Weaver spare part required to repair my damaged boxcars... Unbelievable experience.

Mate,  You might consider placing an ad in the WANT TO BUY forum.  Second, contact the seller, your pictures show the damage.  I know this is hard to swallow, but the seller and the carrier ought to make you whole which may include refunding your money for purchase price and shipping for the eight cars.  You may be able to negotiate a refund for the damaged cars and retain those not damaged.   Couplers are fairly easy to find, ladders and stirrup steps are available. Do you know any two rail modelers in Australia who may have removed Lionel compatible couplers and trucks when they converted rolling stock for two rail operation? John in Illinois

G'day and thanks John -  RATTLER21

The retailer does have copies of the 31 photo's and no resolution has been finalized as yet.

I am pushing the envelope and keeping the correspondence open with theses guys but they are still passing the buck here.

I will take on your advise to advertise on the WANT TO BUY forum

This is sound advise.  

I have spoken to some of our club members here in Sydney and they have come up with some idea's... 

I'm taking all the boxcars to them and we're going to look at all the options available to us here also.

One of the boys recommendations was to make new ladders with copper wire/rods...  That's one option/

I do want to keep it all original though if i can, but this will be the challenge to do so.

Cheers

 Al

Well if you are looking for collectability, thebroked stirrups are the killer. However, if you are looking to repair and run. I would forget Weaver parts and repair the ladders and stirrups with brass detailed parts from psc or O Scale America ( des plains hobbies). The plastic trucks can be found but imho get the die cast ones if you can.

Al.

John's a nice bloke so I am replying to you.

I might be able to help you I am always throwing the three rail stuff away and convert all my cars to 2-Rail.

Can't help with steps/stirrups might be able to help with ladders can help with couplers what else?

In fact I can send you a pile of three rail stuff if you want it

They are free except if you want everything we might have to work out something for the shipping.

Neville, in West Australia 

Yeh, I know.... a million miles away but still in the same country!

A dealer I talked to at York told me he bought Weaver's inventory of parts.  He should be able to help you.  Here is his contact information:

His email is oscalet1 AT comcast DOT net

Bob

Couple of thoughts here. If you can find all the pieces in the box, they can be glued together. Precision scale sells the ladders and brake gear both in plastic and brass. Of the six mounting studs on the ladders only one is glued in and can be pushed out with some wire in a pin vise. The rest will easily come out. Weaver trucks can still be had. There were recently some on the sell/trade forum for these cars. One last suggestion is, Intermountain used to make O scale kits, now made by Atlas. Contact them to see if they still have parts left. There helped me a few years ago. Also Tru Color Paint sells a Pacemaker red and gray that are close matches to the Weaver colors.

Pete

You won't be able to glue the trucks, I've found nothing holds to the plastic.  But, the one photo with the wheels, coupler, and truck side frame, that side frame is not broken from what I see.  The side frame slides into the bolster, it is supposed to move in a rocking motion.  When you slide the side frame into the bolster you should feel a little snap. 

With a lot of people switching these cars over to Kadees, there should be a bunch of 3 rail couplers around.

All of the detail part makers should have replacement stirrups, I believe I have Precision Scale.  You could also look at two rail dealers for the Intermountain plastic car sprues.  That would have ladders, stirrups, grab irons, and brake wheels.  All good things for future projects or repairs.  You could try some place like Norm's O scale or others. 

This all is if you don't get satisfaction from the seller. 

Gene Anstine

True about the couplers. No good way to repair them. You can look at this as a way to turn lemons into lemonade. The Weaver Pacemaker cars you have could be made more prototypical by painting the doors all red, they never had the gray paint and also painting all the ladders, brake gear, and grabs black. As I noted above you can push the add on detail out from the inside. The glued in posts should be obvious and will take a bit more effort but will come out without further destroying anything. The cast on grabs with take a little more patience to paint. Your finished car will be much closer to the real cars as built except for the 8 foot door but there is not much to be done with that.

Pete

Tichy is another source for the stirrups.  I use them when building the old wood/metal Athearn/Menzies/All-Nation/Ambroid/Quality Craft/etc. kits.

Tichy also makes formed wire grab irons....which I often use, same application.

Another source of ladders is the old Keil Line parts, now under the name Scale City Designs...

Scale City Link

Keil-Line is yet listed as a (exclusive) source in the Walthers distributors line and the products can yet be ordered from them under the Keil-Line stock numbers.  However, when new products arrive, they're sometimes packaged in the new Scale City packaging....which notes the former Keil lineage.  Keil/SC also make a formed strap metal stirrup step that might be helpful.

Sorry for your disappointing ebay experience.  Many of us can share your pain with our own similar experiences.  OTOH, ebay tends to be a strong supporter of the buyer....more so than of the seller!!!...so I would work this to the max..   I simply cannot comprehend some sellers' intelligence when it comes to careful/thoughtful packaging for shipment.....especially to half-a-world away!! 

Keep us informed.  Looks like you're off to a good start on getting help/advice.

KD

Well, it is not much consolation, but you don't have to live in Australia to get in packages, where stuff was just thrown in the box, was packed by either a two year old or somebody in apparently the last stages of Alzheimer's, or at 2 AM after a night barhopping...?  I got such a package from a well known but aging  old train dealer....figured some flunkie packed it.  You wonder if the packer really collects trains....did not look like it.

Roo posted:

Al.

John's a nice bloke so I am replying to you.

I might be able to help you I am always throwing the three rail stuff away and convert all my cars to 2-Rail.

Can't help with steps/stirrups might be able to help with ladders can help with couplers what else?

In fact I can send you a pile of three rail stuff if you want it

They are free except if you want everything we might have to work out something for the shipping.

Neville, in West Australia 

Yeh, I know.... a million miles away but still in the same country!

G'day Roo, I'm more than willing to pay for the shipping.

Are you on Facebook? Check out Lionel Trains & Other O Gauge Electric Toy Trains Australia on facebook. Message me there and we will exchange information mate.

You're a life saver mate.

Cheers

Al

RRDOC posted:

A dealer I talked to at York told me he bought Weaver's inventory of parts.  He should be able to help you.  Here is his contact information:

His email is oscalet1 AT comcast DOT net

Bob

 

Thanks Bob

It's very much appreciated.

Let me see what Roo and I can work from here in OZ first.

If I'm still short of any parts I definitely forward them an email.

Thanks mate, you're a true gentleman.

Cheers

Al

Norton posted:

Couple of thoughts here. If you can find all the pieces in the box, they can be glued together. Precision scale sells the ladders and brake gear both in plastic and brass. Of the six mounting studs on the ladders only one is glued in and can be pushed out with some wire in a pin vise. The rest will easily come out. Weaver trucks can still be had. There were recently some on the sell/trade forum for these cars. One last suggestion is, Intermountain used to make O scale kits, now made by Atlas. Contact them to see if they still have parts left. There helped me a few years ago. Also Tru Color Paint sells a Pacemaker red and gray that are close matches to the Weaver colors.

Pete

Thanks Pete

I have had some excellent leads today.

I will follow through. 

You may have read Roo's post. Due to international shipping costs Roo's option seems to be the first choice for now.

In saying that, I will also look a Precision scale so I have them on my books.

Again i much appreciate the time and lead.

Cheers mate

grfd59 posted:

You won't be able to glue the trucks, I've found nothing holds to the plastic.  But, the one photo with the wheels, coupler, and truck side frame, that side frame is not broken from what I see.  The side frame slides into the bolster, it is supposed to move in a rocking motion.  When you slide the side frame into the bolster you should feel a little snap. 

With a lot of people switching these cars over to Kadees, there should be a bunch of 3 rail couplers around.

All of the detail part makers should have replacement stirrups, I believe I have Precision Scale.  You could also look at two rail dealers for the Intermountain plastic car sprues.  That would have ladders, stirrups, grab irons, and brake wheels.  All good things for future projects or repairs.  You could try some place like Norm's O scale or others. 

This all is if you don't get satisfaction from the seller. 

Gene Anstine

Thanks Gene

Will do. I have waited too long to get these. now that I have them they deserve to be repaired/restored.

Cheers mate

dkdkrd posted:

Tichy is another source for the stirrups.  I use them when building the old wood/metal Athearn/Menzies/All-Nation/Ambroid/Quality Craft/etc. kits.

Tichy also makes formed wire grab irons....which I often use, same application.

Another source of ladders is the old Keil Line parts, now under the name Scale City Designs...

Scale City Link

Keil-Line is yet listed as a (exclusive) source in the Walthers distributors line and the products can yet be ordered from them under the Keil-Line stock numbers.  However, when new products arrive, they're sometimes packaged in the new Scale City packaging....which notes the former Keil lineage.  Keil/SC also make a formed strap metal stirrup step that might be helpful.

Sorry for your disappointing ebay experience.  Many of us can share your pain with our own similar experiences.  OTOH, ebay tends to be a strong supporter of the buyer....more so than of the seller!!!...so I would work this to the max..   I simply cannot comprehend some sellers' intelligence when it comes to careful/thoughtful packaging for shipment.....especially to half-a-world away!! 

Keep us informed.  Looks like you're off to a good start on getting help/advice.

KD

Thanks KD

Thanks for the leads. I'll look into them.

You know this is what I look about this hobby, the people who share this passion.

One mans disappointment turns out to be more of a blessing than a loss.

I totally agree with your sentiments regarding some of these retail sellers that do this day in and day out. 

I am still lost for words on how this boxcars were sent. One it makes no business sense to do that to customers.

I guess they're not that keen on repeat business.

Cheers mate

Thanks for the input.  

colorado hirailer posted:

Well, it is not much consolation, but you don't have to live in Australia to get in packages, where stuff was just thrown in the box, was packed by either a two year old or somebody in apparently the last stages of Alzheimer's, or at 2 AM after a night barhopping...?  I got such a package from a well known but aging  old train dealer....figured some flunkie packed it.  You wonder if the packer really collects trains....did not look like it.

So true... 

Thanks colorado hirailer

If you paid by credit card, give your credit card company a call and let them know what happened.  Let them also know that you have contacted the retailer, shared the photos with them, but have not been able to come to a settlement on the problem.  They likely will be able to prod the retailer into making things right, or do it themself.

Good luck,

Jim

Al.

I'm not on facebook or anything like that if you want to contact me use this email address.

The offer still stands.

neville-1234@bigpond.com or ring me 0892438478

Nev.

Roo posted:

Al.

I'm not on facebook or anything like that if you want to contact me use this email address.

The offer still stands.

neville-1234@bigpond.com or ring me 0892438478

 

Nev.

Thanks Roo, I just got home.

Whats the best time to call you there in Wa?

I believe there is a 3 hour difference from Sydney.

Cheers

Al.

You called just at the right time I was about to lay some track into a foundry I am building so the track laying crew had an extended 'smoko break"!

Nice to hear from someone else in Australia even if you are in Sydney and a few thousand kilometres away!  Grin.

Nev.