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Post by bnsf971 on May 20, 2012 16:46:19 GMT -8
Today, after many, many problems with brand new equipment, I decided to find some NOS older, good quality stuff. It may not have all the hand rails and lift rings, it may not make any choo choo noises, one of them doesn't even have directional lighting. But both of the locomotives I got today run flawlessly, and I won't be holding my breath waiting for something to fall off when they roll down the track.
What I got was a mid 80's Atlas/Kato C425, and a mid 90's Atlas/China C425. The China model is DCC ready, with a dummy plug and directional lighting. It also has somewhat better paint, and a few more details than the Kato engine.
When I get my Digitrax command station back, I'll go ahead and put decoders in them. For now, its 1990 on my layout, at least as motive power goes. That means a single power supply, a single analog throttle, and everything with a motor takes off when I twist the knob. It's kind of refreshing.
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Post by rhpd42002 on May 20, 2012 17:14:11 GMT -8
Terry, there's a pretty good thread talking about some older, Stewart, F-units. I have several that have been DCC'd and a few more to go. I think they would qualify, using your criteria.  I and several others can probably share your frustration at one time or another.  |
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Post by riogrande on May 20, 2012 17:59:23 GMT -8
What is NOS?
Anyway, Atlas is a no brainer as far as good quality goes and not tons of details to fall off.
Mike mentioned Stewart - and its hard to go wrong although if your layout is 1990, then F units were pretty much gone by then! =P
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Post by Donnell Wells on May 20, 2012 18:03:17 GMT -8
NOS = new old stock
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Post by riogrande on May 20, 2012 18:08:16 GMT -8
Never heard the term - but I'm a 53 year old cave dweller? =P
To the OP, go visit a large train show and you'll find plenty of new old train stock!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2012 4:51:05 GMT -8
Never heard the term - but I'm a 53 year old cave dweller? =P To the OP, go visit a large train show and you'll find plenty of new old train stock! It is used mostly in the classic car arena. NOS parts are 99.99% of the time original GM, Ford or Mopar parts, mostly body related, that are brand new in the box and or with manufacturers stickers and are long out of production by the Big Three. For example an NOS 1967 Chevrolet Impala SS427 hood and insert can run you a mere $3,000 - $4,000. NOS quarter panels are only about $2,500 a piece for that car.  |
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Post by Donnell Wells on May 21, 2012 5:31:39 GMT -8
Speaking of, I picked up several Model Power E8/9s earlier this, one or two of which were NOS. Contrary to popular belief, these things had a big can motor, a big hunkin' flywheel, and actually ran pretty decent for it's time. Or course, I may update the drive, well, maybe just the motor. I'm thinking one of those big Holland cans from Aline.
Donnell
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Post by bnsf971 on May 21, 2012 5:32:42 GMT -8
The next train show within 3 hours' driving time is mid-August, so I will have plenty of time to decide if that is the direction I want to go.
I have tons of newer stuff, and it seems like it is a constant source of trouble. I have a new DCC command station that has not worked right since I got it a couple of months ago, that is currently at the factory for repairs. I have a sound equipped locomotive that has its speed cut in half if I blow the horn. Nobody can figure out why. I had a new sound equipped locomotive that has been back to the factory twice, and is going back again, because it keeps losing programming, or will not accept programming. I have more, but don't want to turn this thread into a complaint fest.
And yet, my old Kato and Atlas stuff from 1985-1995 keeps soldiering on, as does my old Athearn stuff. I'm thinking maybe less is more. I'll probably keep DCC, but I may well step back from the super-detailed, super-sound, super-price, super fragile stuff of current times.Atlas Trainman, Proto 1000, Athearn RTR seems to have much better record of reliability.
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Post by calzephyr on May 21, 2012 5:52:09 GMT -8
Speaking of, I picked up several Model Power E8/9s earlier this, one or two of which were NOS. Contrary to popular belief, these things had a big can motor, a big hunkin' flywheel, and actually ran pretty decent for it's time. Or course, I may update the drive, well, maybe just the motor. I'm thinking one of those big Holland cans from Aline. Donnell Donnell Those units had a large motor and heavy flywheel as you said and most of them did run fairly well, but noise was a problem if I remember correctly. I did solve some of that noise by using small pieces of foam in the drive shafts connections to keep them from vibrating. NOS. I have a lot of that since I now know what it means! Larry |
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Post by calzephyr on May 21, 2012 6:02:55 GMT -8
Never heard the term - but I'm a 53 year old cave dweller? =P To the OP, go visit a large train show and you'll find plenty of new old train stock! It is used mostly in the classic car arena. NOS parts are 99.99% of the time original GM, Ford or Mopar parts, mostly body related, that are brand new in the box and or with manufacturers stickers and are long out of production by the Big Three. For example an NOS 1967 Chevrolet Impala SS427 hood and insert can run you a mere $3,000 - $4,000. NOS quarter panels are only about $2,500 a piece for that car. 'I sold a new in the original box dash board for a 1979 Trans Am on ebay a few years ago. I had purchased it for my car in 1983 but I never got around to install it and sold the car in 1986. It turned out to be a popular item on ebay since GM no longer had them in stock! Actually, our trains are valuable in the same way for many of the special runs and items such as NOS. There are thousands of NOS brass models that had never been used in collections. Larry |
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Post by Donnell Wells on May 21, 2012 6:57:45 GMT -8
Donnell Those units had a large motor and heavy flywheel as you said and most of them did run fairly well, but noise was a problem if I remember correctly. I did solve some of that noise by using small pieces of foam in the drive shafts connections to keep them from vibrating. NOS. I have a lot of that since I now know what it means! Larry
Honestly, it's probably not even worth it unless you REALLY like tinkering with stuff...which oddly I do, but...well, I have many other projects going on, and it would be just as easy to install a newer motor than trying to "shore up" the old one...
ramble, ramble, ramble... |
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Post by edwardsutorik on May 21, 2012 8:18:48 GMT -8
A guy I knew bought one of the Model Power locos when they came out. I recall it making a curious "chuckling" sound when it ran. Is that the noise? I don't recall he ever fixed it, though.
Ed
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Post by umtrrauthor on May 21, 2012 11:14:43 GMT -8
Those Model Power locomotives could pull the paint off a wall. My dad still has a few of their Sharknoses that came out about the same time as the E-units.
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garr
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Post by garr on May 21, 2012 13:30:55 GMT -8
[quote author=calzephyr board=hoforum thread=150 post=1597 ...
[/quote]
'I sold a new in the original box dash board for a 1979 Trans Am on ebay a few years ago. I had purchased it for my car in 1983 but I never got around to install it and sold the car in 1986. It turned out to be a popular item on ebay since GM no longer had them in stock!
...
Larry
[/quote]
1979 Trans Am was the first automobile I ever owned. When I was in high school I bought it off a guy when it was only 4 months old. Still regret that I sold it 8 years later for $2500. Looks like I sold it for the price of a NOS Impala hood! I do not even want to know what you got for the dash board--was it the silver fish scale part or the actual dash?
Jay
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Post by calzephyr on May 21, 2012 15:35:05 GMT -8
[quote author=calzephyr board=hoforum thread=150 post=1597 ... 'I sold a new in the original box dash board for a 1979 Trans Am on ebay a few years ago. I had purchased it for my car in 1983 but I never got around to install it and sold the car in 1986. It turned out to be a popular item on ebay since GM no longer had them in stock! ... Larry [/quote] 1979 Trans Am was the first automobile I ever owned. When I was in high school I bought it off a guy when it was only 4 months old. Still regret that I sold it 8 years later for $2500. Looks like I sold it for the price of a NOS Impala hood! I do not even want to know what you got for the dash board--was it the silver fish scale part or the actual dash? Jay[/quote] Jay It was the full dash board in black in a GM box as they come from the factory. I had started to order parts and the guy at the local dealer gave me discounts so I would order whatever the car needed. We have all done that type of thing. Been there done that!! I had the real Pontiac 6.6 motor with the 4 speed and the W-72 whatever package? It was used when I got it and had been coverted to full duel exhaust without cats and the engine had been built with a sufficient amount of increased HP to ruin the clutch more than once. It was a scream to drive and I mounted some really wide tires with a much smaller diameter that probabaly gave me some place close to 3:90 gearing. My wife refused to ride in it any longer and I traded it for a Cad. Oh well, it was fun. This was the last of three Trans Am's and they were all fun. larry |
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Post by calzephyr on May 21, 2012 15:37:57 GMT -8
Those Model Power locomotives could pull the paint off a wall. My dad still has a few of their Sharknoses that came out about the same time as the E-units. Yes, those units had weight and seemed to pull very well. I only remember seeing the E 7A. Did they ever do the E8 or E9?? I ending up using one of the frames with Rivarossi shell on it painted for my E 8A at that time. Larry |
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garr
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Post by garr on May 21, 2012 15:58:26 GMT -8
Larry,
Now that you mention it, I remember my dash had to be replaced under warranty because of warping. I remember the replacement was black and had to be painted red to match the interior.
Sounds like yours was the ultimate package. Mine had the Olds 403, more than enough power for a 16 year old.
A few years back restored 1979s were hitting close to $100k from a guy associated with Year One.
As far as model railroading, I too have plenty of NOS. Don't believe any will appreciate anywhere near as much as some automobiles have.
Jay
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