The Scrounger

Here's a scrounger acquisition:

I call this guy the Automatic Gateman's little brother. I like him a lot. He cost me pennies, at most, at a train show where I found him under the table. He may have been a throw in and cost me nothing. Arnold

This scrounger acquisition, a Postwar operating log loader (not currently on my layout), did not end up so well. I bought it at an LHS for less than $50 that seemed like a great price, and was told it did not work.

Unfortunately, I could not fix it, and it cost me about $250 to get it fixed.

So, unless you can fix stuff yourself, you win some and lose some when you scrounge. Arnold

I am not a scrounger, but I have had tables at train shows that I only brought bins of $1 and $5 parts and junk. Those days I sold more than any other show.

i totally get this aspect of the hobby. So many guys told me about the projects/repairs they had planned and it was pretty cool

This is pretty much the way I find stuff at train shows.  The first pass thru I look only under the tables.  Then I go back and look to see what is left on top that interests me.  I have found lots of great stuff this way.  At the last show I picked up a bunch of Lehigh Valley hoppers for less than $5 each.  Use them for my unit coal trains.

Rolland

Some of my favorite things on my layout were bought for very little money, like this little wooden newstand behind the backstop of my ball park. Same with the newspaper boy, who is too big, but so are many of the Lionel figures that come with their accessories, like the giant Automatic Gateman:

I decorated this newstand with the signs on it.

One of my favorite things is to show that you can have great fun in this hobby and not spend an arm and a leg. 

Arnold

Arnold,

Unfortunately, I'm too much of a perfectionist to be a good scrounger. But this has got to be one of your most brilliant threads - ever. And $2,000  Vision Line locomotives are way above my pay grade...

MRLGAR

Look at the air conditioning unit on the top of the 3rd building. It is the "hotel" from the Game of Life.

Peter

Putnam Division posted:

Look at the air conditioning unit on the top of the 3rd building. It is the "hotel" from the Game of Life.

Peter

I like the billboard.  Hope you give Max plenty of those treats.

This is a great topic. I myself haven't made it into that category yet, but I'd say I'm a work in progress. No matter where or when I am always looking at everything regardless of what it is.  Maybe it is because I can imagine a lot with just what I see or maybe I'm aspiring to get more ideas for things not seen yet. Either way <--- WIP.

Works for some, but my sub-clinical OCD would not permit such behavior.

I found an Autoloader with broken trucks and missong wheels for $5.00.  I bought another flat car for $3.00 and swapped the Autorack.

$18.00 for four 'Cars' Hudsons and I'm happy with the result.

 My Barrel Loader 362 came as a Junker ramp and vibration motor without the base.  I got to make a base from wood in just the size I needed for my location near the main board control panel.  I made the ramp discharge piece from plastic from plastic gutter piece and ramp feed section from aluminum sheet from flashing.  I have yet to make the fencing around the ramp.

The Lionel Barrel Loader 362 is a long vibrating ramp that will load the barrels into the Lionel Barrel 3556 Unloading Car. 

Barrel Loader Operator- my guy is not the  2 inch high man like the original but larger than the little Barrel Car man           

Charlie

Some of the most fun I've had scrounging is for scenery materials.

Filling my pockets on the sides of roads with small broken pieces of asphalt for ballast, which mortified my teenage son at that time. LOL:

I know my ballast is way too big, but so are the rails of my tubular track, and I could have afforded better ballast made by a scenery company, but I had so much fun filling my pockets with asphalt pebbles and getting my ballast for nothing!

What do you think these trees cost?

Absolutely nothing. Found them taking long healthy walks in the State Park near my house that was great fun finding, bringing home and planting on the layout.

My layout, by and large, is as Scrounger's layout, LOL, Arnold

Way back in the day when Lionel's tank car offerings consisted of anything as long as it was Sunoco (well, there was a momentary aberration with a Gulf tank or two but that was later) I purchased several junk tank cars, some decals, got paint to match the car color instructions on the decal sheet packs, and turned out a few custom decorated tank cars.

...after making several true-to-prototype-markings cars I decided I'd go into the oil producing business for myself.  The silhouette of the butler was the logo from my uncle's printing business and 341 was the house number of our home at the time. 

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Some of the most fun I've had scrounging is for scenery materials.

Filling my pockets on the sides of roads with small broken pieces of asphalt for ballast, which mortified my teenage son at that time. LOL:

I know my ballast is way too big, but so are the rails of my tubular track, and I could have afforded better ballast made by a scenery company, but I had so much fun filling my pockets with asphalt pebbles and getting my ballast for nothing!

What do you think these trees cost?

Absolutely nothing. Found them taking long healthy walks in the State Park near my house that was great fun finding, bringing home and planting on the layout.

My layout, by and large, is as Scrounger's layout, LOL, Arnold

You know what Arnold, that ballast looks great IMO. An interesting thing to note, the Railroad by me is in the process of refurbishing a line that has been out of service since the 90's. One spot had worried me before they started work because there was a washout from the fields coming down to where the track was. I had completely washed away the ballast on that two foot area. The way you ballast looks in the photo with the cyclist, looks like they imbedded the rails in the rocks.

Granted train shows are not as plentiful today as they once were. When I got back into the hobby, there were quite a few of them (even during the summer) and looking beneath the table was essential for the budget minded, like me.

You could often see this MARX tower beneath tables, used for a variety of accessories, often broken or missing parts. K-Line and RMT also used the same tooling making bubbling water towers and flood light towers.

I took one of these busted towers and made a new base for it out of basswood. The top tank part is two pieces: A laundry detergent cap (which I painted black) that fit just nicely over the upper part of the tower, and then some sort of cap from some spray can which I painted silver, which fit snugly over the laundry soap cap with a little self-adhesive foam tape.

The light tube is one of those $1 items from a dollar store. It's battery operated with several light pattern functions. I used a couple of cut foam pieces to hold the tube in the base and then to the top of the tower.

The nice thing about something like this, aside from being affordable and easy to do, is that if you have a small layout as I do, it is nice to create some layout variety by having some accessories, buildings etc., that can be easily moved around. Or easily put on or off the layout without any alteration of wiring.

I've read some posts of people becoming bored with their smaller layouts. By keeping some accessories or scenery designed to be easily moved, helps to keep even a small layout a little more exciting.

At the Warrenville docks scrap metal is transferred via a Lionel Magnetic Crane to or from waiting gondolas, trucks and a small barge.

I made the barge from balsa and cardboard and an ultimate (IMHO) scrounge item. See the pic below, can you find the ultimate scrounge item? Hint #1: there are several of them. Hint #2: it is not the scrounged scrap metal load

Lionelski posted:

At the Warrenville docks scrap metal is transferred via a Lionel Magnetic Crane to or from waiting gondolas, trucks and a small barge.

I made the barge from balsa and cardboard and an ultimate (IMHO) scrounge item. See the pic below, can you find the ultimate scrounge item? Hint #1: there are several of them. Hint #2: it is not the scrounged scrap metal load

I say it's the fire hydrant.   It looks like a board game piece.

Lionelski posted:

At the Warrenville docks scrap metal is transferred via a Lionel Magnetic Crane to or from waiting gondolas, trucks and a small barge.

I made the barge from balsa and cardboard and an ultimate (IMHO) scrounge item. See the pic below, can you find the ultimate scrounge item? Hint #1: there are several of them. Hint #2: it is not the scrounged scrap metal load

Ha! The other use for those objects is to be eaten 

I've used cut Christmas tree branches to use as logs in my dump cars and logging scenes after baking at low temp (so they wouldn't catch on fire) and then sealing with dullcoat.

I've also used gravel from the side of the road as talus at the base of mountains and real rocks in streams.

-Greg

geysergazer posted:

Lionelski posted:

At the Warrenville docks scrap metal is transferred via a Lionel Magnetic Crane to or from waiting gondolas, trucks and a small barge.

I made the barge from balsa and cardboard and an ultimate (IMHO) scrounge item. See the pic below, can you find the ultimate scrounge item? Hint #1: there are several of them. Hint #2: it is not the scrounged scrap metal load

Ha! The other use for those objects is to be eaten 

You got it Lew, let's use your response as a third hint for those that are still guessing.

Mike McCutcheon posted:

Lionelski posted:

At the Warrenville docks scrap metal is transferred via a Lionel Magnetic Crane to or from waiting gondolas, trucks and a small barge.

I made the barge from balsa and cardboard and an ultimate (IMHO) scrounge item. See the pic below, can you find the ultimate scrounge item? Hint #1: there are several of them. Hint #2: it is not the scrounged scrap metal load

I say it's the fire hydrant.   It looks like a board game piece.

Nope, but I see what you mean. I gotta remove it and paint it

Lionelski posted:

geysergazer posted:

Lionelski posted:

At the Warrenville docks scrap metal is transferred via a Lionel Magnetic Crane to or from waiting gondolas, trucks and a small barge.

I made the barge from balsa and cardboard and an ultimate (IMHO) scrounge item. See the pic below, can you find the ultimate scrounge item? Hint #1: there are several of them. Hint #2: it is not the scrounged scrap metal load

Ha! The other use for those objects is to be eaten 

You got it Lew, let's use your response as a third hint for those that are still guessing.

You mean the black-painted Cherrios used for fender tires?

palallin posted:

Lionelski posted:

geysergazer posted:

Lionelski posted:

At the Warrenville docks scrap metal is transferred via a Lionel Magnetic Crane to or from waiting gondolas, trucks and a small barge.

I made the barge from balsa and cardboard and an ultimate (IMHO) scrounge item. See the pic below, can you find the ultimate scrounge item? Hint #1: there are several of them. Hint #2: it is not the scrounged scrap metal load

Ha! The other use for those objects is to be eaten 

You got it Lew, let's use your response as a third hint for those that are still guessing.

You mean the black-painted Cherrios used for fender tires?

BINGO!

We got anuda winna!

You know, when I was at my LTS last month, the owner's daughter and I had been talking about a varied number of topics. One of the things she said is that they sometimes have stuff that they know won't sell in the store so they pop it up on eBay. Now I myself am sure that if I was so interested in stuff that was in said category, maybe they'd let me have a look if they thought I'd be interested. Not sure where I'd start though.

Lionelski posted:

palallin posted

You mean the black-painted Cherrios used for fender tires?

BINGO!

We got anuda winna!

 

Very clever, I didn't think of that. Based on the hints that there were several and could be eaten, I thought maybe the 4 long and narrow dark colored objects (where the man is sitting) might be licorice. Arnold

Except for the Kramer ballplayers, which were not cheap, my Popsicle ballpark was dirt cheap to make, and a good Scrounger's project.

The scoreboard and Yankee Stadium centerfielder monuments are made of scrap cardboard painted black and the ends of Popsicle sticks:

More popsicle sticks glued and painted blue for bleachers:

The fencing in the above photo  (I think it's chicken wire I cut a long time ago) was dirt cheap.

The Woodland Scenics Blended Turf above and Fine Turf below, which are great products IMO, are reasonably priced, as is their spray glue. 

And the billboards, which IMO add a lot to the scenes in the above photos, were inexpensive. I bought them used (not new), from a LHS for very little money.

A couple of my billboards cost nothing because they are homemade; one is a Ritz cracker billboard and the other is Bigelow Tea billboard (Bigelow advertises now with the Yankees including TV commercials with Joe Torre), that I made from cut outs from Ritz and Bigelow cardboard boxes.

Ritz is the billboard on the right:

The Bigelow Peppermint Tea billboard is in the photo immediately above on the right behind blue bleachers with several sitting figures.

This ballpark was my most fun Scrounger's project. Arnold

Broken down pre-war Lionel 225 turned into a CPR Pacific.

This either late pre-war, or early post-war caboose, was a $5 or $10 purchase at a train show. 

It is one of my favorite caboose. Looks and runs great, it's all metal and illuminated.

It's a Scrounger's delight. Arnold 

1945-47 Arnold

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Except for the Kramer ballplayers, which were not cheap, my Popsicle ballpark was dirt cheap to make, and a good Scrounger's project.

The scoreboard and Yankee Stadium centerfielder monuments are made of scrap cardboard painted black and the ends of Popsicle sticks:

More popsicle sticks glued and painted blue for bleachers:

The fencing in the above photo  (I think it's chicken wire I cut a long time ago) was dirt cheap.

The Woodland Scenics Blended Turf above and Fine Turf below, which are great products IMO, are reasonably priced, as is their spray glue. 

And the billboards, which IMO add a lot to the scenes in the above photos, were inexpensive. I bought them used (not new), from a LHS for very little money.

A couple of my billboards cost nothing because they are homemade; one is a Ritz cracker billboard and the other is Bigelow Tea billboard (Bigelow advertises now with the Yankees including TV commercials with Joe Torre), that I made from cut outs from Ritz and Bigelow cardboard boxes.

Ritz is the billboard on the right:

The Bigelow Peppermint Tea billboard is in the photo immediately above on the right behind blue bleachers with several sitting figures.

This ballpark was my most fun Scrounger's project. Arnold

I can say without a doubt that it is indeed chicken wire. Excellent use of materials Arnold, who would have thought. My one coworker Bob(the other Bob) and I were talking one day about how model railroaders use just about anything under the sun for their layouts. This started because I was showing him a video of someone using old ceiling tiles to make shale outcrops for mountains. He said that was something that most people wouldn't even think to use. It's great to see that people always think outside of the box 

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Except for the Kramer ballplayers, which were not cheap, my Popsicle ballpark was dirt cheap to make, and a good Scrounger's project.

The scoreboard and Yankee Stadium centerfielder monuments are made of scrap cardboard painted black and the ends of Popsicle sticks:

More popsicle sticks glued and painted blue for bleachers:

The fencing in the above photo  (I think it's chicken wire I cut a long time ago) was dirt cheap.

The Woodland Scenics Blended Turf above and Fine Turf below, which are great products IMO, are reasonably priced, as is their spray glue. 

And the billboards, which IMO add a lot to the scenes in the above photos, were inexpensive. I bought them used (not new), from a LHS for very little money.

A couple of my billboards cost nothing because they are homemade; one is a Ritz cracker billboard and the other is Bigelow Tea billboard (Bigelow advertises now with the Yankees including TV commercials with Joe Torre), that I made from cut outs from Ritz and Bigelow cardboard boxes.

Ritz is the billboard on the right:

The Bigelow Peppermint Tea billboard is in the photo immediately above on the right behind blue bleachers with several sitting figures.

This ballpark was my most fun Scrounger's project. Arnold

That is some great scrounging and construction work Arnold, thanks for sharinh

midnightwrecking posted:

Broken down pre-war Lionel 225 turned into a CPR Pacific.

Beautiful, Daniel

Dave,

I used stacked broken old ceiling tiles for this purpose (rock outcroppings) in the past and are still very happy with the results. I'll take and post a pic later today

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Some of my favorite things on my layout were bought for very little money, like this little wooden newstand behind the backstop of my ball park. Same with the newspaper boy, who is too big, but so are many of the Lionel figures that come with their accessories, like the giant Automatic Gateman:

I decorated this newstand with the signs on it.

One of my favorite things is to show that you can have great fun in this hobby and not spend an arm and a leg. 

Arnold

The newspaper boy isn't too big, he just 'ate his wheaties' a bit too much

Lionelski posted:

Dave,

I used stacked broken old ceiling tiles for this purpose (rock outcroppings) in the past and are still very happy with the results. I'll take and post a pic later today

Here are a couple pics. The trees towards the top are weeds that I picked and painted, another free scrounge

Wonderful, inspiring and funny replies. Really made me happy to read them all. Thanks, Arnold

How about a free viaduct made from Styrofoam packing using a hot wire foam cutting tool:

Good post, Alan.  I like scrounging for things myself, cheap old fart that I am.

The only picture I could find with evidence is of a church setting.  My daughter had a snow globe with a little statue of Mary in it.  It broke and she was going to toss it, but I added some sculptamold to the bottom and used it in the church yard (left of building).

Other Scrounger items.......loads for Postwar gondolas.......just snip off the tabs.

Here they are in traditional-sized Lionel gondolas.....

Peter

Another Scrounger trick: caps from toothpaste tubes painted silver make O Scale garbage cans. Arnold

And these same caps when painted concrete grey make great planters.

Miketg

Mike, I've done the same for planters.

And since Peter brought this up, here's a couple of little items I got from the, umm, medicine cabinet.

Scrounger's delight: this campfire with tiny battery in it that lights up:

It cost me nothing because it was a throw in that I got for free when I bought something else at a train show. Here is my glow in the dark campfire on the left side in photo below:

Arnold

More "scrounging"

The shipping cartons at MAX FOODS......toiletries boxes from hotels with Max's picture on them.....

Peter

Not sure if it qualifies as scrounging, but I've found lots of nice "detail" parts at Ace Hardware. 

Brass rod of various sizes to simulate the HEP connections.  Pretty rough in the raw form.

The strobe units on this are the joint sections I cut off of very small plastic tubing.  I put an HO scale strobe unit in the loco  with grain of rice bulbs so these slide nicely over them.

Similar approach to finishing out the cab car:

Arnold,

You might want to change your user name to "Scrounger #1".  Did you make the hobo shack and cribbing?  I need cribbing to complete my yardmaster car.

Lionelski posted:

How about a free viaduct made from Styrofoam packing using a hot wire foam cutting tool:

Now that is cool. All the time here at work we have excess amounts of cardboard, some foam here and there, and even styrofoam occasionally.

Not train related, but as an architect who started practice in the "good old days" prior to computer visualizations of EVERYTHING,  I used to build models of buildings I designed using scrounged cardboard and chipboard from all sorts of sources. 

I still believe this is the best way to visualize a building project.  Call me old school on that, but I still enjoy using a pencil over a a pen too. 

I bought Mrs, Lionelski 2 dozen long stem roses, the real expensive kind that come with a tube of water on each and every stem. No, I won't tell you what I did, but I figured that getting back in her good graces only a couple weeks before York would be a good thing.

I made this propane storage facility by painting these tubes grey, cutting out an ad for the sign from the Yellow pages (remember them?) and adding some old model spues.

Another free project.

I made this electric sub-station using a sleeve for an automobile radio and bits and pieces from my junk box.

Lionelski posted:

Another free project.

I made this electric sub-station using a sleeve for an automobile radio and bits and pieces from my junk box.

Very clever, John.

The billboard in the background is also very economical and, IMO, a nice addition to a layout. I got a big bunch of used Postwar  billboards from a LHS for a nominal price many years ago that surround my Popsicle Stick ballpark and decorate other places along the tracks. Arnold

Here is a scrounge I did 20 something years ago.

I'd bet many here have done something similar!

I love to scrounge or repurpose.  Save all of your scrap wire after you wire your layout.  Make trees.  A little liquid electrical tape and the greenery of your choice.

Have Fun!

Ron

GG1 4877 posted:

Not train related, but as an architect who started practice in the "good old days" prior to computer visualizations of EVERYTHING,  I used to build models of buildings I designed using scrounged cardboard and chipboard from all sorts of sources. 

I still believe this is the best way to visualize a building project.  Call me old school on that, but I still enjoy using a pencil over a a pen too. 

Kinda of reminds me of Falling Waters, a Frank Lloyd Wright style of house.Very nice.

Two-rail Rivarossi FMs bought for cheap and re-built into three-rail CNR CLC passenger locos.

Some empty Clorox wipes containers, tops from cashew jars painted white, stickers from the gas station, a ladder from a broken fire engine, a curled up piece of wire, scraps of luan and some model sprues make a diesel fueling station.