Windfall... How lucky is this??

[Agatheron]

I've not posted for a while... simply being a lurker at the moment as I continue to negotiate for space for a layout Well, that, and there's not a great deal the way our house is currently configured.

I've been collecting N-Scale materials, books, track, etc. for a short while now as I am just getting into the hobby. So far I've acquired about five locomotives, some Peco turnouts, a small handful of rolling stock, some basic track, and a low-end power supply. It's enough to set up on my table and get a basic feel for running trains.

Today, however, I got a call from a friend of mine. He runs a storage facility, and on occasion he gets "free stuff" from people emptying out their storage lockers who no longer have use for said items. Today, he called me to tell me that he had some N-scale train stuff that had come into his possession, and that my only requirement was to give it a good home. So I went there... and discovered that this was quite a find... most of all, it was entirely free. He figured better in someone else's hands, rather than a dumpster...

I'm doing a bit of an inventory of this now, so I'm going to list the items. Some of this I know the quality and value of it, others I don't. I wouldn't mind a bit of help in sorting through this to see what is good and what is not so good... the price was right... all I had to do was buy my friend lunch.

So here's the inventory:

Locomotives:

1. A Bachmann 2-8-0 with "Reading" on the tender, and 2019 for the Road Number. No dates are otherwise visible on the loco. There appears to be some slight damage to the pieces that connect the locomotive and tender together. It uses the micro-trains couplers.

2. A Bachmann Prairie 2-6-2 with tender, marked for the New YorK Central, road number 1905... this one is still in the box.​

Rolling Stock:

1. Two Model Power CN Standard Passenger cars... 1 Observation, 1 Combine They appear to have the older coupler style on them. If I were to use these, I'd have to do some serious retooling and repainting...
2. One Atlas 70 Ore Car - "Missabe" Labelling
3. One Northern Pacific Wood Box car with Microtrains couplers (not in box)
4. Two Atlas Flat Cars, Canadian Pacific Labelling... same road number. Kadee/MT Couplers
5. One Classic Labelled Canadian Pacific caboose, not in box, MT Coupler. (don't know manufacturer)
6. One Atlas 90 Ton coal hopper, Labelled for Ontario Northland.
7. One Atlas 70 Ton Ore Car - CN Labelling, MT Couplers
8. One Roco Gondola, Labelled for Wabash, MT Couplers.
9. One Roco 40' Boxcar, Classic CP Labelling, MT Couplers
10. One Roco Gondola, Labelled for Southern Pacific, MT Couplers.
11. Two Bachmann heavyweight passenger coaches, Union Pacific
​

Track (All of it is code 80, as far as I can tell):

1. 1 Atlas No. 6 Turnout, right. No switch motor.
2. Five Peco Medium turnouts, left.
3. Two Peco Medium Turnouts, right.
4. One Peco Small Turnout, left.
5. Three Peco Large Turnout, right.
6. One Peco Large Turnout, left.
7. One Atlas Bumper
8. One Atlas 20* crossing
9. Two Atlas 19" radius turn pieces.
​

Misc:

1. 10 Peco powered switch machines.
2. Lots of wire and bitz.
3. One plastic railer... item to put trains down onto track.
4. Caboose industries manual switches.
5. One Intrakt "The Super Controller" --not really sure what this does.
6. One smelter model kit, built... but in a few pieces...
​

I think that's it. My eyes just about popped out of my head when I realized that most of the turnouts were Peco, and all in excellent shape. They've not been painted, and some very slight wear on the ties from where they were nailed down to the previous layout...

Anyway, thoughts or feedback on some of this material? I plan on using as much of it as I can in developing my own layout...

 

[jon-monon]

:thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

 

[Matthyro]

What a find. I can imagine that you will find use for everything in one way or another. Next we will have to see what your track plan looks like.

 

[60103]

The Intrakit super controller is probably an add-on throttle. They made a neat little controller until the man died. Does it have a 4-wire cable coming out of it?
I have a few MT passenger car trucks (designed for Atlas/Rivarossi) that might fit the Model Power coaches.

 

[Chessie6459]

Sounds good. Not often that free stuff comes along.

 

[Ray Marinaccio]

Wow!
Good deal.

 

[Fred_M]

I will pay you 4 times what you paid for it. :thumb: Now you have no excuse, get to work on your layout. Fred

 

[Agatheron]

The Intrakit super controller is probably an add-on throttle. They made a neat little controller until the man died. Does it have a 4-wire cable coming out of it?

I believe it does... Although I'm not quite sure how it is used, as there is not obviously a throttle on it.

As for the rest of the layout, it is still a question of money and space. My wife and I live in a townhouse condominium, which has very little in the way of free space. At best, I could manage a door-top layout, but even then that's debateable. In terms of money, I am currently "under" employed as a minister, and am seeking a full-time position. However, the church is notoriously slow in their search procedures. :/ Hopefully I may see some movement on that by late November...

So perhaps I may invest in 3rd PlanIt or something like that and dream a bit... trying to include all my new-found bitz...

 

[shaygetz]

In terms of money, I am currently "under" employed as a minister, and am seeking a full-time position. However, the church is notoriously slow in their search procedures.

Been there, done that...then got voted out You've always got cleaning, tinkering and weathering to do. The controller probably needs a power source to work, a cheap power pack might fit the bill. Plop a loop of track down on a piece of plywood (sized to slide under your couch or bed) so you can run the little boogers 'round and 'round...more than enough to keep you busy thru the winter. :thumb:

 

[screwysquirrel]

Nice collection of stuff.

I'd look into setting up a 2x4 plan if a door is questionable.

 

[60103]

Agatheron:
If the intrakit is like mine, it is a little gold box with 3 pushbuttons, a slide switch and a 4 wire cable. The box should indicate which cable wires go to AC and which to track. The slide switch is the reverser. The 3 buttons are accelerate, brake and emergency brake. The unit has "inertia" simulation.
Is ther a model number on it? Mine is HH1.

 

[SD90]

Agatheron, that's a great find! I bet tha will keep you busy for a while!