Yuck it up...Burned on eBay---Resolved

[Anonymous]

I purchased once, item was stated quality, however, they tried to collect three times after I had already sent payment and receipt was received. Now I do not waste time fwith e-bay.

[Anonymous]

Spacemouse, Be aware that generally when bad feed back is given, it is reciprocated by the other side. In the end you both loose. The feed back forum part of Ebay is the weakest link in the system (my opinion is it is worthless). They state retaliatory feed back should not be given. However, the only bad feed backs I've ever gotten were exactly that! I'm not saying it shouldn't be used, I'm saying prepare for the consequences!
In my opinion, you didn't know enough (due diligence) about what you were buying, and the onus for the purchase is completely yours.

[SpaceMouse]

QUOTE: Originally posted by DeSchane

Spacemouse, Be aware that generally when bad feed back is given, it is reciprocated by the other side. In the end you both loose. The feed back forum part of Ebay is the weakest link in the system (my opinion is it is worthless). They state retaliatory feed back should not be given. However, the only bad feed backs I've ever gotten were exactly that! I'm not saying it shouldn't be used, I'm saying prepare for the consequences!
In my opinion, you didn't know enough (due diligence) about what you were buying, and the onus for the purchase is completely yours.

I thought about that.

[Anonymous]

I still stand by my thinking that I would not have bidded on this engine. However this is a learning experience for all involved. We managed to identify numerous issues related to this sale and identified the engines.

Now.. what are you going to do with that big Dummy Black loco?

[Anonymous]

I believe that Lindberg got into the HO market by purchasing the assets of Revell, who made the switcher about 1957. So this switcher is really a 1957 technology model. Repowering would require obtaining a drive train to go along with a new motor. The belt system just never made the units quiet or smooth.

A company by the name of Lindsay built a SW switcher about the same time that Revell came out with their models. The Lindsay drive is a beauty and very smooth. I would think that you could repower with a Lindsay chassis, but the Lindsay body is better than the Revell so you would really just be spinning your wheels.

Athearn makes a great running little switcher similar to the Lindberg that can be bought for $5-10 used and will run reliably for the next 50 years. I would just clean up the Lindberg, get it to run as good as you could, and enjoy your model even with its quirks. For price and quality you just can't beat Athearn and if you enjoy having diesel locomotives without the expense of the more highly detailed models the Athearn engines in the blue boxes will give you hours of enjoyable operation at a very low cost. All wheels are powered on Athearn diesels and all wheels pick up current so they run quite nicely right out of the box and will pull more cars than you probably would have a layout to handle.


After making the above statement regarding Revell and thinking further about the Revell model the Revell was a SW-7 that had all 8 wheels powered, not a great system, but it worked. The Lindberg model is an SW-1. I would swear that Lindberg either purchased the dies for this engine or picked up the drive train from another manufacturer. At the time that the belt drive came out on the SW-1 a couple of other manufacturers had been using the same design to power their diesels. Can anyone shed any more light on the history of the SW-1. I believe that after Revell got out of the HO model train business that some of their products were offered by another manufacturer. Somewhere in this scheme of things is Lionel HO, which might have been the company that also used a spring drive on some of their models. Revell-Lionel????

[jsoderq]

The Revell tooling went to ConCor. I know, I worked for them. The Lindsay tooling predates the Revell tooling, actually going back to the 50's. The Revell drives were similar to the early Varney - plastic gears and truck gear boxes. One other belt drive was used by Walthers in their interurban drives. There may have been others -perhaps some of the brass dealers.
Lindsay actually made drive units similar to Hobbytown and diecast diesel bodies - Alco FA's, a small industrial switcher and maybe sharknoses ( I have one but not positive it was Lindsay.

[csxns]

You sure got reemed on that one.

[Don Gibson]

All sales final?

Your 40 year old iiems should have been listed '"as is" - Listing as 'MINT' not acceptable.

Demand return (AT YOUR EXPENSE) or report to EBAY.

Get a used KATO switcher or new STEWART for $50

[SP4449]

I bought some Lindsay freight trucks back in the late 70s that had plastic sideframes and wheels, metal axles and springs in the bolsters similar to the Kadee and Athearn trucks of the time. The big difference in quality is that the Lindsay truck sideframes would not stay true due to the springing arrangement and the wheels would not track well.

[SpaceMouse]

Sellers Reply to my Email.

I am so Sorry I am not really sure what to do accept try to make you Happy so if you want me to refund you I will be more then Happy or if your still interested in keeping the Trains I will mail you a discount of your choice, you just tell me the amount. I am Truly sorry the Trains were my Granfather who just passed away and I sold them as best as i could describe them I am really Honest and IN NO WAY ARE TRYING TO GET OVER ON YOU FOR A SALE I HAVE REALLY GREAT FEED BACK AND WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IT THAT WAY SO PLEASE EmAIL ME AND TELL ME HOW I CAN MAKE THIS SITUATION A BETTER ONE PLEASE.

So what would you guys do?

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure which option I would take but it sure feels good to see the seller responding in the manner that he did. Good luck.

[csxns]

I say let it go that is a good person to do that.And take it as a lesson.

[Anonymous]

Well, Do you want to keep the engines? If so, he offered you a discount, take it!

[SpaceMouse]

I wrote him back. Asked him what else was in his grandfather's train box that could make up the difference.

[cefinkjr]

Chip:

Good move! You might get some junk or you might pick up a jewel. ........... Well, it could happen. [swg]

Good luck,
Chuck

[PennsyHoosier]

You certainly won't be any worse off than you were. [:D]

[SpaceMouse]

I suggested that I would keep the SW1 as a symbol of my ignorance and donate the broken rolling stock to my local train club. He's going to split the differnece with me and send a check for $19.

AS you can see, I now where the SW1 as part of my trains.com personality.

[Anonymous]

Well. That settles it all then.[^]

[Anonymous]

They look like candidates for a wreck on your layout. Got any canyons that need some decor?

[Leon Silverman]

Spacemouse:
A new transformer probably will improve the overall operation of your layout but not this engine. The only other manufacturer of that era that used rubber band drive was Athearn and they were characteristically extremely fast at full voltage and jerky at lower speeds. Their minimum speed at the lowest voltages was also quite high. By comparison, other manufacturers turned the axles with worm drives instead of the helical gear drives used today.

[Don Gibson]

One can short circuit one's inexperience by having a GOOD point of reference.

Get youself a used STEWART VO-1000 on E Bay amd you'll go from the 'rediculous' to the 'sublime, plus You'll have an engine to judge others by.

Be advised these can be boght NEW for $75 but require some time spent doing assembly work. A USED one might have that all done..

[SpaceMouse]

I did just that only not so big. I'm only running a 4x8 with about 50' of track. I got a Tech II 1400. I talk about it here.

http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=27960