I have about a dozen Athearn and Atlas HO scale locomotives that I purchased in the early 1980's. All have Kadee couplers and flywheels. They are in good shape but they've been sitting in my attic for the last 28 years. I am now reengaging in the hobby but in N scale. Is there any sales value in these old locos?
I recall asking a like question a few months back. I have the same with lots of Athearn blue box freight and Roundhouse freight cars. If I remember correctly, the consensus seemed to be that they are worth about the amount for which they sold back in that day. And, that it was best to sell them individually than as a whole to those who purchase estates and collections. Hope this helps. Sincerely, Gary
Be certain to test each one before offering them for sale. Twenty eight years in an attic and old lubricants can go bad, brushes can stick. If the attic is not insulated, extremes in hot and cold might also have a negative effect.
With the at earns it really depends on if they're wide or narrow hood. With the atlas they're probably Roco made and will go for about what you paid if working.
I agree. Old-school BB Athearn locos don't like to be ignored Some brands might be less sensitive - I have a Model Power sharknose that sat in a drawer for about 30 years and it ran quite nicely when I re-entered the hobby a few years ago. I have a couple of BB GP7s that really don't like to sit on a shelf - even for a few weeks. They need to be run regularly.
A quick review of recent auctions might help you determine what they are selling for or if they are even selling to begin with. Some road names will sell faster than others as well. Brian
Yes, look up similar loco's on the auction site and you'll get a sense of their worth. Not a lot I'm sorry to say. There is so much nicer stuff being made that the older stuff is often pretty crude in comparison and not much in demand. Yes, some RR names sell better than others but price will still largely be dependent on the models themselves.
Be careful to look for stuff with the same drive train. Flywheel athearn is worth much more than older.
I'd be interested if you had any Century 424s, 425s, or FAs. PM me if you your still trying to get rid of them. JP
I have a mix of wider-hood (GP7, U30B) and scale-width-hood (GP38-2, GP40-2, SD40-2) Athearn blue-box diesels, as well as several Atlas/Roco Geeps and two FP7s. Some folks out there still like that older stuff, but as others have said, you need to do your research on what they're going for. As for myself, I'm keeping all my "vintage" locomotives, and hopefully upgrading the details (read- thick handrails) on the Atlases, and maybe filing the fuel tanks a bit to make the curvature more believable (the tank notch is already filled in and the tank is painted black). As I start to convert my fleet over to DCC, the Atlas/Roco and "wide-hood" Athearns will be last, if at all. They've been in the fleet for over 30 years, and I'm not much on getting rid of them. Also, value is usually in the eyes of the beholder.
