Large Scale Central

LS Reliability Survey - Your ranking?

General Discussion
#1

With two lengthy postings and much discussion, what are your reliability rankings of the locomotive manufacturers?

Here’s my list of “Operational Quality and Durability”. In order of best first:

1 - LGB locos manufactured with German parts and assembly.

2 - Hartland with their chicken soup ever-running simplicity line of locos.

3 - USA with their overall “funeral counseling” approach to settling the few quality problems that do occur.

4 - Aristo-Craft with mixed reports of customer satisfaction – e.g. wheel specs and track width(s).

5 - Bachmann - a true LS pioneer company with a known street fighter Lee Riley who was championing corporate focus on large scale now gone. The rest is yet to be history.

MTH and PIKO are the newer entries without sizeable reported histories on this site.

Accucraft is a true quality model – the Ferrari - their population of consumers is smaller and in support they really get steamed up.

#2

I hafta go out for more popcorn. :slight_smile:

#3

Wendell,

I really cannot see this thread progressing for obvious reasons. Reliability is a very subjective subject in that only an individual’s preference and expectations can be satisfied.

Is the famous LGB reliability simply due to the large number of LGB followers who ‘collect’ and do not run their products? Personally, I feel the number of boxed and shelf queen models from all major manufacturers would be a disproportionately large percentage of actual number of sales. How can one assess reliability when an item is basically stored?

I have previously highlighted actual issues with certain manufacturers’ products only to have devoted fans of the brand hound me down in particular forums for having the audacity to speak out. How can one deny an issue exists and still retain the idea that a brandname is ‘reliable’? We all have different expectations from our models. Some simply sit back and admire them on the mantlepiece. Some store them out of sight hoping to recoup their blue chip ‘investments’ (not likely). Some like Dave, operate their locomotives to within an inch of their lives and report not only defects but actual fixes (procedures?). The rest fall between the collector and the full on operator. Many simply do not run their models enough to expose deficiences in the loco design and claim ‘reliability’. Then of cause there are the self destruct models that decompose in their original packaging. These then retain a stigma, no matter how many fixes are devised. There are examples from most of the manufacturers. In most cases simple reliability testing prior release would have highlighted any deficiencies in the material and the design.

#4

My go-to locomotive is my Lionel Atlantic. I had some problems with it at first (bought it at a show, so I don’t know what kind of use/abuse it had), but once the motor was securely tied down (thank you Micke Williams) it has been a strong runner.

I have a Hartland 4-4-0 that runs quite well, too.

All my Aristo steamers are dead-in-storage, with wheel slippage/quartering problems. When I get a Round Tuit, I’ll fix them.

One older Aristo SD-45 cooked its wiring. Another SD-45 from the latest run is doing fine.

All my Aristo Dash 9’s are sans problems.

Haven’t had any problems with any USAT locomotives, yet, and its been over 10 years for some of them.

My Bachmann Bugmallers seem to keep running, I don’t know why. Two of them are first or second generation, too.

I haven’t looked at my two truck Bachmann Shay in 6 years. It ran fine when I put it away. Hmmmmm.

#5

Shut up Rooster!

#6

Concur.

#7

(http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/horror/scary-devil-smiley-emoticon.gif)

#8

Well as best I can comply

LGB: Toytrain Porters, a lone Stainz, and a couple Handcar drives A-OK. All have been reliable units.

HLW: Many Macks, a couple Gooses, and a Mogul. Again all very good and very reliable units.

Aristo: several bashes all using Centercab blocks. Only ever had one brick go bad, had another loose a wheel when I dropped it but the block lived and went on to relyably power another bash.

USA: Only have one Brick which has been good as well as one speeder drive.

Bachmann: only one Big Hauler left on display. My Lil Big Haulers are so far sweet units. I got ride of all my big stuff from Bmann and Aristo ages ago.

Others: Pikos are new, One Keystone/Bloody L that’s still boxed. A couple MDC bricks so far no issues but I did have a few MDC speeders which were utter crap.

Now keep in mind, my stuff is dumb simple, no sound nor DCC systems to smoke and fry, all my stuff is is small and bereft on all the bells and whistles that seam to be the cause of a lot of gnashing of teeth around here.

!!:slight_smile:

#9

Steve Featherkile said:

My go-to locomotive is my Lionel Atlantic…

Forgot about my Atlantics…great runners! With added pick-ups they run as smooth as any LGB I’ve owned. My NYC unit has “significant” run time too! Have to say my Lionel Diesels have been very reliable too (won’t talk about the 0-6-0’s :frowning: )

#10

SIGH…do we REALLY need another thread on manufactuer shortcomings? Why not just start one thread and let it run to eternity…“It has happened before and it will all happen again…”

#11

Bart Salmons said:

SIGH…do we REALLY need another thread on manufactuer shortcomings? Why not just start one thread and let it run to eternity…“It has happened before and it will all happen again…”

^^^ What he said. Its a religious question, and people get hot under the collar about it. Enough is enough.