Toy train operating and collecting

Have only just taken delivery of this beauty the other day. Got to take it out of the box yesterday and only got to snap the locomotive. Didn't want to unwrap the tender until I got chance to capture it properly - what a monster though! 28" long and weighing in at 20lbs. A Northern Pacific Challenger from the Lionmaster line. I must say, this is a stunning looking locomotive. I apologise for the quality of the pictures, but will get better ones eventually...

Enjoy!

Yes  they are nice, I have a Delaware & Hudson version.
Wait til you hear the sounds - fantastic!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdN3e9411M0&NR=1

Very nice!  What catalog was that in?  Please post some pics with her in action.

Regards,

John

Believe it was in the 2004 catalogue - part of a series of 3, inluding this one, a Union Pacific Greyhound version, and another (can't remember right now which one).

Cost a fair bit to buy an import into the UK here, but opening the box and seeing it justified every single penny spend - Can't wait to get it on the tracks and running!

tomosap wrote:

Believe it was in the 2004 catalogue - part of a series of 3, inluding this one, a Union Pacific Greyhound version, and another (can't remember right now which one). Cost a fair bit to buy an import into the UK here, but opening the box and seeing it justified every single penny spend - Can't wait to get it on the tracks and running!

Hello Tomosap:

Thanks for the information.  Being in the UK, do you have to pay VAT when you buy something like this?

Regards,

John

Hi John,

yeah, unfortunately, unless things slips through the net (which was unlikely here given its value) we have to pay VAT on anything imported into the UK from outside. It's quite hefty at 17.5%, so as a result I paid $600 for the locomotive, $95 for postage, and $145 import tax. Quite a lot of money for it when you think about it, but the locomotive was MINT in an unopened box, never been touched and was $200 below MSRP - the other costs were mine to bear regardless so it's not too bad.

Can't wait to get my track out and get it photographed properly with the tender. Will post some shots when I get them.

Tom

tomosap wrote:

It's quite hefty at 17.5%, so as a result I paid $600 for the locomotive, $95 for postage, and $145 import tax.

Ouch!!!  Did the price at least get offset by the weakness in the dollar?  In any event, please post some pics once you have that baby on the tracks/

Regards,

John

Yeah, that always helps - couldn't have done it if the dollar was stronger. Came to a total of ~£430 which is about a 3rd of my monthly salary. So with the exchange rate, it comes to about $860. If you consider that if I was over there on vacation, I'd only have paid the $600 for the loco and not have to have paid the shipping and import fees.

Think I'm gonna have to befriend a US citizen to act as a shipping agent to try and reduce the import fees lol

Nice train! Don't drop it on your foot!

Jim 

Jumijo wrote:

Nice train! Don't drop it on your foot! Jim

I think, were that to happen, my concern would be more with the condition of the loco - in this context, a foot is dispensable lol