|
Brown Book By R A Brown Soft Cover 2nd edition HO Brass Locomotives
The Brown Book By R A Brown Soft Cover 2nd edition The complete guide to buying and selling HO Brass Locomotives 1982
Introduction
Dollar for dollar, a good brass locomotive is the best buy in all of model railroading. Not only does it serve its primary purpose well, that of combining fine detail and realistic appearance with trouble-free performance, but if the time comes to dispose of a brass loco, its owner will usually find that he can recover most if not all of his original investment, and often he'll get back substantially more than he paid. To no other component of model railroading does such a rule of thumb apply.
To buy or sell brass locomotives intelligently, it's important to understand the factors that distinguish these models from all others in the railroad hobby. At the outset, we must realize that all brass locomotives are "limited editions," compared to the production quantities of their mass-produced plastic or die-cast counterparts. Small manufacturing runs are a concomitant of the nature of the tooling used-simple jigs and fixtures of relatively short service life-combined with the extensive handwork necessary to achieve fine detail and, in many cases, selection of the prototype to lie modeled which may have only limited historical or regional appeal.
Today's inflationary pressures put an increasing premium on the handwork of any skilled craftsman while, at the same time, sophisticated hobbyists are demanding ever finer detail and greater fidelity to prototype. These factors tend to drive production costs higher with the inevitable corresponding effect on retail prices. The number of serious model railroaders is steadily increasing as are the amounts of money available for hobby purchases. In addition, more and more collectors are being attracted to brass locomotives, not for their utility as model railroad motive power, but for their value as historical replicas or simply as scarce examples of fine hand craftsmanship. This combination of growing demand plus increasing production cost is exerting an inexorable upward influence on the price of brass locomotives, both new and used, and there is no foreseeable circumstance that will prevent this upward trend from continuing.
At one stage it was felt that some move toward "mass production" might be the answer to escalating brass prices. If manufacturing quantities were increased, so the reasoning went, modest production economics could be realized which would help to hold retail prices down. The lower prices would stimulate the volume which in turn would justify more "mass production" methods. This experiment merely produced a glut of so-so models which discerning hobbyists tended to leave gathering dust on dealers' shelves.
While some modelers have been anguished at the rising prices, they should take into consideration these points. First, the increase in brass prices only seems high compared to model prices of 15 or 20 years ago. A glance at other products - appliances, cars, homes, etc. - will reveal similar price rises over the same period. Second. the product is being continually improved; greater fidelity to the prototype, finer detail and improved workmanship are usually evident on succeeding runs of the same model. Finally, though we don't usually consider our hobby purchases from such a materialistic viewpoint, it's an important "fringe benefit" to realize that your brass loco has a substantial resale value, as opposed to plastic acquisitions which depreciate the moment you walk out of the store.
Even such a prestigious financial authority as the Wall Street Journal has recognized the investment potential in brass locomotives and commented sonic time ago that their value at that time was increasing faster than that of listed stocks. More recently, financial commentators on several major radio stations are reported to have recommended the acquisition of brass locomotives as a sound hedge against inflation. There's little to cause depreciation of a model through normal use, short of severe and continual overloading or through physical damage, such as (heaven forbid!) a quick trip to the floor! The mechanism is so lightly stressed that it practically never wears out. On the contrary, with correct maintenance, most locomotives improve with use. Gear and bearing surfaces become burnished with use, reducing friction and noise. Even "orphans" - locos whose manufacturers or importers are out of business - don't necessarily drop in value. Replacement parts are so rarely needed that the brass loco owner almost never requires after-purchase access to the importer.
Considering all these aspects, it will be apparent that the quality-built brass locomotive is an excellent investment, not only from the standpoint of the model railroader in his quest for fine detail and realistic operation, but for the discerning collector as well. Now let's examine in greater detail some of the factors that influence the value of specific models.
All pictures are of the actual item. If this is a railroad item, this material is obsolete and no longer in use by the railroad. Please email with questions. Publishers of Train Shed Cyclopedias and Stephans Railroad Directories. Large inventory of railroad books and magazines. Thank you for buying from us.
Shipping charges
Postage rates quoted are for shipments to the US only. Ebay Global shipping charges are shown. These items are shipped to Kentucky and then ebay ships them to you. Ebay collects the shipping and customs / import fees. For direct postage rates to these countries, send me an email. Shipping to Canada and other countries varies by weight.
Payment options
Payment must be received within 10 days. Paypal is accepted.
Terms and conditions
All sales are final. Returns accepted if item is not as described. Contact us first. No warranty is stated or implied. Please e-mail us with any questions before bidding.
Thanks for looking at our items.
| 
