FIRST: I manage to do my own repairs about 40% of the time, whether the loco is under warranty or not.  I've replaced motors, boards, and re-wired.  What generally defeats me and requires professional help is mechanical or structural breakages.  I also don';t like taking apart "complicated" locos - I would not take on a JLC Big Boy, for example, but would/have done BEEPS, Legacy diesels, and some non-articulated Lionel and MTH as well as WBB steam. 

For those that have trains that need to be repaired would you rather have it fixed locally or sent back to the factory?  (Given that there is a good repair facility locally).

I prefer local.  I want to support my local LHS/repair shop.  I like to be able to talk face to face with the person doing the repairs.

Do you answer differently for warranty versus a billable repair?  No - in many cases I woluld pay locally to have repairs done that might be covered by mail-order warranty. Again, I trust I can get what I want if I can talk to the person face to face.

How long a wait for a repair is considered excessive?   Six weeks.

If you prefer to have it serviced locally, is there anything that would influence you to send it to a different repair facility in a different location (requires shipping)?  A predicted excessive wait or inability of local services to do the job.

If a manufacturer's product can't be serviced locally does that influence what you buy?   Yes, somewhat.  

Do you consider trains as disposable and discard when they break, or should they be kept running as long as possible?  Both.  I like to keep them running as long as possible, but one has to be reasonable. 

-----With high end locos, I consider that when a loco fails to run properly it should be fixed.  I do so except when advised not to bother by my local repair/LHS.  Then it becomes either a "display only" shelf queen (I have many) or that it goes into the spare-parts and box.

-----But "cheap" locos aren't worth the problem.  I had a BEEP die on my this past weekend (first one ever, and a nearerly new one at that).  I can buy another for $60.  Not worth the trouble to try to fix --> spare parts box.

-----One thing I have learned.  I give a repair only two chances - then I give up.

My answers are in your quote in caps.

G,

Knowing your just around the corner certainly is a plus for me

To answer your questions:

1) Fixed locally (if I can't do it myself)

2) Yes, if under warranty I feel it should be sent back to the manufacturer.

Question, do you repair guys submit reports to the manufacturers saying how many and what types of repairs you do each month?  That would be a good way to keep tabs on recurring issues.

3) 6-8 weeks wait on something sent back, shorter (2-4 weeks) if done locally IF the parts are in stock

4) No, unless the parts were not available at the local repair shop

5) No, Honestly, nothing I've bought has had what I consider a major failure.  The only thing I've had done was a Factory reset on a PS2 engine.  I've got a RS3 that will not shift directions if it's under 50 degrees, but I've had no problems since I moved from the garage to inside the house

6) No, I buy from all over, whoever has what I'm looking for or who can get it when I want it

7) No, if they cost $50 I would say yes, but I can't see having a $1000+ shelf queen.  If it's physically damaged I usually fix it or tear it down and use it for parts

I don't have what you consider to be a "large operating collection", I have 7 engines and 48 pieces of rolling stock.  I read posts from folks saying they have 300+ engines and over 1000 pieces of rolling stock, I just can't grasp the concept

Lee I would put a bridge rectifier in it or a cheap reverse unit such as the twelve dollar Lionel ones. I can almost guarantee you 99.999 percent that the problem is not the motors.  With the bridge rectifier you can go forward and on dc both directions.

To sum up all questions,

Now I buy mth for their reliability and a nice simple command system. Williams for reliability. Lionel for Polar Express items.

I usually repair and upgrade all my trains by myself and have always been successful. If it has delicate electronics and still under warranty then it is sent back to the manufacturer. 

So rarely do I send trains back and I buy reliafull trains.

Would you rather have it fixed locally or sent back to the factory?  (Given that there is a good repair facility locally).

Manufacturer's facility

Do you answer differently for warranty versus a billable repair?

Nope!

How long a wait for a repair is considered excessive?

More than six weeks, depending on the season of the year

If you prefer to have it serviced locally, is there anything that would influence you to send it to a different repair facility in a different location (requires shipping)?

n/a

If a manufacturer's product can't be serviced locally does that influence what you buy?

Nope!

If a manufacturer's product can't be serviced locally does it influence where you buy your trains?

Nope!

Do you consider trains as disposable and discard when they break, or should they be kept running as long as possible?  (I realize this is influence by cost effectiveness)

Never had to give it a thought, but if I "lost" a train because it couldn't be repaired or would cost (in my view) too much to be repaired, it would likely go into the scrap box.  I don't necessarily think of them as "disposable," but I also don't much care if they do or do not survive me.

1.  local

2.  no

3.  I never rush a good service tech, quality service is way more important than "fast" service.

4.  not if I still have a good service tech.

5.  no

6.  no

7.  no, and yes.

steam rules

"a country boy can survive!"  -  Bocephus,1981

I haven't yet tried to take an engine apart. So I prefer to have mine serviced. I have tried two LHS service centers as well as sent an engine back to Lionel for repairs. With that preface, here are my poll answers:

#1 I prefer to have my service performed locally. This is not to say that I have had anything but excellent service from Lionel. Caveat: All of my engines and stock have been acquired in the last 3 years, and all engines are Lionel Legacy save two Lionel conventional runners.

#2 I prefer to have the train professionally serviced, which excludes me. This means that warranty or no, if I have service, I'm prepared to pay.

#3 Because of my rather unique situation, my trains being in NC at a vac home while I am in FL, I may have a longer timeframe than most. I usually am able to get to the layout every 6-8 weeks, though, and I would therefore consider that to be expected. Excessive to me would be 10-14 weeks.

#4 I am lucky to have two repair shops within 45 min. One was not what I expected, the other has exceeded my expectations. It would take a lot (this repair shop saying "no") to have me ship the item somewhere else. Usually, if they cannot handle the repair, they will send the item to Lionel (done twice, both successful fixes). At this stage I wouldn't consider sending the engine off somewhere else.

#5 No, local servicing availabilty hasn't really influenced what I buy. I have stuck with Lionel engines thus far. My LHS sells MTH as well, but right now I haven't branched out. But having a local service for Lionel being so good, I haven't had an urge to deviate from Lionel products thus far.

#6 Yes, I would say the service at my LHS has had/does have an influence on where I buy. I have purchased trains from a variety of vendors. I would purchase more from the LHS if the engines didn't have to be pre-ordered (small shop, so engines aren't stocked as much as the larger stores). Having a vendor/service center that I like tends to make me look to buy from their shop primarily, so I would say that the service and pricing play an equal role in how I decide where to buy.

#7 I HATE when my stuff doesn't work. My wife has to forcibly pry tools, gadgets, cars, etc from my hands to get me to throw them out. So I will probably be tinkering/fiddling/paying for repairs for a long time, possibly paying more for repairs than the thing cost originally! My wife is still training me to throw things away. So no, trains are not throwaway items to me.

Hope this helps,

Bruce

 I recently had to send a Lionel big boy in for service.

I was charged 60.00 for labor which included return shipping for the 22 lb item.

This did not seem unreasonable to me.

The turn around time was not bad at about 2.5 weeks including shipping times.

There are no Lionel service centers nearby here in Tennessee.

I can repair any of the old engines but the newer electronic ones are definetly tougher and almost no parts are available from Lionel which is a good reason to me to not buy any more newer models.

 I plan to upgrade some of the older models with newer electronics myself, at least those parts are available.

I've called this "neutering" a loco.   I have several old PS1 locos that I did this too.  A cheap Radio shack full wave rectifier and it runs fairly well. 

Often though, the motors do burn out, I've done one bad moto.  And I have had two MTH locos strip their worm gears, so it is easy and not too expensive just to buy a new motor with worm attached rather than try to change the motor's worm gear itself. 

Thank you this has been helpful.  Just to clarify:  On a warranty repair you would rather send back to manufacturer even if LHS was authorized and capable to do the warranty repair?  G

I have been around the hobby over 40 years and only this year have sent my first engine to a tech for repair/rebuild. It will still be cheaper than to try and replace it at retail. I just finished rebuilding two geeps with upgraded electronics and am preparing to do a third.

The rest of it, I do myself and there is a parts bin in the corner for those models that have been stripped of all useable parts. And even the bodies are disposable for practice with weathering, painting etc.

The modern equivalent of disposable is Ebay. It is easier to simply sell off the parts and put the dollars towards the next project.

I usually keep the trains and run em. It matters not to me what happens to the trains that survive me.

With the recent changes going on in China and the resulting wait times getting simply too long, I rely on the Bay or these forums to pick up a wanted item or three.