Not sure if I'm adding any value here: first, the folks I work with (that sell parts and do repairs) are extremely busy right now. Henning's Trains in Lansdale, PA, works with several freelance repair guys and does a pretty good business in repairs. He also has all the parts, and does a great job either running them down or having them made.
You have to value your time, and price your work based on that. I build new trains, and find that it is challenging to get a reasonable hourly rate for my work, even though what I'm doing is unique.
Finding parts is getting more challenging. I have a good relationship will some of the people out there that are making parts or importing them. I spend a lot of time just locating and buying the parts, and I'm sure if I factored that
time in (which I usually don't), it means my average rate is much lower.
MTH is running out of parts for a lot of their products. The Chinese will only make parts and deliver when a run of finished trains is ordered. There is less of that going on now, so less parts coming into the country. So for some of my engines and cars, I make sure I buy enough to do runs of each loco and/or passenger car. Was worried about getting tinplate couplers, but Joe Mania and Hennings will have them. Thankfully Harry is still making the MEW wheels, and seems to be able to find new die casters and sheet metal shops when the old guys go out of business. Joe Mania has all the MEW tooling for the brass and sheet metal parts and is progressively remaking many parts, including the third rail shoes for Lionel, Ives and AF tinplate locos. It's great that the tooling still exists and that Joe is moving out to restore the availability of many parts.
Motors - probably not as much of a problem for you, but one of my lines (the former Harmon/Roberts Lines engines) require bild a loco motors. MTH is out of traditional BAL's and the can motor ones don't work with the current design. I picked up a bunch, but it's a significant up front investment, and at some point I may not be able to build any more unless I come up with a new design, or scrap out some MTH locos for parts.
One of the things I've learned: if you are able to customize, you can create a niche. I do all my own lettering, and use a vinyl cutting machine to cut it. Free software on the PC to do the fonts/striping, or recreate and emblem.
Almost nobody likes to paint (me included), so there are those that want restorations or alternative paint schemes and will pay. For the owner, the cost is hardly justified, but if you are getting something unique, they will pay, and who cares about the next owner. Offering something unique increases the value you add.
But the main thing is to build relationships out there. Folks need to know you exist. It's harder than you think with all the 'internet noise' these days. But persistence pays, it's something you need to remind people of now and again. I've been at it for about 4 years, and it is far from a full time job, I don't really want it to be, and so it's still fun to do.
Jim
