N vintage item goodness

[Albert in N]

    Fifer Hobby emailed me their April Newsletter.  Whoa, vintage Atlas locomotives plus other items from the past caught my attention!  Sure, some is not DCC friendly and still has rapido couplers, but the road names and availability make up for that.  I am not sure that my Visa card is safe.  Anyway, here is a link:

   https://www.fiferhobby.com/vintage_items/

[robert3985]

Atlas "not DCC ready" Geeps may as well be "DCC Ready" because TCS's CN and CN-GP two-piece decoders which just replace the stock headlight boards on either end of the frame with very little if any metal removal needed.  When I did my early Atlas Geeps with these, I removed a bit of the frame to prevent any possible shorting, but it wasn't absolutely necessary.

Last time I bought some early Atlas UP GP-9's with Rapidos, they ran me $60 each at the local trainshow new-in-box.  $69.95 plus shipping doesn't sound like such a hot deal to me.

TCS non-sound two-piece CN and CN-GP decoders have an MSRP of $59 and $61.

Photo (1) - TCS CN-GP Decoder install one of my early non-DCC-ready Atlas GP-9's:


Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[peteski]

I choose not to use TCS decoders due to their random problems with speed steps when using either the 3-step or 28-step speed tables.  Depending on the decoder's firmware (which is not updatable), the "broken" behavior is that instead of each higher speed step on the throttle making the loco move faster, every other speed step makes the model go slower by a step.  Very annoying, and not fixable unless TCS can replace the misbehaving decoder with one that has a fixed version of the firmware.

I got burned by this few times and I no longer use those decoders.  And TCS is not really making this problem known to they customers.  I don't  know if this particular decoder is one of the problem ones, but I figured I would post this warning.

[Zack L-J]

Prices are a bit spunky but not too crazy, especially since it’s all tested. Gotta say though, seeing those Atlas diesels called Vintage makes me feel old, despite me being about 4 or 5 when they were made. I guess I’m just sad that I’m finally vintage.

[robert3985]

I choose not to use TCS decoders due to their random problems with speed steps when using either the 3-step or 28-step speed tables.  Depending on the decoder's firmware (which is not updatable), the "broken" behavior is that instead of each higher speed step on the throttle making the loco move faster, every other speed step makes the model go slower by a step.  Very annoying, and not fixable unless TCS can replace the misbehaving decoder with one that has a fixed version of the firmware.

I got burned by this few times and I no longer use those decoders.  And TCS is not really making this problem known to they customers.  I don't  know if this particular decoder is one of the problem ones, but I figured I would post this warning.

Peter, that's interesting.  I've never noticed any problems, but it was 14 years ago when I bought the TCS decoders.  Maybe things have changed in the interim, or maybe the CN & CN-GP decoders don't have that problem. Who knows?...not me.

In any case, I'm slowly replacing all of my non-sound decoders with ESU and Soundtraxx decoders, so just about any early engines, either "DCC Ready" or not have to be milled to accept a speaker enclosure which I enjoy doing with my mill.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[thomasjmdavis]

Prices are a bit spunky but not too crazy, especially since it’s all tested. Gotta say though, seeing those Atlas diesels called Vintage makes me feel old, despite me being about 4 or 5 when they were made. I guess I’m just sad that I’m finally vintage.

You probably don't feel as old as those of us who were in our 40s when they were made.
One upside to being "vintage" myself is that I think I paid 49.95 or less for all of my Atlas geeps and almost all of my Kato F units. And by the time Kato F units were going for $75 or more, my adult children with better jobs than I ever had were giving them to me for Christmas.

[Albert in N]

   That old Atlas BN SD-7 will soon arrive in my mail box.  Years ago in the early 1970s, I watched BN SD 7s switch cars in the Lubbock TX area.  It will bring back memories.  I know that when Mike or Robin test it, that N locomotive will run for me.  The vintage Atlas red and white SOO geeps sure disappeared fast from their listing.  If a blue and yellow Kato Santa Fe freight F-7 B unit pops up on Fifer Hobby Vintage site, my Visa card better watch out! 

[brokemoto]

$69.95 plus shipping doesn't sound like such a hot deal to me.

This was my thought.  Yes, prices are crazy on FeePay and even N scale yard Sale (seventy five bananas for a LL plastic frame FA?  REALLY?).  At shows, you do see many of the same sellers with the same overpriced merchandise that they schlepp from show to show and  never sell any of it and wonder why.  Might it be that another vendor at these shows knows what people will pay for something, prices it appropriately and actually sells it?  Every once in a while, you run across a FeePay seller like that.  Sadly, his listing gets bid up beyond what I am willing to pay for something.  It will not be the seventy five dollars for that LL plastic frame FA but still it will be ten to fifteen dollars more than i am willing to pay for it.

[Albert in N]

   Call it an old man thing.  Back in the early 1990s when I worked in Dallas, local train shops had a few Atlas/ Kato N scale SD7s retail priced at $90; which was then out of my reach for a hobby item.  Recalling prototype trains of my youth that I liked and even photographed, those thoughts pop up when I see an N scale version.  Sometimes railroad specific, such as a BN SD7 remains a thought.  Rambling, I was a newly wed age 26 guy in 1970 when BN was new and I first saw green locomotives on the BN calendar at a local Fort Worth & Denver train station.  Later, I would see green BN SD7s working real trains on branch lines near where I lived and worked, mostly in the Lubbock TX area.  In 2022, Atlas offered preorders on BN SD7s, but so far I have never seen one available.  Then, wham, I saw one offered as a vintage item in Fifer Hobbies email newsletter.  Knowing that it was like new in box for about 60% of the preorder Atlas price, plus quality construction, I pulled the trigger.  Fortunately, my wife and I are far better off financially than we were in either 1970 or 1990.  When we see something we really want, availability and value become very important.  Also recall at age 79, preorders do not seem practical.  Thanks for listening to an old fart who likes to run N scale trains.

[Bendtracker1]

I gotta say when I looked at Fifers prices I thought to myself, "That seems a little high for used non DCC locos?"
But in this day and age, overall it's not terrible, but more than I'd be willing to pay (mainly because I don't anything right now).
I guess it just depends on how bad someone wants something.

This brings to my point of this post, recently I've been listing good used locos (DC/DCC) on FB  for around $55-$65.
Most of them weren't moving like I envisioned they would with prices that they've been asking for and bringing over the last couple years.
Anywhere from $100-$150 for used locos, DC/DCC ready versions in good condition.
I figured mine would get snapped up, yet they would just sit there, week after week with only a high number of views.

Finally one day someone PM'ed me asking "What's wrong with it?"
I replied "Nothing, just an older model that I no longer need and which runs good, why?"

"Being that cheap, SOMETHING must be wrong with it?"

So the next time I relisted it, I up'ed the price by $30 and they got snapped up!
Image that? Once again, insanity rules.

[John]

So the next time I relisted it, I up'ed the price by $30 and they got snapped up!
Image that? Once again, insanity rules.[/font][/size]

Stupid is as stupid does .. ..   double the price next time -- put L@@K and lots of RARE!!!! in the listing ..  PT Barnum applies  https://www.azquotes.com/author/951-P_T_Barnum

[Bendtracker1]

Stupid is as stupid does .. ..   double the price next time -- put L@@K and lots of RARE!!!! in the listing ..  PT Barnum applies  https://www.azquotes.com/author/951-P_T_Barnum

Right?
Hindsight is always 20/20, 

[Albert in N]

   My Atlas/Kato BN SD-7 arrived today.  From the like new original box and locomotive condition, it appears to have been test run only, plus recent correct lubrication of gears (no spillovers).  Appropriately, I used an old Atlas/Roco Austria Blatz beer car that had original rapido truck on one end and MTL on the other end to run a decent length train.  We used to call this a conversion car.  Man, it runs smoothly.  Since I run DC (analog only), I have no issues.  I have correct number board decals and can convert the couplers to MTL, or I may just keep running the Blatz car with it.  BTW, I noticed Fifer Hobbies vintage page is updated due to item sales plus added inventory.  Actually, I paid less for this mint vintage item than I did for two other well-used Atlas/Kato SD-7s obtained at a couple of train shows years ago.
 

[mu26aeh]

This brings to my point of this post, recently I've been listing good used locos (DC/DCC) on FB  for around $55-$65.
Most of them weren't moving like I envisioned they would with prices that they've been asking for and bringing over the last couple years.
Anywhere from $100-$150 for used locos, DC/DCC ready versions in good condition.
I figured mine would get snapped up, yet they would just sit there, week after week with only a high number of views.

I'm having similar issues selling $10-15 freight cars, most are brand new never run in the box.  Mostly MT.  Even had one jackwagon on FB contact me saying most of the cars listed aren't worth $10.  He then proceeds to post lose cars with Rapido couplers for $10.  At $10 today, you're paying for a pair of MT trucks/couplers and getting a car for free.  And in the jewel case with all the inserts.  Just can't figure people out.....

[jeffstri]

  If a blue and yellow Kato Santa Fe freight F-7 B unit pops up on Fifer Hobby Vintage site, my Visa card better watch out!

I have an extra Santa Fe F7B freight in absolutely mint condition. I tested it when I bought it years ago new and haven't run it since then until yesterday to make sure it still ran well, which it does - perfectly. I also have 3 F7A's in the same condition:  two #235 and one #272. I plan to keep only one F7A and one F7B. PM me if you're interested in the F7B or any of the F7A's.