What is your most expensive "cheap engine"?

I'm sure your wife would be thrilled about that, Scott. 

My WBB E7 that started out as an unpowered unit.

 

First I stripped the paint and repainted/redecaled it for Seaboard Air Line.

 

Then I bought the powered trucks and the reversing unit.

 

Then I bought the MRC AC Sounder unit for sound.

 

Then I bought the ERR Cruise Commander.

 

Next up will be the ERR Railsounds Commander to give it the proper sounds it deserves.

 

Shortly after I upgraded it to the ERR Cruise, my 3rd Rail E7 (already in SAL livery) shows up.  They both cost about the same amount when all added up and I STILL don't have sound in the WBB unit (I took the AC Sounder out after I noticed how nice the 3rd Rail units sound is).  The ERR sound board will run another $100, so in the end I'll have $700 in the WBB unit ($600 for the 3rd Rail unit).

How about most expensive loco you have no plans to use??? My Lionel Lionmaster PRRT1 that had issues from day one. IIRC they were $700.....but I have replaced it with a Weaver scale T1 with no sound or anything.......so I have a $700 box queen. 

Scott, you might be eligible to attend one of those 2 hour no obligation vacation time-share tours that give a free golf set train to those who attend the seminar and tour.

Scott I got a 2-6-0 PS1 for 65.00

250.00 in Miscellanious Parts for Repairs and so forth

25 hours worth of Agravation in getting it to run right

But at this point all is done

 

Scott,  is this the same Hudson that JDS did with the whistle steam and other effects?

 

I have one converted by JDS (no extra steam) that  I won from a fella in MD and he sent it Priority. It took 10 days to get here (no idea where it travelled - tracking didn't work) and didn't run right upon arrival. The post office would only take the engine and possibly give me the $500 insurance. No other options. I took a chance and kept it as it was a good deal. Then had the engine looked at by a MTH tech who got it going for only $25. Was lucky on that one. It's a great locomotive too...

Interesting, but I have never completed any project like that.  I guess I am doing something similar now, although you can't call it "cheap"  I have an early PS1 scale ATSF 2900 loco I am trying to fit with the chassis and drive and electronics taken out of a Legacy ATSF 3751.  I paid $400 or so for the MTH and of course the Legacy 3751 cost something north of a grand, I think, plus, so far, about 10 hours of careful work on my part.

I'm sure your wife would be thrilled about that, Scott.

I can top that on thrilling her. Years ago I decided I was going to buy the Third Rail Mercury from J&B Hobbies in Hagerstown, MD. I had seen the engine there and saved up the $550.00 to get it.

So here was the plan, I needed to go up I-81 and make my "thank you for being a customer" Christmas deliveries. My customer in Hagerstown (3 1/2 hour away) would be the last stop and then I could go purchase the engine at J&B. I made my first stop in Weyers Cave, VA then I stopped at a McDonalds Truck Stop in Steeles Tavern, VA to get a quick breakfast. I got back in my car and started back up I-81 and I couldn't find my wallet. I went back to the McDonalds -no wallet--back to the customer in Weyers Cave-No Wallet.  I had to cancel the rest of the day drive home, stand in line at the DMV to get a new drivers license, cancel credit cards.

My Wife says "At least you didn't have any money in your wallet?". I couldn't say a word. I lost the train money as well.

Six months later I saved up again and made the trip to Hagerstown and purchased the engine. Then I upgraded to EOB. A few years back same reader issues so I put in DCS. SOOOOOOOOO>

$550.00 lost before I got to purchase the locomotove

$550.00 for the locomotive

$300.00 EOB Upgrade and install

$ 50.00  Smoke unit

$300.00 DCS Upgrade and installation

_______

$1750.00 Total

 

OK so there is $1750.00 for a $550.00 locomotive... That would make her very unhappy.

Scott Smith

 

One lesson I'm learning from the above is to skip any TMCC related conversions and go right to PS2 or hopefully PS3 one day!

 

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Scott....I have now obtained your wife's email address so lets just cut to the bottom line.....send another $550.00 to me and I won't have to forward this thread to her....LOL!!  Just kidding of course....

 

Sam...you are correct.  I found out a long time ago that unless you REALLY get a bargain on a locomotive that you plan on converting to another operating system, you many times will have more into the project than just going out and purchasing a brand new one that comes "factory equipped"!!

 

Alan

Broken 3rd Rail ATSF 3751 given to me for parts.

 

Found the issue was the TMCC boards.   I put PS/2 in all of them anyway :-)

 

So...  fully working 3rd Rail ATSF 3751 for the price of a PS/2 kit.

 

win!

IM NOT...FORK OVER THE CASH.

Sorry, I spent it all on upgrades.

Scott Smith

Lionel 0-6-0 docksider for $60. going to spend (most likely) another $150-$200 on the local parts / repair guy putting new gears into it because they're all stripped out. (NOTE: read all the auction listing in the regular un-mobile ebay format)

I have a mpc 0-4-0 dockside that's eaten twice its "retail value" in rectifiers, switches, motors, bulbs, detail, and coupler additions. I'll let you know if the total ever gets to over $100  

 I decided one day to build my own diesel engine. Just some plastic right?

I won't get into specific numbers but it's that expensive......and it' still not done!

Boy, I hope I don't short out the board pulling the shell on and off a hundred times.

 Wait, I haven't even lost my wallet!

 

I am very fearful I'm about to find out with a MTH Premier L&N ABA set that needs to go from PS1.0 to PS2.0.

 

Great thread about the pitfalls of O gauge railroading.

Hi Scott! I am sorry to hear of your "not so good" track record. To the contrary, I recently bought two dead engines that are hard to come by, and when they do show up for sale, they are expensive.

 

I am happy to report the first of the engines is now running:

$100 cost of dead Rail King NYO&W Mountain

 $70 to have a tech replace the PS2 boards (includes return shipping)

 $25 Shipping to the tech with insurance

 $75 value of boards from donor engine

$270 total for this scarce beauty

 

The second dead engine is a Rail King Long Island Rail Road Camelback. Rarely does this engine show up for sale, and when it does it usually goes for crazy money to some Long Island fanatic. My plan is to have this engine running for under $300 with a set of PS2 or PS3 electronics.  I already have one of these Camelbacks running, so the new one will get another road number and run double headed on the Cannonball.

 

In my opinion, DCS PS2 and PS3 are the way to go.

It seems I am always buying something cheap that will just need a few parts, but many times I wind up spending more than if I had just bought a better engine in the beginning