Antique Hopping

[Anonymous]

Good Day:



My name is Terry Hall:



My wife and I were antique shop hopping and I came across a box full of HO trains.



Well I don't know what I have and would like to find out what and how to operate it.



Some of the paper work says that it is a “Sears HO scale Train set No. 49-95822 Item NO. 40-474C. from my reading this would be a Texas Locomotive. The Engine itself has number 765 as well as the Tender car with "Chesapeake & Ohio", on the side with matching numbers.



I am assuming this is a "Chesapeake & Ohio" Engine and Tender car. If so what would be the date of this Engine and is it possible to get a manual for the setup.



The box has all kinds of Nice Cars still in the original boxes as well as scenery for a layout.





Any help would be most appreciated[B)]

[Anonymous]

Too many non model railroad people assume all "older" model trains are valuable "antiques" when they are just old mass produced toys. I've seen at local flea markets so called antique dealers with some toy trains at outrageous prices. An Athearn passenger car in its box for only $25.00. This is when they were still available new at under $15.00. Also boxes of loose toy trains, tracks, etc., obviously well played with for "only $50.00".

Makes one wonder if the rest of the stuff they are trying to peddle is also priced at out of this world, unreal, make it up on the spot, prices? Anything more than a few years old is offered as "antiques" when its really old junk best used for land fill!

Give the Sears set to a child and let them play with it!

Bob Boudreau

[jrbarney]

Terry,
Welcome to the MR Forums !
The rather brusque advice you have been given is probably correct, but if you would like to learn more about model railroading, you might want to visit the NMRA's Beginner's Page Project:
http://www.nmra.org/beginner/
Also, look in your local yellow pages to determine if there is a hobby shop near you that sells model railroad equipment. The staff at most hobby shops are willing to answer beginner's questions. I think you and your wife will find that it is an interesting hobby that has many facets. If your interest is piqued, come back to the forums and monitor the postings, and to ask more questions.
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

[Pruitt]

My wife and I got to antique stores a lot.

We always keep in mind - Just because it's old, doesn't mean it isn't junk.

Old trains tend to be especially pricey. I always wonder who will get suckered by the over-priced garbage.

I'm not aiming this at you, Terry - it's just general comments. Sometimes you find a real prize for a decent price. I hope you have.

[Anonymous]

Not to be discouraging, but it's probably not as valuable or as nice as you think. If you ever get to go to a Hobby Shop, you'll see how nice todays HO trains are.

[Anonymous]

Good Advice from one and all! I found some interesting reads on the train itsel on the net. My neighbor has a VERY plesant HO scale town with trolleys and a Mixture of various HO scale train sets that looks awsome.

They have been a great help as well.