Scrooge's Layout

Great subject! My O-gauge is all second-hand bargain items, most of them fixer-uppers, many of them acquired at occasional train shows. My first O-gauge layout was an O27-O54 figure-8 layout on a 30"x 79" door. I've finally covered the table with an assortment of bargain items, maybe it will get upgraded eventually.

Examples of my second-hand bargains:

Assembled and weathered Plasticville buildings for $3 each (freight station and coaling tower)

Low-mileage Lionel/Quaker Oats set with 246 loco for $30

6464 size MPC boxcars for $5 each

Assorted Lionel flatcars for $1 each

Vintage Lionel 2026 loco for $50 - needed minor work

50+ pieces of like-new O54 curves for $45

My one "big-ticket" item: MTH Big Boy loco for $200, I repaired it.

The hobby doesn't have to be expensive to be fun. It just takes some patience to find bargains, and it helps to have repair skills.

I recently bought a parts lot of freight car stuff.  I paid $15 for the box. I ended up with five Weaver plastic trucks and couplers, 3 weaver plastic 3 rail couplers and some wheels sets. All these parts were shipped inside a MTH box car shell. It was the shell alone with the doors....nothing else. So I made a flooor from sheet stock, added some basic details and mounted some roller bearing Lionel trucks I had gotten in another parts lot. A parts box brake wheel and I had a very nice B&O box car for maybe $5 and that's high as the other stuff I got with the body were worth more than the $15 I paid.

I often do the 'Trash to Treasure' with my trains. I enjoy building and restoring train cars and locos.  And buy looking to what might work. I later found a Weaver covered hopper missing a truck....well the odd number of trucks in my parts box made my $3 Weaver car complete.....it was missing the corner steps but I made them from brass wire....they will not snap off so easy now.....and again for less than $5 I got a nice Weaver car! Just keep your eyes and mind open!

Quite an artist

Brent

Quite amazing, that fire animation.

i remember those cartoons in Popular Mechanics where the dad would see something useful and in a few frames have it built in his workshop.  i grew up with a dad like that, but i have a feeling those handy projects will soon be a thing of the past.

i am amazed when i see such simple things that anyone could make on some late night infomercial "for only $19.99 plus shipping and handling", etc.

there is a lot of talk these days in live steam forums about the loss of some quality craftsmen without anyone stepping up to take their place.  one of the best boilermakers in the country is wanting to retire and even posting ads for an apprentice his would train, yet i feel that will eventually be another loss to the hobby.

with NCC manufacturing taking over and many schools losing their industrial arts programs, i predict a sad future for the home shop machinist.

I picked up a Lionel Post War Burlington GP7 for $25.00. I put new grease in the gear box, checked the brushes and cleaned the commutator, cleaned and oiled everything that moved, put in a new battery for the horn, gave the body and frame a gentle cleaning and replaced both brackets on the frame which hold the lights and body (shell) on. Also put new light bulbs in it. All told I have about $60 or so invested in this locomotive. She looks and runs great. I then ran it under my Christmas Tree this past Christmas with a WbB Burlington Route caboose which I picked up to run with it.

Cobrabob.