HO Engine Availability
An interest has been expressed in knowing what type of ready-to-run (rtr) HO scale engines are/were available. What follows is my list. I do not purport or imply this is an exhaustive list. For example, I have several brass 4-4-0s of unknown origin packed in my boxes. It also does not include the fine conversion kits offered through Shapeways online vendors such as Gerry's Early Rail Models, Russel Likes Trains, etc. It also does not cover motive power available in either O or N scales. I will add additional photos when I can unpack and photograph my engines currently in storage.
As always, click on the images to enlarge.
Mantua/Tyco General
Zamac/white/pot metal boiler & cab with metal tender
Tender Drive
DC powered
Springs on pilot truck often go bad
Different drivers offered over the years, some see through and
some solid castings
Different tender frames offered over the years as well
Available as both rtr and kits
Used units currently common through eBay online auctions
Company was purchased by Model Power and is now owned by
Lionel. Future availability not known.
Plastic bodies & tenders on both original & new tooling
Original Tooling
Originally part of their Centennial "set" but with units sold
separately
DC powered only
Tender Drive
Nicer cow catcher
Available over the years in different starter sets such as the
Union and Confederate starter sets pictured below.
New Tooling
Motor in Engine
DCC Ready & DCC versions
Ugly front couplers
So far, the 3 I have have run nicely right out of the box
Decoders have limited functions, good bell sound, not so much
with the anemic whistle sound
Pocher/AHM/Rivarossi/IHC/Mehano 4-4-0
Plastic
Numerous road names over the years
Different versions offered (same body but with different stacks and
tender loads)
Tender Drive
DC powered
Actually larger than HO scale, more like OO scale & have been
used extensively with 1/72nd scale figures
Work fine if you are planning to use Mantua or Bachmann early
"Civil War era" rolling stock.
Mine have been more reliable runners than the either Mantua or
Bachmann engines
Be careful of oversized European style wheel flanges on some models as seen below!!!! These can cause problems even if you are using code 100 track.
Pocher/Rivarossi 2-4-0
Plastic shells & tenders
Motor in engine or tender. I have one with the motor in the engine
rather than the tender. I bought it new so it is not a conversion.
The ones offered on eBay seem to be mostly tender drive.
DC powered
Be careful of European style wheel flanges on some models
originally from overseas' markets.
Iron Horse Models/Precision Scale Company (PSC) Lincoln
Funeral Train
Brass collectors set which includes the engine Nashville, the
Lincoln funeral car, and a matching Philadelphia, Wilmington, &
Baltimore RR coach.
DC powered
Simply the best, most accurate!!!!!
Brass
Tender Drive
DC powered
Needs a lot of weight added
Gem also made a matching coach & baggage car
Key Imports/Samhongsa 4-2-4 C.P. Huntington
Brass
DC powered
Offered factory painted or plain brass finish
Factory Paint Job:
Purchaser paint job of how engine looked in later years:
M.B. Austin 4-2-4 C.P. Huntington
Brass
DC powered
Not true HO scale/over sized
Crude detail compared with Samhongsa offering. I had 2 and sold
them both. Sorry I do not have a side-by-side comparison photo
so you can see how oversized this engine actually is.
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Fomras 4-2-4 Inspection Engine Star
Brass
DC powered
Actually post Civil War but it looks so cool
Based on CRR of NJ prototype (built date?) Drawing is from an
1871 book.
Akane 4-4-0 Texas
Brass
Tender drive
DC powered
3 Domes
Used to be available through Wm. K. Walthers' Catalog
Occasionally available on eBay now
Choo Choo Stop 0-4-0 Cattawissa
Brass
Motor in Engine
DC powered
An inside connected style engine
Originally offered in both plain brass & factory painted
Plain brass versions are all I have ever seen
Prototype "never" had a tender but see image below.
Note lack of traditional tender.
Brass
Large for HO Scale
Tender Drive
DC powered
PFM/United 4-4-0 Jupiter
Brass
Part of the Golden Spike Centennial set
Motor in engine
DC powered
Large for HO scale but a beauty to gaze upon
Kemtron/Precision Scale C&NW Pioneer 4-2-0
Brass
Unpowered
Extremely Rare
PSC offers some, but not all, of the necessary parts to build one in
their catalog as of January 25, 2021.
Balboa 4-4-0 Jupiter
Brass (model below has been painted)
Part of their Golden Spike Centennial set
Motor in engine
DC powered
Allegedly poorer runner than PFM version. I have no experience
with this engine
FED (Far East Distributors) Spartan Series 4-4-0
Brass
Tender Drive
DC powered
Tend to be noisy
Circa 1880s prototype
Designed to be detailed/modified
HO and HOn3 versions produced
I have seen/purchased these on eBay from time to time
Aristocraft/Nu (New) One Model
Different 0-4-0s, 2-6-0s, etc. offered
Zamac/White/Pot metal boilers, cabs & tenders
DC powered
Crude details
Grossly oversized
Poor runners
Castings tend to disintegrate/deteriorate
The 2-6-0 pictured below is labeled as "Civil War Era." It is not.
Brass
DC powered
Motor in engine
Has been available through several different importers over the
years.
This is a post Civil War engine but offers possibilities to convert it
to either a 4-6-0 or an 0-6-0 which were wheel arrangements
seen during the Civil War. See John White's book for examples
of 0-6-0s in operation during the Civil War.
Mine have all been good runners. I have begun to convert one to
an 0-6-0 but need to finish the train room project & reclaim my
hobby work station before I can resume conversion.
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