How about rescuing, rebuilding, and refinishing some old stuff, or "toy" stuff ?


Number9 I have to agree with you. In fact I say adjusted for inflation things are cheaper then ever!

I think the point Jim was making is if you are willing to put forth a little effort you can really get a bargain.

You can buy a conventional Lionel Scout RTR set for $144.99 http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Lionel-O-The-Scout-Freight-Train-Set-p/lio-6-30127.htm

For a few more dollars $179.99 you can buy the new Pennsylvania Flyer LionChief RTR set with wireless remote control, steam engine sounds, crew talk, bell and whistle. http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Lionel-O-6-30233-PRR-Flyer-Train-Set-p/lio-6-30233.htm

On average buying and restoring my Tyco and Life-Like locomotives to original condition cost me just under $25 each. I could have bought a brand new DC locomotive for $39.99 http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Bachmann-HO-EMD-GP40-SF-p/bac-63515.htm

For a few dollars more I could buy a new DCC locomotive for $44.99 http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Bachmann-HO-GP30-RDG-DCC-p/bac-60802.htm

One thing I learned long ago as a salesmen. "if a man has only $1 to make a purchase it does not matter how good of a deal the $2 item is, he still can't buy it"

For me it was not about saving money. For me it was more to do with nostalgia.
 
This is the killer quote. I have a few old cars that I "converted" into a modern car (replaced trucks, mounted new kadees on the body, etc)... this can take some time depending on the unit. Lets just say at a leisurely pace it took one hour. There is no way it is "worth" it to spend $15-$25 on a car AND the hour of labor. Consider what you would get paid an hour to do your job. No way worth it, correct? Yet, if it has "value" to you (as mine did to me) it does not matter that we are "loosing" money, the value is not the actual value of the item, but the time we spend playing with it and the enjoyment we get out of it.

Having said that, then I doubly agree with your previous comment. Adjusted for inflation, this is a great hobby to be in at this time, cars and track may seem expensive, but for what you are getting they are cheaper than ever.

Bruette said:
For me it was not about saving money. For me it was more to do with nostalgia.
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I guess it all depends, if you have the money to spend, I agree then the time to restore the old piece to modern standards is hard to justify. On the other hand if you don't have the money and you do have the time and you enjoy doing the work then it is worth it.

I know I had a lot of fun brining the trains I had when I was young back to life.

That is another thing that makes this hobby the best, there is something for everyone.
 
Every one is correct. 25 years ago I had enough income to buy and own over 250 pieces of U.P. brass, plus all the other stuff I wanted. Today after a divorce in 2001 and four years of being sick I have lots of accessories, not much track and no brass (divorce) my budget is a relible $40.00 or so a month with extras now and then. I still want to have fun though! I have trains running and I'm getting back some coordination after 3 surgeries this summer. I smile every time I handle or work on my stuff.
 
I am glad you are getting better. If I had some brass I would send it to you for christmas, but all I have are these plastic things.

JimT said:
Every one is correct. 25 years ago I had enough income to buy and own over 250 pieces of U.P. brass, plus all the other stuff I wanted. Today after a divorce in 2001 and four years of being sick I have lots of accessories, not much track and no brass (divorce) my budget is a relible $40.00 or so a month with extras now and then. I still want to have fun though! I have trains running and I'm getting back some coordination after 3 surgeries this summer. I smile every time I handle or work on my stuff.
Click to expand...
 
Jim I know just where you are coming from. I lost a fortune due to divorce and my cheap old Tyco and Life-Like trains. They weren't cheap to me when I was buying them. I remember drooling over the Lionel trains and wishing I could buy them. A paper boys wages just were not enough. I could have saved and bought the Lionel, but Tyco and Life-Like made some really cool stuff and I could not resist. I wish they had sectional track with road bed back then. I played fits trying to get that track to be reliable!

Jim you epitomize what this hobby is all about for me. Just have fun!

This is the greatest hobby in the world, even for a novice like me.

I enjoy learning from the old pros like yourself. Thanks for sharing your wisdom.
 
It's New Years eve and I've been running some trains. Earlier I tested out a 30 year old Binks Wren airbrush... and it works great. I need a better compressor but the little one I have now is working. Blessed and happy... it'll be a good year for trains me thinks.
 
It's been a good couple of days! Last night I watched Hard Days Night on television, I've seen it a few times over the years. Man it was good felling 14 years old again for a few minutes. I'd forgotton how pretty Patty Boyd was.... every teen guy in my town had a big crush on her... George Harrison and Eric Clapton both married her (different times).

Tonight I started re-habbing some multi story Design Preservation Models (DPM) of brick structures. I think I have a box of new ones somewhere in the garage... maybe I'll find em, in the mean time fixing em is fun. I'm still working on pictures, some are coming. How have you spent your holidays?
 
I walked in hobby shop today and a big box of diesel detail parts is in there from the family of a passed on modeler. Also had a couple boxes of tyco locos. Digging in the detail box I found a filter box for a Paducah rebuild. I might have to pull a athearn out and get to chopping. Made me think of this thread, all of the tyco stuff I have and just saw at hobby shop.
 
Jim I am glad to see you are enjoying the holidays. Early Christmas morning and new years day, just about everyday I spend my early mornings running my trains.

Freightshaker I agree this a great thread and I love my old Tyco stuff too!
 
I'm still waiting on my "wash away" from Scalecoat and using brake fluid. Lately I have been doing a little "Urban Renewal" on a box of buildings saved from a previous layou (1990's ?) I'm going to Hobby Lobby tomorrow for some thin poster board to use for floors (I'm doing lighting) and walkways. I've also been cutting a lot of plastic scrap for bracing and to simulate boarded up windows for those that "disappeared. Thanks for the "blister pack" material, it simulates glass windows great.

My health is improving a lot now and thats really helping. I'm looking forward to layout building, my little 4 x 5' switching/test layout needs extending! Happy New Year all.
 
I'm deep into working on my first serious project. I took a base for a Athearn blue box, box car and built a deck out of evergreen strips. Next I mounted a stripped body from a "bobber caboose" on the deck with a Detail Associates stove stack and the caboose grabs and ladders from the deck to the ex-caboose roof. After a brake wheel and some chain I'm going to find some short fencing in the junk box and make a cargo area on the deck. I hope after a coat of dark brown paint it'll look good. I kinda cheated because for truck I used a set of Overland Brass 1900 era caboose trucks. I have a few pair of various Overland trucks still "NOS" sealed in their original bags. I almost don't want to know what they cost today.

Pictures to follow tomorrow and later when it's "done". I'm having a lot of fun and re-gaining my manual dexterity as I model.
 
Oh.. I got the poster board, a couple of big sheets for $1.50 a piece minus 40%. I haven't started using them as a TYCO "searchlight" car inspired my caboose kitbash, or junk box bash.
 
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