Estimated repair cost?

Boston&Maine posted:

Hello,

Could someone give be a ballpark cost on having a repair tech replace a speaker and service a noisy smoke unit on a 5V PS-2 locomotive? I have never sent anything off for repair, so I have no clue. More or less than $50.00? I see a new speaker is around $15.00. I am dealing with someone on eBay.

Thanks,

 

 

First off will you have to ship it to the repair tech? Round trip shipping on that loco is minimum 40-50 bucks.If the tech is smart they will want at least the return trip insured (and you have to sign for it) so they are not responsible for a lost Locomotive. You know what the parts cost? Most techs will mark up the parts as they should. Labor could be 50-90 bucks an hour. None of this is out of line.Understand-it's a business to them.Good luck. Nick

My repair guy did a shot of teflon lube on a noisy smoke unit and its bedn quiet for years now. You might be better off fixing yourself if just a speaker and smoke motor. 

Oiling the smoke unit motor is less than certain to be a long term fix, I get plenty to fix that was tried on.   Once you have it apart enough to oil the motor, just replace it, it's a cheap part!

If all that's wrong is REALLY just the fan motor and the speaker, $50 would be reasonable.  However, I doubt you'll get any thinking tech to assure you of a price without knowing exactly what the repair will end up being.  You're dealing with someone on eBay, how do you know what he's saying it true?  The "speaker" issue could be the board and not the speaker, for instance.

Diesel or steam?  Shipping diesel is less.  Depending on the speaker parts are 31 to 34, plus labor and shipping back.  I would say about $69 plus shipping.  G

WOW, talk about coincidence. I had a 2-8-0 PS2 that stopped running, but before it did the speaker was needing replacement and yes the smoke unit was noisy. Sent to MTH and returned in less 3 weeks. Speaker replaced, smoke unit repaired and the main culprit why it stopped running a cold solder. Without asking service person replaced both wheel traction tires after he saw some cracking. Also greased and lubed. Cost to ship and insure was 27.75. Total to MTH was 89.75 included return shipping. I still have the invoice, and service department personal phone number sent along and told to call if any problems after service.  Also parts replaced were returned including traction tires pulled and replaced. (always like a service department that returns bad, broken, etc. parts they replaced. Shows they can be trusted that the work they did, they did. In past I've had BRC and boards, bulbs that were okay but replaced, yet not returned. BRC aren't cheap).

Trainworld in Lynbrook charges a standard $49 repair plus cost of parts. I had them repair an old Lionel 646 steam locomotive that was barely running and they gave it new life.

JohnF

what all techs said is true you really never  know what the exact problem until the tech checks the engine over completely and then you'll get  good repair!