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Post by trainman9 on Jan 17, 2024 14:35:43 GMT
I posted some time ago abut the interest in tinplate wether Standard or O gauge. Since MTH still has the tooling why don’t they offer either some sets or individual engines. I just came across a posting on the MTH LCCA tinplate set from ten years ago. It is certainly impressive as is the American Legacy series.
Why not take advantage of the interest. Perhaps Mr. Muffin or one of the other dealers could consider a special run.
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Post by thebigcrabcake on Jan 17, 2024 19:36:37 GMT
I would be in for new Tinplate production.
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Post by healey36 on Jan 17, 2024 19:57:21 GMT
I suspect interest in modern tinplate is comparatively low, as evidenced by MTH's suspension of production even before announcing MW's "retirement" and the restructuring of the business. The last few items I pre-ordered from them never made it into production for lack of orders. That and the fact that good operator quality original equipment is now increasingly available at a relatively lower cost has me doubting a return to the catalog. As far as the LCCA set, you are probably referring to the Lakeshore Limited set Lou Caponi designed for LCCA a decade or so ago. It is a great set, maybe the best he ever came up with. Ours hits the layout occasionally:
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Post by trainman9 on Jan 18, 2024 15:41:47 GMT
I’m not sure about the interest level. The only way to find out is if one of the dealers would propose a special run. There are a lot of items for sale on e-bay and the prices seem a bit high. After seeing the Lakeshore set I’m going to try to find one. I know they only produced a limited number so it might take me a while to find a set.
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Post by cornerfieldrailfan on Jan 18, 2024 15:51:05 GMT
I suspect interest in modern tinplate is comparatively low, as evidenced by MTH's suspension of production even before announcing MW's "retirement" and the restructuring of the business. The last few items I pre-ordered from them never made it into production for lack of orders. That and the fact that good operator quality original equipment is now increasingly available at a relatively lower cost has me doubting a return to the catalog. As far as the LCCA set, you are probably referring to the Lakeshore Limited set Lou Caponi designed for LCCA a decade or so ago. It is a great set, maybe the best he ever came up with. Ours hits the layout occasionally: I like your semaphore signals!!!
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Post by healey36 on Jan 18, 2024 16:01:31 GMT
Hornby...with an incorrect repair (one should be taller than the other).
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Post by rtraincollector on Jan 18, 2024 22:42:32 GMT
I know there is plenty of Standard gauge tinplate out there. Now you need to do your homework, There's plenty on eBay but I would say a lot of it is over priced. Also depends how handy you are in repairs, most of the repairs are not that difficult to do. Some others need stripping and repainting. Or just keep them as an original.
The easiest way to strip for repainting I have found with original paint is citrus industrial zep. Normally will remove most in a few hours, rest normally comes off using a brush ( I use tooth brush lol) then rinse with water blow dry. You don't have to, ( Lionel didn't ) but I hit with primer and then sand with 600 - 1000 grit sandpaper wipe down then paint my first coat. I normally do at least 2 coats, sanding after dry for 2 - 5 days then next coat.
Here is one I'm not done but you can see. ( note I did this with a airbrush, never again, takes to many coats to get it covered. )
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Post by healey36 on Jan 18, 2024 23:52:02 GMT
I rarely strip and repaint anything anymore, but not as an homage to original paint/finish. I've just grown to like the occasional ding/scratch/chip you find on the stuff, especially if it's likely the result of the original owner's play. That said, when I find something that's spent fifty years in a damp basement, all bets are off. More than one item has gotten a trip through the bead-blaster after disassembly, then a repaint in something close to its original colors.
A few months back, I got a badly degraded Lionel #98 set from 1926-27. The 253 locomotive was in rough shape; both ends of the cab were broken, as were the original tabs. There were a number of pieces of trim missing as well. The only way to repair it was to judiciously solder the ends back into place, which of course required the removal of a fair amount of paint. We decided we'd just strip the entire cab, solder the caps back into place, then repaint with some Scalecoat that approximated the original color. Geesh, did we take a beating over on that other forum for removing original paint. Some folks can get a bit full of themselves with regard to originality (never mind the issue of making repairs to keep or return stuff to service). I say, do what you want to do with the stuff...no one's going to give a hoot in thirty years anyway.
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Post by rtraincollector on Jan 19, 2024 0:32:30 GMT
I rarely strip and repaint anything anymore, but not as an homage to original paint/finish. I've just grown to like the occasional ding/scratch/chip you find on the stuff, especially if it's likely the result of the original owner's play. That said, when I find something that's spent fifty years in a damp basement, all bets are off. More than one item has gotten a trip through the bead-blaster after disassembly, then a repaint in something close to its original colors. A few months back, I got a badly degraded Lionel #98 set from 1926-27. The 253 locomotive was in rough shape; both ends of the cab were broken, as were the original tabs. There were a number of pieces of trim missing as well. The only way to repair it was to judiciously solder the ends back into place, which of course required the removal of a fair amount of paint. We decided we'd just strip the entire cab, solder the caps back into place, then repaint with some Scalecoat that approximated the original color. Geesh, did we take a beating over on that other forum for removing original paint. Some folks can get a bit full of themselves with regard to originality (never mind the issue of making repairs to keep or return stuff to service). I say, do what you want to do with the stuff...no one's going to give a hoot in thirty years anyway. My point of view is, it's mine and I'll do what I want. The Orange car I'm doing, is a 418, I have only seen one in the last 6 months or so and it has a 431, and 490 also with it, and I already have them, the 431 is a hard to obtain car as they where only available as a separate sale item.
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Post by healey36 on Jan 19, 2024 0:41:28 GMT
That’s another perfectly appropriate way of looking at it.
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Post by healey36 on Jan 19, 2024 1:01:30 GMT
I did see an announcement from JRJunction that MTH is going to produce a run of standard gauge switches, so maybe there’s hope after all.
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Post by firewood on Jan 19, 2024 17:37:57 GMT
I know there is plenty of Standard gauge tinplate out there. Now you need to do your homework, There's plenty on eBay but I would say a lot of it is over priced. Also depends how handy you are in repairs, most of the repairs are not that difficult to do. Some others need stripping and repainting. Or just keep them as an original.
I'm just getting my feet wet in Standard gauge, but no wish to buy new runs of anything. I found my old pieces by chance locally, and they were rough. I did some Evaporust pickling on a 390E 2-4-2, and JB-welded deep pits on the cab area, plus some paint blending and new repro parts. On the bench (still!) is a 33 locomotive in pieces, body stripped due to some heavy surface rust on top that ruined the original paint. Also, it had been chopped up inside and repaired again, so the body is rippled. Its matching 35 & 36 passenger cars were encrusted in black paint so I stripped and repainted them - hunter green bodies and black roofs. Still deciding on locomotive paint. To cut a long story short, in tinplate that's where the fun is for me - fixer-uppers! Dave
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Post by rtraincollector on Jan 19, 2024 18:34:55 GMT
Firewood, I have 2 of these, First off wrong tender it should be a 1835W. needs work jeff Kane ttender.com has latch for boiler front. I offered $250 and got immediate turn down. It could be a decent engine, just not that interested seeing I already have 2. The tender looks like a 390T or 384T
www.ebay.com/itm/285655681240
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Post by runamuckchuck on Jan 19, 2024 18:35:28 GMT
The go to dealer for Standard gauge is Sidetrack Hobbies in Leonardtown MD. He has mostly MTH production for both MTH and Lionel as well as a few older items. Mr. Al Rudman is one of the most knowledgeable and honest dealers I have come to know. His inventory is diminished as you can imagine but if you are looking at 'new' items Sidetrack Hobbies is the first place that I would look for Standard gauge.
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Post by rtraincollector on Jan 19, 2024 18:40:50 GMT
I have some of both, but prefer the original prewar Standard Gauge. To me there asking to much for the newer stuff, when I can get the older and fix it up to like new in most cases.
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