Armando wrote:Mike,
How do the ACME models compare with LSM and Roco?
Each year's new ACME models have shown improvements over the previous year's offerings. The first year or two, the models were manufactured and designed using technology that could best be compared with Sachsenmodelle/Tillig, with one piece interior fittings and exterior details comparable to 1970s Liliput. This was the result of the cooperative work with German manufacturer Heris, using the same production plant in China (Modern Gala) that had made items for Sachsenmodelle/Tillig. Sachsenmodelle had benefitted from technical improvements acquired during their period of cooperation
with Roco and those improvements could also be seen in the initial ACME and Heris models.
Following the breakup of the Heris cooperative venture (Heris, LS Models, ACME and RailTop, etc), LSM, RailTop and ACME decided to continue working together. LS Models decided to take the design of their models to the next level (including fine detail like multicoloured interiors, decals, underbody details, etc) and LS Models and RailTop followed suit. Within two years, the relationship between LS Models and RailTop deteriorated and RailTop ceased cooperation with that company. The relationship between RailTop and ACME was also affected by that situation.
ACME decided to continue cooperative work with LS Models. LS Models distributes ACME in France and the Benelux countries and ACME distributes LSM in Italy. ACME manufactures models of the Bombardier Traxx locomotives that are marketed by LS Models as well as the recent WLAB MU sleepers.
The level of quality has, as I stated, improved each year. The earlier models had some issues with the length of the coupling shaft, which I resolved by using Roco's Universal Close Coupler heads, which provide an extra mm in length versus the Maerklin, Fleischmann and Roco Close Couplers. The earlier models also had some issues with the shell interfering with the rotation of the bogies on tighter radii. This issue I resolved by inserting a small spacer.
My latest ACME acquisition was the 55033 Set containing two couchette coaches and one Treno Notte WLAB MU. Compared to the earlier productions, these models are as nice as they can get, and definitely are more detailed that even Roco's sleepers and couchette coaches.
If you are running R3 or larger, you should have no problem with operating these wonderful exact scale coaches.
They look wonderful among my collection and these models have enabled me to complete a few consists that I had been hoping to model for many years.
ACME added some international models for 2010. Plans include models of DB TEE/IC coaches, the DB/PKP Berlin-Warsaw Express, , Czech EC coaches, SBB and OBB Eurofima coaches and a Romanian subsidiary called AMINTIRI to make models for that market. I would suggest that ACME has realized that eastern Europe is an untapped market and has decided to concentrate on that market.
At the same time, LS Models has also added some additional German models to their catalog, leaving open the possibility that the ACME-LSM Cooperation might sometime come to heads over whose models of German models get priority in that country (and internationally). We will have to stay tuned to see, but in the meantime, enjoy these wonderful models.
Note: For Eurofima coaches (ie Avmz207, SBB Bcm, etc) make sure that the models that you are getting have the correct shape of the side moulding between the doors and the bogie. There have been a few productions where this feature was incorrectly rendered. The ACME catalog shows this flaw as being corrected on some of the models.
Regards
Mike C
