Buying secondhand locos

[Webbo]

Mike Fifer has a nice little video on how to lubricate locos. Amongst other things, he tells us that the grease and oil in locos evaporates over time even when the loco has not been run to the point where the mechanism can stiffen up and not run properly. So, a lube job on a second hand loco particularly if it is more than a couple of years old would always be a good idea.

Like others here, I think the warranty is a valuable thing and would not buy a used loco unless it was heavily discounted (50% say) or if it was a model that was well and truly out of production and could not be bought any other way.

Webbo

 

[longbow]

I'd suggest that the first step with a second-hand loco should be a good clean. Erratic performance is more likely to be due to gunk and grime that to a lack of lube.

[Webbo]

Sorry

I should have mentioned that Mike Fifer reckons that the grease itself when it's lubrication components evaporate, becomes waxy, and contributes to the gunk that can gum up the works even in a loco that is spotlessly clean otherwise.

Webbo

[Snowwolflair]

Sorry

I should have mentioned that Mike Fifer reckons that the grease itself when it's lubrication components evaporate, becomes waxy, and contributes to the gunk that can gum up the works even in a loco that is spotlessly clean otherwise.

Webbo

Yes I have found this several times.  the PECO Colletts were a good example.

Jewelers oil is best failing that a good gun oil.   Never Electrolub or WD40

[pctrainman]

You'd be surprised at how much gunk locos do accumulate , a while back I purchased a 2 nd hand Marklin Z gauge Loco for a narrow gauge line on my layout , on the Marklin forum there were numerous posts regarding Marklin oil which is known to turn into  something resembling glue over time , there was a video of a Marklin loco with body removed being run whilst fully immeresed in IPA (Isopropyl alchohol) the IPA was crystal clear at the start but after just about 1 minute it was almost Black .

[grumbeast]

As others have mentioned, buyer beware!.  Although I think I've been lucky.  I have bought a few cheap fleischmann locos (sub £30) and been very happy with the results.  They are older but the detail is great and what it has done is forced me to get to grips with maintenance and actually understanding how these tiny marvels work!.  Case in point a Class 55 0-8-0 that ran for a bit then became very intermittent.  I took the plunge, got the tender body off and realised that the pickup wiper was rather tenuously connected.  30 seconds with a soldering iron and she now looks the part and runs like a swiss watch..  Worth taking the risk over.  It also increased my confidence in being able to cope with problems.

G.

[Snowwolflair]

You'd be surprised at how much gunk locos do accumulate , a while back I purchased a 2 nd hand Marklin Z gauge Loco for a narrow gauge line on my layout , on the Marklin forum there were numerous posts regarding Marklin oil which is known to turn into  something resembling glue over time , there was a video of a Marklin loco with body removed being run whilst fully immeresed in IPA (Isopropyl alchohol) the IPA was crystal clear at the start but after just about 1 minute it was almost Black .

Yes this works, but as this site is read by less experienced individuals, electricity with a tank of Isopropyl alcohol or any other type of solvent has to be handled with care.

Issues are fumes, fire, invalidating your house insurance etc.

Personally I use Isopropyl alcohol in an ultrasonic tank to good effect

[Dr Al]

Yes this works, but as this site is read by less experienced individuals, electricity with a tank of Isopropyl alcohol or any other type of solvent has to be handled with care.

Issues are fumes, fire, invalidating your house insurance etc.

Personally I use Isopropyl alcohol in an ultrasonic tank to good effect

IPA also strips paint and finish of models, so use with extreme care near them even if just using small quantities on a swab, etc.

...unless you do want to strip the paint deliberately.... 

Cheers,
Alan

[njee20]

I've bought dozens of second hand locos, I had one 350 which was absolutely filthy, and a 156 where the contact springs were damaged, but never had any major problems.

I wouldn't pay huge amounts, but have paid £70ish for plenty of locos, IME the failure rate people experience is vastly exaggerated, and I reckon it's a bathtub curve of failure - stuff fails when new, or very old, but rarely in the middle!

Even if you pay 30% less than new prices as long as fewer than 1/3 fail you're quids in. Do people really claim on the warranty on more than 1/3 models?! Even if you buy something which doesn't work you can sell for spares and recoup quite a bit. That assumes you don't just return it. If something is advertised as working and doesn't you've got a strong case.

[zwilnik]

Assuming you're getting them cheap enough second hand, even the odd write off is handy for spares. I've got a bit of a backlog of engine refurbs, tweaks and hacks to do now but also have a good set of donor bits to work with

[austinbob]

Same with me njee20. I've bought around a dozen locos 2nd hand, mostly steam, and I've only had a problem with one (some clever person had glued the body on a J94 tank I bought so I can't get to the innards to clean it up).
All of the others, with a clean and an oil, look and run perfectly - as good as new and sometimes better!!
Many of the locos are fairly new but are no longer in production.

I always avoid locos with minor damage like missing couplings and buffers and body damage/scratches as this may often indicate bad handling or misuse. So it pays to read the description and examine the photos carefully.

[Newportnobby]

Fingers crossed I can find something to throw my money at.

But it might be hard.

You can always throw it my way, Daffy!

[daffy]

Fingers crossed I can find something to throw my money at.

But it might be hard.

You can always throw it my way, Daffy!

Doesn't Charity begin at home Mick?


I'll see what I can spare though when I get back from A & H. .
Just setting off with a Credit Card, an understanding wife, and a wealth of hints and tips from all the folks here on this wondrous forum.

But whether I buy anything is another matter.

More fairy tales later.

[Newportnobby]

Fingers crossed I can find something to throw my money at.

But it might be hard.

You can always throw it my way, Daffy!

Doesn't Charity begin at home Mick?

It sure does - I'm getting Red Cross parcels already.
If you do throw the money my way please don't file the edges down first or it will be A & E rather than A & H for me.

[Dr Al]

One essential truth - whether you like secondhand or not, with the current batch production nature of models, it's almost a certainty you'll have to resort to the secondhand market sooner or later to get things that haven't been produced again or produced recently.

Cheers,
Alan - 90% of my fleet is secondhand.