ALCO FA1/B1 set for sale at Walther's

[Philip H]

from the Walther's Lats Chance website:

Diesel ALCO FA-1/FB-1 Set Powered -- Seaboard Air Line #4202 & 4302 (As Delivered Scheme)
N scale
Walthers Part #:  920-7456
Retails for $99.98
This product is on-sale today for $71.99

http://www.walthers.com/exec/lastcall?scale=N

Andthere' still one road number of Top Gon listed as well . . . .

[David Leonard]

These things have been on sale (extra discount) for a long time. $72 is a bit much IMO, but if SAL is the road you want, this is perhaps your best opportunity. They are beginning to get scarce.

Back in the frenzied days of quick stock reduction (LL overproduced the FA/B1's), some sellers were offering powered sets for $40. 

[wm3798]

They show up pretty regularly on Ebay for under $50 for the set.

Lee

[inkaneer]

Seems to me that some time ago either LifeLike or M.B. Klein had FA/B 1's on sale for $32 for an AB set.  $16 an engine was a very good deal considering that these things pull a ton and a half.   I got 3 ABBA sets of them at the time.  My very best locomotive purchase by far

[Zox]

I got 3 ABBA sets...

"You are the dancing queen..."  ;D

[JDouglasFisher]

^^^ Bad Pun Alert ^^^

[Walkercolt]

We still have a few Life-Like's in the case for $75 for an A/B pair.(Anyone want GM&O's?) Undoubtable one of the best values in locomotives ever. I think if I layed track in the parking lot, 32 of them would pull my truck. (Remember the stunt Arnold/Rapido pulled with model engines pulling a real railcar?) TCS has a decoder that plugs into the light board, and you isolate the motor and solder to the motor leads. Waaay easier (and better IMHO) than cutting frame, soldering in "hardwired" decoder. Shock of shocks: I'm learning to install some of the "harder" decoders. If I can get my resistance soldering unit back from my HO buddy (hey, he's building about 400 or more "handlaid" turnouts with it and the jigs), I might get REAL dangerous on some tiny connections using the tweezer handpiece!

[wm3798]

The problem with the FA-1's is that they had a fairly limited life span.  Not sure how many roads had them, but the ones that did didn't have them long...  There also wasn't much of an "afterlife" for them...  FA-2's had a slightly better survival rate.

And of course, EMD F-units are still hanging in there pulling tourists and the occasional revenue run for various short lines.

It is a great value in terms of performance, though.  It would be even better if it had broader applications...

Lee

[David Leonard]

There are a few FPA4's running around on tourist roads, mostly in foobie paint schemes (for that model). Maybe LL should retool the FA2 (I would assume) to an FPA4 look. That would certainly sell in Canada. At least, though, they could rerun the FA2's, which were not overproduced.

And may somebody could retool an E8 to model rebuilt units (no portholes, HEP power, vents etc) to respresent the BN E8m's which were obtained by a number of other roads. That's another thread, however.

[bbussey]

The problem with the FA-1's is that they had a fairly limited life span.  Not sure how many roads had them, but the ones that did didn't have them long... 

New Haven did - from when they were first offered until the demise of the railroad, so I was quite pleased to see the Life-Life version in N scale.  And if I come across some undecs at some point, I'll pick up a few more.

[wcfn100]

The problem with the FA-1's is that they had a fairly limited life span.  Not sure how many roads had them, but the ones that did didn't have them long... 

New Haven did - from when they were first offered until the demise of the railroad, so I was quite pleased to see the Life-Life version in N scale.  And if I come across some undecs at some point, I'll pick up a few more.

And the RI had some for 31 years, albeit re-engined and some re-trucked.   

Great kit-bash fodder for under $40.



For some reason I think if I keep showing that picture, I'll actually finish it someday.


Jason

[JDouglasFisher]

Lehigh and New England had them right to the end of operations in 1961

about 2 decades, not a bad lifespan, and that was just with the LNE, they were sold to the Louisville and Nashville who ran them for a few years thereafter.

J