I realize we all have our favorite manufacturer for one reason or another. Mine is, and will continue to be, Bachmann. First of all, they seem to have a much larger selection than the others and Iv'e purchased many of their engines for a very low and extremely fair price.
Now here is the main reason. I recently bought a new Southern Pacific 4-8-2 with sound from Micro-mark. Had to have it cause the tender is the best looking Iv'e seen. Got it within a few days and when I opened it up, I discovered it was an oil tender, not coal. My mistake for not doing a little checking on it first.
Iv'e converted two others without a problem, but this time, after cutting out the upper forward portion of the tender, I caught a wire or two in the process and that was it. No sound, no running, nothing.
Packed it up, sent it to Bachmann with a note that said " This is not warranty. I damaged wiring due to trying a conversion. Please repair if possible and bill me for repairs". They called and left a message to call them. I did and was told they will send me a new replacement at no charge. I reminded them that I damaged the tender. Fell on deaf ears, they said, " didn't matter, We will send you a new one to replace it at no cost". Would Athearn, Broadway Limited or Proto do this? I don't think so--