This ight be common knowledge, but I had never heard until recently of problems with the 70’s Roco frames disintegrating. (GP38, GP40, SD24, SD35, you know the ones) What should I know?
Thanks-
Mike
It would help if you cite a source for this information, because it may be just another one of those unfounded hobby shop rumors.
OK, Let me rephrase my query. “Have you had any first-hand experience of Roco frames crumbling?” If so “Is it your first-hand experience taht this ius a common occurance?”
Mike
It is common knowledge that parts made of zinc can deteriorate, but I have not heard this to be a specific issue with Roco frames
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wheels of a Märklin model railroad car 344.6 (H0, 1947…1949), affected by zinc pest
Two 1930s Dinky Toy liners of equal age and storage history, one badly affected, the other not.
Over the 25 years that I had Roco-built Atlas (HO) diesels, I never had one crumble or show signs of disintegrating.
One of the Con-Cor era GP40 frames I owned developed the whitish oxidation on the frame that Ulrich mentioned, but it did not crumble.
The frames of the 1970s era “Roco” Atlas diesels were made with a more durable low-cost alloy mix than what was used with many zamac composition toys of earlier decades.
I bought my Atlas Santa Fe GP40 “used” back in 1978 from a fellow high school student for $15. It’s still in good shape, runs well and the frame shows no signs of deterioration. That split fuel tank is annoying, but I plan on upgrading the unit by filling in that tank gap, installing LED lights and a decoder. I’m thinking about repainting the shell it into the L&N’s 1970s gray scheme.
The owner says this was much more common on N scale items; as I said, I NEVER heard of this in connection with the HO other than this one instance (since the models were introduced in the 70’s).
Mike