I have a dilemma. I have been getting my rail cars out of storage that have been put up for some time. I’m finding I have a lot of missing and broken parts. My problem is a lot are out of production kits. Most are Athearn, Round House ConCor and Walthers kits. Ladders, hatchs, steps and the list gos on. Out of approx 200 kits I would say 75% need some kind of work. I would hate to scrap that amount we are talking over 500.00 worth of kits. For the record HO scale. Any advice?
Search Ebay??
South Penn
you can contact Athearn for parts. Just go thru car by car, put whatever you can together workable running, make note of what parts may be missing/broken, scour walthers for parts and go headstrong.
My thing is restoring basket cases from train shows and eBay. If you’re into it try casting your own parts. With 200 kits you should have every part needed to make a mold of every part you will ever need. I have restored over a dozen Rivarossi Cab Forwards using my own parts.
Actually it’s really neat to have the exact part on hand in your own parts drawers. After three years of casting I probably have a better inventory of rolling stock parts than Hobby Distributors have.
Mel
Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951
My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
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Mel, what do you use for casting and where do you get the stuff to make molds and casting materials?
Once you start consolidating stuff, you’ll find that you can turn a few kits into the parts sources for the other. Pick the least intersting kits to you to be the donors.
Also consider that older kits tended to be more generic. You’ll find the same kit – and parts – just painted differently. A little paint and you;re back in business.
Some kits supply extra parts. Never throw them away, as they come in handy elsewhere.
“Google” HO scale freight car detail parts, there is a choice.
I have managed to make ladders, grab irons and stirrup steps from .012” and .020” brass rod, which could be worth a go if you’re so inclined.
Your castings sound interesting Mel, like George I’m interested in your methods.
Cheers, the Bear.
Hi George & Bear
I’ve tried several different manufacturers from Micro-Mark, eBay to Hobby Lobby. All of the casting kits work. There is one fault with casting that there is no workaround for, shelf life. I’m currently using the Alumilite Mini Casting Kits purchased at Hobby Lobby at $30 list (use their 40% discount coupon).
The resins and mold rubber have a 10 month shelf life so I try to buy in small amounts. Micro-Mark sells 1:1 mix ratio in two 16 oz bottles, 32 oz is difficult for me to use up in less than 10 months causing a lot of waist. At close to $1.50 per oz waist can be very costly, $$$$$.
The Alumilite kit from Hobby Lobby has 4 oz of Silicone rubber and 8 oz of casting resin. The Silicone rubber is a 10:1 mix ratio and that can be difficult. If you miss the ratio the silicone either sets up too quick or never cures. I went to my wife’s cooking measuring spoons and haven’t screw
Are you looking for advice on how and where to sell some or all of these kits?
Are you looking to find missing parts so you can repair all of the cars?
Another alternative would be to cannabalize some of the cars for repair parts on the rest of the cars. Of the 200 kits, you can salvage at least 100 cars, maybe more. Then, sell the remaining parts and kits to others who may also be in need of repair parts.
Rich
The OP’s dilemna is a message to us all. Store those excess cars/locos in their original boxes with a wrap of paper towel (non decorated).
I agree with Richhotrain that I would first cannabalize cars to salvage others. Of course my question is, where are the broken parts, and why aren’t they available to help in the salvage efforts?
Before you start canabalizing parts, check with a well stocked hobby shop. Most sell parts such as ladders and sill steps. Why wreck something completely when it can be fixed for a dollars worth of parts.
Well, he would not be wrecking something completely. The suggestion was to cannabalize the needed parts and then sell the remaining parts and kits to others who may also be in need of repair parts. A win-win situation.
Rich
Instead of boxes, can you put them on a train shelf? I don’t think making one is too difficult. The shelf is more appealing and organized than stacks of boxes. Besides, pulling out a car is also much easier. Ah, if only I had reason to have a large storage shelf!
Nothing wrong with having a train shelf or cabinet…
Only problem is that guys like me (and a bunch of others I’ll bet) would need some really big cabinets and longgggggg shelves to hold them all.
Hi
A cabinet sounds wonderfull uhm but where do I get one big enough,
I only have 50 years worth of stuff to store not much really.
Oh then there are the odds and ends we all have piles of.
regards John
Thanks for the advice guys. I wil try to hit the high points 1st. No LHS sad fact. 2nd. I’m not big into selling stuff. Most that I can’t fix will just go in the trash. I have way to much crap from all my hobbies that needs thinning down. 3rd. Casting no talent here and most parts are very small. 4th Cannabalizing is going to be my 1st step starting with my covered hoppers. 5th I tryed Walthers for parts for my air slides and auto rack car unless I’m over looking something i can’t find what I need. I’m going to take time to day to try a indepth online search. Thanks
Sometimes you need to pack things up either for storage or for moving.
LION has many freight cars and pax cars wrapped up in paper towels and stored. I’m afraid I will never use many of the freight cars, except to maybe canibalize and kit-bash into MOW equipment.
The Pax cars will live again on a static display purporting to be New York Penn Station. As everybody knows, NYP is under ground, and so will mine be, people will have to peek into the station to see the equipment, so damaged stock can have the ickky side facing away from the viewer.
Dead Locomotives will appear at the Coney Island backshop. Even complete basket cases will look just fine there.
ROAR
I’d start by either checking the Walthers website, or getting their new 2015 catalogue. The thing is, you don’t have to have parts from the manufacturer to fix up the cars - in fact there are many folks who over the years have bought Athearn, MDC, etc. kits and then replaced things likes ladders, grab irons, roofwalks etc. with better detailed replacement parts from companies like Cal-Scale, A-Line, Detail Associates and others.
Just make a list of what you need, bet some of us have the parts laying around.
There seems to be some confusion, or at least I’m confused.
Are you talking about already built cars that were stored incorrectly and parts fell off from rough handling? Or are you talking about kits which you are now finding to be missing parts?