Who has one and how did you start it? Was it buying parts boxes, known as surprise purchases, or incomplete items at shows, and dismantling them? Or, just from acquisitions over the years or trading with friends?
Joe Gozzo
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Joe, I love my switchers so over the last few years I was able to stock up on parts all purchased affordably on eBay. Occasionally, there would be a seller of driving rods, another one selling drivers, etc. One of my favorites was when a seller sold new old stock of 45 or so marker lights along with two #227 front number plates. A few years ago I also bought a #227 series frame with just driving wheels and idler gears. Little did I know that those drivers, idler gears and number plate would help me out with my last "basket case" switcher that I posted on another tinplate thread.
I keep parts in anything from small plastic tubs from the supermarket to prescription drug bottles, all kept handy near my workbench.
Tom
Being from new England I am fond of Lionel's prewar version of the B&M Flying Yankee. Over the years I have bought a car here, a locomotive there, a complete set here, vestibules here and the list goes on. I have on display and run a beautiful set and I probably have 12 or 14 passenger cars, 10 or 12 observation cars, 20 or so vestibules, 10 or so locomotives with motors, some with whistles. My goal is to restore them all in the many color schemes the Flying Yankee was made in.
Having a large prewar tinplate collection if I see a junk car with decent box coupler trucks, I buy them just for the trucks. It is amazing how many parts you can accumulate over the years if you keep your eyes open at train meets, especially to the boxes under the table. I have purchased many junk pre and post war cars at less then half the price the trucks on them can be sold for.
Jim Lawson
junk box finds at shows,e bay or off of here. My problem is a junker has to be pretty bad for me not to put it back together....and my parts source can turn into a new project.
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Mostly MTH repro parts for my MTH & Lionel Classics SG reproductions. I do not restore originals any more. Have some assorted modern Lionel & MTH O gauge parts - trucks, couplers, etc. I also have a number of replacement light bulbs: red, green and clear for SG locos, cars and lockons.
Best buy was years ago when I was buying items from a fellow who repaired trains for years, Bought several 256 and 254's off of him and asked what he did with his junkers--they were in box after box in his basement and I bought them all. 15 years later still getting useful stuff. I have boiler numbers for the 230, 231, 232 and 233 and drivers etc. Miss those days!
JAGRICK, Somebody else on the Forum was trying to contact you, but your email address seems to be not working. Email me if you want.
Tom
I have a small junk , er Parts box that I have accumulated over the last few years. Some items were purchased with intent to become parts or to take parts off of while other parts came from swapping out other parts. Parts is parts.
I've had a junk box since I was a kid, usually the broken stuff acquired when we picked up a lot of trains from the general public. More recently, I've had to get more strategic: found a carton full of pill bottles, each with a different new old stock Lionel part, going back into the 1930's. Guy wanted $3/bottle, probably 100 bottles, offered him $100 for the whole mess. Have sorted them out in parts boxes, lots of different motor brushes, bearings, fasteners and the like. About 40 bottles still unsorted. Of late, I'm picking up basket cases to scavenge parts. In some cases, buying in bulk where I know I'll have a high usage.
O Gauge Jim posted:Being from new England I am fond of Lionel's prewar version of the B&M Flying Yankee. Over the years I have bought a car here, a locomotive there, a complete set here, vestibules here and the list goes on. I have on display and run a beautiful set and I probably have 12 or 14 passenger cars, 10 or 12 observation cars, 20 or so vestibules, 10 or so locomotives with motors, some with whistles. My goal is to restore them all in the many color schemes the Flying Yankee was made in.
Having a large prewar tinplate collection if I see a junk car with decent box coupler trucks, I buy them just for the trucks. It is amazing how many parts you can accumulate over the years if you keep your eyes open at train meets, especially to the boxes under the table. I have purchased many junk pre and post war cars at less then half the price the trucks on them can be sold for.
Jim Lawson
Are you going to make a 'Victory Streamliner" from any of those Yankees? I had a number of rusty coaches, and picked up a beat up engine unit. None were good enough to restore, so I sanded them down and repainted into the proposed red/white/blue Victory set that was in the first 1942 advance catalog, then deleted and never produced.
Makes a very nice looking set.
jim
Lots of great ideas thanks.
Joe Gozzo
After I have made it around the show twice I start going around looking under the tables and things I passed over before. Half my standard gauge cars have been bought as junkers. the last TCA show there was a slightly banged up Lionl standard gauge tank car for $15 !! I figured the trucks and couplers ere worth that. Fixed it u a little and run it. Missing ladders and hand rails but eventually I will get them. I have bought some junkers and found the needed new parts in box !! That is what I will be doing Sunday at the TCA show. Lots of fun.
