Thanks!!!

[oldtanker]

A big thanks to everyone who suggested that I attend a train show/swap meet to find engines and rolling stock for my layout.

I didn't expect it to be very good due to the area and I never expected so much stuff to be for sale. The wife and I had a great time and after we left she almost talked me into returning.....but I figured I had spent enough with this being Christmas season and still have shopping to do.

I attended a one day show in St Cloud Mn yesterday. I spent less than $200. I walked away with an Atlas GP38, BN, DCC equipped NIB, and 3 Atearn engines, 2 F-7s (+ 2 extra shells) and a SW1500 that I needed for parts. 5 Roadhouse car hits NIB, 3 covered gondolas, a 50' box bar and a 2 pack ore car set. I also got a couple of detailed and weathered cars to help my self learn about those things plus some vehicles.

Again thanks for the great advice!

Rick, in west MN and waiting for the ST Paul show!

 

[Ralph]

Way to go! Nice finds!
Ralph

 

[eightyeightfan1]

$200.00!!!!
You gotta way cheap.

 

[oldtanker]

I thought I did pretty good with just the DCC atlas GP38 for $50!


Rick

 

[UP SD40-2]

Rick, thats FANTASTIC!!!:thumb: shows are DEFIANTLY the way to go for GREAT deals, 70% of my engines & rolling stock has come from shows:thumb:.

 

[Russ Bellinis]

Train shows can be a great place to get stuff, if you know what you are buying. Just be careful to inspect what you are getting before you buy. The train show promoters rent space to whoever wants to pay the rent. They don't police the vendors. A lot of people have bought cheap toy train set engines in Atlas boxes at train shows from unscrupulous vendors. They then bring it to the local hooby shop to find out why it doesn't run very well. The giveaway of course is the wide gaping "mouth" where the truck mounted coupler swings, and the lack of an Atlas trade mark on the bottom of the tank on the locomotive. This fact doesn't negate the value of the train show, but you do need to know what you are buying. When the show is over, the vendor you bought it from is gone.

 

[oldtanker]

Russ I learned that the hard way already....LOL, I really had to put lot of work into the SW just to make it run. Other than that everything I got seems to be as promised or is new.


Rick

 

[Russ Bellinis]

I don't mind getting something that doesn't run, if the price is right. Many of the guys here on the Gauge have gotten deals at train shows on locomotives that didn't run. The frustration comes when you pay a new price for a new locomotive and find that it is a used locomotive in a new looking box that doesn't work! I was not able to get away to attend the show in DelMar last weekend with the model railroad club, but hope to make the show coming up after the first of the year in Anaheim. I recently bought a sd24 from another club member that he had started the kitbash on, but had not finished. It has a high short hood, but I need a low short hood for Santa Fe. I'll be looking for an old Tyco gp20 shell to harvest the cab and short hood from and an old Athearn sd9 to harvest the chassis and running gear from to complete my sd24 in Santa Fe zebra stripe.