Weathered FASTRACK Value ?

Mark B,

   Do you have any Command Control Switches?  Also IMO you are making a bad move, FasTrack is pretty hard to beat for dependability.

Good luck to ya, with your next layout.

PCRR/Dave

Frankly I think you're going to have a hard time selling it at a reasonable price. You will practically have to give it away to get rid of it.

It really looks like the track just came straight out of the kitty litter box in that first picture... I'm sure that there's nothing wrong with it, but looks are everything, and not everyone is looking for the "weathered" look.

Martin,

   No doubt we disagree on Atlas Track, if you are going with Atlas track go with the Industrial Rails, with the White Cloud track bed, it's darn good stuff, stay as far away from the switches as possible, especially if you are running any Tin Plate trains at all.  Atlas makes great stuff, however some of their track & switches you can keep.

MATT K,

   Any time someone wants to give FasTrack way, weathered or not, I will take it.

As long as the track is in good working order.

PCRR/Dave

Scrape off as much of that ballast as you can and clean it really good with some rubbing alcohol (91%). List it for sale here on the forum, name a price, but let buyers know that you will accept an "offer." It will sell and whatever you get for it will be better than throwing it in the trash.

First of all, I think you did a great job weathering it, but at the same time, it will probably never match up with anyone else, and that will devalue it.

Others may love it, and want to continue what you did on their own track, or use your track in places it will not be seen because it doesn't match the rest of the layout track.

I would suggest try selling it in the OGR sell / trade area first and show plenty of pictures and even give them the process you used to weather it (rail color and paint manufacturer, tie color and paint manufacturer, etc).

By doing this, someone could have the option to match up your weathering if they wanted, attempt to strip it all off, or place place it in tunnels, or hidden areas.

If I were to guess what its worth, I would say you may get 25 to 50 cents on the dollar with the number being closer to 25 since I can get used Fastrack (unaltered) at 50 - 60 cents on the dollar if I shop around.

For whats it worth, Fastrack sells for about 60% of it's value, in reasonable good looking condition.

Gentlemen,

   baseball11 is correct, however here in the Pittsburgh, Pa area there is a lot of FasTrack and RealTrax available at the trains shows, most of it is in great shape, and sells for less than 1/2 or some times a 1/4 the price of new.  So most people around here are not going to be over joyed with wheathered FasTrack, so he is going to take a heck of a beating on it, trying to resell it in the area where I live.  I do believe posting it on the OGR he has a better chance to sell at a more reasonable price.

PCRR/Dave 

The problem is he's fully weathered the ties, the ballast, the rails, etc...that's going to be a ton of work to get each piece back to original condition if it is even possible which I doubt only to get at best 50% on of the value if that.

I would just try to sell it as is with pictures and information on what you did to weather each piece for the buyer.  You may want to even include the track plan that goes with all the track.

May be someone will buy the lot and keep the keep your layout plan or incorporate it?  eBay is an option vs. OGR or both, but again, the track has been customized...so lots of pictures of some sample track with what materials were used to achieve that weathered look.

Just my 2 cents...

No matter what you get, it's better than tossing it and someone can use it at some price.

I realize that - I was responding to Gilly, and in general terms.

KEEP IT.  The day will come when you'll move or something else will occur like you have an office space where you'd like to have a small layout.

Why sell it when there's a 99% chance you won't even break even and there's nothing wrong with it?  I still have stacks of track and turnouts for a huge HO scale layout that has been packed away for 14 years now.  I'll put up the O stuff when I go to the nursing home and get the HO stuff back out.  And I'm not kidding.

John C,

   Actually I agree 100% with your analysis, down stream he might very well have need for it, why take the big loss, in reality I never have sold one piece of Fastrack, I just keep acquiring more.

PCRR/Dave

Make a small layout and donate it at Christmas time.....makes you feel good !!

Fastrack switches are some of the most reliable.  I would keep them.

David56