Question on grading USED trains. .

Here's the current TCA grading standards.

C-10 Mint—Brand New: all original; unused and unblemished.

C-9 Factory New—Brand New: all original; unused; may evidence factory rubs and the slightest evidence of handling, shipping and having been test run at the factory.

C-8 Like New—Complete all original: no rust, no missing parts; may show effects of being on display and/or age; may have been run.

C-7 Excellent—all original: minute scratches and paint nicks; no rust and no missing parts; no distortion of component parts.

C-6 Very Good: Minor scratches and paint nicks, minor spots of surface rust, free of dents. May have minor parts replaced.

C-5 Good—Sign of play wear: scratches and minor paint loss. Small dents, minor surface rust. Evidence of heavy use.

C-4 Fair: Scratched, moderate paint loss, dented missing parts, surface rust. Evidence of heavy use.

C-3 Poor—Requires major body repair: Heavily scratched, major rust and missing parts. Restoration candidate.

C-2 Restoration required.

C-1 Junk—parts value only.

I personally never grade above a C9. In 50 years of being in the hobby,I have yet to see a model train that is truly C10 "Mint".

Thank you very much for the grading references Boomer.  Much appreciated.

you might want to go to the TCA website, where there are literally pages of details and explanations on each grade level.  After reading these various nuances, it seems to me that a piece should be graded one level down from what you commonly see.  Or "Would be grade XX except for defect YY."

You should note that TCA train grading says nothing about whether or not a train runs properly or at all.  The only thing that the grading system rates is how the train looks.  

It is just as important to me if an engine runs well when I am making a purchase decision.  You will need to ask the seller about whether or not the train runs and how well.

NH Joe

Thank you ALL for this valuable info.  It is appreciated.

Thanks again

Larry in Calgary

Visit the TCA Standards web page, and you will find links to extensive documents on how to grade trains.

There are separate documents for prewar, postwar, paper, and restorations

Unless you are going to just buy an item and put in on a shelf, the TCA grading standards are somewhat limiting.  I would like to see them modernize the standards to a dual standard of appearance and operating condition.

If I buy an operating accessory or engine, I want to know the cosmetic condition and how the piece actually operates.  Thus, the best selling descriptions to me are both a grade AND information as to whether something operates as it should.

Jim