Why American?

Some people model American railroads in ho scale because of the immense range of what is available others simply because of what they have seen when in the states, maybe someone has bought you an american loco or you are just fascinated by the different railway scene over the pond or maybe you just dont want to run a fleet of class 66s? There are many older types of loco still hard at work in the u.s in loads of different company liveries. Whatever your reasons there is a wealth of locomotives out there some great some poor, hopefully this guide will be of use to you. American ho locos will run fine on your 00 trackwork, they use the same 12 volt power to the track so theres no problem there! Of course the scale is different to 00 being 3.5mm to the foot instead of 4mm to the foot. The only major difference is the style of couplings, american rolling stock not having buffers the models mainly use automatic knuckle couplers just as in real life giving a more realistic appearance.

Endless possibilities

Where do i start? As america dieselised a lot earlier than the uk there was an abundance of makes and models (these are listed later on) some railroads specifying different customer options in headlights, fuel tanks, trucks (bogies), cab designs and so on.The american model train market has many angles that are less common to the uk model train market some being ; Undecorated models that you can paint and number as you wish, decorated but unnumbered models so you can build a fleet of differently numbered locos of the same design, unpowered models that can be towed behind powered ones allowing 3 or 4 locos without drawing too much power and a great range of detailing parts that allow you to build a whole new cab or just add a new airhorn.

Ebay

The internet and Ebay has opened up a whole new market place when it comes to models and is truly a global catalogue of what is available, something unimaginable years ago because of this the models are more freely available and many american models are now listed in the uk for sale.Wether you buy from a private seller or a store at home or abroad a little bit of knowledge will help you with your purchase. Of course im not by any means saying i know everything about american locos, far from it but i now own over 200 of them in scales ranging from n, ho thru to g and have been in the cab of several american freight trains whilst over there.

What do you want?

First of all you have to consider what it is that you want as all modellers needs are different just like the diesel models that are produced. Some people are happy to just to collect a certain roadname whilst others want smooth running and accurate colour schemes. In the same way as British outline models, American models have been improved a great deal both in running quality, painting and finishing and realism.Wheels are now chemically blackened with a scale flange size, handrails and grab irons are much finer and body mouldings have crisper detail. A lot of locos come with a set of user added parts that can be added to futher improve the model. Some people enjoy the assembly of some of the older kits available over the newer ready to run versions as it gives them a personal feel to the completed model over a stock one. The choices are many, i personally dont buy what i call 'train set' quality locos as i want a detailed and reliable impression of a loco, however there are modellers and train collectors out there who gain many hours pleasure from these locos as most of us started with something similar when we entered the hobby.

Generic models

Now these are what i class as 'generic' models and as a rule are generally produced by the lower price range of the market. You will find models of diesels in the roadname of your choice but that DOESNT mean that that railroad operated these. Some model manufacturers produce many liveries that are unprototypical so as to make a greater return on that particular model. Like i said if that is what you want to model then that is fine but those who want to model realistic trains shouldnt rely on a models colours to prove they existed in the real world. An example of this is a Chessie System EMD F unit - there are several models out there but none were ever painted so. Some of these locos are more of an impression of the real thing and may have discrepancies that you may be willing to overlook, certain older body mouldings are now made by other manufacturers once the original company dropped the model from their range.

Performance

Now we all want good performace from our models but again peoples views differ on what is good! Some like a motor whining away as the train passes whilst others like a near silent motor with good slow speed capabilities. Most diesels these days are fitted with flywheels and the majority with some kind of working lights. When buying older models try and ascertain what type of motor is fitted. The 'pancake' type of motor that was fitted in some 1970s diesels is renowned for poor performance compared with flywheel driven can type motors.Of course most older models can be improved performance wise (sometimes a good clean and lubrication is all that is required) and even if you think a loco is beyond help mechanically then you can just take the motor and gearing out and use it as a 'dummy' loco towed behind a powered one, many american trains have several locos in their consist.

Appearance

Aha! The old how does it look syndrome! Now this can be tricky as you may want an older manufactured diesel that isnt currently in production by another manufacturer and if you dont want to kit bash or invest in an expensive brass model then youre left with little choice.Sometimes a useful spotting guide is the locomotive handrails if fitted.Some are terribly overscale and the mouldings far too thick giving a toy like appearance to the model, another thing to look for is slots in the bodyshell where the underframes tabs hold it together, again some people dont mind this and its left to personal choice. Certain models in the lower price end of the market look as if the factory applied paint finish has been put on with a trowel resulting in any detailing work on bodyside doors or grilles being completely covered and even when stripped of paint to a bare shell the detail work is often minimal. Mould release pips (usually on the roof) and hazy paint work where two colours meet are often a good measure of lower quality finishing.

Construction

Certain manufacturers eg. Athearn, make locomotives that require some assembly to complete. Dont be put off by this as it is straight forward and shouldnt tax the average modeller. Usually this involves adding handrails and supports into pre drilled holes in the bodyshell, adding headlight lenses and numberboards  and brake equipment to the bogie sideframes. The motor and drivetrain is already done for you. A lot of these models for sale you will find that the previous owner has already installed these items tho if they are not pictured or mentioned in the listing as accesories or handrails in the box then a quick email will ascertain wether the model is complete.

Dcc

Dcc or Digital Command Control is a means of powering each individual loco instead of powering the track. Each loco is fitted with a chip called a decoder which recieves commands from a dcc controller. Many locos can now be bought with a decoder already installed others are dcc ready meaning you can fit a decoder yourself. There are many advantages to this system including onboard sound and light effects and the ability to run trains like in real life without having to have isolating sections in yards and stations. It can be costly if you have a large fleet of engines and decoder fitted locos are more expensive than standard dc ones, however watching a loco start up as its engine winds up and lights come on then hear the engine rev and brakes release as it starts to move is as close to real as you will get in ho. Its all down to personal choice and thats what is great about this hobby!

Problems

Your loco has finally arrived but something isnt right, here are some common problems you may face

Rusted Handrails - yes it does happen. Dont be alarmed if you open an Athearn kit and the handrails are rusted, it may look a lost cause but its not. The metal used on these can rust and do. An easy solution is to get some fine grade emery boards (i always pinch my other halfs nail polishing ones) and sand off the rust on a flat surface. The handrail stanchions can be a bit fiddly and rust more heavily but soon polish up with a bit of work. One they are fitted to the model and painted the problem is gone.

Cracked or pitted wheels - older Athearn locos have sintered metal wheels that are made from compressed metal. Over time these can pit resulting in loss of electrical pick up. Flanges can also break off if dropped on a hard surface. If you face either of these problems the only real course of action is to replace them. There are sellers of Athearn spares on Ebay in The U.S or you can try the parts service listed on the instruction sheet.

Poor Electrical contact - now heres a common one. First make sure you have power to the track and that its clean. There are many reasons for poor electrical pick up and short circuits. Some Bachmann models and others have pick up wires soldered from the motor to the bogie pick ups, check these are all intact. Most of us clean the wheel rims on our locos but how many clean the backs? A lot of locos have the brass contact strip that touches the back of the wheel so make sure that is clean and making good contact. On Athearn locos make sure that the metal strip contacts have not rusted and are in contact with each other, again a fine emery board will sort any rust out. Some locos have axles that are insulated on one side (usually one wheel has a plastic sleeve the axle enters therefore insulating that wheel) so make sure all axles are aligned the same.

Rough running - Again this can be one of many things. Check that all the wheels are in gauge, one may be slightly out or twisted which will result in a wobble. Check for any debris in the gears, ballast track pins, fishplates can all get caught up inside a loco and so can carpet fluff and pet hair, all of which can affect performance. Lubrication is a necessity but is often overdone and can lead to soft motor brushes and dirt / carbon build up.Make sure the motor bearings are oiled but sparingly applied with something like a cocktail stick. You dont want to turn your loco over and find it dripping with oil, if it is clean it off. Remember excessive oil attracts dirt and dirt on electrical contacts makes for poor running.

Research

The internet is a very useful tool when researching a model you are interested in so use it! Just tap into a search engine for example santa fe +gp38 + ho scale and see what results come up. There maybe other manufacturers who make that particular model more suited to your needs.You may ened up paying more but will end up with a better running and detailed locomotive more to scale and more prototypical.

All those abbreviations

You may be baffled by all those abbreviations you see in a model listing, many applicable only to american model locos. so here is a small list (by no means all you will encounter) to help you.

UNDEC - Undecorated, usually moulded in plain black or grey plastic for you to paint yourself

PWR - Powered, a loco fitted with a motor

DMY - Dummy, a loco not fitted with a motor

EMD - ElectroMotive Division, General Motors Loco building company

GE - General Electric Loco building company

ALCO - American Locomotive Company

FM - Fairbanks Morse locomotive company

BLW - Baldwin Locomotive Works

RTR - Ready To run, the model is complete without assembly needed

GP - General Purpose, used by EMD to denote 4 axle locomotives and followed by a number eg. GP40

SD - Special Duty, used by EMD to denote 6 axle locomotives and followed by a number eg. SD50

SW- Switcher, used by EMD to denote a switching (shunting) locomotive

DASH - now this can confuse! EMD uses dash two (usually seen as eg. GP40-2) which was an upgraded version of a GP40. GE used dash seven (eg. B23-7) for similar purposes.Then GE changed to dash eight and dash nine so you may see an engine listed as 8-40C, a dash 8-40c.

CW - used by GE to denote the cab style (known as a safety cab, north american cab, widenose cab) so if you saw a model listed as 9-44CW the CW denotes a wide cab, a C on its own is a standard cab.

AC - the type of electrical equipment used on the real locomotive eg. AC4400CW denotes an AC traction , 4400 hp, Wide cab loco.

Manufacturers

There are many Ho scale diesel manufacturers, some now gone some still going strong. Mant of the defunct manufacturers models are now made by another company and may be superior to the original (updated body tooling, improved motor etc). Heres a list of the most common you will come across. Never rely on the box the loco is sold in being its original, there are many locos listed on ebay as the wrong manufacturer -  a lot of the time this is due to there being no makers name on the loco underframe, eg. many athearn locos. Sometimes there is just a country eg. made in yugoslavia or made in italy. Some manufacturers had models made abroad for them by other companies ( early atlas diesels were made in Austria by roco where the new ones are made in china). Most of the top end of the market models are now produced in china where the finished product is made to a high standard, again though be aware that some 'train set' quality models are produced there also

ATLAS - older diesels made in Austria, newer diesels made in China. An ATLAS CLASSICS RANGE has improved some of the older models to a better standard. The chinese products are very good in both finish and performance. Some of the older models are now made by IHC.

ATHEARN - An absoloutely huge range the older kits being available quite cheaply and a good starting model for those who like to detail their models. Available in kit form, commonly known as blue box models or in RTR form. The GENESIS range is their top of the line models.

BACHMANN -Made in China. There is the standard bachmann range which varies in quality, some of the older models being notorious shelf queens. The bachmann PLUS range which was an attempt to improve the models and the SPECTRUM range which is their top of the line models.

KATO - A limited range of diesels compared with other manufacturers but the detail and running qualities are hard to beat

WALTHERS - A small range of locos available in their trainline range, however they now own the PROTO range of top end models - see LIFELIKE

LIFELIKE - Mainly in the train set type of model, however the introduction of their PROTO range bought realistically detailled superb running locos to the market

STEWART - Stewart hobbies produce many obscure loco types that other manufacturers have yet to produce. Many have kato drives and produce a nice locomotive. Some models need a small amount of construction to complete. The company is now owned by Bowser.

AHM

IHC - Noted more for their steam locos than their diesels which are ex TYCO and ATLAS models. The diesels again are more train set types however they make a unique ALCO C415 switcher.

RIVAROSSI

MEHANO - This company has made models for so many others its hard to find out! Based in yugoslavia.I usually avoid anything with yugoslavia stamped underneath as they had a poor reputation running wise.

LIMA - Remember those pancake motors i mentioned? If you owned british Lima diesels then you will be familiar with the problems you may face .Not very accurate US outline models and poor running ability.Mainly 1970s products that dont age well.

MDC/ROUNDHOUSE - These are older models and are starting to show their age in both detail and motors however there are some unique models out there, their boxcab switcher being one. The company is now owned by horizon (who also own Athearn) and their model of an EMD model 40 switcher is very good.

MODEL POWER - Again, mainly in the train set type of locomotive, however they have released a diecast locomotive which i have yet to see.

TYCO/MANTUA - Ive listed these together as they are basically the same models.Train set quality throughout, tho mantua did update the motor and shell on some models resulting in a better model.

Certain newer manufacturers have appeared on the market in the last few years namely Broadway, Precison Craft and Tower 55 models

Railroads

Again you will find abbreviations used in listings for the railroad company colour sceme the loco is painted in,there are hundreds of railroad companies, below is a list of the most common you will find

AMTK - AMTRACK

B&O - BALTIMORE AND OHIO

C&O - CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO

B&M - BOSTON AND MAINE

D&H - DELAWARE AND HUDSON

CSX - CSX TRANSPORTATION

BNSF - BURLINGTON NORTHERN SANTA FE

SF - SANTA FE

UP - UNION PACIFIC

WM - WESTERN MARYLAND

KCS - KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN

CR - CONRAIL

RDG - READING

LV - LEHIGH VALLEY

CNW - CHICAGO NORTH WESTERN

MKT - MISSOURI KANSAS TEXAS

CHS - CHESSIE SYSTEM

MLW - MILWAUKEE

CN - CANADIAN NATIONAL

CP - CANADIAN PACIFIC

NW - NORFOLK & WESTERN

NS - NORFOLK SOUTHERN

CBQ - CHICAGO BURLINGTON & QUINCY

RI - ROCK ISLAND

NH - NEW HAVEN

EL - ERIE LACKAWANNA

PRR - PENNSYLVANIA

PC - PENN CENTRAL

ATSF - ATCHINSON TOPEKA & SANTA FE

SP - SOUTHERN PACIFIC

NYC - NEW YORK CENTRAL

GN - GREAT NOTHERN

NP - NORTHERN PACIFIC

NKP - NICKEL PLATE

SOO - SOO LINE

IC - ILLINOIS CENTRAL

DRGW - DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN

L&N - LOUISVILLE & NASHVILLE

SR - SOUTHERN RAILWAY

MP - MISSOURI PACIFIC

OVERVIEW

Well i hope you find this guide useful and maybe it has explained a bit more about American model engines in Ho scale, I am no expert by any means but own over 200 locos and am constantly learning things myself! It can seem a bit daunting modelling another countries railways but the satisfaction of running your railroad empire at home is well worth the extra effort.

Happy Modelling

Paul