|
|
 Posted - January 13 2012 : 7:20:28 PM
|
Anyone got an idea what "market value" might be for the old Varney Aerotrain? I bid on a dummy engine and one car this week, no wheels on either, and lost at $33 today. I've seen entire sets sell for more than $100. Dealers want lots of cash for them, too. Don't mind paying fair value, but don't want to overpay either. Just wondered if any of you have one , and might know what a fair price to pay is, I"m really just looking for the engine first, not necessarily the whole set. Thanks for any useful comments.
Jerry
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
|
Country:  USA ~
Posts: 3974 ~
Member Since: January 04 2009 ~
Last Visit: January 11 2019
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - January 14 2012 : 5:53:19 PM
|
| That seems to be my experience encountering these. I could have scored a complete MIB undecorated set at Timonium for $75 a few years ago, but was already tapped out when I found it, and finally seeing one up close left me leery of its construction (very flimsy w/ open chassis and would have needed work (more $) for powering efforts). Every now and then I'll run a search for one as I'd love the companion to my Tyco Talgo, but I figure my best bet is to hope for a lot lurker someday. IMO the engine is kind of pointless without the set as the coaches gave a cohesive articulated appearance and bore many design similarites to the GM "fishbowl" busses that were introduced at the same time. By itself the engine looks like a fanciful design exercise (which it still obviously was) but the coaches answer the inevitable "why" question. ;)
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 2798 ~
Member Since: September 17 2010 ~
Last Visit: July 22 2015
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - March 08 2014 : 02:47:39 AM
|
Here is a powered one that I got cheap because of the lousy paint job.
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 867 ~
Member Since: December 21 2013 ~
Last Visit: December 08 2016
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - March 08 2014 : 07:20:12 AM
|
| I paid $60 for what was supposed to be a loco and 4 cars with two power chassis. Somehow the 4th car didn't get packed in when it got bagged. Shell has a minor crack up the nose.
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 956 ~
Member Since: January 27 2008 ~
Last Visit: May 27 2016
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
 Posted - March 08 2014 : 09:48:31 AM
|
I want one too
Plus I'd build a real 1:1 scale one & improve the design 
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 14689 ~
Member Since: February 23 2009 ~
Last Visit: April 19 2024
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - March 08 2014 : 5:54:16 PM
|
| We have one here in St. Louis at the Museum of Transport. I get to go play with it whenever I go for a visit
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 867 ~
Member Since: December 21 2013 ~
Last Visit: December 08 2016
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - March 15 2014 : 02:29:34 AM
|
Here is the old gal at her present location.
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 867 ~
Member Since: December 21 2013 ~
Last Visit: December 08 2016
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - March 15 2014 : 02:35:48 AM
|
Weird discovery, one would assume that the Aero trains used a Flexicoil truck similar to those used on EMD switchers but look closely....this truck is clearly fabricated and welded versus being a casting. The trucks for at least two units must have been built specifically for these trains while the third unit of this type built for the Jet Rocket used a conventional Blomberg truck.
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 867 ~
Member Since: December 21 2013 ~
Last Visit: December 08 2016
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - March 15 2014 : 2:15:06 PM
|
the thing that flopped on this loco was they used bus chassises to make the passenger cars!
Which because of the then rough trackbed Cars would bounce too much
So putting vehicle shocks of a car that goes on the rails doesn't work at high speeds 
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 14689 ~
Member Since: February 23 2009 ~
Last Visit: April 19 2024
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - March 15 2014 : 2:54:27 PM
|
| hi metalsmith1,she still looks as good as the day she was built,design wise,ken
|
Country:  United Kingdom ~
Posts: 8294 ~
Member Since: September 28 2006 ~
Last Visit: October 20 2021
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - March 15 2014 : 6:53:09 PM
|
| One of these days I need to go to Green Bay to see the other one.
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 867 ~
Member Since: December 21 2013 ~
Last Visit: December 08 2016
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
 Posted - November 01 2021 : 2:36:25 PM
|
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 5849 ~
Member Since: February 12 2014 ~
Last Visit: April 19 2024
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - November 01 2021 : 2:43:58 PM
|
|
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 5849 ~
Member Since: February 12 2014 ~
Last Visit: April 19 2024
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - November 02 2021 : 7:06:37 PM
|
| oh I did get a Varney Aerotrain in the long box with loco & 3 cars
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 14689 ~
Member Since: February 23 2009 ~
Last Visit: April 19 2024
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
Home
Forums
Events Calendar
Forum Admins & Mods
Register
