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Your worst buy

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  • Member since
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  • From: Virginia
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Posted by TRAINCAT on Friday, June 5, 2009 1:54 PM

I am originally from Kentucky. You would be wise to avoid that seller. I know who he is. Not a good guy.

Roger

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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 5, 2009 11:43 AM

lionroar88

Lets see... I bought a 2020 with the wrong tender (before I knew better), paid $185 for them... when I got them home I realized the tender shell was cracked in two places, was missing a screw (because the hole in the tender was stripped), and the engine ran like junk.

I had it repaired twice, once back in PA and the other here in MD... with a new tender and the repairs it is running like a champ!

I don't think I have ever bought anything that couldn't be fixed. Most of my purchases have been in stores and at shows. I shy from internet purchases because I want to see what I'm buying.

Brent,

             We both have had bad luck with 2020s.  The first one that I bought while on vacation in Berlin, MD was the 1946 version that had a loose driver. Unfortunately, I didn't notice until I got home a week later. I paid $175 for the engine and tender.  I bought another 2020 (1948-49 version) online from a seller in Cynthiana, KY last summer, and it has missing all of the internals except for the motor.  The seller made nomention of this.  I paid $125 just to buy the engine, and I spent another $70 for the parts to complete it.

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Posted by phillyreading on Friday, June 5, 2009 10:07 AM

My worst buy was a brand new engine by Lionel, around 1997 or 98, it was a GP-7(single motor) with IC roadname, the engine would pull only four quad hoppers on my layout. I was using a 275 watt ZW with only that engine being powered, I had plenty of power to the engine just no performance from the engine like I was expecting. Sold that engine on ebay, and bought a new Williams GP-9(two motors)engine that outperformed the Lionel engine by a mile, for about $3.00 more than the Lionel engine.

Lee F.

Interested in southest Pennsylvania railroads; Reading & Northern, Reading Company, Reading Lines, Philadelphia & Reading.
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Posted by traindaddy1 on Friday, June 5, 2009 9:36 AM

My worst purchase turned out to be one of my better purchases.  A couple of years ago, (being a O27 Newbie) I purchased a Lionel "8141 Locomotive With Tender, Cars & Caboose - Excellent Condition" on E-Bay.  The photos were great and the price was 'right'.

As received:  The engine rear truck with the coupler was missing. The smoke unit did not work. The headlight lens was cracked and one rhinestone was missing.   (BUT the photos were accurate, I was just too "green" to notice).

The Tender, however, was almost mint.

I sold the engine on E-Bay for parts and, on a separate listing, the three remaining cars, fully described, "as is".   Net result:  My initial cost, including shipping and E-Bay fees, was covered 'plus' AND I gained a beautiful tender.   Thanks for asking.

PS   I've since joined the tender to a near-perfect 8141 from another E-Bay deal. You never know!

 

  • Member since
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  • From: Virginia
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Posted by TRAINCAT on Friday, June 5, 2009 8:03 AM

Yep, thats one of the things the crook that ripped me off told me too. So I guess your supposed to have a 100 question list ready each time you bid? Ebay used to only support sellers. Now they screw sellers over. Go figure?

Roger

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  • From: South Carolina
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Posted by rtraincollector on Friday, June 5, 2009 5:53 AM

don't even remember the exact engine but it was a orange fa like2xx something and showed a nice side on in pic but didn't show the other which had a burn hole when remarked about it answer was you should of asked questions since it was less than $25.00 ebay wouldn't get invole back then.

Life's hard, even harder if your stupid  John Wayne

http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/

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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, June 4, 2009 8:50 PM

Lets see... I bought a 2020 with the wrong tender (before I knew better), paid $185 for them... when I got them home I realized the tender shell was cracked in two places, was missing a screw (because the hole in the tender was stripped), and the engine ran like junk.

I had it repaired twice, once back in PA and the other here in MD... with a new tender and the repairs it is running like a champ!

I don't think I have ever bought anything that couldn't be fixed. Most of my purchases have been in stores and at shows. I shy from internet purchases because I want to see what I'm buying.

  • Member since
    January 2002
  • From: Seacoast New Hampshire, USA
  • 126 posts
Posted by seacoast on Thursday, June 4, 2009 2:50 PM

That still sleezy of the guy to pull one on you. I hope OGR forum moderators would pull him..

 

George
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  • From: Virginia
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Posted by TRAINCAT on Thursday, June 4, 2009 12:58 PM

The OGR forum boss told me I could not pursue it on the forum. So exposing the guy in public was out of the question.

Roger

  • Member since
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  • From: Seacoast New Hampshire, USA
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Posted by seacoast on Thursday, June 4, 2009 11:00 AM

Sorry to hear that Roger, I would think that if a regular poster sold those F units to you in bad conditions on the OGR forum you could let the whole forum know as its a public forum of the sellers shady intentions selling you less than quality engine set. That was poor of him to do that to you..

George
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  • From: Crystal Lake, IL
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Posted by cnw1995 on Thursday, June 4, 2009 9:15 AM

I've bought some things I've been disappointed in or surprised - but then I just sold them. Since I stick to simpler items, with the help of forumites, I've usually been able to resolve broken things. I've been pleasantly surprised - the K-Line Plymouth - the Western Hobbycraft Trolleys - much 'more' than I expected... 

Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.

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Posted by 3railguy on Thursday, June 4, 2009 1:17 AM

Civil War
 You tell me. I just bought a 2344 ABA set on ebay. There are no cracks anywhere on the body. The paint is a bit dingy (I haven't tried to clean it yet), the pick up rollers are pretty deeply grooved, the horn does not work, the lights do work, it runs great though and the port hole covers are missing.

I think you did OK for an ABA. $480 is the kind of money repros command. Not sure what you mean by dingy paint whether it be dirt, scratches, or mars.. Otherwise they look good in the pictures. Be careful when cleaning. The paint on those flakes off easily. Especially the rubber stamped lettering. Rollers are cheap and easy to replace. The porthole lenses were pressed in and fell out easily. Repro replacements are cheap and plentiful. Originals show up occasionally on the bay for a premium over repro. It's likely the horn relay contacts need burnishing with emery cloth and the mechanism needs a shot of CRC contact cleaner/lube to free it up. If the horn itself doesn't work, often times, the screw on the back needs adjusting or it needs a shot of 12VDC for a split second to free the diaphram or whatever goes on inside.

John Long Give me Magnetraction or give me Death.
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Posted by Train-O on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 8:00 PM

I bought a M.P.C. box car in the mid. 1970's and within a couple of weeks and without that much coupling and uncoupling, a cheap plastic knuckle spring broke off of one of the couplers which rendered the the coupler useless.  The truck, coupler drawbar arm and knuckle were made of plastic, this was during the new 'Fast Angle Wheel' craze.

I converted to good ole' die-cast metal trucks and operating couplers, which gave the thin light plastic body better tracking weight.

Ralph

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Posted by TRAINCAT on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 6:38 PM

You did ok in my opinion. I paid more than that and got a lot less. The 2344 B unit sells for 150.00 to 200.00 any day on Ebay so I think you got them at a good price. When you replace the rollers scrap the original design and use the roller assy for the 2023 alco engines. You will thank yourself later.

Roger

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Posted by ADCX Rob on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 5:27 PM

The WRL "Beep".  What a piece of junk.

Rob

Rob

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Posted by Civil War on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 5:16 PM

 You tell me. I just bought a 2344 ABA set on ebay. There are no cracks anywhere on the body. The paint is a bit dingy (I haven't tried to clean it yet), the pick up rollers are pretty deeply grooved, the horn does not work, the lights do work, it runs great though and the port hole covers are missing. I paid $480.00 including shipping. Once I get the horn working (I think I can), replace the port hole covers and the pick up rollers and clean it up a bit I think it will be a great looking and even better running engine set. How did I do? It was a lot of money for me. But, I really wanted the NYC engine set so I paid it. I am happy, but have no idea if I paid too much or not. I would really like an honest opinion on it.

 

Terry Thomann Fredericksburg, Virginia That is me on the left. My brother got the train TCA 09-64381

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Posted by tcox009 on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 4:49 PM

The Lionel 18001 Rock Island 4-8-4 Northern.  What a dog always ran poorly the few times I had it on the track and now it will not run at all

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  • From: Virginia
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Posted by TRAINCAT on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 4:01 PM

Yes, I got a good screwing just last year from a guy on the OGR forum. I bought an NYC 2344 F3- A-B-A set and paid premium money for them thinking they were in much better shape than they actually were. One cab had a bad crack in it, the power unit had a loose motor in the rear and it was bouncing around on the truck chewing up the gears and the horn blew by itself frequently. The paint was also rough on the front unit. The seller claimed they ran great(impossible) and he knew NOTHING about all the problems. All the pictures were carefully taken so as to not show any of the damage. He also refused to take them back or refund any at all. Pure scumbag. It has cost me a lot in money and time to get them right.

Roger

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  • From: Seacoast New Hampshire, USA
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Posted by seacoast on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 3:50 PM

Yeah the price guides, I would say 2 Lionel postwar NYC F  units, about 21 years ago I way overpaid, but at the time they seemed like a good deal. I had no idea that tons and tons of newer stuff would be appearing in the market place a few years later. Actually now that I think of it mabye they werent such a bad deal. Today there is Williams etc.. that I could buy for much less.

George
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Posted by cwburfle on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 4:30 AM

Those of us who were in the hobby before the plethora of price guides and/or history books all probably paid too much for items from time to time. Or perhaps let something go for an unintended bargain price.

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Your worst buy
Posted by billbarman on Tuesday, June 2, 2009 6:28 PM

Ever buy something and then realize you really got ripped off or payed alot of money for a broken item? Share the story here.

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