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JohnnieWalker posted:

I posted this elsewhere no too long ago,  how nice it would be to have a choice of small diesel switchers in standard gauge ?  A 44 tonner,  or a GP7 or 9 ?   I see plenty of electrics and steamers out there, all good but seeing a diesel would be a fresh new start .  Building my own is now becoming more of a reality .  Maybe this winter I will build a prototype out of wood.  If this happens I will post it.  

I re gauged a Lionel large scale gp.20

To STD ga. Bridge rectifier. And extended the axles. Center pick up . I had to cut the trucks. To extend. Those can be molded to size..

That can be done with a kit. .. Change out trucks..boom..STD gp..or any other large scale conversion..

 

riki posted:
JohnnieWalker posted:

I posted this elsewhere no too long ago,  how nice it would be to have a choice of small diesel switchers in standard gauge ?  A 44 tonner,  or a GP7 or 9 ?   I see plenty of electrics and steamers out there, all good but seeing a diesel would be a fresh new start .  Building my own is now becoming more of a reality .  Maybe this winter I will build a prototype out of wood.  If this happens I will post it.  

I re gauged a Lionel large scale gp.20

To STD ga. Bridge rectifier. And extended the axles. Center pick up . I had to cut the trucks. To extend. Those can be molded to size..

That can be done with a kit. .. Change out trucks..boom..STD gp..or any other large scale conversion..

 

Yes, but this doesn’t result in a metal model, and certainly not one with that classic tinplate look. Additionally a huge part of tinplate is O gauge.  While, certainly a niche market, there is money to be had with new products.

I am not worried.  I think if there is a market for tinplate trains, someone will always fill the need. 

For example, Pat's Trains has recently offered for sale on this forum several new SG trains based on MTH 400E locomotives pulling 4 passenger cars.  Among those offered are an Army set and a Navy set, which I have on order.   

And lets not forget the truly custom Standard Gauge locomotives and passenger cars being built by Jim Waterman.  I have placed an order with Jim for a set of 1952 Olympian Hiawatha passenger cars, which I will be pulling with my MTH Milwaukee Road Super 381E.

So let's not worry, there still are craftsmen like Jim and dealers/companies like Pat's Trains/MTH ready and eager to fill the need for tinplate trains.  We just need to keep them in business by placing orders with them for new tinplate trains!

Bob Nelson

 

Last edited by navy.seal
overlandflyer posted:

thank god... in the 1920's the 400E may have been state of the art, but it is one of the most ridiculous wheel arrangement in locomotive history.  add to that it's long past due to put a halt to all the idiotic liveries it has been forced to wear.  i can't help but relate what this locomotive has gone through to that poor dog you always see around the holidays dressed in a sweater to match their owner.

Kind of have to agree with you. The Reading Railroad built a 4-4-4 but quickly converted it back to a 4-4-2. the 400E is good because it's large and shiny. Thanks to MTH for having reproduced it - they are now ubiquitous and cheap. As a boy, I would dream of owning one, but due to scarcity and collector lust, they were always well out of range. My dad and I went to the Chicago 1970 TCA convention and word had it that a really nice set went for $10,000 at the very start of the meet. That is like $80,000 today, and yes, the very finest sets still go for that money in original perfect boxes with perfect trains. But I can pick up a good used MTH 400E almost any time for about $500, and recently bought 4 State cars for under $150 each. That would have been about $125 in 1970 terms. Dirt cheap, and they are like new and run great. Not picking up any pink ones any time soon, though.

 

Jim

Facts:

MTH got the Lionel trademark for 10 years as part of settlement of a lawsuit - for free. He made a pile of trains with the Lionel name over that time.

Market is pretty saturated now, and almost every color has been used up. The stuff is not moving, same old trains

Lionel likely wanted a good sum for Mike to continue the name. No justification for raising prices another $100 per engine

So I suspect that Mike may test the market with some new variations in the future, but the demand is a small fraction of what it was, and he now competes with a mountain of previously sold trains that are coming back on the market as some of our brothers are passing or giving it up.

 

Jim

Facts:

MTH got the Lionel trademark for 10 years as part of settlement of a lawsuit - for free. He made a pile of trains with the Lionel name over that time.

Market is pretty saturated now, and almost every color has been used up. The stuff is not moving, same old trains

Lionel likely wanted a good sum for Mike to continue the name. No justification for raising prices another $100 per engine

So I suspect that Mike may test the market with some new variations in the future, but the demand is a small fraction of what it was, and he now competes with a mountain of previously sold trains that are coming back on the market as some of our brothers are passing or giving it up.



Jim

I know the above is an old post, but since the thread has been resurrected...

All of the above is true, but I've heard that there's a guy out east who is making original Standard Gauge stuff - can sell everything he can make and has a waiting list.

If MTH made some original stuff, maybe there would be a market for it.

Last edited by Mallard4468
@Mallard4468 posted:

....

If MTH made some original stuff, maybe there would be a market for it.

That sounds like what I said! The market is still saturated I feel,  and the economy is going down the porcelain bowl. But if you did development now, and had new shiny offerings in O and Standard ready to go in about 2 years,  you would be in good shape to sell out. 

But it needs to be something new.  The same old same old with a 35th paint scheme isn't going to do a thing. 

@jhz563 posted:

That sounds like what I said! The market is still saturated I feel,  and the economy is going down the porcelain bowl. But if you did development now, and had new shiny offerings in O and Standard ready to go in about 2 years,  you would be in good shape to sell out.

But it needs to be something new.  The same old same old with a 35th paint scheme isn't going to do a thing.

like a standard gauge diesel would be really cool

a standard gauge ES44AC would be wicked

doubt i'd be able to afford it but still would be awesome

@Mallard4468 posted:

I know the above is an old post, but since the thread has been resurrected...

All of the above is true, but I've heard that there's a guy out east who is making original Standard Gauge stuff - can sell everything he can make and has a waiting list.

If MTH made some original stuff, maybe there would be a market for it.

uh who is this guy? does he have a website? i may need to check him out

Well it was a fun ride and I have to say if it weren’t for MTH standard gauge tinplate ,!I might not have entered into the tinplate world . It’s always bittersweet when something you enjoyed comes to an end . As for me ? I enjoy tinkering and building my own versions of trains out of junk or unwanted 500 series cars . As some of you that follow my Another Standard Gauge Project thread here on the forum I create what I think should have been made by one of the manufacturers.  My one wish was seeing a small diesel switcher made , kind of like the McCoy 0-4-0 George, only a little bigger .  So now I’m back to designing my own .  Like I said , it was fun while it lasted . Here are a few photos of what I’ve created . All out of 500 series cars . First up is a lighted poultry dispatch car , next a lighted pork dispatch car , a milk tank car , an operating milk car , the McCoy George Diesel engine and my wood prototype switcher I’m slowly gathering parts for . Cheers !  
42ECCC2A-6710-4290-BDD5-8A4E8F89239063BD1FE3-903E-43EE-BFDE-578B4D54E0F01F9E464E-328B-415A-80E0-C3442B5B663C1AF44682-02D6-428C-90F1-091AB2B715F88E564167-9E64-4AC9-8AE7-99F37C64589B46A36AB0-6EE8-4014-9266-1600F68C0AB91184603C-BA9D-45F8-9546-7708404F9CED

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Of all the O gauge trains I have, the contemporary MTH/LCT tinplate remains my special favorite category. I guess I have about 24 locomotives now and a whole lot of rolling stock, not to mention a wealth of appropriate tinplate accessories. As I and others have found over the past couple of years, the well has pretty much dried up for a whole lot of contemporary O gauge tinplate (new in box), and I assume this is also true for Standard Gauge offerings.I honestly don't think we will see new tinplate production resume for a good long time, if ever. I hope I am wrong about that, but I have neither seen nor heard anything from the industry that would leave me to believe otherwise.

If I was to sell all of my trains tomorrow (not gonna happen, of course), the tinplate would be the last to go, and probably would not go at all. I don't have a whole lot of space to devote to an all-tinplate layout, but am still working on the 4x8 that I started a year ago that will have a year-round Christmas theme. Much of the motive power resides nearby in glass-enclosed display cases, and gets operated on a rotating basis. I can't help but feel that my three very young grandsons will, many years after Papa has been planted and forgotten, still harbor some fond memories of the old geezer as they run some tinplate under their own Christmas trees.

The pricing on the internet is 2 fold. People seeing a way to double or triple their investment. Not buying g trains for enjoyment and instead buying for investment. Buyers panicking and paying 2 to 3 times what they are worth.

Please remember, this is a niche group of collector / operators. Not the high numbers of hirail. As this group of people leave hobby thru attrition, I believe the market will be flooded with product. You won't see me spending $1200 - $1500 for a 400e  or $7000 for a limited set. I can enjoy what I have. However, just a note as there are good people out there that sre willing to sell at a reasonable pricing. Be patient. 😊

Joe Gozzo

@jhz563 posted:

Yup, I have been hunting a red 256e for a few years.   I even contacted the current ebay seller about it since he had other 256 examples listed.  Sure enough he's got one, but I am not paying 2 x retail for a 16 yr old engine with ps2 electronics.   

Unless you have another source for one, I'd buy it immediately!  As they say, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush!  That said, consider the cost of how long you may now have to wait to find another.

Bob Nelson

Last edited by navy.seal
@navy.seal posted:

Unless you have another source for one, I'd buy it immediately!  As they say, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush!  That said, consider the cost of how long you may now have to wait to find another.

Bob Nelson

A $450 loco from Dec 2006 would retail new for about $650 now (June 2022), per the cpi calculator.

The other $250 being asked?...Yeah, pretty expensive 'bird'.

Yet,...how bad's the 'itch'??

Maybe include shipping and/or sales tax in the price?...Might be worth a try, anyway.

And some of us are prone to pay aggressively against the hoof-beats of mortality.  After all, it's a safe bet that whoever gets what's left of our life's efforts would never spend it themselves on a Red 256E.

Ah, passion!  The price of which is ours and ours alone.

(sigh)

@dkdkrd posted:

A $450 loco from Dec 2006 would retail new for about $650 now (June 2022), per the cpi calculator.

The other $250 being asked?...Yeah, pretty expensive 'bird'.

Yet,...how bad's the 'itch'??

Maybe include shipping and/or sales tax in the price?...Might be worth a try, anyway.

And some of us are prone to pay aggressively against the hoof-beats of mortality.  After all, it's a safe bet that whoever gets what's left of our life's efforts would never spend it themselves on a Red 256E.

Ah, passion!  The price of which is ours and ours alone.

(sigh)

The ask is $900, with no "make an offer" option.   And the way fuel and food is right now, expensive trains are at the back of the priority list.   I have lots of stuff I can enjoy.

@navy.seal posted:

Unless you have another source for one, I'd buy it immediately!  As they say, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush!  That said, consider the cost of how long you may now have to wait to find another.

Bob Nelson

20220907_173540[1]

Patience ( And a lack luster budget) have been rewarded!!  New in the box delivered for under $400!!  Those evil bay alerts work well  this is my Christmas present so no videos for a while but YEA ME!!

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my 2 cents ,,,i have bought a ton of mth standard over the years ,at one time i had 8 #400e,now i have none and sold them over the years before this last boom time.standard gauge ,imho ,needs to move more foward,,we have sound and smoke,but operating box couplers would be a wow,,,sadly the subway cars were never made,eventho i order 2 set,(will never forgive mike for that !) 380's were never made,the lti commador in new colors road names,these are just some ideas i believe would give std new life and make people say "i have to have that !!"

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800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

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