What do you do with your junk parts?

When I worked at a train store we would hang broken parts on the store's Christmas tree.

Things like pilot trucks and other parts I keep in a parts box and sometimes find a use for them in a project, such as to use on a kitbashed loco, etc.

Keep them for bashes. Started my new locomotive that way, working on a dockside made from a broken Marx 490 shell.

I save all parts, but I do NOT save "junk", i.e. broken anything.

If it is truly junk, it depends what it is, but unless it is a rarity or a part of a rarity I generally toss it out. Stray pilots and wheelsets are not junk, trucks with broken side frames generally are, along with Scout cars with melted spots and many pre-war transformers. 

I figure that way I am making Scout trucks and 1122 switches more valuable for collectors 100 years from now.

For the last few weeks I have been giving or throwing all my good junk away.  Wheels, all mags, books, bench work material, old layouts, photos, short track pieces wire scrap, old trucks, rolling stock.  Any kind of junk is still junk,  Too much is just too much.

I use mine for loads or for spare parts they come in handy!!! 

I list them on eBay as being in mint condition.  Just kidding.  I must be fortunate not to have any junk parts.  Either I take better care of my trains , am not inclined to modify them or don't run them as much as anyone plagued by junk parts.

What, me worry?

I save all bad boards.  Someone can always use a part that may be good.  When I get a bad board it goes right to George.  If it comes back unfixed, it goes in the box below.  I see many bad boards each year from all makers of trains.   Broken train parts are kept in a large box also.  My box of dead boards has helped many over the years.

I have three big tool boxes for assorted parts, detail parts, materials, paints, etc. and it still takes me a day to find what I'm looking for.

Some of the "junk" trains I have acquired get repaired or kitbashed into something that I can run.

I've been running trains for very many years, and have yet to acquire junk parts.  I do have several containers filled with temporarily unused treasures awaiting reincarnation.

 Keep everything.

 All junk is good junk!

Example of what can be done with junk parts:

https://ogrforum.com/t...66#55630645909912266

Recently I found a use for my dad's Santa Fe 2343 B unit that was burned in a house fire in 1953.  I was 10 at the time.  He was a machinist and loved his trains.  

The B unit is busy cleaning track behind a Santa Fe Legacy GP-9 now.  The plastic undercarriage is warped from the heat of the fire but tracks very well.  The load is a set of my dad's solid steel parallels as weight, a wooden barrel & an MTH train figure. I'm using Velcro (hook side) to keep the Scotchbrite in place.

Should I paint & finish the car or leave as is?

2 Generations of "junk" savers made this possible.

I do have 15 years of Classic Toy Trains magazines that will be going to the church Yard Sale next month.  Digital is now available.

what better way to make a junkyard scene! or as wayside clutter already paid for too!

I make a distinction between good used parts and junk parts. Years back I would buy cheap incomplete trains, salvage the usable parts and store them in a cabinet with small drawers. You can always use trucks, wheels, motors, axles, rollers, couplers, screws, bulb sockets and mechanism parts for repair. I also maintain a supply of new parts.  Occasionally use them so when you need them, you have them.

I save a lot of mine unless i see it as useless or to far gone. I have even listed operational cars but are rust bucket from somewhere someone had them but I purchased at a great price because I need a couple of things from it. Perfect example I put this up for sale not to long ago 

Listed it as natural weathered which it is. I don't have a layout but can figure a lot of uses for it on a layout as in scrap yard, just trains sitting rusting away on a old track etc 

There are no junk parts - if it is recognizable as something in the real world, it stays - in my junkyard, for example. painted/"weathered", of course.

Also, some of these parts - the broken ones - can be helpful in projects.

Model RRing and "trash them" are mutually exclusive.

Any "spare parts" (good; not broken) are, of course, very valuable assets.

Matt, I like what you did.  Very useful.

I'm in Marty's corner, I never throw anything away. I don't have a junk collection any place near what Marty has but you never know, there may be gold for some poor soul in that junk.

Since I don't do repairs, any stray parts plus what we see at train shows, my wife smooches into wet plaster of paris base lets it dry, paints it, adds some lichen and ground cover to age it, and voila, instant junk pile here and there on layout.

Marty Fitzhenry posted:

I save all bad boards.  Someone can always use a part that may be good.  When I get a bad board it goes right to George.  If it comes back unfixed, it goes in the box below.  I see many bad boards each year from all makers of trains.   Broken train parts are kept in a large box also.  My box of dead boards has helped many over the years.

 

Marty, for what its worth I would suggest wrapping repaired boards in foil until needed to minimize static damage to components especially low voltage ICs.  Any board repairs I do immediately goes into those metallic static bags or wrapped in foil.

My two cents.

SIRT, your photos above have given new hope to those who descend upon York with boxes of Rusted Relics.

some are scattered around the train yard.some are repurposed... these came out of someones junk box

Hot Water posted:

I save all parts, but I do NOT save "junk", i.e. broken anything.

RJR posted:

I've been running trains for very many years, and have yet to acquire junk parts.  I do have several containers filled with temporarily unused treasures awaiting reincarnation.

Over the years I've given new life to many tinplate pieces by using my parts bins. I've used as many as five parts donors just to have a true vintage piece with correct parts.

Junk goes out with garbage. 

Don't have any; YET!

RRman,   I appreciate your tip.  That is how I do things.  I have a large number of boards (good boards) and they are very well protected.  Junk boards go in the box I sent the picture of. 

I have had members contact me looking for something that could be found on a dead  board.  

I have a few locomotives and I value the boards I have and keep them safe.

Have never had anything I considered "junK'.   When I replaced the zinc rotted wheels on my Lionel M1000 the old  ones made a good gondola  load and so it goes.

I like the scrapped trolley and my layout being 50s theme they will go with it. I have a couple IR junk cars and a few broken 60 shells that will work.

Jim, that brings back memories.  I have always been an M10000 fan and restored many.  I had a friend machine me brass wheels to replace the bad ones.  I am hanging on to a few sets I have left for the future.   A while back, I got the CC M10000 and that is without a doubt the best M10000 ever made by anyone.  The look of the classic with all the toys of the modern trains.

Scrap loads for gons. Anything I think would fit in the O scale realm. I find stuff at work, home and walks in the woods. Some things I make out of scrap materials such as saw blades, mufflers and exhaust pipes and leaf springs. There are endless possibilities!

Don

I bought my M1000 from a lady on OGR who was selling her father's trains. He repainted it in  standard UP colors, which I like. It has been a good runner and prototypically you can run it fast if you want. It sits on my outside loop of track with 072 curves. I have videos of Conrail gondolas  headed in to Conway loaded with cut up engine shells and some rail cars, all neatly stacked in layers. Good use for an old shell.

Jim, they are great.  I still have one restored original.  About 25 years ago I was in the purple hall at York when a man had a huge table full of 752 parts.  I was able to purchase a NIB motor for the one I have on display on my wall.  It runs as good today as it did back when it was new.

before, you pitch,

let people know,   and if it is  non usable ,,,recycle it,  if your area won't take it ,,I will get rid of it, 

Marty Fitzhenry posted:

I save all bad boards.  Someone can always use a part that may be good.  When I get a bad board it goes right to George.  If it comes back unfixed, it goes in the box below.  I see many bad boards each year from all makers of trains.   Broken train parts are kept in a large box also.  My box of dead boards has helped many over the years.

Holy Cr@p!

Where did they all come from?

Jeff, boards are from repairs.  I do my own repairs for myself and friends as well as all board repair work for Charles Ro.    This box covers about two years.   Just because a board is bad does not mean that someone might need a part for a board repair.  If your automobile was dead in the water for a blown motor, someone could use your transmission or starter.  Anytime any member can use a board part, just get hold of me and it is done.  I am not cutting into any business that people are running.   If you need something from a dead board, you can have it.   Many forum members contact me for something from the junk box.

Marty Fitzhenry posted:

Jeff, boards are from repairs.  I do my own repairs for myself and friends as well as all board repair work for Charles Ro.    This box covers about two years.   Just because a board is bad does not mean that someone might need a part for a board repair.  If your automobile was dead in the water for a blown motor, someone could use your transmission or starter.  Anytime any member can use a board part, just get hold of me and it is done.  I am not cutting into any business that people are running.   If you need something from a dead board, you can have it.   Many forum members contact me for something from the junk box.

Lol, yeah I type on a phone it didn't notice your sig at first.

I repair PCBs at work also, there is always something good on em