Why would I want you knowing

  Don't be buying up all the stuff I'm after!  Anything Atlas has proven to be pretty reliable and easy to convert.  these older Atlas are based on Kato mechanisms (I believe).  I don't have a lot of experience with older Bachmann, Model Power, or Athearn.  My (way old) Minitrix are good runners, they just leave a bit to be desired with their sliding wiper/PC board pickup - but replace that with some flexy wire and they are also pretty easy to convert to DCC.

Toni

Thanks!

Don't worry, I'll only be buying a few.  I plan on one class A climax, one or two diesels, and whatever I can come up with for steam.  Are you also doing HOn30?  There's so many rolling stock kits, and so few locomotives.

Here's what I picked up

Irish,

Here is what I picked up at swap meets over the last year. From left to right. A Bachman 0-6-0 switcher with tender, an orginal 0-4-0 HOn30 engine, a WDT switcher and a trolley.

The 0-6-0 with become an HOn30 0-6-0 tank engine, the #5 will stay the same, the WDT switcher will get a make over into a end cab switcher of some kind. The trolley will end up as a center cab diesel switcher.

You can usually find this stuff cheap. I believe I didn't pay over $15 for any one of them. I had to get new trucks for the trolley from Bachman. The old trucks were just worn out. So keep your eye's open at swap meets. The stuff is out there. Good luck in the hunt.

Bernd