General Discussion (Model Railroader)

Hi Red Horse, I got both of these loco's and I don't even run them their so bad. I got the tyco one being new and not knowing what I was getting and the second of yours I got along with another hunk of junk diesel. Oh well, lessons learned, but next time do yourself a favor and ask around here before trading up your stuff. We'll be more than happy to help you.

I would take most of that and sell it back on ebay and start simply.

1. Some kind of permanent or semi-permanent place to lay an oval of track

2. Oval of new track, two turn-outs one left, one right, and a power supply

3. A  running locomotive, if you're new, try to stick to diesel unitl you get started and learn more. My

4. READ, READ, READ!!!!  Instead of wasting your money on stuff like this, buy a few Model Railroading books and just read up on everything. You'll start to get it after a while.

Good luck, and don't let this first atempt discourage you from the hobby.

The first thing that shows the diesels aren't much is their brass wheels - not good for operation, and an indication of the models' age and toylike qualities.

Not sure what else you got, but what you got pictured ain't all that great.

The Tyco Chattanooga 2-8-0 is an earlier run loco. Probably not all that good a runner. I but three of the last run Tyco 2-8-0's new for $10 each. They run OK, but just barely.

The little 0-4-0 is probably in the same boat as for performance. It will suffer from limited eletrical contact, at the very least.

The Diesel has the same electrical issues, with just 4 wheel contact. The motor also has issues.

The little RCA Plymouth switcher...I have about 4 or 5 of them. A couple of mine run good...a couple don't. They sure are cute though.

Sorry Jesse, I don't think you did too good on that deal, as you could get any of those at a swap meet for $5 or less.

Rotor

The 2-8-0 Steamer is amade by Tyco and so it the C unit also, not sure of the 0-4-0 could be and AHM. The spotlite care you did get is also a Tyco. As most of the rest is also Tyco and AHM. As other stated you came out on the short end of the stick.

If you want to find out what the items are worth. Go on Ebay and do some looking around. Sorry to drop the bad news to you. You do have soemthing to start with, but the $350 could have bought you something allot nicer. Sorry

ICRR1964

Good or bad deal? depends on your fun value, really.

Its one thing to set a value on a model, but based on your skills and craftmanship, you can make all these models do and be something more than what they initially are.

If I saw these on ebay I would be passing them up, however, read my notes within your quote.

Red Horse wrote:

Yesterday I drove 100 miles one way to do an Indian trade with my Brother from another Tribe. After a meal and a meeting together and some 4 hours of bartering I later ended up taking home the HO scale Locomotives in the pics below. I traded about $350.00 worth of Native American instruments for these, and my question is HOW DID I DO? I'm brand spaking new to HO model Rail roading so I don't know if I did  him a good trade  or not, I hope so? I really like this one below, I don't know why, maybe reminds me of the old "Iron Horses" of the old west. This one seemed a bit small for an HO Locomotive, don't know a thing about this one either (it does fit and run on the HO test track. ...This is your Sears Catalogue toy train set locomotive.   Consider me however I took a Mantua 0-6-0 (the good all metal one) and remotored-regeared, repainted for the club colors, runs smooth, slow, and maybe almost pull the lead out of the paint on the walls, well, maybe overbragging there... ...This is your kinda tendered 0-4-0 Dockside, a popular model, but prolly a model power toy kit version, however my pre-comments stand. Detail..paint it up rework it, its can be really super.  This Diesel don't run??   It looks cheap to me? ...This is the older Athearn, not sure about the brass wheels, maybe just camera trickery. Missing a sideframe, ask Athearn if they got replacements. Actually pretty good models, compare to todays standards you might go blah but their really fine. -edit- based on the coupler arrangement, NOT Athearn- I beleive this next one is called a "switcher" and it has RCA radio on it, and has wire railings. ...Another Sears catalogue model, but make yourself an industrial park, its right at home.  This spot light caboose is awesome and still very clean from being in a box, don't know its age but the light does work? ...I don't know how many prototypes had a light like this, but maybe it fits in to your military theme there, I think some train kits had these. Remove it and it makes a good interchange caboose.  I got 3 of these box cars, all perfect in boxes??? ...These are covered hopper cars, transporting stuff that the open weather might foul the product.  And last but not least, a pic of my test track and proving grounds. I was also testing the weight of the Army train cars and found they need weight,all of them! ...yay, looks like my test track, which will be removed in time, at least I can run my train around while working on other things. Thanks for any ino you can supply on these locos. He also threw in tons of track (must be cleaned up) some silver and some brass looking all straight sections and curves no crossing ones or forks.. About 5 small shacks (plastic kits) already made. 10 box cars, 2tankers, 4cabooses, and 5 or 6 other types of train cars,150 tele poles, 300people, 2 dozen HO size cars and trucks, 15 trees, a nice station, 2 transformers, 6 or more bridge structures, I pipe loader, A structure that looks like you pull the train under it and it fills hoppers with sand or something?, 4 Tressel bridges 2 iron sided ones and all kinds of what look to be track elevation pilons??? The military train I bought car by car at eBay. Again, I hope it was a fair trade at least???

It sounds like you will have more fun with this than some cheap Indian instrument trinkets..

 -dinwitty goes out the door real fast-

It sounds like you will have more fun with this than some cheap Indian instrument trinkets..

Might want to back peddle on that statement. Have you seen the pictures of the Indian crafts he makes? Some pretty good looking stuff.

davidmbedard wrote:

Sorry for how rude some of these guys can be I doubt they started off with Athearn or anything other than Tyco and life like low grade. Rude?  No.  He asked a specific question and got the correct answer.  Would you have prefered that I told him that he made a good deal?  Im my mind, that would be worse.  Yes, I started out 25 years ago with Athearns and as a child I had some Tyco.  Tyco was the worst of the worst when it came to model train equipment.  David B

OK rude wasnt right but Still could have been a little less tacky? Like maybe say something like they arent that great of trains and I believe in my experience that you have gotten rook and hope you can get your instruments back? just more tasteful of a way.

To start I'll say I am not qualified to indicate monetary values of train equipment at all....

Keep in mind guys that he had a 100 mile trip each way, and perhaps the seller lacked the means to send pics and or detailed descriptions to the buyer so that he could research beforehand. Then again, perhaps the seller had the means to forward the info BUT appaerently neither of them considered it needed. Either way I don't know the details other than what was posted here.....

Also, he stated they bartered/negotiated for several hours which tells me either the seller was way to high in his asking price or the buyer was way to low in his offering price.

as long as he feels comfortable bringing those items home and enjoys them in some way (any loco that won't run can be considered either a future project OR a scenery item at the engine repair facility) then he made out ok.

Thanks for the input from everyone here, I was not offended in any way, hey after all, I asked didn't I!!....LOL!

Oh well, a big lesson learned, I'll hang onto them and use them for props in an old train yard or something...LOL!

Now , back to eBay to look for some of the ones people here recomended!

To answer someones question the diesel does have some brass wheels on it (must have been replaced)?

Thank God it only took me a month to make those Native flutes I traded for other wise I'd be heart broken...LOL!

is your brothers tribe the "wecheatemanhow" branch of the hakowie???   not much of a brother. i would be driving back for about $300 worth of my stuff even if it makes you an "indian giver"

On a brighter note, they are clean. and now you are well on your way to being track deep in the hobby

Red Horse,

     The brass wheels will work if kept clean, they are original. The Tyco stuff in general is not known for good running so if they in fact run, enjoy them while you look for something better. I wouldn't spend a lot of time trying to fix or improve them as a lot of it is just not engineered well and all but unfixable. the later Tyco's have a cast potmetal motor frame and the gears often sieze on and break the shafts etc. J.R.

I'm afraid the others are right, Red Horse. The Chattanooga might grab $40 on eBay. These were nice looking Consolidations, but had a tender drive that could drive you to drink. They can be kept running if you know how to repair them.

The 0-4-0 isn't Tyco, I think it's a Model Power, and they are exceptionally cheap. The Tyco F-unit is missing a sideframe, and they also don't fetch much. Tyco collectors might be interested in the RCA industrial switcher if it's rare, but I'm not a Tyco collector. I grew up when these were on the market, and I don't think I've seen one before. You could ask someone over on the Tyco forum if it's any kind of rarity. http://www.tycoforums.com/tyco/forum/default.asp?sectionid=0

I've been surprised that some of the 70's military themed equipment has been getting a fair price online, but not nearly enough to compensate for what you traded.