detail the 2-8-2 can be made into a respectable B&O Q-3 or Q-4. Same goes for the Mantua 4-6-2 which is a very close replica to a B&O P-7. I also have a 2-6-6-2 made into an 0-6-6-0 to replicate the B&O's "Old Maude" (which is the USA's first Mallet type locomotive dating back to 1906). I also have an 0-6-0 and 0-4-0 in both regular and Camelback versions. The Camelback's cabs stand about a foot too tall but are good starting points for modeling different Reading lines locomotives that have Wootten fireboxes. Any of the Mantua steamers are good starting points for kit-bashing. The best part is their bullet proof gearing! Whether open frame motor or caned motor, they will pull with little effort,
• Steve writes: Mantua also made the Dixie Belle old timer 4-6-0, General 4-4-0 (all metal with tender drive), old timer 2-6-0, Belle of 80s (all metal) 4-4-0, and old timer 4-8-0. They also made a Decapod 2-10-0 using a Mikado boiler. Later they made a 4-4-2 including a Camelback version as well as 0-8-0 and 2-8-0 versions. I have successfully kit-bashed the Mikado into a DL&W heavy Mikado by shortening the tender and using Bowser trucks plus additional detail parts. I also made a WM I-2 class heavy 2-10-0 by detailing and kit-bashing the tender from a Bowser long haul tender kit.
• A viewer writes: NWSL now have a gearbox kit for the new style Pacifics.
• Val Nelson writes: I also have a rather extensive parts inventory of Rivarossi and Tyco HO parts. I bought out the entire parts inventory from a hobby shop in Omaha, NE and still have quite a bit of it - literally thousands of parts. Please let me know if I may be of assistance to anyone. I can be contacted via this email or by phone at 402-493-3774.

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Best Source

• For older Mantua steam locomotives, flea markets would be a good source. The going price for a Pacific or Mikado in good shape is around $40 - $50. The newer Mantuas are making starting to make their way into flea markets. Prices are in the $150 range.

Web Sites

• Mantua (domain now for sale)
• NEB&W Guide to Mantua Steam Locomotive Models

MDC (Model Die Casting/Roundhouse)

MDC uses essentially the same boiler for both the Mogul and Consolidation. Their boilers are well cast in a combination of plastic over a metal core. The side rods use a plastic crank pin rather than a screw. Sometimes they come out while operating, but super glue solves this problem. The motor may require slight shimming to achieve proper gear meshing. They have good low speed performance and are very quiet for an open frame motor.

MDC now offers its 2-truck shay "ready to run". This item runs very nicely and has bright led directional lights.

Advantages

• MDC makes just about the only "non-brass" HOn3 steam locomotives.
• The latest MDC kits now have can motors instead of the older open-frame motor.

Disadvantages

• The Shay model requires a great deal of "tweaking" to get it to run well (smoothly). NWSL sells a re-gear kit for the Shay. See RMC Jan & Feb 1991, and MR Aug 1985. I have been told that the NWSL re-gear kit for the HOn3 C-21 is essential.

Other comments

• Donald Frigo writes: I have just completed a 2-6-2 loco and it runs great! It does have the newer can motor. Being my first kit loco I'm very happy with it. Follow the directions and it will go together easily and both run and look good.
• John Patton writes: I have but one MDC/Roundhouse kit, the 70 ton 3 Truck Shay. It's complicated to assemble and there are tricks to get it to run smoothly. However, it will work and work well. I have replaced the motor with a Canon flat can motor and will look into the gearing to eliminate the binding on the side gears on the wheels.
• Steve Wysowski writes: I have built six MDC/Roundhouse kits; three 2-8-0s, two 2-6-0, and one 4-4-0. I have re-geared and re-motored all of them. I used standard NWSL gearing kits at 72-1 ratio. I also used Maxon can motors with flywheels, The motors are 1323 and can be purchased from "The Motorman" in Texas. These engines run extremely well. They can go as slowly as scale 1 mph! They all pull 15 cars w/o a problem. They required a great deal of "tinkering" but they run as smoothly as glass.
• Eugen Takacs writes: I have built plenty MDC steam locomotive. My web site has some pictures of them.
• Johannes M. Vogt writes: I just finished assembling a MDC HOn3 inside frame 2-8-0. The motor (open frame) is good quality. However, the rest of the mechanism is practically useless. When assembled as instructed, the locomotive barely moved, and I went on to rebuild the entire mechanism:
  • The teeth of the idler gear sometimes got caught in the large gear that meshes with the worm. I made a new set of brass gears leaving enough clearance to avoid this problem, and also changing the gearing ratio from 48:1 to 73.6:1.
  • The plastic crank pins are too long. The result is that the side rods have too much play, they can tilt sideways and then get jammed. I made shorter steel crank pins, which prevent the side rods from tilting/jamming and also reduce friction.
  • It was impossible to install the main rod and related mechanism. The parts simply didn't fit together. I had to rebuild all of these parts. I drilled out the holes in the cylinders to press in brass bushings (just pieces of brass pipe), in which I now run steel rods.
  Now my locomotive runs very smoothly with impressive low-speed performance. All wheels are nickel plated, so the electrical contact with the rails is reliable.

  The locomotive isn't the greatest puller though, and the fact that the tender was unreasonably heavy didn't exactly help. I machined down the die cast bottom part of the tender to reduce the weight.

  Conclusion: Unless you have a hobby machine shop and you want to rebuild the entire mechanism, consider it a display model.

• A viewer writes: I have built the MDC 2-truck shay and have been very disappointed. The instructions are inadequate, the die cutting is lousy and the "tweaking" is nearly a complete rebuilding. I don't recommend these kits unless you are a proficient kit-basher.
• Someone on rec.model.railroads writes:
  1. The new can motor in the current kits is a Sagami can and is very good. The earlier one was an open frame Sagami, which mine is and I find it more than acceptable. The main problem was after the motor, mostly within the drive train.
  2. Replace all the plastic gears in the gearbox with brass ones from N.W.S.L.
  3. I used both the gears on each truck and haven't had to much of a problem.
  4. I found that I had to wire the trucks together to keep the keeper plates in place as the little plastic tabs were almost useless and broke off after the first attempt at disassembly.
  5. Any good light grease is fine.
  6. I also replaced the M.D.C. universals with standard Athearn ones as I found these to be smoother and helped this loco to run better.
  7. Granted the shay is a difficult project but the effort is worthwhile. Where else could you get a 3-truck shay for approximately 100 dollars. I have built four of these kits and due to practice I am able to turn one out in a few evenings. It just takes patience and a lot of hit and miss assembly for the drive train but it can be accomplished in about 5 hours with satisfactory results. Otherwise I also operate the Santa fe 4-4-2 Atlantic, a very easy kit to build. It is basically screwdriver assembly and then some minor adjusting and greasing. This engine I have run continuously at a local club, doing local runs, for the last 12 years and it must have at least a half million scale miles on it with just regular maintenance. I highly recommend these kits for the novice. They produce a locomotive with staying quality, ease of assembly, and fairly good looks.
• A viewer writes: MDC offers smaller steam locomotives like 2-8-0s, 2-6-0s, 4-4-0s, and Shays. The "side-rod" locomotives are based on SP prototypes, except for the C-21 which is D&RGW.
• A viewer writes: The C-21 boiler can be lowered to prototype height as described in an issue of Model Railroader.
• A viewer writes: Boilers are made of metal.
• A viewer writes: With patience and the easy-to-follow instructions, these kits can be built into nice looking locomotives.
• A viewer writes: References for MDC
  • MDC Shay test, RMC, 84/02, p103
  • Better performance from MDC Shay, MR, 85/08, p84
  • Upgrading the MDC Shay:1, RMC, 91/01, p64
  • Upgrading the MDC Shay:II, RMC, 91/02, p79
• Someone from MDC writes: The manner in which side rods are installed can cause the drivers to wobble. Punched brass side rods have a burr around the outer edge on one side while the opposite side (face) has no burr. The burr needs to be cleaned off. After cleaning you will still be able to tell which side originally had the burr. Install the side rods with burr-side inward (toward drivers) on one side of engine and with burr-side outward (away from drivers) on the opposite side of the engine. This will ensure that the rod holes will match perfectly on both sides of the locomotive. Now test roll without motor and step gear. Check for binding in the mechanism or wobble, then add motor and re-check under power. A wobble can be introduced by gears being too eccentric or rods/cross-heads fouling.

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Best Source

• Your best bet is probably mail order. I've seen MDC kits available from Standard Hobby Supply. Prices vary from $55 to $70.

MTH

• NYC L3/L4 4-8-2 Mohawk
• SP GS4/GS6 4-8-4 Northern
• Erie 2-8-8-8-2 Triplex
• PRR K4s 4-6-2 Pacific

Other comments

• Bob Rodriguez writes: I have the K4 which runs smoothly and the sound and smoke chuff sounds and looks great since everything is in sync. That said I bought the Erie triplex I really have nothing bad to say about these models except that I use a MRC power pack so I do not get all of the sounds that are available.
• Nick writes: I just bought an MTH Western Pacific 4-8-4 and love it ! It's very smooth, sounds great and smokes a lot more than the earlier K-4 I had. The LED lights make it very interesting to watch and it's detail is outstanding. It is definetly worth the money.

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Web Sites

• MTH HO Trains

Rivarossi

Rivarossi models are sold "ready-to-run". Parts can be expensive and difficult to find. Whenever I see Rivarossi parts at a model railroad flea market I buy them (for the right price) whether I need them or not. The best supplier of Rivarossi parts I have found is Model Railcraft Supply Depot in Red Bank, New Jersey. I understand that in 1996 MRSD sold its Rivarossi Parts business to Golf Manor Hobbies in Cincinnati, Ohio (513) 351-3849.

In 2002, Rivarossi released a new model -- a Chesapeake & Ohio Allegheny (2-6-6-6)! Rivarossi always had a tendency to concentrate on "big steam" and this is one more example. The list price is currently in the range of $300 - $400. The Allegheny comes without traction tires (which are commonly found on all other locomotives from Rivarossi). However, they can purchased as an option.

1969 Big Boy Schematics

• Page 1
• Page 2
• Page 3
• Page 4

Advantages

• Rivarossi's biggest asset is that they produce the best selection of famous and well known U.S. steam locomotives you will find. Models range from UPs famous Big Boys and FEF-3s to SPs famous Cab Forwards to N&Ws class Y-6 2-8-8-2s, and many more.
• Although bodies are made of plastic and many details are cast or molded into the body, they are good looking locomotives.
• From wheel diameter to overall length, the proportions of these models are very close to scale.

Disadvantages

• The biggest drawback to these models is that they are expensive. List price for a Big Boy is somewhere between $220 - $250.
• Their older 3-pole motors give them poor slow speed performance. NOTE: The newer Rivarossi locomotives have had their drive trains (and motors) completely re-designed. I have not seen the new locomotives so the slow speed performance problems may no longer exist.
• Older Rivarossi locomotives used a motor that could be noisy.

Other comments

• Larry Hampton writes: I own several Rivarossi steam locomotives. They are the early production models. The were cheap to buy a long time ago. They look nice and run great. Once on a club layout I ran my UP BIG Boy with over 30 cars and the engine quit running. Sometimes at the Timonium Train Show the dealers there sell Rivarossi parts. There they also sell a lot of Rivarossi trains too. They have 600 dealers there on a regular basis in all scales.
• Gerry in Canada writes: I have two Rivarossi Alleghenys bought within the past year and both have the same problem. On both locomotives the wires from the locomotive to the tender seem to be too thin and break from fatigue. One is being held by two wires instead of six or seven and is not running. The other has some copper showing from one wire I am sure it will snap soon. I never undo the connection even when servicing them.
• Ian Tozzi writes: I live in England and have just purchased an older version (1976) Rivarossi UP Big Boy no 4013. Yes the motor is a bit noisy but apart from that it is a fantastic runner even at slow speed. A little bit of extra weight has been added to both the drive assemblies as the second drive axle seems to derail rather easily. I have got a few issues with running it on other model railways (railroads) due to clearances (HO as opposed to 00).
• Robert McNeill writes: I too have several Rivarossi (AHM) engines. The only problem I encountered is some of the 70's era units had press fit metal wheels in a plastic of some type axle which splits under undue stress or from improper greasing or other misuse.... Val Nelson please contact me at the above email.
• Scott K writes: I have a Rivarossi B&O EL5 2-8-8-0 and a B&O 2-10-2 Big Six. The EL5 is from 1996 with a nice can motor and flywheel. Once I cleaned and re-lubricated the gears (essential!) this locomotive absolutely crawls even under heavy load. This is important for realistic operation of this model since EL5s were primarily found on the 2.5% plus grades of B&O's West End literally crawling up those grades pulling drags at only 8-10 MPH with 2 or more EL5's shoving on the rear. There is no room in the boiler for a decoder or speaker so I'll be doing a tender conversion on this one. On the other hand, my Big Six is from the 70's and has a horridly loud and jumpy open frame motor which sticks out of the cab. It has very poor slow speed and pulling performance. This one will need to be re-motored with a can. At the same time, I'll put a DCC and sound system in--there is generous room in the boiler on this model. Both are nicely detailed, even though most details are molded-on. They still look very nice, and both are very close to the B&O prototypes (especially in that the Big Six has the headlight properly located). Also, it is difficult to replace the stock fake knuckle couplers on the front pilots for both of these. I had to carefully but firmly yank out the retaining pin, and then after lots of trial-and-error trimming, I managed to squeeze a long-shank Bachmann EZ-Mate coupler into the slot. They work OK but don't swing side to side very well. I can only front-end couple on a tangent.
• Tuna writes: I have a Rivarossi UP 844. It's a 1997 version and was not DCC ready. I bought it at a train show and added DCC (pain). It been a reliable runner but is now retired to the display case since buying a Genesis 844.
• John Patton writes: My first Rivarossi locomotive was a B&O EL-5 with the Model Expo drive. This was the upgraded drive system from the AHM days. It has great pulling power, weight, and slow speed performance, unlike those from the earlier "AHM" days. I have since bought many Y6bs to make into B&O EL class 2-8-8-0s. I've got two Challengers from the 1970s, three 2-10-2s, two 4-6-2s, two 2-8-4s, one Big Boy, and four Cab Forwards. All these old locomotives will be re-powered with flat can motors from Canon with flywheels where possible. Keeping all the gearboxes lubricated is key on these Italian models.
• ED Robertson writes: I have many older Rivarossi engines and have found them to be the most detailed plastic steam locomotives of their day. Re-motoring is not too difficult and the folks at Northwest Shortline are very helpful. I've heard IHC may still have some parts for these locomotives. The IHC scratch builders bible is also a must. Careful not to over-task the 3 pole motored locos. It may also be desirable to replace the mesh commutator brush with a solid carbon one.
• John Speakman writes: I have four of the 'Red Box' (the Jubilee releases from 1995) steam locomotives - the Big Boy, Challenger, Mallet and Cab-Forward and am extremely happy with them. They all have the upgraded can motor which results in terrific low speed capability and quietness. These locomotives have an honored place in my collection firstly for their performance and quality of detail (even Kato is molding detail parts - have you seen the brake cylinders molded into the truck side frames on the AC4400CW...?), especially given the price of the Trix Big Boy. I'm always on the lookout for more of the newer Rivarossi's. They're well-worth the price! As a side note, I also have one of the older-version Big Boys with the motor in the cab (doesn't run), but as I can't find parts for it I have it on static display on my layout (free-lanced based on a museum theme) as a 'future restoration project'.
• Alex Sheppard writes: I have one of the old Rivarossi Big Boys, with the 3-pole in the cab. Sure, it's noisy. Ok fine, it's not very good at slow running. But it can probably out-pull its newer counterpart! After all, hauling 100 cars is no simple feat in HO scale!
• Robert DeWoody writes: I have the Pere Marquette Berkshire (2-8-4 from the last production run before Rivarossi went under). Except for the fact that it is just their Nickel Plate Berk with PM lettering it is a very nice model. I changed the pilot and removed the NKP number boards and think I have an acceptable PM model. This release has a can motor instead of the old pancake piece of junk the earlier releases had and a traction tire. It out-pulls my P2K Berkshires by a wide margin but you should be careful not to overload it as it will stall instead of spinning it's wheels. It has good low speed performance and I am very happy with it as it cost less than half of the P2K model.
• A viewer writes: I have a Rivarossi 2-8-4, its a beautiful locomotive. The only down side is the motor stalls when going over switches or inclines.
• Gene Gleason writes: I have an H8 with a Tsunami sound chip. It has fantastic sound and performance. I have 10 big engines and this is one of the best runners.
• Steve Pushak writes: I picked up an older model Rivarossi Big Boy used on eBay for a reasonable price. I was disappointed with the slow speed performance and lack of power so I plunked down $80 for a re-motor job using the NWSL 20328-9 5-pole can motor. It now has a lot more power and speed however it draws a lot of current, runs hot and still has very poor slow speed performance. Since I want the pulling power more than speed, I'll have to re-gear as well it looks like. I would recommend re-gearing and adding fly-wheels for better low speed performance. I haven't found any better references on the Internet so I'll provide further comments here if/when I get it running properly.
• Val Nelson writes: I also have a rather extensive parts inventory of Rivarossi and Tyco HO parts. I bought out the entire parts inventory from a hobby shop in Omaha, NE and still have quite a bit of it - literally thousands of parts. Please let me know if I may be of assistance to anyone. I can be contacted via this email or by phone at 402-493-3774.
• Rick Uglum writes: I have one of the new Rivarossi Cab Forwards. This is an outstanding locomotive! I had mine pulling 52 cars weighted to NMRA standards with no problems. It is quiet, smooth, great at low speed operation. My only complaint is that it is labeled as an AC-12, although it is really an AC-11 (based on the number). I would highly recommend this locomotive!
• Warwick Falconer writes: I Recently bought 4 of the new upgraded series of Rivarossi locos, 2 Challengers, a Big Boy and an Allegheny. They are absolutely superb, very fine and extremely accurate in detail and fantastic runners. They are very smooth with low motor noise and excellent low speed performance, plus they can put in a good turn of speed. Slight problem with the front bogie truck of the Allegheny not tracking properly which was easy to rectify, other than that it's a amazing locomotive and well worth the large price tag. There is no comparison between these new Rivarossi models and the older ones - you would think they were from a different manufacturer.
• A viewer writes: New Challenger: Low speed operation is excellent, on a par with the Athearn/Genesis 2-8-2. They will pull a lot of freight cars, at least 40 smooth rollers (eg. Proto 2000). Smooth and quiet, and these models track well. But, the rear trailing truck on the loco is extremely sensitive to spring tension adjustments, and will not track well unless its tuned perfectly.
• A viewer writes: NYC 20th Century and Empire state Hudsons: Good lookers, lousy runners. Poor electrical contact, and very poor low speed operation. Noisy motors and not much pulling power. They stay parked a lot, but track well when they do manage to run.
• A viewer writes: Because of their relatively light weight, Rivarossi locomotives use "traction tires" which could be described as rubber-band tires on some of their drive wheels. These traction tires can make the locomotive wobble.
• A viewer writes: Streamlined Hudsons: I have improved the electrical contact by soldering an additional pickup to the middle axles of the tender. Also I oiled the axle contacts lightly, and this has improved the performance substantially. They now run well and are closer to the performance I expected. Back in the roster.
• A viewer writes: I just received a "re-manufactured" Rivarossi Berkshire from Model Expo - apparently meaning that it was faulty when new so it was returned for factory repairs and testing and then sold again at a discounted price ($125). My expectations were fairly low as Model Expo states that re-manufactured models often have slightly damaged boxes and can be shop soiled. To my pleasant surprise, the model arrived in perfect condition - that to me equals good value at $32 less than retail.

  Performance is good straight from the box. The drive train is quite noisy in reverse having a very audible grinding sound but much quieter going forward. Some good lubrication will probably cure the unwanted noise.

  The only thing I don't particularly like are the traction tires. The model seems heavy enough not to need them and finding replacements is often difficult. Having said that, the Berkshire has tremendous pulling power - easily 50% more power than anything else I've got.

• Rob Seel writes: The New Rivarossi Heavy Pacifics may have a gearbox problem. This happened to me twice -- once with a new locomotive, and again with a new replacement after the same 10 to 12 hours (cumulative) of running time. The 4-6-2 has an idler gear mounted on a pin molded to the side of the gear box. This pin has sheared off, causing the idler gear to move forward and bind the loco to a dead stop. Reversing the power and starting up again causes the loose gear to be thrown to the back of the gearbox, out of the way so the motor can spin freely while the loco stands still. The only remedy I know of is to replace the gearbox. Hopefully NorthWest Short Line come to the rescue.

Add Rivarossi Comment

Best Source

• Rivarossi steam locomotive are often found at model railroad flea markets. Big Boys and Cab Forwards in good to excellent conditions can usually be found for around $150. Most others (Y-6, NYC&StL 2-8-4, NYC Hudson) in good to excellent condition are usually around $100.

Web Sites

• Rivarossi
• Model Expo
• Walthers

Trix

Marklin also offers a USRA (New York Central) 2-8-2 "Mikado".

Advantages

Disadvantages

• Expensive

Other comments

• Victor Pinamonti writes: I have owned Trix products for many years, typically European models, but have the Big Boy, GG1, the Mikado, and the US rolling stock. I bought the Mikado and Big Boy early and have changed out the sound schedule for the newer ones that ESU released. They have always been high quality models. I have bought some of the European models in all kinds of condition and have not found one yet that I could not restore to run in perfect operation. The most amazing thing about the Trix is that the Big Boy can run on a fifteen inch radius curve. Nothing less than impressive to us who model US, but an everyday thing for the European who typically has not much room to run a model railroad, where 15 inch curves are the norm. I have not seen a Trix wear out yet, they are pretty tough. The high exchange rate for the Euro has caused me to slow my Trix buying down considerably, but you can find the US models on auction or at train shows for a more reasonable price.
• Tuna writes: I used to 'work' at a model train museum in Guthrie, OK where the center piece layout is a Marklin unit with the German "3-rail" HO set up. From opening to closing, I ran a UP Big Boy pulling 30-40 cars continuously 5-6 hours at a time. It never failed. I think that is amazing. The Marklin stuff is very well made and very pricy.
• John Matitz writes: I purchased the trix 2-8-2 (Light Mikado w/sound) at close-out pricing in Spring of 2007. The detail of the engine & tender is excellent. When in operation, club members have inquired if the engine was brass... very impressive. Sound is good, and very smooth running. I'm experiencing shorts with the tender truck pick-ups while going over some of our clubs switches, which I have yet to correct. Pulling power is not that good when climbing our clubs steeper grades. The engine will pull only 12 to 15 freight cars (including caboose) through these areas depending on the cars rolling ability. I'm looking to changeout a pair of the 63" drivers and introduce Marklin wheel sets with traction tires. I'm confident this will improve the pulling power.
• Dave King writes: I picked up a 4-8-8-4 big boy about a week ago and so far I have had no problems with it. Since i started building train platforms I've started to lean toward larger engines. I own another big boy but its made by Rivarossi and it is starting to ware out its pulling strength. The only complaint I have is that it was a little pricey. Other than that it runs beautifully. Pulling power is amazing I put on traction tires and it pulls 300 cars on my level track. I will continue to purchase from trix from here on out.
• Jake Fischer writes: I just purchased the trix 2-8-2 light mikado with sound. This is the most smoothest running locomotive I own. The sound is the best part of the product, the whistle is very realistic. It has a lack of traction, and only could pull 20 cars plus caboose up a 1.5 percent grade, therefor not intended for heavy duty. This would fit great for local runs or heavy switching. Overall well detailed and great engine!
• Jeff McCrea writes: I've owned my Big Boy for about a year now and it's been a love hate relationship. I agree with the other comments on the detail and quality. This engines is amazing looking and does run very smoothly. However it does, at least for me have a few draw backs:
  1. DCC operation, part of this is probably our clubs older NCE setup but this engine is very picky when it comes to power. It definitely found any and all weak spots on our layout. It was also very difficult to fine tune, I can't even turn off the directional lights.
  2. Rear coupler, the center spring design on the tender actually pulls the coupler down. The first car's coupler would slip out over the top of the tender coupler. I switched to a #17 Kadee (shorter shank) from the original #18. I still had to bend the 17 up, seems to have helped.
  3. Pulling power, I've read numerous articles claiming this engine pulled over 100 cars. Which I'm sure it did, "on level track". Well our club is anything but, anymore than 10 cars it would begin to slip badly. I initially tried adding weight which only marginally helped. The European version came equipped with traction tires. I found a distributor through whom I could order parts and ordered a set of stock replacement wheels and two sets of traction tire wheels. I'd intended to groove the wheels (my buddy has a machine shop) using the European wheels as a guide. When they arrived I discovered the only difference with the European wheels was the flange was only slightly bigger than the RP25 wheels. I went ahead and installed these wheels. The difference was dramatic. I pulled 65 properly weighted cars through our entire layout to include a helix from hell without a hitch. I'll bet my engine will pull over 200 cars on level track. Now our club layout is all code 100 track. If you're running anything less I think you'll have problems with these wheels. I hope this helps anyone having pulling problems with this engine.
• Jim Thomas writes: I have a hobby shop in kokomo, Indiana and am a modeler myself. I have sold over 20 trix big boys and have never heard a complaint. They are fabulous! They are die cast and weigh more than any plastic or brass model I own. According to the literature from Trix, they will take a 14 and 3/8's inch radius curve! It easily went around an 18" radius curve on my shop layout. One customer says his pulls 120 Athearn cars on level track. The first version was DCC ready, but the current model comes with a decoder and sound factory installed.
• Warwick Falconer writes: I recently bought a Trix Big Boy and it is the most amazing piece of RTR model railroading equipment I have ever seen. The model runs very and I mean very smooth and extremely quiet - hardly any motor noise at all. It has excellent low speed performance as well as being the fastest and by far the strongest loco I own. The detailing is out of this world - get a picture of the prototype and try and find a missing part, it's almost impossible!! As Trix/Marklin said most of the model is metal and there are very few plastic parts, this a major advantage as it is fairly robust when compared to highly detailed plastic locos such as the P2K 2-8-8-2s. One draw back - this engine is too nice to use for fear of wear and tear. Well Done Trix on an awesome model of an awesome engine.

Add Trix Comment

Web Sites

• Trix Trains

Brass

Advantages

• In general, brass locomotives can have the best detail work. But be careful. The manufactures don't always get it right. For example, I've seen brass models with incorrect marker lights.
• Usually, brass models are an accurate representation of the prototype.

Disadvantages

• Obviously, brass models are expensive. You get what you pay for. Brass models also hold their value. This is particularly true of the more expensive brass.
• A common misconception is that all brass locomotives are good runners. This is not the case. Many older brass models use open-frame motors and poor gearing. Newer models will often have can motors and improved gearing. If you plan on running the model, it is important to see it run before you buy it.

Other comments

• A viewer writes: Often, buying a brass model may be the only way to get a model of a specific prototype.

Add Brass Comment

Best Source

• Although you can find brass models at flea markets, you can't always test run them there. I would suggest that you find a serious hobby shop that sells consignment brass. This way, you will have a selection to choose from and will be able to test run the model too. It is also possible to make offers on a given locomotive.

Web Sites

• Caboose Hobbies
• Uncle Dave's
• BPL Brassworks
• Dan's Train Depot -- Piermont Division
• Mitchell's
• North End Train Center
• Brass Locomotive Company
• Dean's Trains: Dealer in HO Brass