Larry's MRR Empire Vol.#5

[jackn2mpu]

Thanks for the explanation but I hate to break it to you - I doubt you'll get a whole heck of a lot of money out of selling what you have. At least not enough to buy the equipment you're looking at unless you buy used. Pennies on the dollar selling your old stuff, if that. IIRC you have a quantity of brass track - you'll get nothing for that. The rest of the track, if you pull it up gently you may get something. Oh yeah - to pull up track that's been glued down, if you used the old mixed white glue and water deal is to just liberally soak it until the track comes up. Been there, done that. Doesn't matter how long it's been down. Don't know about getting it up if you used some caulking material. Some of that is waterproof. I doubt Atlas code 100 (which is what it looks like you have) is that big a need anymore.

Sadly most railroaders when they go to dismantle layouts, unless it was built to do that from the start, end up putting most of that in the scrap bin. W. Allen McClelland was one of the lucky ones when the old V&O was torn down. One section went to a museum, the rest in the scrap heap.

Your best bet is to get what you can from the rolling stock and motive power. That will be your biggest money maker assuming everything's in good shape and has Kadee couplers or equivalent.

There's one possibility that might save you some grief - get hold of somebody that deals in estates and liquidations.

[Larry]

Originally Posted by jackn2mpu

Thanks for the explanation but I hate to break it to you - I doubt you'll get a whole heck of a lot of money out of selling what you have. At least not enough to buy the equipment you're looking at unless you buy used. Pennies on the dollar selling your old stuff, if that. IIRC you have a quantity of brass track - you'll get nothing for that. The rest of the track, if you pull it up gently you may get something. Oh yeah - to pull up track that's been glued down, if you used the old mixed white glue and water deal is to just liberally soak it until the track comes up. Been there, done that. Doesn't matter how long it's been down. Don't know about getting it up if you used some caulking material. Some of that is waterproof. I doubt Atlas code 100 (which is what it looks like you have) is that big a need anymore.

Sadly most railroaders when they go to dismantle layouts, unless it was built to do that from the start, end up putting most of that in the scrap bin. W. Allen McClelland was one of the lucky ones when the old V&O was torn down. One section went to a museum, the rest in the scrap heap.

Your best bet is to get what you can from the rolling stock and motive power. That will be your biggest money maker assuming everything's in good shape and has Kadee couplers or equivalent.

There's one possibility that might save you some grief - get hold of somebody that deals in estates and liquidations.

I kinda hate to break your Bubble, but so far I've sold about a Thousand dollars worth of stuff which includes all of my freight rolling stock & I haven't even made a dent in what I've got left that I haven't even put up on the forum yet. I think I know how to take up track on a layout since this is my
8th layout in 53 yrs. I still have about 200 1/87th vehicles, about 100 1/87th pcs. of heavy equipment, about 100 tractor trailers, over 100 buildings, about 50 pounds of scenery material, another 100 made tree's & the list goes on & on. This is the 3rd layout that I've used the same track on & have never had one problem reusing it. I still have over 50 passenger cars & over 50 engines in Athearn, Kato, Stewart, Atlas, Bachmann Spectrum & others. I still have some more electronics to list. I have 3 sets of Bombadier cars, a Schnable car & a Monorail set w/xtra track. That's just part of what's left. I have a 53 yr. accumalation of trains & parts.

[tootnkumin]

I'll just duck over and give you a hand Larry, you know, 1 for him (1 for me) 1 for him (1 for me). Get it done (truely done) in no time.

(mental note; take some big empty suitcases)

[jackn2mpu]

Originally Posted by Larry

I have sold all of the Freight Cars this past week (131) & am in the process of packing them up to send by UPS. I have also had some interest in all the passenger cars, not counting the Bombadier cars. have also had interest in those too, just today. Almost wish I had some help sorting all of this out & packing stuff up for shipment, but, that would be tooo easy. LOL

A word of caution: UPS has a nasty reputation around here and is why they're called OOPS - lots of damage claims against them. Make sure everything is packed carefully - but you already know that. That, and they're not exactly easy on handling packages which I think lends to the aforementioned damage. Anything mechanical or fragile I ship or have shipped to me via FEDEX although they tend to be more expensive than UPS.

[Rico]

I know you're getting out all together Larry, but thought of you yesterday.
A friend has sold all his HO stuff and dismantled his layout as well.
Now he bought himself an O scale trackmobile and is building a three track diorama to switch things on. (he has a bad back also)
Thought that was a neat idea, I may go that route someday...

[tootnkumin]

This is real "cold turkey" stuff mate. I hope you don't have withdrawal symptoms shortly after.

[Larry]

Originally Posted by tootnkumin

This is real "cold turkey" stuff mate. I hope you don't have withdrawal symptoms shortly after.

No Withdrawal. I've got something else waiting for me when all of these trains are gone. My shop will be bare. I'm going to be building another Orange harvesting machine for a big company here in town for a real good salary. He found out I was selling all my trains & would have an empty building & said would I build him another machine. I was the 1st person in the U.S to build 2 of them in 1995. He needs my brain to pick.

[tootnkumin]

Originally Posted by Larry

No Withdrawal. I've got something else waiting for me when all of these trains are gone. My shop will be bare. I'm going to be building another Orange harvesting machine for a big company here in town for a real good salary. He found out I was selling all my trains & would have an empty building & said would I build him another machine. I was the 1st person in the U.S to build 2 of them in 1995. He needs my brain to pick.

After that you'll be able to build another big shed and get some new trains.

[Larry]

Sure would be nice if some of you guys could come & get some of the Mountains, Valleys, Big Bridges & stuff when I start taking the train tables apart. I just hate to destroy all of these things. Someone could find an area to integrate them into their layouts.

[Larry]

If anyone contacts me & I don't answer you right away, it's because I have to catch up on Packing & Shipping. I shipped out 6 boxes this morning & hope to get the rest out by thurs. or Friday. Thanks for your Patience.