...as I was saying...

[Big Daddy Audio]

SCORE!

First stop in about 13 days, and I pick up a kind of large selection of Lionel Fastrack with some switches and 2 transformers.







I spent some money this year getting my "round the Christmas Tree" Locomotive fixed and buying a new transformer.  I was going to buy some track, and the cost for the track, which has the built-road bed would have been $80.00-$100.00 just for the track.  As it was, the new transformer was $103.00.

So now, I have three transformers, a slew of track, and I am looking at cleaning the stuff up and making a cool layout for Christmas this year.

Total cost was $24.99, and it came in a laundry basket (totally useable) which is a bonus in and of itself, since we had one on our list to get when we could.

HUZZAH!

[Good Buddy]

HUZZAH!

Oh yes, quite Monty, HUZZAH!

[Jay2TheRescue]

Awesome!!!

[Big Daddy Audio]

I'm likely not going to sell any of it, but use it as a basis for building onto; Goodwill processors have NO IDEA what this stuff is worth, an I'd like to keep it that way.

I did some digging at the Lionel Website, and found the retail prices for some of the gear I got.  To repeat, Goodwill processors have NO IDEA what this stuff is worth, an I'd like to keep it that way.

Each of the transformers go for $143.99 (288.00)
Each of the remote O72 switches go for $103.99 (208.00)
The grade crossing goes for $91.99 (but this is missing the flashers so drop it in half) (46.00)
Each of the 90-degree crossovers goes for $22.99 (46.00)

So far, the running total is $578.00 and I haven't started adding in all the regular-type track pieces that I haven't counted/inventoried that were in the lot.  My guess is that the value will be in the $700-800 range.

So if you see this stuff - BUY IT AND FLIP IT (or keep it and get sucked into model railroading).  There's a great market for this gear out there.

I've already started getting grandiose plans which involve a train around the Christmas Tree and a train layout on the ping-pong table which will incorporate my "A Christmas Story" lit village pieces (I still want to get a White Castle hamburger stand from the Hallmark store, but that's a different (and expensive) story).

Have a great Memorial Day

 

[Searching4stars2009]

Great haul.  Thats why I cant stop looking in thrift stores.  I might miss a great deal.  Most of the time crap but then you find something great to start the addiction all over again.

[FleaQueen]

FABULOUS HAUL!!!!!

Reminds me of the time 10+ years ago when I found a box full to bursting of (100+) 1950's sewing patterns for womens clothing.

Price: $1

www.fullservicebohemian.blogspot.com

[valleythriftshopper]

Ditto on the fabulous finds!  You should post a video when you get them up and running!

[Big Daddy Audio]

I don't know how to post a video (I can't even scan stuff) but here are some photos from some messing about with the Electric Train track from Goodwill.



This is the current layout.  After a about 4 failed attempts at a satisfying layout, I'm here at the present (I didn't take pictures of those, sorry to say).  It's likely that this will be the layout for the ping pong table during the Christmas Season.  I'll add the "snow" underlayment and the "village" pieces and trees later in the year.  There is an outside chance of using 3 (4' X 8') pieces of plywood laid side-by-side to give us a table of 12' X 8' to have a bigger and slightly wider layout.  That is a very remote possibility.  My 86 year-old Father-In-Law loves trains, and he will be called on to operate them as needed.



I continued to mess around with the camera, and took the above shot of the powered unit for my electric trains.  These didn't come with the track - I bought this with a set for around the tree some years ago.  It's part of a K-Line set called "Greenport Scoot" and has K-Line SuperSnap track.  It was the transformer from this set that went out, causing me to get the new MTH Z1000 transformer (and to get my locomotive repaired down in Mesa).



But as part of the track lot, I got TWO of the above Lionel CW-80 transformers.  Both seem to work fine.  This will come in handy come Christmastime, since I'd like to put a small layout around the tree, and I'd need a second transformer for that.  I'd need a second train (O Gauge) and the search has already begun.  I doubt if lightning will strike twice at Goodwill, and with this in mind, I've started to scour Craigslist.  Who knows what will happen?  Wish me luck....

If and when I figure out how to do video, I'll be sure to post some.   

[Big Daddy Audio]

Here's another layout that I like even more - no switches and really long lap time due to the crossover - it's kind of like a figure-8 turned in on itself.



This one was not my invention, but a derivative of one that was found on line (I think it was at the MTH - Mikes Train House - website at the tail end of a catalog or something).  I took out the switches and the sidings since I do not yet have O36 switches (this would have fouled up the geometry of the layout) since I'm not a real big fan of backing and sidings anyway.  The layout at the MTH site used O31 curves, but it translated nicely enough into O36 curves.

I LOVE FINDING STUFF LIKE THIS AT THRIFT SHOPS!

I guess that is why the hunt will continue.

[valleythriftshopper]

Very cool indeed, it will look great at Christmas!  Kind of reminds me of the time I found this neat old motorized ferris wheel erector set at the Sal Army.  I wish I knew how to put it together it would have been fun to watch it in action.   Instead it went up on Ebay and made someone happy.

[Big Daddy Audio]

Oh, that's SWEET!  You could have probably found the directions for assembly on the internet.  No worries. 

I had an erector set as a kid and never made anything more than a simple go-cart with it.  I could never visualize anything more grandiose and this was before I started to read instructions on how to build the more complex things - I would just dive into things like Erector Sets and new boxes of Legos.  Now I read and re-read instructions for simple IKEA stuff.  How times change.   

[valleythriftshopper]

I could never visualize anything more grandiose and this was before I started to read instructions on how to build the more complex things - I would just dive into things like Erector Sets and new boxes of Legos. 

I still do that, haha.