Pre-owned Loco's, rolling stock and track.

[Puffed Out]

As you may have guessed from some of my posts, I have been buying pre-owned Loco's/rolling stock for the last few weeks. (Also buying new).

Yes, I've been lucky enough,(but it's always 'buyer beware'), and in general I've been rather fortunate. 

Rolling stock, most of which just needs a clean and a straighening of the coupling hooks, which have mostly been bent by over enthusiastic packaging. In general they have been about 95% succesful for all concerned.  The odd set of wheels, or a bogie replaced. 

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As for the Loco's, also been rather fortunate(except for those that I've posted on here).

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It seems those sold as non-runners or for spares have revealed a very easy fix.  Mostly full off fluff, expanded polystyrene granuals, hair, carpet fibres, and as dry as a bone and almost seized up with dried out grease/oil.

A wire loose or broken/missing, and even lousy 'Mr Blobby' soldering jobs.

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Track is usually pretty good, and mostly 80% nickel......the 20%steel is divided 50-50 between good and scrap.  Also some of it new and boxed/packeted.

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I have been really lucky, as I've said before, but the pleasure I get from bringing it back from the 'dead', is rather satisfying. 

Now I'm am done buying any more pre-owned stuff, so what did I do.........bought a spanking new Hornby R1176 Eurostar set. I have 2 two other(pre-owned) Eurostar carriages to hand, and a almost new coach bogie.

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I've pushed my luck so far, so I'd better reign myself in and be satisfied with what I have.

Some of the 'luck of the Irish' must have rubbed off on me. 

'Top of the day'....to you all.  'May the wind always be behind you, and the sun shine on your face'. 😉 😀

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[NWR-Gordon-4]

It's plesant to read that you have found enjoyment in buying used models and got locomotives running, that the seller probably thought has had it. Enjoy them all, Puffed Out!  😉  😀

 

GNR-Gordon-4 (HF)

[Howbi]

Well, Steve, you are to be congratulated for coming to terms with today's model railways' complexities and especially DCC in just 2 months........I'm sure we all look forward to seeing some pictures of your layout in progress in due course.........keep away from Covid-19 😀.........HB

[Puffed Out]

I should also mention friends, and friends of friends, friends who have been giving me their old Hornby sets, and pieces of it.

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The layout, now that's another story.  It's due for a drastic change.   I'll be removing most of the 1st radius loop, and utilising  the 2nd radius for more sidings, and seperating from radius 3 & 4,but  will connect with an isolating switch. So it will capable of using 1 or 2 controllers. (Not DCC interested(yet)). Note to myself...."Turn of one controller when needed". !

R3 & R4 loops will extend to another 8 x 4 board, but maybe just R4 or R3 loop......still working it out, as yet.  Unfortuneately the wife hasn't been informed, so will this be a case of.......'That's how the fight started'. 😆 😆

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[atom3624]

These 'ladies' deserve a decent life, and much more than simply 'the parts bin'.

Well done you and glad you've been successful.

 

The only recent 'faulty' listed as such I purchased was my EWS super detail Class 56.

Listed at a reasonable and competitive used price for that model - one of the best Hornby have made - with 'faulty lights'.

Several mentioned at the time to consider hard wiring, but I was able to simply to ensure the body / chassis contacts were clean and aligned properly.

It's not given one problem since - and has been used quite a lot.

 

I try to avoid 'work required' locomotives nowadays as they're so complex, but was one with a happy ending as well.

 

Al.

[ColinB]

I would agree, I usually avoid track especially points. I use Peco track and the plastic age hardens to be very brittle, so quite often the track pulls away from the plastic sleepers. I did at one point stop buying second hand locos as there always seemed to be something wrong with them, which although I can generally fix but some times Hornby don't sell the spares anymore. I bought a Hornby Schools loco really cheap (£45.00), the Dealer didn't realise it had a Zimo sound decoder in it, but it cost me a fortune to fix it. I suppose I could have sold the sound decoder and got my money back. Although of late I have bought some really nice secondhand diesel locos. You only have to look on some of these posts to realise some poeple do struggle with electrics, hence why you find them easy to fix. Rolling stock and carriages seem to be the safest as there is very little to break on them, although sometimes the under chassis detail seems to just fall off in normal day operation, so secondhand it might be missing, but who cares as if you bought it new it would probably fall off.

[Puffed Out]

I bought a Duchess of Abercorn, tender driven, £41 all in, Tender drive was totaly shot. 

Sent it off to Scalespeed and fixed for £34 all in.  So it's cost me £75.  I'm happy enough.

[Modelnut19]

I agree that it can be very satisfying to get old models running better but I reckon my skills are dwarfed by the original poster of this chain of response.

My latest "problem" is a 2017 Oxford Rail Dean Goods: obvioulsy not Hornby but is at least from an associate company. It was bought from a Collectors' Fair and is in mint condition. However, it is not very fast or powerful and needs a lot of power to run: say 70% power to go at a scale 20mph or so. It might do about a scale 45mph at full power.

Oxford Rail suggested I remove the cover plate from the underside of the chassis and either paint the exposed metal or put some insulating material there so that the contact strips for the pick-ups did not touch the exposed metal of the main chassis. Anyway, I tried this and it made no difference. In fact, the insulating material made the situation worse or meant the loco would nbot run at all.

Now, I appreciate that the model is "geared to run at realistic speeds" but it is almost as slow as a low geared diesel shunter.

I just wondered if anyone else has such a loco. Perhaps I should start a new post?

[ColinB]

That is funny you mention pickups on an Oxford made loco shorting out. I have an Oxford Adams type loco and it took me ages to work out how to add a DCC chip and when I did, it got through about 3 decoders, until I discovered on certain bends the motor connections touched one of the wheels putting rail voltage down the motor connection of the DCC decoder, hence why they failed. I bought it new but whoever built it was a bit heavy handed with the solder. I removed most of the solder and insulted the connection and it is now OK.

[Puffed Out]

Partialy rescued another Loco from the parts/spares/non runner/scrap box, which is the Royal Anglian Regiment diesel. (R800.??)

The motor had apparently siezed, and the pantograph broken.

Took the motor partialy apart, and 2 very small pieces of carbon brush dropped out.  Thinking the carbon brushes were broken I looked into it further.

It only had one carbon brush and spring, so it had been messed with badly. Went back to my box of bits, and pulled out an old motor, removed 1 carbon brush and spring, and fitted them.  While I had it apart, I gave it a clean and a tiny drop of oil......reassembled and gave it a go on the track.  It took off like a scalded cat, so another reprieved from the scrap box.

The pantograph assembly was fine, just needed to realign some pieces, but no wiring etc inside the body. 

Not sure if there was ever a working overhead system to power it, or if indeed it was actually designed to use one. (That's the 'partialy' part of it's rescue).

Any how it works, and pulls really well and it's in really good condition visualy.  So again, I'm happy enough.

//

[atom3624]

That's the thing the serviceable motors, and particularly the ringfields, they're invariably run until the brushes wear too short.

 

Glad you've 'another win'!

 

Keep it up - more newer stuff for the rest of us!!  😆

 

Al.

[Puffed Out]

Long wait for the new stuff, it's all pretty much pre-order(understandably), but I have my eye on a few steamers, and the Pendolino.

Until then, it's a case of waiting for the 'old stuff' to be delivered, and see what's what. It keeps me out of mischief,(almost), according to the missus. 😆

I'll be making up a couple of 6ft x 3ft layouts, for my godson, and a great nephew. They will be permantly fixed(screwed) to the board. Nothing too fancy or 'expensive'. 

[atom3624]

Sounds good.

Can the 6x3 be stretched to 6x4?

You know the story - keep the radius 2 and above for medium locos and upwards.

 

Al.

[Puffed Out]

Storage is a problem for both, 6ft stood on end gives better storage options indoors. If that survives the antics of the boys, then all will re-assessed in the future. As it is, a 6 footer can be tucked away in more indoor hidey holes.  I could do a 6 x 4.......but 8 x 4 could be a stretch. 

They both have a reasonable 'broom cupboard/hidey hole', so that's the plan. There should be plenty of room when they get rid of of their 'junk' from the cupboard.  You know what hidey holes get like......!!

[atom3624]

Curved ball time ...

Understood the 6' thing for storage, thus 2x 6' long track layouts.

Do they need to be 2 layouts - for 2 different people in 2 different places?

If not could you consider 2x 6' long layouts - for storage - which interconnect, to make a 12' long layout?

 

Al.

[Puffed Out]

Two layouts, 2 different families......2 different counties. 😆

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Just a 22mm MDF/Ply board, no frame...just as simple as it gets.

[atom3624]

Understood.

 

Nice gesture - enjoy!!

 

Al.

[westernwill]

Hi Modelnut19

I also have an Oxford Dean Goods with exactly the same problem. It has a Loksound decoder with sound.

 

I have tweaked all the CV settings I could find and did manage to get it going slightly faster but when timed over a length of track it still does not reach it's expected top speed.

 

Strangely enough it runs faster in reverse.

 

A nice model and good sound but just wish it went a little faster.