I saw this in the MR newsletter e-mail and wished Athearn would do something like this. I would exchange about 2 dozen of my older locomotives for new ones, or at least trade them in for a rain check.
http://factorydirecttrains.com/blibuybackprogram.aspx
Anyone take advantage of this offer?
Are folks finding it still a good deal after paying to ship your old locos to BLI? I’ve thought about it but haven’t done the math yet or dug out my old DC stuff to see what might work yet.
You only get $20 off for a non BLI brand trade in. They give bigger discounts than that over at Factory Direct trains, so why bother? Seemed like an odd offer to me.
Engineer Bob misunderstood the context and intent of the clunker program as he coupled to an older auto rack and started searching for a Ford dealer close to the tracks. He wants a new Focus for the little woman…
You could do much better selling your old clunker on ebay. Almost any running engine will bring in more than $20 and often much more. Then put your money into a quality new model from P2K, Atlas, Athearn or other maker. You aren’t confined to BLI unless they offer something you really want.
Just as my two aging petrol burners don’t qualify for, “Cash for Clunkers,” I don’t have a single locomotive that I want to dispose of. Also, BLI doesn’t offer a single item that I want or need.
oh, well…
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Chuck,My Athearn “clunkers” will run trouble free for hours during open houses/ show displays why would I want to send 'em in for trade ins and get $20.00 fer 'em?
Naw,Me thinks I’ll just keep my “clunkers”…[:D][tup]
Now,as much as I really don’t want to buy any more HO since changing my primary scale from HO to N I will admit that I find that improved SW1500 is hard to past up.
Simon, the link took me to Factory Direct Trains. Just as I was thinking about the 12 pancake motor’s LL I have and going cool I saw the fine print, they have to be running.
Now why in the heck would anyone trade is a $250.00 plus working BLI steam engine for $60.00 in trade?OH, I know why the BLI steam engine has to be working! Other wise they get so many back they would not know what to do with them all! [:D] None working, well they have parts for there warranty department they need them!
Guess we know where they are getting engines for there next gap bag promotion.
Cuda Ken, know there warranty people by name.
… so this is how BLI “recruits” locos for their “refurbished” deals! [}:)]
I see this just as a marketing gimmick not worth considering, unless your are one of those “bargain” hunters who go for any type of deal as long it says bargain on it.
To beef up the ailing car sales, the German government has introduced a premium of 2,500 Euros if you turn in your min. 9 year old car and buy a new, “cleaner” one. People are buying small import cars like mad, without negotiating the price anymore - what a stupid world! Why should I trade in my perfectly working, but 15 year old Mercedes, get it scrapped, just to buy a new, but uncomfortable Fiat, Renault, Honda, Nissan, Mitsubishi etc.? Why should I trade in my perfectly running Bachmann, Atlas, Athearn, even BLI, PCM or MTH loco to buy a new one that I don´t want?
Sir Maddog
You have already answered your own question. [:)] a very stupid, stupid world.
Rock Star politians leading the sheep. I didn’t drink the kool aid and don’t intend too.
Remember what your mother told you a long time a go when you were a kid, If it seems too good to be true it probably is and if it’s such a great deal why do you want to give it to me. The only one benefiting here is BLI just like the car dealer scam people are blissfully plunging themselves into needless debt.
If you want to dispose of your unwanted inventory do what a friend of mine and I did, find a local train show/swap meet get yourself a table for $20 and put all you unwanted stuff for sale. I sold off my unwanted Athearn Blue Box loco’s for $25ea and you would have thought I was giving the stuff away. I sold it with in tow hours. Of course I spent every dome I made at the same show…lol just my way of stimulating the ecomomy
Amen to that, brother!
-Kosmo
Back in college days (uuuuuuh…8 years ago) there was a guy in the diesel tech program that had an ooold MB. I don’t want to do the math but it was right around a '79. That was pretty much all he’s ever owned over the previous few decades was old MB diesels. It was a little noisy, but then again I loved diesels so it never bothered me. Our conversation about the car spilled over from the 15 minute class break into actual class time. Lucky we sat next to each other.
To get my post back onto subject, how goes it with N scale BRAKIE? Have you already converted over or is this something you just started? Are you/did you go from noisey HO to a silent N?
To get my post back onto subject, how goes it with N scale BRAKIE? Have you already converted over or is this something you just started? Are you/did you go from noisey HO to a silent N?
Its going real good except I was slowed down by railfan fever but,I am still making monthly orders for the needed cars and/or engines,structures and track…
I been dabbling in N since returning to HO in the late 80s…One could say I really never was quite satisfied with HO after modeling in N Scale from '68-70 and again from 78 to 87…I am closing the last 3 sales of my excess HO…I am keeping enough to run at the HO club but,may sell/trade that to in the coming months because my interest in HO is declining by the week.
One of the better choices I made was to use Kato’s Unitrack especially since I have limited use of my right hand.I really love those #6 switches…
I plan on resuming work on the layout next month.
I’m probably being a little picky, as most of my old Athearn’s still run well. It’s just that most of my Athearn locos are 15-25 years old, and a few are even from the ‘metal truck sideframe’ era. One of them uses so much voltage that I’m surprised I haven’t blown a circuit breaker yet.
Regarding open houses, when/where are they? It would be nice to visit a layout I may have missed.
Chuck said:Regarding open houses, when/where are they? It would be nice to visit a layout I may have missed.
Good deal!
Check your PM box.
Maybe it’s just me, but I find the whole thing a little ridiculous. You buy a BLI loco and it never runs right. You send it back to the Mfgr to get it repaired, simply because the loco itself is so bloody COMPLEX and impossible to get into that you have no idea of what might have been wrong with it in the first place. You’ve got a ‘clunker’.
I’d hate to tell you how many original brass ‘clunkers’ I have bought during my years in the MR hobby. But you know what? Undo three screws, and lift off the boiler and cab, and there it is just staring at you. The running mechanism, I mean. Tweak the motor connection to the gearbox. That doesn’t work? Three more screws, there’s the gearbox lifted off of the driver gear. Run the loco over a piece of glass. Ahah, hangs up. Inspect the valve gear. Well, THERE’S the little devil. Drop of oil. Um. Runs smooth on the glass. Reconnect the gearbox. Runs like a charm, smooth and quiet. Replace the boiler. Um. Seems a little back-heavy. Oboy, the boiler weight needs balancing. Easy fix. Runs smooth, p;ulls light. Add some weight, carefully balancing loco as you do. Hook up the train when everything’s back together. Runs very nice. Pulls quite nice. You didn’t send it back to the importer for a replacement, and you did it all YOURSELF. Pat yourself on the back.
I’m not saying that we’ve become lazy when that