I have inherited all of my Fathers HO Trains from his collection of 50 years plus. The problem I am having is which one gose to which box? They have been kept in a customized dresser draws and the boxes packed away in the closet. Some have brand names on the bottom where others do not. There are casr metal ones and brass one and wood plastic ect. most of the brass ones are in there boxes although some are not. How can you tell the difference between the cast metal and the brass ones that are painted? I would like to get tehm back in there proper boxes if I could and store them. Any help on who to ID the cars or where to look would be most helpful. I know some maybe valuble and others may not. I have bee trying to sort them out for weeks now and I dont seem to be getting anywhere. Thank you for any info
[#welcome] If you look inside in a place not likely to have been painted or scrape (sand maybe) in a hidden place, you should be able to see the difference. Brass may also be heavier (I don’t know) but you’d need one of each for comparison so that’s not going to help. I think that a local “expert” would be a good idea.
Selling is not at the top of my priorities list being of the sentimental value of the trains. They have not been tended to for 10 years or more so cleaning dust and tarnish and getting them orginized is the main goal. All the engines run brass or cast and some plastic/metal. Some are cast and brass also. Many are built from kits made of wood and brass and cast. Quite a few kits still in the box unbuilt. We took down the big layout about 40 years ago to remodel and never put it back up. I would imagine if HO trains were my main hobby I would feel I had a gold mine, but it is not. I have draws and draws of parts since my Dad did scratch building and weathered look on many of the cars and engines. The Brass I would like to clean up and make a display case to hang on the wall. Some of the brass is factory painted and detailed. Since I have little knowlage about the hobby and the value and collectable value of them the best thing is to ask you the peole who know. The parts I will post at a later date if you have a selling part of the forum. For I know that in my own personal hobby of restoration there are items that I need a few of the orginal parts to complete the job, finding them can be very difficuilt so mabey I could help someone out there looking or is need of some of them. Again I Thank you for the welcome and the information any and all will be most welcome.