Reader's Digest Makes N Scale Locos??
- Thread starter Cannonball
- Start date
Yes, Reader's Digest had these made as promotional things. They absolutely don't run since there's no mechanics or motors in them, the couplings only mate to cars that they also had made and are grossly oversized.
They are worth about fifty cents each as a toy. You can find them at most train shows for a couple of bucks as "dummies", but one should steer clear of them at any price. One real giveaway is looking at the railings, way too thick, even for N scale.
I bought a box lot of stuff once and there was a couple of them and a few of their cars in the lot. I threw them all out when I got home.
Now that I think about it, I vaugely remember posting about these once before (Or someone else did and I red the thread. Can't remember which now.) As I recall, there was basicly the same response to them.
It could very well had been me then too.:mrgreen: :mrgreen:Now that I think about it, I vaugely remember posting about these once before (Or someone else did and I red the thread. Can't remember which now.) As I recall, there was basicly the same response to them.
When we were explaining to someone about trainset, operator's and collector's cars, (3 grades of commercial rolling stock) we didn't mention these, lower than trainset quality.
True... I had forgotten about them.
They are basically copies of what most of us think are early Bachmann rolling stock, with non-swiveling trucks and sort of not really working Rapido couplers.
Believe it or not, there are some folks who've made working N Scale items out of some of the freight cars, and my hat's off to them. But the diesel, if a copy of the old Bachmann GP-30, is quite a bit oversized anyway and then there is the problem of the motor, or the lack of motor.
I believe that Shell Oil had some of these as giveaways also and I dimly recall there being an Alaska Railroad version of the locomotive.
Yeah, in summary it's a good idea to steer clear of these. It's also an illustration of a general word to the wise with respect to eBay: if there aren't clear photos, or if the description is full of hype and lots of exclamation points!!!!!!! (Also, !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) then be really careful.
They are basically copies of what most of us think are early Bachmann rolling stock, with non-swiveling trucks and sort of not really working Rapido couplers.
Believe it or not, there are some folks who've made working N Scale items out of some of the freight cars, and my hat's off to them. But the diesel, if a copy of the old Bachmann GP-30, is quite a bit oversized anyway and then there is the problem of the motor, or the lack of motor.
I believe that Shell Oil had some of these as giveaways also and I dimly recall there being an Alaska Railroad version of the locomotive.
Yeah, in summary it's a good idea to steer clear of these. It's also an illustration of a general word to the wise with respect to eBay: if there aren't clear photos, or if the description is full of hype and lots of exclamation points!!!!!!! (Also, !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) then be really careful.
They were never meant to run on a track, I'm not even sure the wheel spacing was even correct for N scale. The only thing the cars would couple to was the engine, which had no motor or gears.
Ya know, I'm not into eBay, even a little bit, but when I see that this seller has five pages of nothing but collectibles, that might just be a clue that this item has nothing to do with N scale trains. Yeah, it is deceiving calling it "high speed", when "no speed" would be more appropriate, but then I guess that's what Readers Digest called it. So as always, BUYER BEWARE, and I guess there's no better place on earth that this couldn't be more true than on eBay.
I kind of agree with you. On the other hand, I've gotten some killer deals now and then that I wouldn't have gotten anywhere else.
One thing that I have learned from eBay is the old saying, "one man's trash is another man's treasure," is very, very true. People will buy anything.
"High Speed" is actually the name of the company that manufactured / marketed these items, so the seller just transcribed what was printed on the box.
I think they also manufacture / market toy and model vehicles such as the ones that Wal-Mart has been selling.
I think they also manufacture / market toy and model vehicles such as the ones that Wal-Mart has been selling.
That locomotive that is pictured is an SP GP40 with anticlimbers ......i own two both are dummies yes....but to acheve normal sized han rails you have to cut, trim, and file those hand rails and replace them with a LL Gp38's hand rails (not a proto 2000 Geep but the standard line 
)
)
Apparently, no one bit on this one. Not one bid, and even this one here: Cheap, cheap, cheap plastic thingy...:-D
that has a more reasonable starting bid hasn't gotten any offers yet either. Folks, they aren't worth even 25 cents (plus shipping) unless you're into Readers Digest collectibles.
that has a more reasonable starting bid hasn't gotten any offers yet either. Folks, they aren't worth even 25 cents (plus shipping) unless you're into Readers Digest collectibles.
But it amazes me that people will occasionally pay good money for one that is listed right above or below one that the seller can't give away.
I had thought about an auction that would feature a picture of one of the engines as a 5lb sledge hit it into oblivion. Shipping charge would be $.50 for an inkjet print of the carnage. The mind boggles to think how much money the buyer(s) could save!:mrgreen:
Mike
Yeah, that probably happened when it bounced out of the garbage can when it was thrown in.
I'm surprised, we saw a few of these at different tables at the last couple of train shows here in the Phoenix area. I can't remember what they were asking for them, but I know this, it was more than they were worth.
I have three of those(They were given to me). They do fit on N scale track and as Nscaler said the hand rails are grossly oversized. They may look good at the back of the layout parked at a siding. But since I model HO, they are Waaay to small for me.
Perhaps you could leave the nose sticking out of a lake or river under a washed out bridge.......