Just as the heading said, will be back to add mine.
Not a dang thing. There are no train shows or flea markets. Train shops have limited hours. Clubs are closed here. Even the local lumber yards are closed.
Mail order might work for something you know you want, but for browsing and inspiration, nothing beats the old sources which have vanished this year.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Yea may deals have been mail order or e-bay. Best deal I got was either a sound and DCC Bachmann S4 for under $60 or a brass 44 ton compleatly rebuilt with DCC and sound that was on a magazine cover for under $100. Got a few other deals but they don't quite fit the 50% off. Oh I just got a BTS fire train for $45.
Only two train shows this year so not much on that front but did get some good deals on dollar parts. I do shop estate sales and find some bargains at them sometimes. There was one I went through that had train stuff in it BUT the idiots had dumped it all in a couple of boxes carelessly and had broken a lot then put one price on the whole lot of 600-would not split up or negotiate and you could not see what was there but you could tell maybe half was damaged. However I did find an NCE throttle there for 15 and a Kadee trip pin plier for $2 as well as a couple of books. That did pay for the 50 minute drive. Last year I bought a bag of steam engines that needed some work for $8 and another 10 on tenders. Had another one last year that I bought a file box full of scratchbuilding supplies for 10.
Hi rrebell,
I got a Proto 1000 RDC in Canadian Pacific colours for less than $40.00 Cdn. The seller was an elderly man who was having a neighbour liquidate his meager collection. I decided that I couldn't take that much advantage of him so I sent him an extra $40.00. It happened to be the Canadian Thanks Giving so it made him really happy. It was still a bargain at less than $80.00.
I also scored a set of six Walthers Canadian Pacific reefers for about $18.00 Cdn. each including shipping. That doesn't sound like 50% off until you realize that a single reefer with shipping from the USA is often more than $40.00 Cdn.
Last week I got a set of four Branchline Trains Canadian Pacific box cars for $86.00 Cdn. including shipping. These are the first Branchline products that I have purchased so I'm unfamiliar with the quality, but at $21.50 ea. they are still a bargain.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Became a happy camper at a train show when I found this older-run-new-in-the-box Walthers PS coach, in the SP livery, for $20! (model photo below).
A friend of mine, who noticed that I have a fleet of Budd units, reminded me that SCL (and ACL) had a sizeable group of lightweight Pullman Standard cars (prototype photo below)
I plan on stripping and metalizing it to the SCL scheme. For fluting above the window rows, I have some USP PS fluting strips on hand:
photo credit: Michael Stamey
"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"
At my LHS I picked up a Life Like Proto Heritage 0-8-0 in DT&I for $200, I added Wow Sound to it.
I purchased these little beauties.
Princess Royal Class Lady Patricia, Duchess Class Duchess of Sutherland, and Jubilee Class Galatea
Royal Scot Lady of the Lake,
and a Coronation Class Coronation
and a Class 5 locomotive. (No picture yet)
Just under £200 for all six. (Around $270)
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
AntonioFP45I plan on stripping and metalizing it to the SCL scheme. For fluting above the window rows, I have some USP PS fluting strips on hand:
Hey, Antonio.
Are you saying that the letterboard area is smooth with no P-S fluting applied? I might be able to save you some fitting and gluing if these cars are better suited:
PRR_P-S_coach by Edmund, on Flickr
I can't tell from your photo if yours are smooth above the windows or like this PRR example. Walthers made lots of variations.
PRR_P-S_coach_a by Edmund, on Flickr
Bottom line is, I bought a bunch of these Walthers coaches for a project that never got out of the car shop. I have them in various stages of disassembly.
PRR_P-S_coach_b by Edmund, on Flickr
If these are something you could use let me know and I can send them off to you for service on the SCL. Some of mine are still in S.P. paint, too.
Regards, Ed
I went back and looked at my inventory file...
It looks like 2020 might be the only year I HAVE NOT gotten a good deal on anything.
This year I made my biggest purchases ever from M. B. Klein to get everything in order for my next layout. I purchased a ton of building materials
Surprisingly, I have not successfully purchased a single locomotive in 2020. I did not buy any brass locomotives, and the three plastic diesels I bought in eBay all arrived destroyed.
I also purchased mass supplies of wiring, control, and scenic items, but again, no great deals.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Hello Ed!
PM sent to you.
I scored this bachmann DCC and sound 2-8-0 for $60 from a guy off marketplace. Saw the same loco in the Walthers flyer for $300. Ill call that a god deal. The box was beat up but there were no signs of runtime. Tender got soo line decals aplied. Cab is still waiting on theirs.
The second engine I bought when I switched to HO in late 1988 was a Bachmann GN GP-30. It eventually got converted to DCC, but this year I decided to see about upgrading it to sound. Not much room with the old split-frame chassis for a speaker, plus it always was a bit noisy though it ran pretty well.
I ended up buying a new "sound value" SP GP-30 from Trainworld and swapped bodies. I figured that way I got a new, better motor, a sound decoder, and 1" speaker (in the fuel tank under the loco). With a coupon I had, it cost just under $100 including shipping; list is $259.
hon30critter Hi rrebell, I got a Proto 1000 RDC in Canadian Pacific colours for less than $40.00 Cdn. The seller was an elderly man who was having a neighbour liquidate his meager collection. I decided that I couldn't take that much advantage of him so I sent him an extra $40.00. It happened to be the Canadian Thanks Giving so it made him really happy. It was still a bargain at less than $80.00. I also scored a set of six Walthers Canadian Pacific reefers for about $18.00 Cdn. each including shipping. That doesn't sound like 50% off until you realize that a single reefer with shipping from the USA is often more than $40.00 Cdn. Last week I got a set of four Branchline Trains Canadian Pacific box cars for $86.00 Cdn. including shipping. These are the first Branchline products that I have purchased so I'm unfamiliar with the quality, but at $21.50 ea. they are still a bargain. Dave
This was my best deal this year. Maybe not quite 50% off but close enough to get me to bite.
I think the vendor stocked up on way more than he was able to sell. A matter of excessive inventory clearance always works out well for the buyer.
TF
rrebellAre the Branchline RTR. Even as kits they are great, bought some cars from his first RTR venture and were similar quality at that time to Red Caboose.
According to the listing they are kits. That's fine with me. Once I get the layout running I will have lots to do assembling rolling stock and structures.
Cheers!!
Just getting to the point of repairing cars in between scenery work here.
55% off Atheran HO SD70Ace Spirit of 1943 with sound from Factory Direct Trains Balck Friday sale last week, Paid $153.99 against a list of $339.28.
Gene
I got many many good deals, here's two I think are my favorite for this year!
1. a Proto 2000 USRA 0-6-0 WITH TCS WOWsound (and keep alive) for $32
Advertised on Ebay as an abanonded project engine that wasent running when tested (on DC), I bought it for parts and for the off chance I could get it to work. It came factory without sound (since there was no visible speaker holes in the tender floor)...the surprise I got when I opened up the tender to find this was unbelieveable!
Engine ran flawlessly, sound works, although the cab number and tender logo was stripped away so it doesnt look prestine.
2. PFM United Brass Omaha 0-6-0 with Tsunami Sound $81
Advertised as a brass engine with sound but untested, the pictures of the poor thing was in shambles. Looks like someone took apart the engine but didnt know how to put it back together and lost the screws. I found the replacement screws in my random screws box, cleaned all the old grease from the thing, resoldered some bad joints, and now it runs (noisly with its old open frame motor and gearbox) fine! Sound works too!
Cheers!
Charles
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Modeling the Santa Fe & Pennsylvania in HO
Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLb3FRqukolAtnD1khrb6lQ
Instagram (where I share projects!): https://www.instagram.com/trainman440
Just today I happened across this Cornerstone kit, still shrink-wrapped, of the Milwaukee Road Everett Street Station.
Milwaukee_Everett_eBay by Edmund, on Flickr
I plan to build it this winter to replace an existing "Union Station" on my layout. Walthers is re-realeasing this kit early next year but I prefer to have the first run (better quality plastic).
Here's what the back side looks like:
Model Milwaukee Road Everett Street Station by Charles G. Haacker, on Flickr
It will replace this current building:
Union Station by Edmund, on Flickr
Sure, it looks great but at the time I built it the Walthers one hadn't been produced yet. I just like the style of the old Milwaukee structure.
gmpullman Just today I happened across this Cornerstone kit, still shrink-wrapped, of the Milwaukee Road Everett Street Station. Here's what the back side looks like: Model Milwaukee Road Everett Street Station by Charles G. Haacker, on Flickr
Sure enough, one of the comments on the Flickr site reported this:
My husband built the model in the picture above and I can tell you that it is a combination of the Walther's kit and scratch built. The middle section is the kit and the extensions on both sides are scratch built. It's a gorgeous model on his layout. Just prior to doing the above pictured depot, he had scratch built the whole depot from actual Milwaukee Road Depot plans. It also is a gorgeous model. Hope you enjoyed looking at the photo.
I built the Walthers kit some years back. Here is a photo of the completed kit.
Rich
Alton Junction
Wow! Ive never seen this kit before. That's one stunning building!
Also, Ed, how did you make the Union station that's about to be replaced? Is that a kit?
Trainman440Also, Ed, how did you make the Union station that's about to be replaced? Is that a kit?
Hi, Charles
Yes, a very nice kit from Faller called the Bonn Station
https://www.faller.de/gb/en/Products/Track-gauges/H0-selection/Railway-stations-railway-buildings/Railway-stations/Bonn-Station-sid3854.html
There are similar ones from Kibri and Vollmer, too. The Baden-Baden one looks pretty neat:
https://www.hobbylinc.com/vollmer-baden-baden-station-kit-ho-scale-model-railroad-building-43560
I was just looking for something that says "Big City":
IMG_9867_fix_w by Edmund, on Flickr
IMG_6325_fix by Edmund, on Flickr
Thanks for your photo, Rich. I guess the original Milwaukee Road station was larger and, as necessary, Walthers lopped off some of the building wings.
I just like building kits and since this structure is more to my liking I'm going to do some "urban renewal" this winter.
Thank you, Ed
gmpullmanThe Baden-Baden one looks pretty neat:
Ed, I used the Baden-Baden station on my N scale layout. I replaced the roofs with shingled roofs, and a little trim work, and it looked just fine.
It is HUGE! In N scale it was over 20 inches long.
gmpullman Thanks for your photo, Rich. I guess the original Milwaukee Road station was larger and, as necessary, Walthers lopped off some of the building wings.
That photo of the scratch built ends of the station is a fair representation of the actual station, as seen in this photo. I need to credit the source which is skyscrapercity.com.
Lovely Ed!
Man you really cant beat the grand look of a train station...