Opinions on best performing Steam and heritage diesel locos.

[IkBrunel]

What in everybody's opinion are the best performing steam locos and heritage diesel locos. To be specific I'm talking out of the relatively new locos made by the big manufactures that are dcc ready.

[ntpntpntp]

Fleischmann, Minitrix and Arnold

[IkBrunel]

Fleischmann, Minitrix and Arnold

I'm talking specific models ie a class 55 made by farish and ones that are dcc ready.

[Newportnobby]

Think about what locos you'd like and then check the 'Review' section to see if it is featured there. Remember, in the main, all locos are hand built so not everyone is the same.
What era have you in mind?

[IkBrunel]

Think about what locos you'd like and then check the 'Review' section to see if it is featured there. Remember, in the main, all locos are hand built so not everyone is the same.
What era have you in mind?

Thank you for the reply. I have done that quite a few times but just looking for people opinions. There might be a hidden gem out there that I have overlooked.

[ntpntpntp]

Best performing in what way - smooth running, powerful haulage presumably.

I've been impressed with my Farish Tornado, pretty much up there with the continental brands I mostly run. 

[IkBrunel]

Best performing in what way - smooth running, powerful haulage presumably.

I've been impressed with my Farish Tornado, pretty much up there with the continental brands I mostly run.

That's exactly what I mean. Thank you so much for the reply. The tornado has been on my radar for a while now. I wish farish would make a4s again to rival dapol.

[Newportnobby]

Farish steam
Jubilee, Royal Scot, Std 4MT 2-6-0, Std 3MT 2-6-2T, Fairburn 2-6-4T, 3F Jinty, Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0, Austerity, 64xx Pannier, N class 2-6-0, 4F 0-6-0, 5MT 4-6-0, Merchant Navy and Castle
Farish diesel
Class 14, 24, 40, 42, 101, 108, Blue Pullman, Deltic and DP1

Dapol diesel
Class 22 and class 52

Note - all Farish listed are the latest versions where more than one exists

[RailGooner]

..
I've been impressed with my Farish Tornado,
...

Seconded.

[EtchedPixels]

Even within one model type it varies so you can't be that generic.

For example the original Dapol class 73 (a very common heritage loco as they are cheap to run with a tiny diesel engine) is brilliant. The later ones are DCC ready but have a crappy plastic chassis. The original Dapol class 66 has a ton of problems, but the later one is way better. Farish 66's come in several variants.

IMHO the QA is so bad on both Farish and Dapol models that you might as well buy what you fancy and if you get one that sucks or breaks in the first couple of years just return it to the shop unfit for the purpose it was sold.

The best RTR runners I have are still the old Minitrix (so no DCC socket) 47, and steam locos (except the ivatt), Union Mills (no DCC sockets), and of course CJM. If you count kits then also up there despite being probably 40 years old are the ibertren 0-4-0 based kit locos  I have - both of which despite being tiny 0-4-0 locos pick up power more reliably than most of the modern Faris bogie diesels - and the kit built BR(W) gas turbine on an ancient lifelike E7 chassis. It's got enough metal in it that I had to strengthen one of my model bridges

</grump>

I'd recommend looking at Union Mills. With the stupid prices on today's top end models you can afford to pay someone to DCC it (or learn to solder a bit) and it'll still be cheaper

[Claude Dreyfus]

Probably my best UK runner is the Farish 60.

Edit: Ha, just seen the 'heritage' bit, which the 60 isn't. I find the bigger diesels with their longer wheel-base to be more reliable (for example I had no issues with my Farish Peaks when I had them) however as noted, things are so variable in terms of QA that saying one loco type is more reliable than another is an inexact science!

[emjaybee]

I have 12+ Farish locos, all steam, not a bad runner amongst them. All new tooling versions.

[tgv_obsessed]

Best performing in what way - smooth running, powerful haulage presumably.

I've been impressed with my Farish Tornado, pretty much up there with the continental brands I mostly run.

Does it take continental 1st and 2nd radius in the way their models do?

[ntpntpntp]

Best performing in what way - smooth running, powerful haulage presumably.

I've been impressed with my Farish Tornado, pretty much up there with the continental brands I mostly run.

Does it take continental 1st and 2nd radius in the way their models do?

Depends whose 1st radius you mean?  I don't have anything under 9" radius on my layout, and it handles that better than my Dapol Brit and 9f.  Whether it would go all the way down to (say) Minitrix's 7.8" I can't say, but it does feel like it can go a little tighter than 9" if it really had to.

[NeMo]

For example the original Dapol class 73 (a very common heritage loco as they are cheap to run with a tiny diesel engine) is brilliant. The later ones are DCC ready but have a crappy plastic chassis.

See, I have a couple of older 73s, and while they're reliable, they're noisy by modern standards, and seem to derail a bit more easily, e.g., on Kato #4 points. So I don't use them all that much. On the other hand, the 'Hymek', of similar vintage, is a lot more consistent and quieter. The standard failure with them seems to be worn gears at the top of the bogie tower, but it's such a cheap and easy fix it doesn't bother me at all.

One recommendation I'd make is the Farish 'Warship'. These seem to be very underrated in the hobby. Very quiet, very smooth, and with two preserved, an obvious addition to a 'heritage' collection.

Cheers, NeMo