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I couldn’t agree more.  Given a choice between a RK scale and a Premier of the same loco, I would generally go for the RK Scale.   When I was first building my roster, I went exclusively with Railking, because, as you say, they are the best bang for your buck.  Lately I’ve been gravitating to Premier.  At this point I have about equal numbers of each.  After getting the Premier version of a loco (for example the Alco PA-1) that I also have in regular (less than scale) Railking, the Railking version just doesn’t cut it anymore.  But my Railking Scale locos still get plenty of run time.  I especially like the RK Scale BLW AS-616, Alco RS-3, FM H10-44 and EMD SW-1.  In some cases (the AS-616 for example), the Railking Scale loco is made from a die that was previously used for premier locos, but doesn’t have all the details (like see thru grills) that are currently seen in the Premier line.

Relevant photo I took yesterday of my new Railking Scale Metra F40PH next to a Premier PS2 Amtrak F40PH:

The shells are sized almost identically but there's a number of add-on details on the premier version that the Railking version is lacking (as expected) - notably:

- See-through radiator screens and spinning fans
- Windshield wipers
- Marker Lights
- Add-on steps
- Nose ladder hand rails

As noted in posts above, the value for money is pretty great and with a bit of careful paint work, the Railking Scale F40 can be brought pretty close to the premier version

I agree, when I was still actively modeling, I had one of their Southern Pacific MP-15AC switchers  (PS2 version) and was quite impressed with the Premier-level of add-on details, especially paying attention to prototype-specific features. 

The only cosmetic quibble I have with it is using anachronistic (1938- mid-1940s era Blomberg-B trucks (same as those used harking back to Lionel postwar F3s and Geeps) when MTH already had appropriate modern-era B trucks in the Premier line.  But other than that, it's a terrific model

Last edited by John Korling

While not "RK Scale" I have also found, among frameless tank cars, that the RK "modern" tank car (in appropriate private-owner paint schemes) blends in pretty well with its Premier siblings. In real life, one can frequently see 1:1 tank cars of wildly varying size next to one another, and the RK/Premier relationship works well to re-create that effect.

For that matter, the RK Airslide hoppers are nearly indistinguishable from the Premier versions. Like the tankers, the challenge is finding them in non-fanciful paint schemes.

---PCJ

Just a comment to the earlier poster who mentioned "1:48 Scale Proportions" on the side of a Rail King loco box.  There might be a difference between 1:48 Scale and 1:48 Scale Proportions.  If a loco were 10% shorter, 10% narrower and 10% lower in height, but in all other respects a scale model, would it still be "1:48 Scale Proportions"?

Chuck

When they say "Rail King Scale" or proportional 1/4" scale, you can count on a full size model for 1.177" gauge.  Of course they do not come in that gauge, but that is the gauge for 1/4" scale.  We 2-railed a series of SD9 Diesels a while back, and the only difference we could find from Premier was the plating on the whistle. 

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