eBay/ loco kits madness or good spot

[kevinlms]

4 minutes ago, hayfield said:

 

Kevinlms

 

The quality of soldering in both 4mm & 7mm scales is excellent, the mixing of parts were to the extreme, something like 10 or 11 x 4mm kits and 8 x 7mm loco kits, 2 coaches and a tender 

 

What is strange is the lack of original castings in the 3 Wagon and The Carriage Works kits, the style of Springside castings is quite unique and many of the WCW castings seem to be Springside. The GWR were fond of standardization of parts, so I guess many are interchangeable. It may be Springside supplied the castings ?

Which leads me to suggest that at least one box, has gone AWOL, or sold to someone else, who can't figure out why bits from his box(es) are missing!

[hayfield]

6 hours ago, kevinlms said:

Which leads me to suggest that at least one box, has gone AWOL, or sold to someone else, who can't figure out why bits from his box(es) are missing!

 

I am always on the look out for badly described and presented items, the photos were awful, but I always bid on what I see, below was the description and it certainly interested me despite all the alarm bells below, but the photos were intermating differently

 

About 20 model boxes and other loose parts. Relatives house clearance.

The boxes give some indication of contents.

The complete or part complete kits have been sold separately. These are the remains.

Please see photos for manifest of parts.

Look mostly OO and 7mm. Few sheets of instructions.

Sold as job lot as I am unable to correctly sort parts.

Please do expect any one kit to be complete. May suit scratch builder or trader.

 

Previously as I said I have brought 2 Springside locos, which were in one case badly built and both were missing items. I took a punt on both and ended up with two 7mm scale both well under half price once I replaced the missing and broken items. These were my main focus and one of each new would cost £800, I saw loads of Slaters wheels and at £28 for a pair of drivers and £22 for non drivers, I reckoned my money was safe.

 

As it happens  One Manning Wardle and the Collet were nigh on complete. The second Manning Wardle needs a motor and gears, plus a few parts (some could easily be fabricated at home)

Plus I have 2 x 72xx's and a 1361 (all 7mm scale), All 3 need motor and gears, I dislike the Oakville chassis (they are too thin) and one 4mm kit needs only the instructions, 9 other kits in varying degrees of completeness. But most are buildable and will do others a favor. The surplus parts also have a value of their own.

 

I guess those doing the house clearance had to deal with what they found. I guess no one had the ability to sort it all out

 

I spent a few hours each day (I see it as leisure) and have broken the back of sorting them out, as for the Collet I went through the loose spare (I found another mixed bag I missed) and found a lot more parts. My order to Springside will be far less than I expected yesterday and a tenth of what I expected before the instructions arrived. 

 

With an 80% reduction on fees I will be listing a few items over the weekend

[DCB]

On 05/02/2024 at 04:33, The Johnster said:

 

Assuming it is a British prototype, the only other standard gauge Mikados were the Gresley P1 & P2 classes.

P1is very close as regards coupled wheelbase at  6ft -6ft- 6ft 6"    24-24-26mm from from front to rear  but its about 8ft pony truck to front coupled 32MM  and 9ft rear coupled to Trailing truck 36mm.
Could it be H0 or a 0- 16.5 loco.

[hayfield]

Mistakenly I thought finding the parts for the backhead and cab would be easy, not so.

 

  

 

I have used a 5p piece to show the size of the bits, the 2D sketch does not do justice to the castings and quite frankly sometimes is quite misleading, however I seem to have now at least resolved the castings for the two Springside kits I am keeping,

 

The level of detail is outstanding and many of the parts will rarely be seen or noticed, very impressive but also confusing 

 

The Collet needs a cab front and most of the step parts are missing, one Manning Wardle is about complete, the second is better than feared, but is missing between 10 and twenty parts (mostly small ) 

 

I now need to check the wheels, all seem there but I assume many crankpin parts will be needed, the wheels and axles need cleaning up, might need the odd screw. But I will use two of the locos I am selling to be the first point of sourcing.

 

I am certainly in a much better position than the two previous Springside kits I brought off eBay.

 

All the unwanted gauge 1 and 7mm parts I did not want have bids on them, which is more than covering what I have spent on instructions and self seal plastic bags, I brought a bag of mixed sizes so no reason not to be tidy with the bits

 

All in all I will have a very much smaller order for parts than I expected

 

 

[hayfield]

The wheels were checked, for the 4 I am keeping all wheels and axles are present all be it in need of a good clean, I will need one pack of crankpins plus 2 extended ones foe use with connecting rods. As for the two I am selling, all wheels and axles bar one broken wheel were there, but no crankpins'

 

My final list for missing parts has been made and will be sent soon

 

 

I decided on a dry run for the Manning Wardle

 

 

The chassis now needs stripping down, wheels and axles cleaned and missing plunger pickups replaced after painting the chassis. I cannot finish the coupling rods and pistons until parts become available. I think getting this chassis running will be easier than building the Collets chassis

 

 

I have had this 14xx cab detail pack for ages, is its complete I thought I would build the backhead as it will assist me to identify some of the smaller parts, as I have a feeling I misidentified some of the very small parts of the Collet. I can use the backhead either with a CCW 14xx kit built loco I have or the 1361

 

 

 

 

[SteveyDee68]

On 09/02/2024 at 13:11, hayfield said:

why were the parts out of their boxes in the first place?

I’ve found this thread really interesting but also inspiring.

 

My dad suffered from dementia and Alzheimer’s towards the end of his life and one of the results of this was discovering that he had “organised” a number of 7mm coach kits into boxes of similar parts, ie all bogie parts in one box, coach sides in another, sprues full of whitemetal castings in another etc 

 

This “sorting” is a common side effect of dementia and he had done this in his early stages so in all likelihood before we became aware of his condition. So it all went on “under the radar” so to speak.

 

It was only once he had died that I discovered what he had done, as all the kit boxes were together neatly in a storage box with no clue as to the mess inside! Furthermore, no instructions or part lists to assist gathering kits together!

 

So I guess when a listing appears for a ‘deceased relative’s estate’ there is always a chance that those sorting through the remains of their relative’s hobby are faced not only with dealing with things beyond their knowledge, but also which may have been further complicated by the effects of dementia etc - and as that is apparently an ever-growing and more common issue, I suspect we shall see more evidence of it as time goes by.

 

The inspiration in my first statement comes from the fact you are managing to sort your boxes of bits out - and as I now have the part lists downloaded, I should be able to do the same as you and gather my dad’s kits back together once again.

 

Steve S

[hayfield]

Steve

 

Thanks and good luck, dont be afraid to ask for help

 

My farther in law suffers from dementia, so to a certain extent I can both sympathize and understand a little about the issues you are facing

 

A few years ago I had a friend who was in awe of my ability to spot disguised kits, I said its easy, he replied but you know what you are looking for

 

The first job is to find the instructions, which will help no end

 

Its simply sorting out the pieces similar to doing several jigsaws at the same time.

 

What you will find is you start to recognize what parts go where, both brass and white metal vary in colour is one method or rather a start

 

Look for photos

 

And all the spares that we accumulate do have value, especially wheels, motors and gear sets

 

This past weekend I have just sold spares in 5 lots which to me had little use, reduced the cost of the lot by £60

 

Dont rush and keep going back over double checking, I knew little about the Wagon & Carriage Co locos, still don't know much, but a lot more than I did 

 

If selling take your time good clear photos and description really helps

 

Good luck

[kevinlms]

1 hour ago, SteveyDee68 said:

I’ve found this thread really interesting but also inspiring.

 

My dad suffered from dementia and Alzheimer’s towards the end of his life and one of the results of this was discovering that he had “organised” a number of 7mm coach kits into boxes of similar parts, ie all bogie parts in one box, coach sides in another, sprues full of whitemetal castings in another etc 

 

This “sorting” is a common side effect of dementia and he had done this in his early stages so in all likelihood before we became aware of his condition. So it all went on “under the radar” so to speak.

 

It was only once he had died that I discovered what he had done, as all the kit boxes were together neatly in a storage box with no clue as to the mess inside! Furthermore, no instructions or part lists to assist gathering kits together!

 

So I guess when a listing appears for a ‘deceased relative’s estate’ there is always a chance that those sorting through the remains of their relative’s hobby are faced not only with dealing with things beyond their knowledge, but also which may have been further complicated by the effects of dementia etc - and as that is apparently an ever-growing and more common issue, I suspect we shall see more evidence of it as time goes by.

 

The inspiration in my first statement comes from the fact you are managing to sort your boxes of bits out - and as I now have the part lists downloaded, I should be able to do the same as you and gather my dad’s kits back together once again.

 

Steve S

In theory, all those boxes should be sold as a job lot, to keep them altogether, so at least someone like Hayfield gets the whole lot and just resorts the parts.

However, as you state, the difficulty is knowing enough about the contents of the boxes, to understand whether or not the contents of 'a box' are complete. A photo on the box, doesn't really help someone with zero interest in the hobby.

Obviously, the same applies to any hobby, not just model railways.

 

My late mother had a largish collection of (mostly) ceramic owls, which the family managed to sell them as a job lot to another owl collector. Possibly, we could have got a better price selling them individually, but we were happy with the price offered, so all good and they went in one go. Especially as we didn't really have any idea, how to dispose of them otherwise.

[SteveyDee68]

37 minutes ago, kevinlms said:

In theory, all those boxes should be sold as a job lot, to keep them altogether, so at least someone like Hayfield gets the whole lot and just resorts the parts.

My intention is to sort them out and then sell them on as viable kits - for one thing, my sister and I are taking my mum on a canal boat holiday this summer (something she and my dad had always wanted to do) and that is a lot more expensive than we expected, so if I can sell those kits on at a reasonable price* it can offset some of that cost.

 

As a job lot of parts we would not get a fraction of their value (these kits selling new at between £135-£195 each!)
 

Steve S

 

 

* I would not expect to match as new prices

[hayfield]

On 12/02/2024 at 12:19, SteveyDee68 said:

My intention is to sort them out and then sell them on as viable kits - for one thing, my sister and I are taking my mum on a canal boat holiday this summer (something she and my dad had always wanted to do) and that is a lot more expensive than we expected, so if I can sell those kits on at a reasonable price* it can offset some of that cost.

 

As a job lot of parts we would not get a fraction of their value (these kits selling new at between £135-£195 each!)
 

Steve S

 

 

* I would not expect to match as new prices

 

Steve sorry for the belated reply partly due to sorting out the kits, and yes I was still checking what I had sorted and either found new items or relocated items I put with the wrong locos

 

As said before I am keeping the main items I require and selling the bulk numerically as I am trying to downsize my collection. In your case many traders just want complete kits and only pay as you say a fraction of their value. A tip so you enjoy things is to sell little and often, I have just sold (on a non discount weekend) 5 lots of what I call spares and netted £59, all packed up and sent the next day. Take your time with the presentation and sell on a day and time when people are in. In focus photos and clear description and sell on a weekend when reduced fees are on offer. in the days before listing create the listing as save for future use. If you make and save a standard listing template, this will save you hours. Good luck and happy selling

 

The first step on building is not an item from the lot

 

  I brought this Springside kit some time ago with a vies of fitting it into an old CCW whitemetal kit

 

I brought 2 or 3 years ago, the Springside Collet locos back head is far more complicated, plus I am not certain I have identified all the parts. So I thought I would build this kit first as its simpler

 

 

Lots of bits and it could still be a bit clearer

 

 

Still quite a few bits of wires once the parts have been attached

 

 

[Enterprisingwestern]

On 12/02/2024 at 12:38, kevinlms said:

My late mother had a largish collection of (mostly) ceramic owls, which the family managed to sell them as a job lot to another owl collector.

 

To wit, to who?

 

Mike.

[hayfield]

 

I have made a start on the back head and on its own its quite a kit.

 

 

The lower parts are the injector steam valves and steam heat valves and handles for both, I need to drill the holes for these 

Upper parts are some of the additional cab details, bottom right are the faces for the gauges. plus lots of copper pipes to add. I now have a slightly better idea of what some of the parts are called

[hayfield]

  Ready for the paint shop, I have made a couple of mistakes, but that was why I did this before the Collet.

 

It will also give me the chance to paint the backhead  starting with black all over then brass, copper, white and red

 

The brake standard also is in need of repair

[hayfield]

 

Primed and painted black, next up painting the smaller parts. No guide with the instructions, so its down to Google and their photos

[hayfield]

 

The backhead and parts painted, so I now have a better idea of what I am looking for with the Collet

[hayfield]

 

Two very badly tarnished loco sides after a 10 hour soak (for the worst one0 and 6 hour soak for the better one. Whilst I doubt it will increase the value much, it certainly will show it off much better.

 

 

This was the better of the two sides

 

   If clock cleaning fluid works for the repair Workshop, I thought it was worth a try

[Crosland]

What happened to soaking in coke (the liquid, drinking variety!) or scrubbing with Cif 😀

[hayfield]

 

Put into soak last night, then washed in soapy water this morning. These have not been burnished but were less tarnished.

 

So much less hassle and effort than putting in coke then scrubbing with CIF. And so much more civilized 

[hayfield]

I must go to the back of the class and read the instructions, last night I took the wheels off the axles and unassembled the crank pins.

 

This afternoon it started with me getting out my small Unimat lathe and I began to clean both the axles then wheels with very fine emery paper, all screws were oiled and then I cleaned up the top hat axle bearings

 

 

It went so well I thought I would make a start on the chassis, I put it together and found the gears were not meshing. On inspection there was too much play where the motor mount/slide bar support went in the chassis slots. I was a bit ham fisted with the soldering but it solved the problem and can be cleaned up later.

 

I wondered why the rear axle had been turned down between the wheels, the answer was it is too close to the motor, it still is so I started to file back the rear plastic motor body, which made it turn a lot better

 

After reading the instructions I think I will paint the chassis sides before I sort out the sprung pickups. I am missing some chassis castings (slide bars) so I may have to wait to finish it off, but I will get it as far as I can

 

 

Its quite an extensive kit with more than enough parts, all the main parts have been soldered together by the previous builder (who was extremely neat)

 

 

Even though its a simple 0-4-0ST there are more than enough small parts to adorn the cab

 

Still a good start to the first build of the lot

[hayfield]

I have sold off most of the loco kits, which all but one were incomplete, hopefully many have a project to get on with without breaking the bank. I only have about six 4mm scale locos left and will be offered again at low starting prices over the next few weeks. The pile of what to pass on is slowly getting smaller. I also need to decide what spares I need to keep, which may hasten disposa

 

l 

 

I wrongly thought these parts were Springside, I now know they are not and these are the duplicate castings of the two Wagon and Carriage Works/ Oakville GWR 72xx &1361 locos or from other previous builds

 

  

 

Certainly in the short term I need to keep these parts whilst I double check on whether any of these are still needed for the kits I am keeping, some may be useful for future use. But many would just hang around in the work room. (I do have another smallish packet of what seems excess small parts with my Springside locos)

 

Should they be just melted down or put back into the market ? I guess some of the parts both have a value and would be of use to others. Some are easy to identify others for me not so. I have no need for a lump of whitemetal and would eventually like to pass on what I don't need

 

The 7mm scale L&B coaches now have friends, namely a pair of brake 3rd (15, & 16) Slaters bogie coaches and an unknown make of Taw/Exe/Yeo whitemetal 2-6-2T Manning Wardle loco, the coaches are almost complete the loco missing a few castings and a chassis. 

[SR71]

I have a box for all my duplicate/spare white metal parts which throws up the odd gem when I'm short on something.

 

Bits need to be in there just long enough for you to forget what they are supposed to be and then you can think what they might be.

[hayfield]

Well another move forward today from lunchtime, the postman arrived with packs from both Springside and Slaters. As far as Springside is concerned all the parts required for both kits required arrived, Whilst both not beings the cheapest things I have brought the value they add to both kits is immense (especially the Springside ones) and will make life so much easier in both cases. Certainly the Job lot owes me nothing, and I will end up with the Springside kits for very little money

 

 

I thought I was coming to a natural break, but with todays deliveries I can carry on