Favorite N Scale Manufacturer
- Thread starter Tuned MP5T
- Start date
For steam nobody, for diesel road engines Atlas and Kato, for switchers Lifelike, for rolling stock Micro-Trains, for buildings, vehicles, people etc. none of the above. It would help to know just what you are refering to. 
Chessie6459
Gauge Oldtimer
I don't have to worry about N Scale equipment cause my late father built alot of cars and a couple of engines from scratch. I only display the N Scale Stuff now in his memory.
V
velmo
I'm with Tyson. What are you referring to? Locomotives, rolling stock, structures, etc.? Also availabiilty plays a large role. In locomotives I prefer Atlas to the extent they have what I need. Kato is also high quality and I have a few Life Likes that are good. In rolling stock, MTL is the standard, but I have a ton of Intermountain because only they produce the Canadian grain cars. Atlas is also producing some fine rolling stock. Again, who is making what I need?
These "favourite" type of threads always seem a bit simplistic to me . . .
David
These "favourite" type of threads always seem a bit simplistic to me . . .
David
So which manufacturer would you recommend for a newbie thats trying to start right in the model train world .davidh said:
I'm modeling the steam era so I'm not much help with your diesels. The only diesel I've bought in the past 15 years is a Life-Like SW8 that arrived a few weeks ago and I'm turning into a Class T Climax (T for Tyson .)
I was pretty amazed at the slow and steady speed it can operate at.
Incidentally, I wasn't too happy with the way I modified the running boards for the Climax conversion (especially the way I lost one of the electrical wipers) so I emailed Life-Like for info on how to order a new running board (or sill, as they called it.) They emailed me back to ask if I had a part number, which I did not. I didn't hear back from them again and in the meantime I found the wiper and decided against ordering the new part. Several days later a box containing a new running board assembly was sitting in my mailbox.
So I guess my vote would be Life-Like for slow, smooth switchers and fast, smooth customer service.
Wayne
.)I was pretty amazed at the slow and steady speed it can operate at.
Incidentally, I wasn't too happy with the way I modified the running boards for the Climax conversion (especially the way I lost one of the electrical wipers) so I emailed Life-Like for info on how to order a new running board (or sill, as they called it.) They emailed me back to ask if I had a part number, which I did not. I didn't hear back from them again and in the meantime I found the wiper and decided against ordering the new part. Several days later a box containing a new running board assembly was sitting in my mailbox.
So I guess my vote would be Life-Like for slow, smooth switchers and fast, smooth customer service.
Wayne
Nice to hear that a company tries to please it's customers Wayne! Kudos to Life-Like! BTW I like your idea on the Class "T" Climax !
Kudos to Life-Like! BTW I like your idea on the Class "T" Climax !
I prefer Atlas and the better grade of Life Like locomotives.I use several quality brands for my freight car fleet.
I'm refering to diesel locomotives.Tyson Rayles said:What part of "what are you refering to?" did you not understand?
I have an 060 steamer and an SW9/1200 switcher, both Life-Like N-gauge. I'm very pleased with the way the run, after I corrected some track and turnout mis-alignments in my small 12" x 60" yard.
Atlas and Kato make quality products, but for the best value, Life Like does a great job. I've got quite a few Life Like diesels, some I paid as low as $12 for them when Model Expo was getting out of the train business, some I paid three times that, but even then, that was less than half the cost of any Atlas that I bought. I'm not that crazy for Bachmann. I've got a lot of both diesel and steam, and they seem difficut to keep running well. Since this is a general question, one has to consider all products. As for rolling stock, I like Micro Train and Atlas. As for kits, Model Power tops my list, followed by Life Like and Con Cor. I do not like the Bachmann kits, but I did buy quite a few of them when Model Expo was selling them for a fraction of what they normally sell for, but I bought them strictly for the parts in hopes of doing some kit bashing someday.
That sums up how I look at things, not having done this for very long, and having a long absence during our recent move to our new house.
That sums up how I look at things, not having done this for very long, and having a long absence during our recent move to our new house.
I come back to my original comment re the makeup of my own fleet - what do you need and who makes it? I need primarily GP38-2s and SD40-2s, therefore have a lot of Atlas and Kato for the right look. I need a lot of Canadian grain cars, therefore have a lot of Intermountain freight cars. If you are in a position where you can tailor your needs to the market, I would stick to what is available from Atlas, Kato and Lifelike for locomotives. I would stick to freight cars with MTL couplers in preference to Accumates as fara as possible, particularly if you want to run long (>20 cars), etc.
David
David
Today, it's Kato...
Today, it's Kato. I'm not sure exactly why it took so long, but I wound up buying my first Kato loco today...an SD70MAC (probably because the shop I was in had it for 40% off ).
I tried it on their test track, and it seemed to have some issues starting off slowly, it took off all of a sudden like some of the old Bachman's that have survived from my youth.
However, on my little track at home, it was a different story. Sweeeeeeet :thumb:
-- John
Today, it's Kato. I'm not sure exactly why it took so long, but I wound up buying my first Kato loco today...an SD70MAC (probably because the shop I was in had it for 40% off
).I tried it on their test track, and it seemed to have some issues starting off slowly, it took off all of a sudden like some of the old Bachman's that have survived from my youth.
However, on my little track at home, it was a different story. Sweeeeeeet :thumb:
-- John
A Life Like diesel for $12-20 from model expo is a great deal, but that isn't the original price. The new run of Life Like engines are $90 MSRP! I hardly think they are worth that, the new price is right up there with Atlas and Kato. I bought 10 of the GP20's from model expo for $15 too, and I love them, except for the non dcc ready frame, but I don't think I'd pay over $40 for one. The new GP60 does look really nice... the EMD scheme might look good on the layout!
-My favourite is Kato, followed by Intermountain, LBF and Red Caboose, then Atlas.
-My favourite is Kato, followed by Intermountain, LBF and Red Caboose, then Atlas.