At least the title is accurate, Massive Dump. Sorry, with so much good stuff out there now, cheap, it's not worth settling for Good or Very Good.
Chris S,
Berkshire posted:Tinplate Art posted:Of course, there is always a (slim?) chance there could be a true gem hidden in all that mess, but not very likely, and it probably would not be in good condition!
He just buys everything train related, and most of it doesn't even come out of the box! A ton of the stuff I saw was still in the cardboard boxes he bought it in, still taped up and everything. That's where I found the marx mercury set.
How old is this fella? What train nut can’t resist taking some stuff out of the box? I apologize but I agree with the hoarding comments. I hope you can help this person. Good luck.
No offense but I wouldn’t touch that track with a ten foot pole.
I have a basic inventory sheet, I'll look for it. There are also a few things I gave him too, mainly two transformers. I started sorting the spare track into stacks, and tying them with rubber bands. I seperated O gauge and 027 gauge, but I'm not sure I kept to the direction when it came to curves.
Hudson J1e posted:How old is this fella? What train nut can’t resist taking some stuff out of the box? I apologize but I agree with the hoarding comments. I hope you can help this person. Good luck.
No offense but I wouldn’t touch that track with a ten foot pole.
He's in his 70's, and he doesn't have the time to take things out of the box, as he spends most his time managing the farm, and with his carriage collection that he also owns in another warehouse. He's going to unbox them all whenever he starts setting up the museum, and has somewhere to put them.
Why would he unbox them before having a reason to do so? He's just getting them all together before that part of the museum comes together. He's already got one section, which was really cool. About 5 or 6 office-sized rooms decorated with antiques, each made to resemble places like an old doctors office, a dentists office, shoemakers shop, etc. I would post a few pics, but it's not really train related, and I don't want to get in trouble again.
It sounds like the goal is something like The Gold King Mine in Jerome AZ. The owner there passed before he got to A LOT of his projects He was just spread too thin and ran out of time.
Well, all he really needs is someone to help him. I'd be glad to take the trains and track home with me and have a shot at restoring them over time, and returning to pick up more once I'm finished. I'd just need to ask first. Maybe arrange some sort of deal with him.
Berkshire posted:Hudson J1e posted:How old is this fella? What train nut can’t resist taking some stuff out of the box? I apologize but I agree with the hoarding comments. I hope you can help this person. Good luck.
No offense but I wouldn’t touch that track with a ten foot pole.
He's in his 70's, and he doesn't have the time to take things out of the box, as he spends most his time managing the farm, and with his carriage collection that he also owns in another warehouse. He's going to unbox them all whenever he starts setting up the museum, and has somewhere to put them.
Why would he unbox them before having a reason to do so? He's just getting them all together before that part of the museum comes together. He's already got one section, which was really cool. About 5 or 6 office-sized rooms decorated with antiques, each made to resemble places like an old doctors office, a dentists office, shoemakers shop, etc. I would post a few pics, but it's not really train related, and I don't want to get in trouble again.
Wow! I kind of feel sorry for the guy. I certainly hope that when and if I reach my ‘70s I don’t have to spend most of my time managing a farm or working. I hope that if I reach that age I will be retired and have time for the hobbies I enjoy.
As to unboxing a few items? I have at times unboxed a locomotive and few cars just to run them back and forth a bit or run them at a friends house. As a train nut this just kind of satisfied a temporary need for trains. I hope to finally start on my layout next year. I hope your friend can find some way to retire in the near future and enjoy the rest of his life.
aussteve posted:Looks like a AM pickers episode waiting to happen. I did see an O gauge 90 degree crossing in there that caught my eye.
If you're supposed to get that ready for a museum it could take a while.
There is a guy at York in the blue or silver hall sometimes who has two tables back to back with a huge pile of stuff like this stacked up about 24 inches high.
Didn't Mike and Frank get burned several years ago on an old vintage Lionel set? If so, they might be a little gun shy on any more antique train purchases. 
Mixed Freight posted:aussteve posted:Looks like a AM pickers episode waiting to happen. I did see an O gauge 90 degree crossing in there that caught my eye.
If you're supposed to get that ready for a museum it could take a while.
There is a guy at York in the blue or silver hall sometimes who has two tables back to back with a huge pile of stuff like this stacked up about 24 inches high.
Didn't Mike and Frank get burned several years ago on an old vintage Lionel set? If so, they might be a little gun shy on any more antique train purchases.
I think that was a standard gauge state set, and they did over pay a bit if I remember correctly.
Can you spell p-a-c-k-r-a-t? I see this a lot in "collecting". The Indianapolis Children's Museum had an excellent train collection on an upper floor. Was later relegated to basement with only a fraction displayed. They cater to maximum public interest. There is that museum in Rochester, NY with a good collection. This all pristine, as is TCA Museum. SW of Detroit l visited an estate auction of a car collection. Warehouses full of rusty antique cars hauled in and stacked vertically on front ends. Only Bill Harrah in Reno with cash flow from casinos could and did finance that kind of born from rust car (or train) restoration. Rusty track? Have you been in a Menards? They got lots of shiny new track..unless it is track from an early maker...wooden ties?..separate that out..hope his carriages are better..but wonder..as for the rooms with displays...visit Wisconsin's House On The Rock. Hopeless dream.
He’s opening a museum?!! Is he planning to charge an entrance fee?
I’d say ‘Massive dump’ is the most appropriate title to a thread on here in the history of the forum! LOL.
Lol, I think I know a the Detroit warehouses. Owned by a semi-famous drag racer. There is one full of early 60s mint cars, all with less than 1000 miles on them. A room of crossrams, hemi and Ford hemi blocks, etc.. on shelves, all ready to dump in a beater and run like the devil at a moment's notice. I haven't visited him in a decade, and his health was downhill last I heard.
Where do you guys think some rare gems come from? They all don't come from rich folks shelves, or even forgotten boxes in attics. P-A-C-K-R-A-T-S. I just find it ironic some folks don't realise it.
If it ain't a bio-hazard, I don't don't mind poor housekeeping, or rust and dirt; it cleans up; especially track (more likely I'd get hit by a bus than have a little dirt kill me. Ive been accused of being a neat freak and slob both, so I figure I'm decently balanced between the two extremes). Everything shown below was once in far worse shape than most of what I saw above. It cost me nothing but some oil, paint, and time I wanted to kill. It's lastest 30 years since it was dug up, most cars were just piles of rust dust around the engine, which was mostly rust brown; motor packed solid with dirt. The blue one, passenger cars, and SP not much better looking, but still run for fun. The track is my worst, but still runs um ok. (shiny Menards track is out of site; above to the right 
This temp carpet layout would have cost over 200 bucks to run with new track; $450+ with turnouts. This track has served me well for over half a decade and will continue to for who knows how long... $450 and shiny, or low buck dingy, they run and thats what matters to me.
Valuable? Not fiscally; but the history is pure gold imo. Even the engines from other families.
The Black CV was literally buried in dirt for decades. I got a "few hours of time" killed while restoring them. The fun, pride, and reflection while time killing is part of why I'm attracted to the hobby. It's not about buying shiny new for me. Never was, never will be (at least not exclusively)
In contrast, another toy collecting hobby (VWs) I had was bought piece by piece with condition being a priority. I had well over 600 maybe 1k. I sold it without remorse. Had I invested more than just money, I would miss it. But all I did was pluck something from a shelf, and plunk down some green.
It's hard for me to grasp the allure of everything being too pristine even touch without gloves. It's nice to look at, but lacks any pleasure beyond that 3-30 seconds to see it. (for me )
I came to this realization as a kid watching adults obsess over perfection in trains... It just never seemed as fun to me. I'd rather run a beater that view a shelf queeen I might feel "guilt" for just touching with bare hands. Memories of old farts looking down thier noses at the kid at the shows kept me from pursuing the hobby for years. I hate to say it, but I see much of that "better than thou" attitude here in this thread. It's one thing to want your place pristine, another to expect others to live to your standards and talk down your noses to those that don't meet them; which unfortunately is what I see most of.
I would definately have a blast at the tourist traps mentioned in jest as lost causes. Especially the mine and a ride in "Walter". (VW folk often name thier vehicles fyi ; and old tradition)
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