By Jo Anne DeKeles LSOL.com Customer Service Manager

Author  Bio Each year there are new products on the market we can not live without. As we buy more engines, and boxcars and buildings we get more familiar with what is great and what is good. Who do you think the best manufacturer is and why? Was it the products, the support, the price? Sure there are the big guys, but don't forget the little guys too.

Jack Burns: After much internet searching, questioning those with experience and looking in to all the best possibilities for a newcomer to start out, I have come to the conclusion that AristoCraft has the best stainless track and economical rail equipment. Most companies have some good features but I find them not quite as good as AristoCraft overall. The fact that AristoCraft has, what appears to be very competitive prices, also influenced my choice. I will be starting out with a complete AristoCraft layout and equipment.

Mike Evans: It's hard to single out only one manufacturer for best products, price, etc. Certainly LGB maintains the lead in overall quality. But I own several Bachmann locomotives and am pleased with both their detail and low cost. For track and control components, AristoCraft can't be beat. G-scale may soon rival HO for variety and the numerous small firms getting into the more specialized areas. There are also many links out there to a lot of information, particularly LSOL with their weekly informative articles.

John Pletcher: I have trains from Bachmann, USA Trains and AristoCraft. As of yet I have not had to call customer service for anything as all has worked beautifully. It is really nice to see a ever expanding product offerings with great detail. As far as picking a best manufacturer of the year, that is tough since each manufacturer is tops in their prospective product nitches. One thing for sure, with all the wonderful offerings, it will give the large-scale railroad community more ammunition to attract more people into the hobby.

Jon D. Miller: Since I model in narrow gauge, Bachmann gets my vote. The attention to detail on their Spectrum line is without equal. Dollar for dollar when comparing detail and fidelity to a prototype then Bachmann is great value for out of pocket cost.

Gerard Quinn: I own and operate engines and rolling stock from LGB, Aristo, USA Trains, Hartland, MDC, MTH, and Marklin and this year my vote for best manufacturer goes to MTH for their superb new engines. The looks, sound, and synchronized smoke puffing of their new engines are far superior to all others and their command and control system allows for very flexible operations. Considering all the features included with the engines, their price is a bargain. Reliability so far has been flawless. I think you get more fun for the dollar with MTH.

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