Value of an engine with a fried board

price the cost of a replacement board, weigh that against a ready to run engine, and go from there.

I agree. Try to find out what used locomotives of the same exact part number are going for and then minus at least $250-$300. Or contact one of the places that does the repairs and ask them what the exact cost would be as I am just guessing here. Good luck.

Is it a locomotive that you rarely see for sale?

I haven't been able to find one available used, but the 2013 was $450.  You guys feel that offering $100-150 would be reasonable?

I for sure wouldn't go more than $200, the retail price of the PS/3 board is over $200!

GunneJohn - HOLYSMOKE!

You have to keep in mind that if the board fried there could be other issues that need to be addressed. I got a PS2 diesel that freid the board and melted the wire harnesses to the boards and burned out every single light bulb in the loco as well as the couplers. I wouldnt spend more than a coupe hundred bucks on it tops but Id shoot for less like $100. There is always the possibility that you get a brick

I could always turn it into a TMCC locomotive.

Advertise the engine as a "Dead Body" for sale or trade on the OGR Forum. I have had good luck doing so.

If it is the boiler board it is $60, if the tender board $160.  You can evaluate the condition and go from there.  As you said MSRP was $450.   G

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I could always turn it into a TMCC locomotive.

Or I could turn it into a BPRC steamer, but I'd have to make a new boiler and tender to make it a Seaboard engine

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I could always turn it into a TMCC locomotive.

I was thinking of going with ERR.  If the guy decides to sell it for a reasonable price.

Another question on today's forum is: would you buy a dummy steamer?  Well, if the price were low enough this could be used as a dummy.  Just disengage the drive line.

Alan

You'd have to remove the worm gear from the gearbox to allow the wheels to freely rotate.  However, I'd want my dummy to at least have working smoke.

lshark21 posted:

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I could always turn it into a TMCC locomotive.

I was thinking of going with ERR.  If the guy decides to sell it for a reasonable price.

You would probably put more money into it changing to ERR with sound and windup with less features. So I am not sure why you would do that.   G

GGG posted:

lshark21 posted:

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I could always turn it into a TMCC locomotive.

I was thinking of going with ERR.  If the guy decides to sell it for a reasonable price.

You would probably put more money into it changing to ERR with sound and windup with less features. So I am not sure why you would do that.   G

I would like to go TMCC/Legacy for all of my equipment.  Would I be better off getting the Lionel board than going with ERR?

ERR is the way to go, it's vastly simplified over buying the components from Lionel, and it's fully documented.

ERR is TMCC, effectively. Have done many. I assure you that it has all the "features" I could ever want. Anytime an MTH loco goes bad on me (not that there have been many - but some), it is reborn with Lionel-design electronics. I replaced a PS2 board once ($200 - a few years ago) and have regretted it - I still want to run that loco under TMCC, but can't...yet.

Thank you John and D500.  I had done research in converting my Weaver E8s to TMCC via ERR as well as my MPC IC F3s.  I thought maybe something had changed or I missed important details.

OP indicated this was a PS3 engine.  Would a notch have to be cut in the rear of the engine so a PS2 kit could be installed?  Is it even possible to install a PS2 kit in a PS3 engine?

I prefer PS2 steam kits to ERR/TMCC steam kits, mainly because the ERR kit needs cams on the axle(s) to enable the chuff, correct?  PS2 requires a flywheel.

If you want the engine to run under TMCC and not DCS, the PS/2 kit probably isn't the way to go.

ERR is certainly the way to go if you want TMCC, but why not buy a Lionel engine.  I just assumed incorrectly you want to see if you could get a PS-3 engine repaired cheaper then buying a new engine.

The issues you will have converting this to ERR is the smoke unit has no electronics like Lionel smoke units, so you will need to create a power source for 5V to run the fan.  Modify the element to 20-27ohms.  The lights are all LED so you will be adding current limit resistors.  You will have some modification issues with the tether/drawbar.   Otherwise you can certainly do it.

But it could be a simple $60 board and you wind up with a full feature PS-3 engine, vice the $200 plus addition of ERR Cruise, Sounds, let alone misc stuff to get smoke and chuff, tether.  Johns super chuffer is another $60+ dollars.  You might wind up with $300 in parts to fix this with ERR and still not have all the features working. 

Hence my recommendation.    G

For what it is worth, just walk away.

George, that's what I was thinking but thought maybe a PS2 kit (if it would fit) would be easier/cheaper to get.  The issue I see is the drawbar tether vice the cable tether.

I've installed ERR diesel kits and they are very simple to install, never did an ERR steam kit though.

You can't download sound files with the ERR system like you can with PS2/3.

The PS3 steam upgrade kit does not use a drawbar connection.  It's virtually the same as the PS2 kit (w/o battery and charge port).  It is a different configuration that the factory-installed steam PS3.

Personally, I wouldn't go into 3 digits on a price, because there is no telling what has failed or what has caused the failure.

I agree with Paul.  Unless you get it at a really cheap price AND enjoy fixing things/playing with the electronics, I would buy a new, like new, or used unit that works as it should.  It would be ready to run and factory original.  Resale would be much easier than having to describe what the electronics changes are.  Matt has a great point that the wiring harnesses and maybe even the motors could be damaged.  Could be a money pit. 

With ERR verses PS2, wouldn't you lose station sounds?

Let the  seller set the price. Do not make a offer first...if they seem reasonable on their first price take them down a small notch....if their first price is unreasonable walk.