Wear and Tear on my Favorite Locomotives


I found the statement "For the $200-500 we pay, we shouldn't expect too much... (snip)" to be disturbing to my way of thinking. I grew up in the 1950s and earned allowances of .25 cents per week, if I got my chores done! $200.00 to $500.00 is a good chunk of change to my old fashion way of thinking! That I am out dated in this way of thinking is obvious. Being on a fixed income that my government is now thinking about screwing with is also coming to bare on my way of thinking!
 
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Funny...I was just talking about the retired fixed income issue with my LHS owner last week....he was saying modern model cost are definitely an issue for his older customers on fixed incomes. I was just looking at an old 1990 MR.. the same Atlas DC loco advertised then for $49 is now advertised for $169....makes you wonder.
 
When Atlas first came out with their Alcos, I picked one up to see how it ran as I wasn't totally satisfied with how Athearn locomotives ran out of the box. I ended up having to do a lot of tweaking in them and even remotoring them all. When I put the Atlas RS-3 on the tracks I couldn't get over how smoothly it ran. I ended up with a dozen of them, RS-1's, RS-3"s, RS-11's and an RSD 4/5 and custom painted them all for my freelance railroad. They're all over 25 years old and still running as good as the first day out of the box. I think I paid $45 apiece for them.
 
Why always buy new?

I found at small train show in central Wisconsin, a C&NW GP-9 that had a new Tsunami sound unit installed, LED's and KD couplers for $150 including tax. It's a great runner.

Same show, different year, I purchased rolling stock in lots of six for approximately $35-38 a lot. Each car had KD couplers, metal wheels and was lightly weathered. Maximum cost of approximately $6.50 a car! A bargain in my mind.

Finally, the last year I purchased a Proto 1k, in a seldom seen color theme, C&NW F-3 for $40, including tax.

There are bargains out there, if you look, to help make this hobby affordable to all.

Thanks.

Greg
 



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