# quality of trains



## mymodeltrain (May 14, 2013)

I wonder how can I find a USA train that is made in USA? If not, I think Hartland products would be the choice. I like USA diesel trains but I realized that many were made in China. This discourages me. I mentioned about this because I was with a friend yesterday and he showed me Bachmann train that was made in China. The appearance and quality are both too low. The plastic body was very fragile. In fact, my friend said the train has a lot of troubles, including broken plastic parts only after 3 months.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Yup, Hartland is about the only made in USA left. LGB has returned to the Continent and product is improving and Piko also seems good.h 

What you have discovered is Chinese considers our 'scale' models to be toys, to be replaced when broken.... 
Our market is far smaller than Toy r Us so our toys cost what true models should.... 

We were spoiled with New and Improved as a way of life. Chinese companies selling Runs of Production don't care if we buy or not as long as they are paid. 
Without Uniform Production Codes and Enforcement, the next run is made with cheaper parts for more company profit, while our American importers are left holdig crap when promised quality. Aristo didn't suspect and check quality, in Lewis's day a handshake and a man's word was as good as a contract, in China all bets are off. The Baby Formula, drywall and countless other unsatisfactory products, like fragile plastic made cheaper by elimination of elasticity.... 
John


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Don't let the "made in China" worry you. Bachmann, USA Trains, Aristo, Accucraft--all of them are made in China. All of them have a good overall record for reliability, though no one's record is spotless. Most of the problems are well-documented on forums such as this, and in many cases, very easily remedied on the workbench. Pretty much everything I run on my railroad that wasn't "made in my workshop" was "made in China." That's just the facts of life in this hobby. But you're doing yourself a great disservice if you dismiss everything that's "made in China" based on one singular example. There are dogs, but there's some darned good stuff as well. 

Since you mention Bachmann specifically, I don't know which pieces your friend has, but I can say that my experiences with their products has overall been very good. Yes, I've had to replace the occasional gear on some of their earlier stuff, but it seems they've learned from those experiences. Their C-19 is (in my opinion) one of the finest-running locomotives I've ever put on the rails. Yes, some of their "Spectrum" series pieces are very highly-detailed, and the parts are fragile. They will break. That's the trade-off you make when you want highly-detailed models. Bachmann makes some other models which are not nearly as finely detailed (their "Big Hauler" product line), and they can withstand rougher handling. They'll still break if you're not careful, but the details are made from a softer plastic that's generally a bit more resilient to being knocked off. Their "Li'l Big Hauler" line is very minimal in terms of details, but aimed at the 4 - 9 year olds, not scale modelers. Bachmann's 4-6-0 "Annie" (Big Hauler series) is probably among the most ubiquitous models in large scale. It's a very good mix of good detail and robust performance. Their latest "generation" of this loco has all brass gearing. I've got one in the workshop I'm modifying, and it's a good performer. 

I don't run much stuff from USA or Aristo on my own railroad, but I do work on it when it crosses my workbench for various purposes. I've found them to have similar track records. Most good, some bad, and don't expect the fine details to withstand a bunch of handling. They will break. Hartland's stuff is good and robust, but they're nowhere near as detailed as the latest stuff from the other guys. If Hartland's stuff had the level of fine details that you find on the other models, they'd be breaking off, too. 

Bottom line, if you want modern mainline locomotives, you're dealing with stuff made in China. There seem to be a good number of people having a great deal of success with it based on what I run and what I see others run. Your best bet is to ask about a specific locomotive (i.e, USA Trains PA or somesuch) and get people's individual experiences with each specific lomotive. You'll get a far more accurate picture of how each locomotive runs without unnecessarily panning a wide range of great stuff based solely on country of origin. 

Later, 

K


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## Chucks_Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

Old Lionel Large Scale was Made in the USA but that was some cheap crap...the Chinese stuff made nowadays is much better IMHO.


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## BigRedOne (Dec 13, 2012)

LGB have a small selection of US prototype diesels. 

When speaking of "quality," it helps to bear in mind the intended application. My railway is on the floor at the moment, and I've tripped over the train without doing any damage.


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## TonyLou (Sep 3, 2009)

I thought models are made in anywhere doesn't matter. But the most important, importers or brands in United States should be doing their best on quality control with manufacturers. Also, they should pay more attention on detailing when they develop any new model. Then, we could see and buy the best model from them.


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

The Chinese can make excellent models. It is when the manufacturer imposes a bottom line production cost to meet profit and an enticing purchase price that things end up cheap and nasty. If you want quality, you have to pay more to Tom, Dick and Harry in the supply chain. Most manufactured items tend to be developed and improved over a period of time. Several manufacturers have been quite innovative over the years and unfortunately the consumer has become the 'test guinea pig' in our hobby, discovering the inherent flaws and dysfunction. Having to repair a new item straight from the box is just not on but typical for many brands. At least Bachmann are listening and upgrading their models but better engineered items and lower production runs impose a higher cost now. A cost that comes prohibitive for many in these slow times. If you want a convenient price, the market will meet that requirement but it will be land fill sooner than later.


Andrew


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