Have you ever thrown away a train?

[FJ and G]

I'm not talking about using it for spare parts. I'm talking about throwing it into the ***can.

Whenever I walk my pet beagle, she hones in on trash with her nose. I don't go thru the trash but I notice a lot of used toys, bikes, stuff like that and even some furniture. But I've never seen a model train tossed away.

Why is it that we never throw them away? Would anyone admit ever tossing one?

Dave Vergun

[FThunder11]

A lot of them are too valueable to throw away. Paying a couple hundred dollars for a couch and throwing it away is one thing, but throwing away a small little, but VERY expensive, little train is another story. And besides, who wants to throw away a train, they're too awsome to throw away.

[cwclark]

I threw away two engines in my lifetime...the first one was an old AMC steamer that had hit the floor too many times for it's own good, and also, I threw away a bachman (it was so long ago i don't remember what kind it was) diesel locomotive that was nothing but trouble from fresh out of the box to into the trash can....I've put plenty of benchwork on the curve for trash pick-up...every time i've moved to a new residence in the past, it seems that every layout i've ever built has gone to the dumpster ...Once the track is glued down it is impossible to save it for future layouts...Atlas has made a fortune on the track and turnouts i've thrown away....Chuck[:D]

[Big_Boy_4005]

God forbid!!

I have a hard time throwing away those little cards that fall out of the train magazines. I'm not sure I've ever thrown away a picture of Thomas the tank engine. I don't even throw away broken parts of trains. I'm so bad that when I sweep the floor, I sift the contents of the dustpan before tipping it into the can. Even rats won't find anything of value in my trash. Maybe it's time to clean my desk. NAH. [swg]

[cacole]

If they're really model trains and not cheap, toy trains sold by Wal-mart and K-mart at Christmastime, no -- but the cheap stuff that doesn't run we give away during our club's open houses to children who visit.

[CP5415]

The only stuff I've chucked is my Model Power stuff.

Gordon

[FJ and G]

Judging from most responses thus far, I'd hazard a guess that more model railroaders have chucked their wives (or been chucked by them) rather than their trains.

dav

[orsonroy]

I've chucked a few things. Mostly, old buildings and REALLY hopeless Tyco and Model Power cars and F-units. I've never thrown away a steam engine, though!

[dharmon]

I usually can't bring myself to throw away any model train stuff. It seems I tend to recycle items so things always seem to have a "future" value.

[Anonymous]

I really hate to admit this but . . . . . . . yes. BUT I was very little, like 5 or 6 maybe. I had a steam engine, tender, and a few cars (don't even remember what they were). When it stopped working I threw it away. [:(] [:(!] [:(] [V]

I don't remember the railroad name on the engine or cars. It was only a loop of track, don't even remember if it were 2 or 3 rail. [B)] [:0] [:(] [V]

Would I do the same thing now? H E double toothpic NO. [;)] But we all live and learn. Some of us just a little faster than others. Just call me slow poke. [B)] [:0] [}:)]

[Anonymous]

Nope but i do have a few things that are gonna meet Mr. Hacksaw and Mrs. Soldering Iron[}:)][xx(][D)][:-,][:-,][oX)][swg][:-,]

[Anonymous]

Nope. I've never thrown away anything train related. My view is that there are always usable parts to be reclaimed, like the chassis on a Bachmann F that I bought and made a mess of repainting, or the old Mainline steamer where the factory paint "bloomed" when I cleaned it...Now looking for new bodywork for both of these!

[MudHen_462]

I sold one once.... it was like selling one of your children !

[egmurphy]

Big_Boy_4005 said "I have a hard time throwing away those little cards that fall out of the train magazines."

You mean you can throw those away????? I thought they were like the tags on mattresses and pillows, that they were required by law to stay with the magazine.[:D] And of course there's no way I'd throw away an old model railroad magazine.

And F J and G commented "I'd hazard a guess that more model railroaders have chucked their wives (or been chucked by them) rather than their trains."

Been there, done that...........wasn't over the trains though.[;)]

My childhood Lionel trains and the few Horribly Oversized trains I had as a teenager went missing, but I didn't throw them away. They were in boxes in my parents house for a number of years (while I moved around the country working) and after Dad died and Mom sold the house to move into an apt, I believe she gave them away with a ton of other stuff, including my stamp and coin collections.[:(]

Ed

[Anonymous]

I have dealt 3 items from the hobby into the trash can.

One was a Bachmann Gs-4 (circa mid 80's) and a tyco Gp-20 after the front truck (The single power truck) derailed once too many times while starting a train. (Boy was I mad that day. Years later I was to learn that the enormous torque generated by this single power truck caused derailments because of insufficient weight to hold it down.

The last item I had a hard time parting with it, it was a AHM B&O 4-6-2 Pacific. It took a very bad fall from the shelf and survived. But the 2nd fall was from one of the cats going up there. The damage was simply too much. Since that day ALL of my Locomotives are in boxes except one or two that is currently testing, or lubing etc.

It is rare to throw things away in the hobby. My wife likes yardsales and I told her that if there is anything in HO made in brass that has a .25 cent sticker on it she is to calmly buy it and scram. he he he. It is 3 years now and we have yet to see a single HO in yard sales.

[Mikeygaw]

throw out a train? BLASHPEMY!!!

[lupo]

NO WAY!
I may live in europe but I am not a Barbarian!

[Anonymous]

NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dharmon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by lupo

NO WAY!
I may live in europe but I am not a Barbarian!

Barbarian..isn't that someone that collects fashion dolls???

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FJ and G

Judging from most responses thus far, I'd hazard a guess that more model railroaders have chucked their wives (or been chucked by them) rather than their trains.

dav

A distinct possibility. Been there done that too Ed.[swg]

BTW I never pull out those little cards from the magazines, unless they are in the middle of a photo that spans the page. The loose ones sometimes get lost.

[Anonymous]

My EX-wife threw away $2500.00 in O gauge trains on me while I was at work because she was pissed at me. That is why she is the "EX"-wife!

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Davidvd59

My EX-wife threw away $2500.00 in O gauge trains on me while I was at work because she was pissed at me. That is why she is the "EX"-wife!

OUCH!!! That woman is lucky to be ALIVE!!![:0][}:)][;)] You are a better man than I.[swg]I believe that in some South American countries it is still legal to murder your wife for throwing out your trains.

Unfortunately, Dave or I wasn't there to rescue them. Sorry.[V][:(][:p]

[FJ and G]

David,

A friend of mine's wife (now ex of course) did that with his baseball card collection, worth at least that much.

Elliot,

I believe that in the northern areas of the Amazon Basin you can shrink their heads.

Dave V

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cwclark
Once the track is glued down it is impossible to save it for future layouts...Atlas has made a fortune on the track and turnouts i've thrown away....Chuck[:D]

I just recycled nearly 100% of the flex track and cork roadbed from an old n scale layout. Using a stiff putty knife I worked the track from the roadbed & then the roadbed from the plywood. Put it all in the bathtub & kept the mess covered with hot water until all the glue melted. Nearly all of it is still usable.

I never throw anything away if I can help it. (Not that this is always a good idea.)

Wayne

[philnrunt]

t..hro..w a..way..train
s
?
T..oo..
di..zzy
t...o (gasp)
t
yp..
e..
A
rrr..
gh....
THUMP!

[Anonymous]

WHAT AN UNSPEAKABLE SIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would never even consider throwing away a train or any train-related item (or anything else for that matter) away! I'm one who belives that nothing should ever be thrown away unless it is completely detroyed and even then perhaps it shouldn't be because it might be of use to someone. In fact, I save many things that other people would throw away and toss them on my HO layout to represent old junk or whatever that's lying around (it looks good, too).

As far as finding trains that have been thrown away, a friend of mine was given a 1920's Hafner Canadian Pacific tinplate passenger car by a friend of his who wasn't interested in trains that had found it in a garbage dump. It was in mint condition and is worth over $300.

I was once given an engine that a coworker of my dad's had found in his garage that he said he wold have thrown away otherwise.

Also, Richard Kughn, who in 1986 would become the president of Lionel, found his first Lionel train set in a garbage can as a boy.

[FJ and G]

Sask,

Betchya Lionel wishes they'd thrown away that train they copied. Talk about a $40 million Big Boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Would really be a collectors' item.

[IRONROOSTER]

I have everything I ever bought or was given in four scales - HO, O, G, and S. What my wife couldn't believe was: I was buying old MR magazines. The only exception was some old brass track from an early layout.
Enjoy
Paul

[trainfan1221]

Thrown away? No. I have, however, cannibalized some beyond recognition in the interest of using them to "improve" other models. How succesful I was I would rather not go into right now...

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by HighIron2003ar

My wife likes yardsales and I told her that if there is anything in HO made in brass that has a .25 cent sticker on it she is to calmly buy it and scram. he he he. It is 3 years now and we have yet to see a single HO in yard sales.

Tell her to look closer! [8D]
I nabbed a complete Varney set last year for 2 bucks. Tossed the fried transformer and brass track, sold the cars on ebay (for much more than 2 bucks) and kept the loco for myself! I doubt you will ever find brass, but some nice vintage plastic can be found! I've also found early Atlas, and some long forgotten plastic kits on yard sale tables. I must live amongst heathens!
As far as me personally , I did toss a Varney F unit years ago....I discovered they didn't bounce when falling to the floor, and the frames will shatter much like glass.[:(]