oace
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Posts: 241
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Post by oace on Mar 15, 2024 18:10:55 GMT
ACE Trains seems to make (or made) some very nice items. I've never heard of them before this thread. Sure, they make nice items...  The Duchess of Atholl is one of my favourites - but like "Blink Bonny", she's discontinued today... I hope to find one by chance one day...   ACE Trains website : www.acetrainslondon.com/OACE
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Post by Adam on Mar 15, 2024 23:14:21 GMT
OACE, do you work for them because you are doing one heck of a job advertising for them. I am tempted but my train budget probably doesn't match up.
Beautiful models!
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oace
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Posts: 241
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Post by oace on Mar 16, 2024 9:25:01 GMT
OACE, do you work for them because you are doing one heck of a job advertising for them. I am tempted but my train budget probably doesn't match up. Beautiful models! Thanks @adam ! First - and you probably guessed it - I bought them 2nd hand. ---> one of the reasons is that those items are limited batch productions (barely more than 100 units, and often much less). Second - there's nothing like this available in France. ---> as an example, I stumbled on a 2nd hand unboxed mint GG-1 reissue by Williams, that was sold here in France even more than a Vintage Mint Lionel GG-1 dual-motor and horn from the 50s-60s ! Third - therefore, I have to import them from England (Or elsewhere...) ---> that means import duties, custom taxes, shipping cost, that makes the selling prices cheerfully increase by 60 to 80% ! It can be even more, notably if it comes from USA... Now you understand why I am a bit hesitating to buy and import some Vintage Lionel items ! All this to say that you have probably the Train Budget for buying some ACE Trains, Darstaed or Bassett-Lowke models, but you will have to front - like me - the import duties, customs and shipping costs, which indeed increases the purchase prices dramatically, and can make these models unfortunately out of reach for us... Just think that for my bunch of Menards tracks, I paid 229 USD for goods and... 261USD for the shipping, import taxes, and customs ! Again, this kind of parts doesn't exists in France, except under costy-used-rusty-junk form, sorry to say that... (And I am French native, OK ?). OACE
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Post by healey36 on Mar 21, 2024 11:39:53 GMT
International shipping is crazy expensive, and adding insurance and any sort of duties makes it nearly unaffordable. I had a guy in Japan I was buying plastic kits from on a routine basis, but the relatively expensive shipping cost has now trebled (or more). The advantage of buying direct from a Japanese distributor has disappeared. Similar situation in the UK.
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oace
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Posts: 241
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Post by oace on Mar 23, 2024 13:42:30 GMT
International shipping is crazy expensive, and adding insurance and any sort of duties makes it nearly unaffordable. I had a guy in Japan I was buying plastic kits from on a routine basis, but the relatively expensive shipping cost has now trebled (or more). The advantage of buying direct from a Japanese distributor has disappeared. Similar situation in the UK. Yes healey36... As examples : * For my IVES reissue model #1694 - in transit from USA :  - ordered March 4, delivery announced March 25... I wrote : announced, OK ? - merchandise cost = 371.00USD - delivery cost = 80.92USD - taxes = 90.38USD - TOTAL = 542.30USD, that is to say +46% * For my Bassett-Lowke Reissue "Lady Patricia" - in transit from UK :  - ordered March 22, delivery announced April 9... - merchandise cost = 500GBP - delivery cost = 54.81GBP - taxes = 146.48GBP - TOTAL = 701.29GBP, that is to say +40% By the way, nothing like this - or nearly - exists in France, except the usual costy-vintage-junky-zonked out tinplate items... OACE
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Post by healey36 on Mar 23, 2024 18:44:27 GMT
LMS in black...looks terrific!
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oace
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Posts: 241
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Post by oace on Mar 23, 2024 20:13:00 GMT
LMS in black...looks terrific! Thanks healey36 ! Originally, I wanted to find the famous ACE Trains "Duchess of Atholl" model : But it appears to be an as scarce as nice item... Maybe one day, by chance ! "Lady Patricia" is from the competitor Bassett-Lowke, in a gloss Black livery, plus Gold and Brown trim, and appears to be a limited edition :  Oh, I made a dazzling progress in my temporary-variable-geometry layout... I built the track supply section !  OACE
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Post by healey36 on Mar 23, 2024 20:39:17 GMT
Nice tidy job on that.
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oace
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Posts: 241
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Post by oace on Mar 26, 2024 18:47:12 GMT
Thanks healey36 ! For the moment, I did not experimented it, nor assembled any layout - a temporary one, of course. OACE
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oace
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Posts: 241
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Post by oace on Mar 27, 2024 21:12:58 GMT
Speaking about Pure Tinplate models, my IVES #1694 (Reissue) arrived yesterday... In "shaked by ugly transit" condition, if I can say so : body, chassis, boggies and couplers warped...  No panic - opening the hatch, testing the engine and clean the brushes and the collector :  Let's redress / unbend / rectify / straighten out and readjust carefully the parts :  Then reassemble the whole, and voilà, merci, au revoir !  :  She's a nice-funny-cool locomotive  :   OACE |
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Post by Adam on Mar 27, 2024 23:25:58 GMT
Beautiful and nice job getting it back into shape!
My general answer to the question posed at the beginning of this thread very much applies to this engine: SHINEY!!
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oace
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Posts: 241
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Post by oace on Mar 28, 2024 8:16:56 GMT
Beautiful and nice job getting it back into shape! My general answer to the question posed at the beginning of this thread very much applies to this engine: SHINEY!! Thanks @adam ! I don't know much about this IVES #1694 locomotive, except that the original model train seems to have been issued in 1932, and that mine is evidently a reissue, fitted with a Lionel motor, but I have no clue about which year this RI it can be...  OACE
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oace
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Posts: 241
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Post by oace on Mar 29, 2024 17:33:05 GMT
Since my IVES #1694 Reissue came without any box, I built one...  At least, this DIY box will provide here a safe storage and transport protection ! OACE |
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oace
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Posts: 241
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Post by oace on Mar 29, 2024 17:40:49 GMT
In the meantime, I have found more information about this IVES #1694 reissue by Williams :  This comes from one of the TCA (Trains Collector Academy) webpages : www.tcawestern.org/williams.htmOACE |
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Post by healey36 on Mar 29, 2024 21:43:14 GMT
The Ives 1694 was manufactured by Lionel after taking over the Ives brand. According to the Ives Train Society, 2600 sets were manufactured, but very few were sold in the U. S. Most went overseas via Lionel's export department. Lionel's relationship with Ives prior to Ives' collapse was brutal. There was a history of gross misstatements by Lionel regarding the quality of Ives' trains throughout the 1920s, possibly earlier. Ironically, Ives' reversing e-unit was judged superior to that of both Lionel and American Flyer; it is rumored that the e-unit was the primary motivation in Lionel's and American Flyer's takeover of the company. Lionel incorporated Ives' design into their trains as soon as they had their mitts on it. It was not one of Lionel's finest hours. Ives Train Society |
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