janespotter
Registered
As a jane owner (previous version of RWM Janet), I'd say go with the janet. Years of trouble free fun and more and more add on kit becoming available, especially swift sixteen's new tender.
MSS steam locomotives.
- Thread starter Bandit
- Start date
delivery of oblivion
postman
Can only say that i would definitely not buy an Mss loco.I nearly did myselkf,when starting with Live steam.I was very lucky and managed to get 2 Second hand Roundhouse locomotives.I would say Roundhouse basic range,will give you a grewat start,even if it means saving up a bit more.
Ade
Ade
Bandit said:
You won't go far wrong with one of these RWM dragons – particularly if you prefer small locomotives. I do, of course, concur with all other posters as well regarding Roundhouse, Accucraft etc. MSS make the original Mamod loco and by the time one has added and improved, you will end up paying more for less. The only thing one can say in favour of this low pressure, low tech engineering (and don't forget it was originally designed as a toy) is that one learns an awful lot by trying to produce something that runs well. I enjoyed working on mine – but have to say that by the time I picked one up to play with twenty odd years ago, I already had Merlin and Roundhouse locomotives and so was not dependent on it for steam pleasure. The RWM Janet, particularly with a rake of the easy to build and inexpensive passenger stock produced by Swift Sixteen, will provide years of pleasure and will have a decent resale value. The coaching stock provided by Swift Sixteen is pocket money prices and one could build an impressive rake by purchasing one a month. Even painting is easy because of the design. The body may be sprayed separately to the internals, then just add some pics for over the seats before snapping the chassis seat castings into the body shell. This will really capture the 30s railway atmosphere. Go to http://www.travellingartgallery.com/landscape/print/page/index.html and the small pics of railway carriage picture panels can be printed off and are just the right size for one's coaches. I even ended up buying some properly framed full size ones and these on on display around my GWR clock. An excellent site
A properly cared for locomotive will, after ten years, sell for at least the price you paid for it. This therefore makes this hobby comparatively cheap compared with, say, going to football matches or going to the pub. I gave up beer, fags and loose women (well beer and fags anyway) while saving for my first loco and (over three years cos I borrowed most of the cash) it cost less than three pints a week and an evening newspaper. They cost comparatively less now) I sold that locomotive two or three years ago after 25 years service for around 180% of the purchase price. Once started, this is a cost effective hobby.