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Zink man,
 
So if its ok that an expensive engine like this is a allowed to crumble into dust after 12 years ………………..
"......crumble to dust...………." ???? 
 
Really?   IMO, a pile of dust is not the problem's normative.   The depicted pile of zink dust does not seem consistent with the somewhat minor level of your locomotive's issues.  Exaggeration can affect credibility.
I have purchased several engines with hidden problems and just got a repairman to fix it.  Done.
From cars to houses to boats, unknown problems rise.  That is life. Not every house, not every car not every boat; and not every O scale engine either.  Dollar cost averaging helps me to handle life's unexpected costs.
I can sense your disappointment but encourage you to move on.  Do not stay on the problem & condemnation, consider shifting to solution resourcing.   Life is too short to hold angst
 
Who out there can suggest someone local to the poster who could fab a fix for this modeler?
 
When I had an earlier diecast problem the repair service drilled and tapped some brass flathead screws on to the boiler then soldered on some brass fabricated detail pieces to the screw heads.  Spot sprayed color  then gave a slight weathering  dusting to make it seem perfect.
 
This stuff just happens.  I deal in a world where cancer, divorce, investment  fraud and medical failures prevail.  Every one of my clients would happily swap problems with you.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I'd rather be ice fishing posted:
Brewman1973 posted:
I'd rather be ice fishing posted:

My Allegheny was built in the 1990s and lionel had no replacement parts for me nor did they seem overly concerned with my plight.  I ended up moneying my way out of it by buying a whole tender shell with good doors from a helpful dealers NOS and I got the impression that was the last one on earth.  It was not cheap either..Lionel made no effort to help me with some doors from their newer Alleghenies stating the ones they had were being saved for warrantees.  So no love from lionel to me..

Bryan,  

In reading your orginal post on the topic a few months

ago,https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/help-my-allegheny-doors-are-broken

you stated you bought a used Lionel 6-38081 C&O 2-6-6-6 Alleghenny Steam engine. It looks like it was catalogued in 2006, so you are right it is about 12 or so years old.   I would think your issue is more with the person that sold you the engine, especially if this was some type of well know or documented issue.  The engine is long out of warranty, so putting this all on Lionel is not right, since one of the posters noted that they were albe to get replacement parts earlier this year.  For an engine that was 12 years old, that not too bad. 

Hatches

 I can't tell from your post if this was a just a cosmetic issue or an operational issue that makes it impossible to run.  

Lastly, you have done a great service to identify this issue, since I suspect that there could be a lot of these engines that were run a few times and then put back in the box and not looked at in a decade, so the owners don't know they have this problem, also anyone considering buying one should take notice and make sure that the issue is factored into the final purchase price.

I hope you consider changing the title of your post to reflect the fact that this is not just a Lionel issue,  I had an issues with some MTH trucks a few years ago and never with a Lionel product.  

I think its odd that people want me to change the title of this thread.  The only thing I can write about is what I know with my first experience with a used lionel product....and what I know is that I bought an old engine that I thought would be solid as far as the body,  ( I had little expectations from the electronics).  I cant blame the seller,  it was untouched in box and doors did not break until I opened them. 

  Despite what the original helpful poster experienced  doors are no longer available from lionel and that is the whole problem to me.  Keep in mind I don't know o-scale and im learning parts are not available like I thought they would be.  Which amazes me considering how much these cost.  How can you say this is not on lionel?  None of my old corgis have fallen apart from zinc rot...im now watching the front steam tubes doing something bad as the paint is cracking up on them.  So if its ok that an expensive engine like this is a allowed to crumble into dust after 12 years count me out of any future lionel engines..if its a fluke well then that's ok. I started this with a legitimate question on whether anyone would likely be making any parts for these in future as I don't know this scale well at all.  I did get some good answers on this forum and I think it brought out a lot of strong feelings from some people and a few dismissive unhelpful comments from others.  I do appreciate the knowledge I have gained from this posting.

 

Tom Tee posted:
Zink man,
 
So if its ok that an expensive engine like this is a allowed to crumble into dust after 12 years ………………..
"......crumble to dust...………." ???? 
 
Really?   IMO, a pile of dust is not the problem's normative.   The depicted pile of zink dust does not seem consistent with the somewhat minor level of your locomotive's issues.  Exaggeration can affect credibility.
I have purchased several engines with hidden problems and just got a repairman to fix it.  Done.
From cars to houses to boats, unknown problems rise.  That is life. Not every house, not every car not every boat; and not every O scale engine either.  Dollar cost averaging helps me to handle life's unexpected costs.
I can sense your disappointment but encourage you to move on.  Do not stay on the problem & condemnation, consider shifting to solution resourcing.   Life is too short to hold angst
 
Who out there can suggest someone local to the poster who could fab a fix for this modeler?
 
When I had an earlier diecast problem the repair service drilled and tapped some brass flathead screws on to the boiler then soldered on some brass fabricated detail pieces to the screw heads.  Spot sprayed color  then gave a slight weathering  dusting to make it seem perfect.
 
This stuff just happens.  I deal in a world where cancer, divorce, investment  fraud and medical failures prevail.  Every one of my clients would happily swap problems with you.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I'd rather be ice fishing posted:
Brewman1973 posted:
I'd rather be ice fishing posted:

My Allegheny was built in the 1990s and lionel had no replacement parts for me nor did they seem overly concerned with my plight.  I ended up moneying my way out of it by buying a whole tender shell with good doors from a helpful dealers NOS and I got the impression that was the last one on earth.  It was not cheap either..Lionel made no effort to help me with some doors from their newer Alleghenies stating the ones they had were being saved for warrantees.  So no love from lionel to me..

Bryan,  

In reading your orginal post on the topic a few months

ago,https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/help-my-allegheny-doors-are-broken

you stated you bought a used Lionel 6-38081 C&O 2-6-6-6 Alleghenny Steam engine. It looks like it was catalogued in 2006, so you are right it is about 12 or so years old.   I would think your issue is more with the person that sold you the engine, especially if this was some type of well know or documented issue.  The engine is long out of warranty, so putting this all on Lionel is not right, since one of the posters noted that they were albe to get replacement parts earlier this year.  For an engine that was 12 years old, that not too bad. 

Hatches

 I can't tell from your post if this was a just a cosmetic issue or an operational issue that makes it impossible to run.  

Lastly, you have done a great service to identify this issue, since I suspect that there could be a lot of these engines that were run a few times and then put back in the box and not looked at in a decade, so the owners don't know they have this problem, also anyone considering buying one should take notice and make sure that the issue is factored into the final purchase price.

I hope you consider changing the title of your post to reflect the fact that this is not just a Lionel issue,  I had an issues with some MTH trucks a few years ago and never with a Lionel product.  

I think its odd that people want me to change the title of this thread.  The only thing I can write about is what I know with my first experience with a used lionel product....and what I know is that I bought an old engine that I thought would be solid as far as the body,  ( I had little expectations from the electronics).  I cant blame the seller,  it was untouched in box and doors did not break until I opened them. 

  Despite what the original helpful poster experienced  doors are no longer available from lionel and that is the whole problem to me.  Keep in mind I don't know o-scale and im learning parts are not available like I thought they would be.  Which amazes me considering how much these cost.  How can you say this is not on lionel?  None of my old corgis have fallen apart from zinc rot...im now watching the front steam tubes doing something bad as the paint is cracking up on them.  So if its ok that an expensive engine like this is a allowed to crumble into dust after 12 years count me out of any future lionel engines..if its a fluke well then that's ok. I started this with a legitimate question on whether anyone would likely be making any parts for these in future as I don't know this scale well at all.  I did get some good answers on this forum and I think it brought out a lot of strong feelings from some people and a few dismissive unhelpful comments from others.  I do appreciate the knowledge I have gained from this posting.

 

well if you were paying attention you would have read that I bought a new tender so that is solved for moment and am now watching paint flake off my steam pipes..i am not sitting at my desk crying but rather getting a lot of good info from this site.  some not so helpful info....just sizing up what im dealing with here and the negative comments downplaying the situation actually do not help anything,  perhaps ill take some old arby straws and make some new steam pipes.  This thread really seems to threaten some people...

I don't get the people who are rationalizing why this is OK and just part of life either. 

If my stove, refrigerator, car transmission/engine, or AC unit for my house did this after 5 years and I had to buy a new one of each because no parts were available, and someone threw a cigarette butt in the casting pot (or whatever contaminant or original impurity happened) during manufacturing, I certainly wouldn't think it was "OK" just because there are people with other worse problems in the world. 

Sure I feel for them and don't want to trade situations, but I also don't want to drop cumulative $1000's of dollars on items where this may be a decent probability of happening when the problem is well understood by those with the technical knowledge, but not controllable in the current manufacturing environments. (due to some combination of the factory workers not knowing, customers (meaning the importers) not paying for quality level, or no realistic quality oversight of performance even if the higher quality was paid for).

Many times what folks blame on zinc rot is simply poor material choice for a part. 

Two items that come to mind are the cab aprons on the Lionel Niagaras and the feedwater pumps on the MTH Niagaras. Neither can withstand forces from normal running or handling. When purchasing either of these engines on the used market look to make sure these are not already broken or missing.

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Pete

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Last edited by Norton
Ray Lombardo posted:

The amount of whining on this forum is ridiculous.  Some of you guys should just try eating prunes regularly.  

 I hope that some of you that are constantly unhappy can find a way to rediscover enjoyment in this hobby, or in another hobby.  Life is too short to constantly complain about such trivial things.  

 

 

If these big train companies would make parts for their trains a year after they sell them, wouldn't be any whining.  I have a hard time paying 2500 for an engine that you can't repair. I've worked at a train store part time my whole life, you should see the look on customer faces when I tell them that there's no parts for their big boy or Hudson they just spent 6 months saving for and that basically its gonna just sit on the shelf, I'm embarrassed to tell them. I really am. I feel so bad!  Imagine the look on kids faces. When parents come in for trains anymore, I sell them postwar steam engines we have. 

Dmaxdeere87 posted:
Ray Lombardo posted:

The amount of whining on this forum is ridiculous.  Some of you guys should just try eating prunes regularly.  

 I hope that some of you that are constantly unhappy can find a way to rediscover enjoyment in this hobby, or in another hobby.  Life is too short to constantly complain about such trivial things.  

 

 

If these big train companies would make parts for their trains a year after they sell them, wouldn't be any whining.  I have a hard time paying 2500 for an engine that you can't repair. I've worked at a train store part time my whole life, you should see the look on customer faces when I tell them that there's no parts for their big boy or Hudson they just spent 6 months saving for and that basically its gonna just sit on the shelf, I'm embarrassed to tell them. I really am. I feel so bad!  Imagine the look on kids faces. When parents come in for trains anymore, I sell them postwar steam engines we have. 

+1 I worked at the Depot in Lantana for a few years in the 90’s while in college. I loved it but I and never had to break bad news like that, but you are right I would have hated doing it. Pretty much all I did was repairs or rebuilds or go through used stuff we bought before it was put out for resale. That was really before Tmcc. Although you had the Marklin Digital system but I don’t remember having any issues with it at that time.

jim pastorius posted:

Several years ago I bought a $1200 HP laptop, a little over a year later it crapped out. No warranty and 3 repair people told me it wasn't worth fixing. What really ticked me off is that HP knew about the problem. Needless to say, I didn't get another HP.  Old timers made their detail parts when they had to. Maybe someone could help.

Bet I know who the CEO was! Had two HP laptops where the hard drive began giving messages about a wire issue. a quick internet search turned out it wasn't wires at all, the drives were failing and this was the message which was being displayed. and you can guess what HP said on a 1 year old machine...

To keep to the thread, there is no excuse for modern trains to be disintegrating from bad metal in the 21st century.

Last edited by BobbyD
jim pastorius posted:

Several years ago I bought a $1200 HP laptop, a little over a year later it crapped out. No warranty and 3 repair people told me it wasn't worth fixing. What really ticked me off is that HP knew about the problem. Needless to say, I didn't get another HP.  Old timers made their detail parts when they had to. Maybe someone could help.

Jim, you must have went cheap on the warranty options. I buy lots of HP laptops and desktops for work and while 1 year is an option for penny pinchers, 3 year parts/labor/onsite is the default (at least for business products). I bought my wife a new HP laptop back in 2012 with a 5 year warranty and the total cost was $1099. The upgraded warranty from 3 to 5 years added $165 cost. Never needed the warranty and she is still using it today.

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