Top 5 Locomotive Brands To Buy Used for Under $20
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- čas přidán 29. 06. 2024
- I often get asked what are the best brands to buy used locomotives from on a budget so I thought I would make a video sharing the top 5 that I would recommend to someone looking for cheap engines. Each of these has their advantages and their disadvantages however I believe all of them are a decent value for what you pay.
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Dude! LOVE the historical content in this video. And might I say....you REALLY have done your homework! And Athearn...I have MANY old Athearn "blue box" locos, and they are TANKS!!! Dependable, look great, and run forever.
Thanks, Harrison...another great job!
Hi smt I just wanted to say you’re my favorite CZcamsr
@@jenniferhewitt5683 He's my favorite as well. He's got a TON of talent, and more train knowledge than a man his age should properly have!!!
my god... the lord of model trains has spoken. OFF TO THE HOBBY SHOP!!
Wish I could go with ya!!!!
@@antonbruce1241 well if you live in NC theres a train show saturday!!
@@piedmontrailfan81 Damn....I'm in California - where shows have been shut down because "they could be mass spreaders of COVID" according to the state. Funny, though....protests are okay, going to Walmart, Target, grocery stores, etc. are okay, but NOOOOO....no train shows allowed!
@@antonbruce1241 lol
@@piedmontrailfan81 I don't think it's all that funny. It makes me depressed!!! And I'm driving my wife up the wall!!!
Hands down, big Athearn fan all generations, blue box, RTR, Roundhouse, & Genesis.
Yessss
Athearns and atlas are the best
And finally Athearn -
Athearn used the blue box from 1965 to around 2000, when Horizon Hobby bought them out and moved into RTR and the Genisis branded items.
There is both a Greenberg's guide and a Krause Standard Guide To Athearn out there; it's really too much to go into to list all that they have made over the years.
However, the biggest change in items in this era is prior to 1983 they used a wide motor and tooled the body shells a scale foot too wide to accommodate it; the GP7, GP30 (retooled into the GP35), SD45, SDP40, the GE diesels, the S12 and SW7 switchers all were made in this era. The SD40-2 is the first with a scale width hood, followed by the GP38-2, GP40-2, and GP50.
How good were these engines? When Life-Like went to China to create the Proto 2000 brand, they cloned the drive so closely you can swap parts between them.
Other than the steel wheels, the metal contact strip used to connect the motor to the tabs on the trucks is a weak point but easily fixed by soldering a wire in it's place.
I've never had one I could not get to run, except the one left semi-exposed in an open car trunk for several years before I found it.
I typically sell them for $20-$25 loose to as much as $60 for some boxed units, very late production with plastic handrails and so forth may command more.
Athearn moved these into the ready to run line and now sells them under the Roundhouse branding. While the prices have gone up they haven't changed too much aside being DCC ready. The biggest external change was replacing the wire handrails with engineering plastic.
Did they fix the weak point in side that you were talking about when they were changed to the roundhouse brand?
Cheers
I find it hard to resist the temptation to buy old DC locomotives, especially cheap ones. Great video.
Then and then later on put DCC on them :)
If you find it hard to resist...get married. That'll put an end to THAT temptation!!!!
@@antonbruce1241 Literally LOL'd
Those old atlas locos run very smooth cuz they were built by Roco in Austria, which is one of the best european brands out there. And I would recommend if someone wants to make the step to a little bit more expensive, proto 2000 locos run amazingly, are dcc ready, have great detail, and are usually only $40-50 online(at least in us)
The old roco built Atlas is my favorites.
Another great video. I've learned so much from your show.
Hey Buddy,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
I just got back into the hobby after an over 30 year absence and that last locomotive you had shown was the one I remember the most, it was the last one I got going, but it works now - light and everything.
It seems to be geared lower than my Kato RS-11 which is made in Japan and started after about a 5 second delay from not having been run in about 32 years and has worked flawlessly ever since.
That Athearns blue box also weighs over a pound I think, it is heavy, lol.
Anyways thanks for this informative video.
Take care
Great video SMT! There is one other manufacturer you would want to keep a watch for is Cox, especially those made by Athearn. These locomotives are basically Athearn blue box locomotives but labeled for Cox! I actually have a Cox/Athearn F unit in the Santa Fe blue and yellow colors!
Harrison i think this is a great video . the sound I noticed you have a clip mic it sounds very good no auto level control . Plus i haven't seen a video like this out there . Yes, reviews of new engines are great but here is something that I like is. This is also for the U.S and Canada market because I know of one thats for the Europe market. You did a great job on this its very helpful to everyone. Hope you have a good day/night . Also yes modifications can be done to alot of models when you go to companies that have parts or gears like North West Shortline has parts motors and stuff depending on what you have.
Im always looking for brands that i know that are good and cheap. Great video!
When it comes to Athearn and Atlas - they are inexpensive, but NEVER cheap! These old locos are built to last a lifetime - and I have more than a few which have!
That was a very helpful video for beginners. Thank you for sharing!👍
Great video man. im a new sub and im really enjoying your content. Thanks for sharing this
Fun story and a great job again! This is the secret origin story of American labor offshoring in hobbies, because I think it's an interesting story. US companies mostly stopped producing hobby and toy stuff in the 1960s as labor costs went up on the coasts. To cut costs they licensed production to European companies and Hong Kong companies. Once China got MFN status there was a rush to take advantage of the cheap skilled labor of a country with no unions and very limited political freedom.
AHM started off importing Rivarossi locomotives from Italy (Heisler, Big Boy, Challenger, bunch of other steamers), then switched to Roco Austria for some models (E units) before shifting to Mehano.
LIfe like also had engines made by Mehano; I had my first train set FP-7 in cascade green from Yugoslavia by LL, which came back to life briefly with the Proto 2000 series of Chinese made locos and cars.
Model Power imported some Rivarossi (E units), some Lima, and a few other brands from Europe before the European manufactures sort of collapsed in the 70s. MP later imported Frateschi models from Brazil.
Atlas started with Roco (HO and O scale F units), then the yellow box models produced by Kato, before they shifted production to China.
AHM/IHC ended up licensing a lot of kits produced by European companies and rebranding them for the US market. Eventually they were importing trains from Hong Kong, where Kader had a lock on manufacturing. Kader bought Bachmann Brothers of Philadelphia and consolidated manufacturing in Asia; they offered a lot of toy level stuff like split frame steam engines, but later leveraged that tooling with upgraded mechanisms into the Spectrum line.
Mantua and Tyco had a complicated history, together and apart. Mantua began with steam engine kits from New Jersey in the 1930s and continued producing the steam engines until the 1990s, then got bought out by Model Power, then they both went broke. Tyco got split off and took the diesel engines with them into train set land, then came back to Mantua later after slot cars and slot trucking petered out in the early 1980s. Mantua steamers have bronze bearings, Tyco just runs axles in white metal or plastic. You've seen the diesels, the GP-20 and old F unit were close to Athearn style mechanisms later replaced by the motor in one power truck riveted together tomfoolery which produced the only late model Alcos available for a long time.
Athearn was straight outta Compton until almost the end when they moved to Carson City, NV, very progressive company in a lot of ways I heard. MDC/Roundhouse started in California but also moved to Nevada. Both were swallowed up by Horizon Hobbies.
Really enjoy the very informative content of your videos. Speaking of used model locomotives: I have a Mantua model of EMD F7A/B combo in the Pennsylvania Railroad 'tuscan red/5-stripe' livery. The B unit is a non-powered dummy. Picked it up at a local model train shop last year. No idea of how old it is but I suspect it is an older model. It runs great quiet and a strong puller. I don't know where Mantua sits in the hierarchy of model railroading but I'm quite pleased with it.
Really appreciated this video. I hit a train swap meet and picked up two nice bluebox locomotives for 25 bucks which both ran fine as purchased, though I used another of your videos to service them to make them run even smoother. I highly recommend train shows over eBay, etc as the shipping doubles the cost on these bargain locomotives.
The prices are far better at train shows, I completely agree.
Thank you for the information on the Athearn models. I had an old blue box Burlington Northern SD9 that I called sparky. Now I know the steel wheels were the reason why it was sparking!
Clean the wheels and track to stop the sparks temporarily.
Just to add some information here, sorry if it's repeating the obvious -
You could almost write a full book to try to cover all the variations and company history. Mehano engines have been imported by or sold branded as
- AHM
- Varney (1968, just before transition to the Life-Like brand)
- Life-Like
- Model Power
- IHC
- AT&T (American Train & Track)
- Tyco
- Bachmann (the GP18 loco around 1990-ish)
- Mehano
While some of these companies had their own exclusive tooling, they would also import items from other sources to fill out their line. AHM seems to have exclusively imported to sell under their branding. Sometimes pieces were sold by competitors at the same time, or one would have them one year then a year or two later someone else would. Some have been sold under 3 or 4 brand names.
Engines made by Mehano include:
Alco 1000 switcher - SW1 switcher
RS2, RS11, C415, C628, C430
GP18, BL2, SD40, FP45, FT/F9
FM C-liner, GG1 electric
USRA Light Pacific, Mikado
During the IHC era they added tooling from other companies and gained the Tyco 2-8-0, Pemco 4-8-2, and a 2-6-0 which later got a camelback boiler and cab. I'm sure there's other engines I have left out.
The Model Power New Haven F-unit shown was originally tooled as an FT and sold by AT&T in the late 1960s. The odd short nose gives it away.
The 8-wheel drive it uses appears to have first been introduced with the AHM import of the GP18, later retrofitted to the RS2, RS11, C415 and FM C-liner, as well as this engine and a C430 that seems to use Pemco's shell tooling. The C628, SD40, FP45, and the Alco 1000 and SW1 all share some components, while the 4-6-2 and 2-8-2 use the same motor. Very late examples have 8 wheel pickup, most have just one contact strip on each truck. They're simple, reliable, and often can be found cheap.
I would avoid the early C415, RS11 and RS2 which use a vertical armature motor in one truck similar to the early C-liner/BL2 drive. about 90% of those I find are broken. The C-liner version uses a better motor and actually runs fairly well for what it is.
Under IHC they got further improved with better motors and even flywheels added to some models. I found out the hard way that later motors do not interchange, at least not directly.
AHM and IHC were run by the same guy; as IHC evolved from AHM they also acquired the rights to Tyco which resulted in some Mehano items appearing in Tyco sets - most notable is the USRA light 2-8-2 in a super stripped down 0-8-0 version in Chattanooga Choo-Choo sets.
I often will round up mint condition dummy units and use a rough powered loco to turn the dummy into a powered - I got to where I can do the conversion in about 10 minutes without any soldering, but you have to take the brush plates off and set the brushes and springs aside to do it. I typically then sell them for $20-$30 depending on roadname.
Love those Athearn BB's!! Take good care of them and your grandkids will be able to run them.
great video. and i agree. the blue boxes are king! i have so many of them.
Great article, Harrison, and as others said, you’ve definitely done your homework.
I occasionally buy train collections, keep what I collect and resell the rest at a train show once a year. I always resell the Model Power engines and love that they almost always run great and I do sell them cheap (usually $10-15). I usually have to do some tweaking to get the AHM & IHC engines running right and sell them in the $15-20 range.
I collect mostly Atlas and Athearn locos, and these are more likely going to be in the $20-35 range, unless they’re missing parts - I once bought an Athearn Erie Lackawanna SD-35 for $5, but it cost me $13 for a handrail set and I got lucky getting it at that price. Usually, the best bet to get cheap Athearn is to buy an F7, which are almost always $20 or less used without a box.
I was selling with a friend at a show years ago. A young man and his dad came to our table and was looking at locos. He was about to buy an AHM loco I was selling for $20. We got into a conversation and I found out that this was his first loco at his first train show. It was a good running loco, but after talking to him, I recommended he buy an Athearn Blue Box loco. I showed him one I was selling for $35, but he only had $25. I told him I’d sell him the Athearn for $25, as I knew he’d be running this a lot and This was one I had owned for years and had cared for it well. I wanted him to have good first experience and that was more important to me than making money. He was very happy and I felt good, knowing he would get a better start in the hobby than I did with my first Tyco set in 1976.
@Rob Arons Could you share some links where I could get these locos at the mentioned prices? I Can't seem to find them on Ebay unfortunately in this price bucket.
@@whiiiz9410 I would do a search to see where you have model trains shows locally to you. There’s also Facebook groups that are just for promoting train shows. You might also find stuff on your local Facebook marketplace. You won’t be able to find anything at that price point on eBay once you add in shipping costs.
Hey smt I could us this video to fine cheap locos to fix up so I can sell them for a bit more! I may be sending you something in the near future! Great vid as always smt!
Worked at a hobby shop for 5 years. We're in a slightly more affluent area, so prices were a little skewed, but used locos tended to sit on the shelves for a while, especially if they weren't a DCC plug/play loco
Atlas had some "Kato Drives" which were hands down, some of the best running locomotives, even compared to newer engines.
Athearn bluebox locos, especially the "Superpower" engines were always fantastic
Mehano/IHC/AHM were easy to fix up and were the "go to" when replacing a "Christmas tree" because they were simple fixes and common.
Harrison that Model Power Alco FA unit that you showed and the Atlas model you showed were both made by Roco in Austria, they made a lot of models for other companies like this and you could find rolling stock made by them also in several brands. The Roco mechs though were precision made and Roco them selves used the mechanism for that FA unit under a few other locomotives including a Shark nosed unit for Model Power and some others and also under one of their own European locomotives they made at that time I think it was a Belgian loco from memory. The motors in them are the best though huge, powerful and almost indestructible. But I like your video's and greetings from down under (Australia).
Great video, ho is very lucky to have decent older models to find for cheap. N scale not so lucky in that department. Take care!
and model power was located in oakville ontario canada which is my hometown
Now the Model Power FA you show was made by Roco for them and like Mehano a number of folks imported engines made by Roco, including the Atlas engine you show following it.
Model Power initially sold the FA, RF-16 Shark, EMD E7 and E9; Atlas the SD24, SD35, GP40 and GP38, while even AHM got in on the mix with a C424. Later, Con-Cor would import the E7, E9, GP38 and GP40 (the SOO unit must be a Con-Cor as that paint scheme did not exist when Atlas sold them). There also were freight cars primarily imported for AHM.
Unlike Mehano, each type uses mostly it's own drive parts, although some small parts are shared. The C424 even uses only a 4-wheel drive.
The FA, Shark and E-units (and also the Atlas O F9) use a large 7 pole can motor that is pretty indestructible. They pull well and usually run well.
The units sold by Atlas use a narrow 5 pole can motor and Atlas even made a power drive for their turntable that used it. These units have two weaknesses - the plastic tabs that hold the trucks in place are delicate and a drop often breaks them, while the insulated wheels sometimes come loose from the plastic center and need glued back in place.
Atlas has since done newer, better versions of all these engines, and particularly on eBay I see sellers asking prices on the Roco-made models that must be based on seeing current Atlas China models for sale; $30-$40 on the Roco ones is about it.
There does exist a clone of the SD35, done by Pemco, late IHC versions have a decent drive.
I’m personally a big fan of all of these brands, I’ve got a locomotive from all of them except Atlas. I also have a Mantua Classics GP20 and that thing is a literal tank. The old owners dropped it off of their pool table at least 10 times and it still works like a dream.
I liked this alot. Very good information. The only thing I would like is if you pulled the shell off each one to see the internals.
I am a big fan of Bachmann all wheel drive F7s and athearn blue boxs locomotives . Easy to find parts for and cheap . Never had problems from both .
Nice this is very helpful cause im over paying on some trains
These are are good engines, I like Varney and American Flyer by Varney and pen-line that a Pittman motor on top of the rear truck and a drive shaft to the front truck for 8 weel drive, Once their cleaned and lubed right they run very well and will pull about 20 cars Thanks
Just got my first athearn Loco! It's a dd40!
bruh like half the comments are "fIrSt"
great video smt!
That was very interesting very well scripted this is a good video for anyone who wants to buy budget engines👍.
Scripted? Harrison is a natural. It's all off the cuff - - he's that good. 👍
@@davidztog9011 yeah I guess you could say that he has experience with these locos so he knows what they are like no need for a script for him!
Hi I LOVE your VIDEOS
The ModelPower FA in CP color and the GP came from Roco Austria as other comments already said. The company used to be a plastic model subcontractor before there was a Roco supplying models under it's own name.
They made also Atlas 0 scale F units. Regardless of scale the streamlined units F, FP, FA had issues with the number boards, which look simply odd.
The E units became quite long lasting models, ConCor took over the moulds and produced E7 and 8s into the nineties.
GPs and SDs from Atlas were frequently super detailing objects in Modelrailroader and other magazines. They had already body mounted couplers, where AHM and IHC were marketing traditional slotted pilot models.
Nowadays Proto1000 F units or Stewart's (with Kato drive especially) would be candidates to look for. Best is, that their shells are interchangeable.
Thanks for info
Your work gets better and better.i wish I had your young mans vision.HO too small for this old guy.o scale for me,still love your channel.
Nice video, I wish second hand locos were this cheap in the UK. They normally cost about £35 (59 canadian dollars) over here which for me is too expensive for one loco.
I always dreamed to have a gp38 or sd40 in Ho but I don't have a layout, but I might try getting one this christmas!
I recently purchased a Bachmann 'Rail Chief' HO set..the locomotive is a model of a EMD GP40-2 in BNSF livery. Pretty snazzy looking and runs great.
This is so helpful for me SCINCE I’m kinda poor :(
Iive in the us
I’m basically in the same boat
@@mistermadmachine6311 oof :(
@@comie666bruh5 yea
I'm not necessarily poor, but I would not pay more that $200 for a single locomotive
You should make a video for best steamers for the best price as you did diesels in this video
Athearn blue box all the way. Also the aftermarket detail parts selection available for blue box units is huge. Details West, Cannon, LaserCut, etc...Northwest Shortline wheels are a great upgrade over the Athearn steel ones
Model Power sourced locomotives from Roco (Austria) and AHM. Early Atlas were also made by Roco. Later they outsourced to Kato in Japan. New Atlas models are made in China.
My Kato powered Atlas locomotives are among the best I own. Actually anything Kato makes has been awesome in my experience.....like their Uni Track , rolling stock etc.
@@alcopower5710 Kato makes very high quality models. I love HO Unitrak, as well as the models I own.
Reminds me, I'm going to order several KATO N scale chassis/drive units! See how many old school shells i CAN DROP ONTO MODERN DRIVES ;) Old 'vintage' just isn't worth repairs when you can buy new chassis/drive motors, with easier sound/dcc upgradability. Fine line between 'fun' and aggravating.
Depends bro, what "vintage" one you mean. I would agree on some but not all.
Great video do you keepThese locks dc or do you covert them toDCC?
You should do more videos like this
This is helpful
And, in N-scale, back in the late 80s/early 90s, Life-Like and Model Power, trainset distributers, found a niche in the market with some actually, very good-running, quality locomotives at a bargain price. They weren't Kato quality, but they looked good enough and had strong pulling power for around $25 to $30.00.
Yep. AHM, IHC, and Mehano was also Model Power, before the old guy that owned IHC passed away back in 2011 or so. Then Model Power turned to Mantua and Rivarossi to make the locomotives. I can't understand why Model Power didn't buy Athearn "Blue Box" line, once Athearn went to China.
The old yellow box Atlas/Roco locomotives was a direct competitor to Athearn during the Blue Box years. Only main differences are, the Atlas stuff had "scale width" hoods, where Athearn Blue Box older stuff, pre 1983, had hoods that were about 10" wider than scale.
Harrison your so awesome you=awesomness thank you for teaching me so much I would send you something but I'm only 10 years old and have nothing to send
Good show, Harrison. Great job breaking down what to look for in an HO locomotive "for children with little pocket money". 😁
I would say AHM and Atlas good finds at train shows and flea markets, usually as low as $5 or $10, but $15 is the norm. Also, very affordable Tyco is getting scarce. As for N scale, older Atlas and Life-Like locomotives offer quality at a low cost.
Thanks for sharing. 👍 👍 👍
I found the complete millitary train set from ahm at a goodwill shop for a decent price, it runs, but it clicks when it runs i think it needs a little bit of oil
I find the old Athearn steel wheels pick up less crud than the new nickel ones do, I don't know about the "sparks" you speak of, none of mine ever spark when I run them.
You get what ya pay fer. I'd rather spend a higher price for a quality engine that will last. The only exception are the BB Athearn and Atlas(Roco) They have lasted me 20 plus years with basic care.
I have a blue box sd7 in the great northern paint scheme.
Can you do an video of does and donts in model railroad railroad
How did an RF&P unit get all the way up the Canada? That’s my home road lol
I bought it at a train show in NY, don't know where they got it from.
The RF&P (Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac) was a short line between Richmond, VA to Washington DC - all of about 113 miles. It is now the RF&P Division of CSX.
@@SMTMainline camillus ny?
Might have to go get one lol
I approve of this video.
Athearn didn't use steel for their wheels. They used sintered iron.
I have a Anthearn toolbox locomotive and it's looks pretty worn out I bought it used but it's still very reliable and works very well.
Were is a good place to use brass on inclines and silver nickel for yards and level runs?
I got a old Bachmann ge U36B Locomotive the has the motter run the back wheels of the engine for 21.00 dallor.run pretty good and it santa fe with the same number a your u25c
How would you add weight to a model power f unit. Mine has wheel slip pulling its self
Sounds to me like something isn't working properly. Are all the wheels turning when you give it power?
4:44 They don’t call them “Model Power” for nothing
I've had a couple of model powers one flew off the track The other I took apart and never got it back together wish they both still ran
I got a Sante fe GP 20 I think, and it cost me a very good price. But it really rusty, do You know how to clean it?
Hey Harrison... It might interest you to know Lionel had bought Model Power in order to establish its HO scale line of products. Maybe you might already know all that. Anyway, you didn't mention it so I figured maybe I should tell you. Hope you have a great weekend, eh?
I wasn't aware of that, thanks for sharing.
Bought a lot off ebay yr or so ago. Didn't realize what i had gotten till i opened box. Got 3 atlases. 1 frame mostly complete. No axels. Whole drive was there. Other 2. 1 was D.T.I. 2 was N&W. Both engines had dcc decoder in them. Didn't know what system they work on. So swapped out the other chassis. Made it non DCC. Still have decoders. Any idea if they work with a digitrax dcs51?
Most DCC decoders will work with other systems regardless of the brands. Give them an address and test it out on the layout. Thats probably the easiest way.
Good price for all of those trains
I agree with you
What would be your top five HO scale steam locomotives to get? And ones to stay away from?
Mehano/IHC are pretty reliable. Rivarossi locomotives are quality but do require more repairs. Most modern brands are quite reliable but I'd try to avoid Bachmann if possible.
Spectrum are high side of bachman trains I got a mountain for $20 at a train show and the locomotive runs.
Can you help i really want to buy the mehano hudson 4-6-4 but the problem i jave is that its to expensive what is your advice
Hey SMT most of my models are all athern blue box locomotives I have over 50 of them plus rolling stock as well
I have many as well, including the very first Athearn blue box I bought when I was 15. I'm now 62, and that damned thing STILL RUNS!!!! BTW...it was an Athearn F45, and I paid about $6 for it new, back in 1973. And again - it still runs, and runs well!!!
@@antonbruce1241 nice mine I have had for years I'm 21 and I'm a huge collecter check out my CZcams channel u will see my videos I did on my blue box stock I have
Hey SMT. There is this train show (with masks and social distancing) that is coming up this weekend in my area. I was looking to purchase parts for one of my steam locomotives or an entirely new one. I know this video is on diesel locomotives, but if you could, what is the best steam locomotive brand out there that you can get for under $50?
Mehano/IHC
@@SMTMainline Thanks but how about RSO? Oh wait, aren't they the same make?
Are model power steam engine good at all because i am getting one
I got an atharn D&RGW SD40T-2 dummy for 24.99
And atharn is my favourite
Give u a tip on your video dont look at your screen in your camra look into the lends then it will look like your talking to us but good video..keep it up
I brought the exact same 1776 locomotive running for only $3 and It's in better condition.
What's sad is that it's getting to the point where people are trying to sell Athearn Blue Box locos for as much as a bachmann loco with sound. And I'm definitely buying the bachmann with sound over an old blue box
I don't know where you're looking but I've been to train shows and train shops lately and you can still find them super cheap.
@@SMTMainline maby in Canada, here in Pennsylvania they can go pretty high. At train shows and stores there usually $40 and $60, and I know a guy that can give me a deal. It's mainly on ebay, on there people charge an extreme amount of money for them. I've seen SD40-2s go for $90!!!! What is the world coming to Harrison.....
There is this athearn chessie passenger engine i found for $18 dollars. I could probably get them down to $15 should i do it?
Like the hair
99% of everything I know about HO brands, I learned watching this video.
AHM became IHC
I've always had tyco 5628 gp20 locomotives I like to work on them and getting back going again I've always gotten mine on eBay for $15 or $20 in only found one for $10 and I was at Antique Mall where I live at no train shop okay what I do
Yippie!!!
I got an old working Bachman at a train show for 5 American $$$$
My buddy tells my old atlas is Austrian made.solid engine
La maquina presidencial 1776 C420 la mia es U18-B en N .
I bought a tyco silver streak 🤔now I know why It can’t pull a train of even several cars plus it’s caboose
Mr SMT if you buy a locomotive, on lets say eBay, and it dosent work and you don't know how to fix, what do you do.
I only have power torque tyco engines they can be unreliable but mine seems to be pretty reliable
Athearn is the best I never have had problems
steel wheels pull a decent bit better than the new wheels on blueboxes
i have ihc union pacific passenger cars
If there is one thing I hate about Ho Scale trains is the price
What’s better atlas or athearns
Greetings from Zaporozhye👋 I certainly think that you will not answer, but there is a request can you do a Russian translation? Please, you have a very interesting channel !!!! I will continue to watch you !!! Thanks!!!!!
Hello. I wish I could translate but I don't know how to speak Russian.
@@SMTMainline damn sorry ( your videos are so sorry! do you have any friends who know Russian and can translate English videos into Russian? do you have Instagram?