Hello everyone !
My name is Paul, and I live over on the CTT forum, but I have been a G gauger since 1995. Just happened to look at the GR forum, and saw this thread.
I wanted to :
a. Introduce myself.
b. Offer some insights on equipment, especially pertaining to starting in the hobby.
In 1995, LGB made the smoothest running, most rugged, and reliable stuff. They were so far ahead of anyone else, in terms of quality. Many people kitbashed a great looking Bachmann 4-6-0 boiler onto a smooth running LGB mechanism.
But, if there was an award for most improved product line, I think it should go to Bachmann's big hauler 4-6-0. They have retooled the drive train on this engine so many times, and for a while it seemed to be yearly. The 10 th anniversary engines are great, smooth running, and reliable. And if I'm not mistaken, I believe the latest offerings have metal gears.
So, starting out in the hobby in 2018, I would highly recommend the Bachman 4-6-0 train sets as a great value, although I only see 2 sets offered on Bachmann's web site today. They were the standard starter set engine for Bachmann, and many of us cut our teeth on them.
I have no experience with Piko, and can not compare. They entered the market after I purchased most of my fleet.
I have some pictures of my humble modeling skills at the end of the " Melbourne Tram" thread in the CTT forum, if you would like to check it out.
Paul
