Did I do good?

I recently bought this smallish lot of a Tyco Christmas train and some accessories for less than $20 shipped.

I'm not familiar with the train and some of its Christmas related cars. Did Tyco ever do a Christmas set?

Here's the listing from where I got it, as I just now bought it.

Looks like there's some electric lights and and switcher tracks which I don't know how to use or set up. Could someone tell me how I set up and use them?

Since the loco and most cars are that cheap B/O stuff as well as one of the buildings, looks like they'll be displayed with the Christmas tree until Jan., when we plant the potted Christmas tree we buy every year, and I'll have to either buy a new loco (I've found a small lot of second hand locomotives for not much), or figure out what the heck is wrong with my Bachmann.

Everything else, though is a good start to a nice layout to me.

https://www.etsy.com/transaction/24...cIqEaAnMd_L&eaid=7610324684&x_eaid=5d37a36a9b

 

The caboose..maybe. The rest is Dept 56, the smaller New Blight....battery powered, plastic drivers.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VILLAGE-HOU...821970?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item418a4797d2
Read the description carefully.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wintersvill...152903?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item19f6952907
Hook and loop couplers. Won't mate with anything else.

 

It's supposed to show up today. I'll plan to organize everything and take pics when I finish my college work today.

 

Yes, you did do well .

Tom

 

Got it in this morning.

I have three "good" buildings, all of which I think is Atlas. All seem to have a small amount of damage, mostly cracks and small broken off pieces, but I don't mind. They are extremely detailed, the ranch house even has a garage, and was equipped by the previous owner for lights.

A ton of Atlas brass curve track, including a terminal track. Two AC Gilbert (American Flyer) electric turnouts, which will need screws in order to use them. One AC Gilbert small curve, and a very old Marx straight piece. A Tyco bridge and power pack, as well as a crawler and Santa Fe semi trailer, all came with a flatbed car set, which some track came in that box, but no flat cars.
A broken Bachmann Union Pacific Caboose. I might be able to switch out the trucks, and a very old piece of Marx HO track.

A bunch of telegraph poles and signs, including two still in their packs, one of which has a JC Penney price tag of 88 cents still attached.

A ton of "junk" battery stuff, which I'll likely toss in the trash.

I'll need to buy a bunch of track connectors, as they're missing on most of the track pieces.

It looks like that thing with the connectors and the red and green light bulbs might be missing. I'd better go through it again, and if I can't find it, contact the seller, as they might have forgot to put it in when they packed it.

 

To help you here, below is the Bachmann forums for any Bachmann products. There are forums for different scales.

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php

Usually switch tracks have twin coil machines. About 16 VAC is recommended. Power packs have two connections for that. The other two are for variable DC to the tracks.
If you can find some old Atlas controls, they are great for running basic DC trains. I think there are three different types available. Been many years since I used them.
You should be able to Google much of this stuff.

I would recommend getting a Photo Bucket account to post photos here and any other forums you go to. A picture is worth a thousand words and will reduce confusion.

http://photobucket.com/

Rich

 

Since you are in college, no doubt you have a cell phone with camera. Basic but it will work with Photo Bucket. You will be surprised at how much info you can transfer that way.
You Tube is good for videos.
Many times with a photo you can get a clear answer much quicker.
I see some discussions here going on a long time because of no photos.
If you get Photo Bucket, figure out the albums you might need and don't move a photo to another album. Where you posted a photo, the photo will disappear. Photo Bucket will warn you anyway.
Take advantage of the technology.
Good luck.
I know the stuff you got is very basic but you have to start somewhere.

Rich

 

I've cataloged it and have:

22 Atlas brass 18" radius curve track, (some missing connectors)

1 Atlas brass 18" terminal track

1 "Made in Italy" brass 80 degree terminal track (missing connection screws).

2 AC Gilbert (American Flyer) electric turnouts, missing a part with red and green lights that makes it work, but was supposed to be included. Have contacted seller, who says he's looking for it.

1 Small AC Gilbert curve, has parts of track bed chipped off.

1 Approx 8 in. Marx straight piece. Will be used as a display base for rolling stock.

1 Tyco Power Pack/Speed Control, in like new condition, with two yellow wires to attach to track.

1 Tyco Bridge.

8 Track support pieces.

1 Tyco Lighted Ranch House, with added figures. I'll need to glue the TV antenna back on. The light still works when connected to the accessory connectors on my Power Pack, but is fussy, also has a crack in the roof.

2 different small houses. The little white one has come off its foundation, and the bench will need to be glued on, the slightly larger brick one has a seat missing off the patio table.

3 assorted Tyco signs, one broken off the base.

8 Tyco Telegraph poles, all in good shape.

1 bag Tyco telegraph poles,

1 bag Tyco signs, most broken in the bag, still has 88 cent JC Penney price tag attached.

1 Bachmann Union Pacific Caboose (two missing axles, one on each truck)

1 Tyco Santa Fe trailer, from the flat car set, in great condition. I'd like a Tyco tractor cab for it, anyone got one extra?

1 Tyco crawler tractor, great condition. Currently is the load on a Matchbox Leyland Truck.

1 Tyco Piggyback Flat Car Set box, missing clear film on lid, I had Mom repair it, and it currently holds my disassembled Bachmann F7 locomotive, which needs a new drive shaft.

1 inexpensive B/O New Bright Christmas train, and a building that came with it. Mom wanted it for the Christmas decorations, even though it was in poor shape. I let her have it.

1 Hot Wheels battery box train car.

2 approx. 2 in steel screws.

1 brass Terminal screw.

 

From what I can see, the Atlas stuff is HO scale.
The AC Gilbert was S scale from what I recall. Have not seen AC Gilbert stuff in many years.
The made in Italy might be HO scale. Some years ago a lot of HO scale was made in Italy.
Again, this is a case were a picture would help unless someone else knows for sure.

Rich

 

AC Gilbert American Flyer is around all the time in the toy train/collectibles realm. I mean. Presumably the AC Gilbert label means pre-Lionel buyout.

 

And Gilbert dabbled in Half Zero at one point.
http://www.gilbertho.org/f/
Italy most likely AHM, and I have some.
I have no idea if the Dept. 56 battery train is Half Zero gauge or something proprietary.
You have a pile of stuff thrown into one box from various sources, from varying times.
Have fun!
Dave

 

I'll have to charge the battery on my "camera" which is an old cellphone that I plug into my computer to get the pics.

The bottom of the AC Gilbert Tracks says

MADE IN JAPAN FOR THE AC GILBERT COMPANY.

 

Very good. That would help you a lot.
I know money must be tight but some here can help you.
I know what it's like to start off with yard/tag/train show buys.
Fortunately many in my area do model railroading with a huge train show nearby once a year.

Rich

 

Knowing Bachmann's lack of reliablity, I had planned just to buy a new loco, but then I realized that even though there are plenty affordable used locos out there, many of the cheap ones had horn couplers, which would cost extra to convert to the Kadee my existing rolling stock that came with the loco, plus many were in need of either work, or sold as untested by inexpert sellers, meaning I could be in the exact same hole, with a long obsolete locomotive whose repair parts would be either hard to find or nonexistent. But, a drive shaft for my existing Bachmann is only $1, plus only a quarter for screws I need, which in total will come to a total of about $7. Also, all of my locomotive's wheels are powered, while many of the $15 trains I found only had the front truck powered. Plus, mine's over a $100 loco new, when my set was $40 or $50 on clearance, which in reality was a steal considering it came with track, three extra cars and a power pack.

Also, I've surprisingly found, building a Maintenence of Way Dodge truck from Bachmann from their spare parts page costs $15 less than buying a complete one! But that's something that will wait until this loco is Ready To Run.

 

And Athearn Blue Box diesel kits used to go for under $15, all axles powered.
Lots of good, solid old engines out there.

I bought, oh, 5 or 6 Athearn F units a year ago. Cheap, like five bucks apiece. Repainted the sideframes (after removing the flash nobody ever removed) and new rubber bands, gave them to my brother and nephew for Christmas. They run just fine.

I rebuilt all their old, OLD Athearn geared diseasemals 5 or 5 years ago, once I added ground straps and wires to the trucks, run perfect and no headlight flicker.

Good luck with the Bachmann unit.

 

I would also suggest the older Atlas/Roco "Yellow Box" locomotives. They run quite well and you can get them in the $30-50 range. Many ebay sellers confuse them with the new Atlas models and charge an arm and a leg for them. Do your homework!