Edit post

Edit your reply below.

Post Body
Enter your post below.
[quote user="PRR8259"]My youngest son decided he wanted to get a big screen TV. He sold his brass hybrid steamer, with brass showing on all drivers, for very nearly exactly what we paid for it. So much for brass "not holding its value"--and that was only a hybrid.[/quote] Yes, there examples but you should look carefully. I once bought a Tenshodo GN L-1 2-6-6-2. Today I would get 20% more than the original price. Looks good but I bought the locomotive in the late 1980s. Inflation has long since taken care of the increase. Yes the are locomotives, that hold their price. A few W&R models come to mind. If someone wants to use brass as investment he/she should do it with surplus money. None of my brass locomotives, and it is quite a number, has held its value inflation adjusted. [quote user="PRR8259"]There is a lot of quality HO brass out there that runs very well, from older Westside and Max Gray steam engines of the later 1960's, up to today's gorgeous museum quality models.[/quote] You are right, there are a lot good running brass locomotives out there. But two locomotives of the same manufacturer, importer, type, and year can be completely depending on the care they received. And then there locomotives from the 1980s with early Japanes coreless motors. Over the years the magnets lost their power. The Tenshodo GN L-1 and a Westside SP T-1 4-6-0 overheated the motor running light. So there always can be surprises. If you have the talent for tinkering brass and get fun from it OK. Otherwise you should look in the ebay offers how the locomotive runs. No information can mean it was not tested, or it was tested but ran not so good. In both cases there can be a surprise coming. If you are not sure buy at a dealer where you can test it. Ok, I know how difficult this is today. Regards, Volker
Tags (Optional)
Tags are keywords that get attached to your post. They are used to categorize your submission and make it easier to search for. To add tags to your post type a tag into the box below and click the "Add Tag" button.
Add Tag

Update Reply

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Model Railroader Newsletter See all

Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!

Subscriber & Member Login

Edit post

Post Body

Tags (Optional)

Subscriber & Member Login

Users Online

Search the Community