04-20-2014, 07:01 AM
Thanks for the wonderful input, everyone. 
Sumpter250: Nice pictures. Also, your opinion on fictional settings is very informative and helpful. I make my own road name someday, or give a name of my own choosing to a name train.
MasonJar: Thanks for the reviews on brand names for HO scale steam locomotives. I had some ordinary Bachmann steam engines in my HO scale layout that I left in the Philippines. From your input, I think the Spectrum line and other brands will be better. I've been able to try diesels in HO from Bachmann (plain), Athearn, and Atlas. The Atlas ones run great. The only one from my collection that runs better than is an Athearn Genesis F7A. I also had a recent Athearn blue box F7A (Santa Fe), and I find the paint job a lot better than the older Athearn blue box models.
MasonJar: It now appears to me that steam should be better for scales larger than N scale. I think you're right. These N scale steam locomotives will have so many complicated (and tiny) parts that it might become a nightmare. My desiring for N scale locomotives may have been too ambitious. I'm now looking at Atlas, Life-like Proto, and Kato N scale diesel engines. I'm placing back my era to the 1950's (but this time I can choose any year in that decade ). My locale will be still a fictional New England location (or go freelance 
). Among the engines I'm considering are:
RS-1
RS-2
RS-11
H15-44
H16-44
E8A
E9A
RDC-1
RDC-2 or RDC-3 (but not both)
Again, thanks for the information. I only have scant literature about American trains (I have some Model Railroader magazines and internet access. I am virtually bookless on American trains). The help is priceless.
Sumpter250: Nice pictures.
Also, your opinion on fictional settings is very informative and helpful. I make my own road name someday, or give a name of my own choosing to a name train.MasonJar: Thanks for the reviews on brand names for HO scale steam locomotives. I had some ordinary Bachmann steam engines in my HO scale layout that I left in the Philippines. From your input, I think the Spectrum line and other brands will be better. I've been able to try diesels in HO from Bachmann (plain), Athearn, and Atlas. The Atlas ones run great. The only one from my collection that runs better than is an Athearn Genesis F7A. I also had a recent Athearn blue box F7A (Santa Fe), and I find the paint job a lot better than the older Athearn blue box models.
MasonJar: It now appears to me that steam should be better for scales larger than N scale. I think you're right. These N scale steam locomotives will have so many complicated (and tiny) parts that it might become a nightmare. My desiring for N scale locomotives may have been too ambitious. I'm now looking at Atlas, Life-like Proto, and Kato N scale diesel engines. I'm placing back my era to the 1950's (but this time I can choose any year in that decade
). My locale will be still a fictional New England location (or go freelance ). Among the engines I'm considering are:RS-1
RS-2
RS-11
H15-44
H16-44
E8A
E9A
RDC-1
RDC-2 or RDC-3 (but not both)
Again, thanks for the information. I only have scant literature about American trains (I have some Model Railroader magazines and internet access. I am virtually bookless on American trains). The help is priceless.