$800

Anybody care to try and build a 40+ car train plus enough engines to pull it for a $800 budget? What can you build? I wish I had $800 to spend!! I am curious what we can build on this budget? Have Fun!







dave

 

if we estimate $150 for locos and $10 about per car, we get. 2 locos and 65 cars.

hows that?

 

How about a A-B-B-A set of Kato F3's ($230form BLW) and 68 Trainman PS-1's ($8.35 each form BLW) I use BLW because i have it bookmarked and it's prices are about par for Etailers.

Or a unit grain train say CSX, Pair of Kato SD70MAC's $142, a pack of Exact Rail hoppers $50(list) and last 27 IM's hoppers at $22 each(list) they have a lot of good road names for this.

 

How is this: Atlas 90 ton hoppers P&LE # 80014 $6.49 each Lets get 80 of them, total $520.00. Now for engines How about 2 [yes I said two] ABA sets of NYC C liners. Total $250. Now throw in 2 Atlas standard cupola cabooses. Total $28.50.

So for $798.50 we get two [not one] forty car trains plus caboose pulled by an ABA [all powered] set of C liners.

 

2 conrail SD80macs $100-$150 ebay, 60 roadrailers (6 10packs) $600.00 And a fred unit. And my special Coupler conversion for the boggie 6.95. Done

 

How about 3 Kato Heritage Aces ($220), 4BluShops Autoparts($70), 6Trinity 17,500($84), 10FVM 50'7"boxes($123), 5Blma topgons($65),5IM 60'flats($75),5atlas 2bay($39),3RC coil cars($48),2RC centerbeam flats($30),3atlas tofc flats($27),2atlas 3560 centerflow($14)1atlas steel cab($6). I know its $801 but I rounded alot of cars up so I cut myself a dollar break. 3 units and 45cars plus caboose. I wish I had a layout to see if these Katos could pull these cars? I'm sure they could!




dave

 

Glad to see you're still around Dave!

While I'm a little biased, you could easily have a 50 car BLMA Norfolk Southern TopGon train and two Norfolk Southern Katos/Atlas' for $800....possibly more if you're really looking for some discounts.

 

Hello Craig,

Looks like your on fire! Truly awesome stuff you are putting out! Maybe those two sentences are off! Unfortunately I don't model NS but I'm sure thats not the last car your gonna put out! We get more time off from work now with new FRA law for rest. Keep up the awesome work. I can't imagine what kind of collection you have now, with all the $$$ flowing in from the Awesome products. Take care!




dave

 

1 Kato SD-80MAC/SD-90MAC will pull 40 cars easily, put 2 on and you are set!

Prices from BLW

$145 for the 2 locomotives

$280 for 24 Coalveyer Bathtub Gondolas

$192 for a 24 90T Coal Hoppers

Gives you a 48 car cola drag

And you have about $180 left over for some other cars

So there are a lot of options for $800

 

My LHS sells their overstock N scale freight cars (even MT, and Intermountain) for $5-$10 each, and overstock locomotives for $45-$75 each for diesels, and currently $120 for many overstock steamers. If you shop carefully, and don't mind the road names you end up with, you could get a pretty good pile of stuff for your $800.

 

If ordering from woo woo woo... 2 sd70ace's and 10 kato Maxi Stack IV sets (30 wells in total):tb-biggrin:

 

A pair of Kato SD40-2 Mid Production Units, then a mix of IM and Exactrail trinity hoppers (40 would do), if you shop around, pay $15 or less for the cars and about $65 for each engine, you'd have enought left over for a double cheeseburger value meal.

 

Here's my shot (based on best prices found and assuming availability):

(2) Atlas GP-9 N&W (Block lettering) @ $68.00ea = $136.00
(2) Atlas RS11 N&W (Block lettering) @ $68.00ea = $136.00
(50) Atlas 90 Ton Hoppers N&W @ $6.00ea = $300.00
(1) Atlas NE6 Caboose N&W @ $16.00ea = $16.00

Total: $588.00

This would come in $212.00 under budget. HOWEVER, it's likely that the Accumates on the hoppers would need to be changed out to MT's, so we add in:

(5) MT Bulkpack @33.00ea = $165.00

So now the total is $753.00

 

1 WKW/LL analog N&W 2-8-8-2 #2011 $187.49 (262.49 w/ DCC preorder) ( Virginian in stock)
40 Atlas Master 55 ton fish belly hoppers $446.00
1 Atlas steel caboose $5.65

If you are worried about the 2-8-8-2 pulling the load, get a $99.00 Bachmann Spectrum class J 4-8-4 to help.

All prices are from BLW web site.

You still have enough change left over for a second caboose and some sodas and pizza.

Bob

 

"""" My LHS sells their overstock N scale freight cars (even MT, and Intermountain) for $5-$10 each, and overstock locomotives for $45-$75 each for diesels, and currently $120 for many overstock steamers. If you shop carefully, and don't mind the road names you end up with, you could get a pretty good pile of stuff for your $800.""""""

Do they have a web site???? Sounds like a place i need to drop a few $$ at.

 

Don't forget to removes sales tax from the $800. For me (CA) its 9.25% leaving $732 for a train. A loss of about 1 locomotive.

 

I'm not sure this conglomeration even goes together, not 40 cars but does make a much longer train than my layout will handle.

Three Kato Santa Fe locos with professionally installed decoders - SD40-2, two SD40's
Seven sets Kato Gunderson Maxi-IV's
Twelve MT 89' 4" TOFC flat cars - 7 TTX yellow, 2 Santa Fe brown, 3 Undecs
More than enough 50' and 40' trailers for the flats plus extras - various mfr's

I'm sure this conglomeration can be had for under $800. PM me if interested.


Ben