Is buying a part finished project worthwhile?

[David Powell]

I have had considerable success in completing part finished projects which I have acquired,
However, at times I wonder whether I would have been better off to have sinply bought new castings, drawings , and materials and set to and built the engine completely myself,
What are your experiences and views on this?
Regards David Powell.

[Fender]

Will let you know as soon as I actually “finish” the project that I purchased!

[Bill Shields]

Depends on the work that the preowner did

[gwrdriver]

Hello David,
The primary determining factor for me would be, how much of the existing work could I live with as-is, and how much would I be compelled to re-do to bring it up to my minimum standard? The problem of course is you can never assumed that because some visible areas are well-done that the rest is also well-done. It's no doubt a good indicator, but not a guarantee.

A secondary consideration nowadays would be that it would need to be a project that I might naturally want to spend my time on anyway.

I had the opportunity to buy such a project some years ago. The chassis, running gear, and beginnings of platework, were all beautifully made but on inspection the boiler was one of the worst-made I've ever seen. Fit only to be cut up, and since I wasn't inclined to build a new boiler, despite beautiful work elsewhere I passed it up.

[ALCOSTEAM]

There are so many variables in this question I think a suitable answer might be difficult to find. Factors will be the experience of the who or (who's) that were working on a project previously and also the subject. If a project is going to need alot of redo and new parts are readily available, is what is done acceptably worth the effort to save or even the asking price.

In our shop now we have projects started by others. One is an 1 1/2" 2-8-0 that was started in the 1940's and every part and casting is a one of as the original builder made the patterns and had them cast. The boiler is also from that time period most likely built in the boiler shop of the railroad he worked for.

Another good sized project we are working on is completing a 1 1/2" Wagner 4-4-4. This was a project that Wagner started likely in the 1950's and was sold at the Wagner auction in the mid 1970's.

Another member several years ago bought a started Scotty mogul. I don't know who started it but they certainly had no machining experience. The frame sides didn't match, the wheels were on the axles and were not gauged correctly nor was the wheel profile correct, not to mention the crank pin holes had to be rebored to get the correct throw dimension and quartering. This was a project that if Scotty parts were just a phone call to order would have been many hours of corrective work ahead to of just started new.

Three projects that there is really no starting over on.. you live with the cards dealt and correct issues and move on.

[Harold_V]

Depends on the work that the preowner did

I totally agree. The skill level of some folks leaves a great deal to be desired, while others display extraordinary skill levels and have the ability to produce exacting work.

When I was a young lad I found a beautiful brass/bronze triple expansion marine engine model in an antique store. It had reverse gear and looked quite nice. I was seriously considering buying the engine until I tried rotating the crank which revealed a huge amount of clearance on the rod fits (rattle fits). That wasn't something I was willing to live with, in spite of the fact that I really liked the model.

Each of us tends to have a given way we work. Not suggesting that mine is better or worse than that of others, but I expect exacting fits and finishes. To settle for anything less, for me, would be difficult. Beyond that, one should consider their objective. Is the journey of building more important than the destination of running the desired equipment? If so, is the work thus far accomplished in keeping with your standard?

Reworking bad machine work is not easy, and may not always be possible, depending on the level of damage done by well-meaning but poorly skilled efforts. It's much easier to start with virgin castings and material, assuming one has the required skills to accomplish the tasks at hand.

H

[LVRR2095]

There is also something to be said for completing an otherwise excellent model that wasn’t finished due to the passing of the builder.
Not only as a tribute to the builder but also so their family can see the project completed.
Keith

[Odyknuck]

My Mikado Logger was a partially completed project started over 20 years ago by a young man in is 20s. Fortunately, he did have a machinist next door to help him along. I have however found many things not to my liking. Some are acceptable and some are not and need(ed) to be redone. I have always had reservation's buying projects by others going in so I accept that there will be something that needs replaced and/or repaired, it is what it is.

[JasonA]

No. I am 0/2. I should have thrown my Pacific in the scrap bin the day I got it. While I was able to make it work initially, it has been 95% rebuilt and there is virtually nothing left from the original build. The 2nd one is a 0-6-0 that I did some contract work on from my friend. It was built by a master machinist who couldn't read a scale.

I will never buy a partially built locomotive again. I have very high standards and want complete control of my builds. It really sucks following up someone who had no plan or didn't follow the prints.

Jason

[partime]

FWIW. I would never again buy another project partially finished. I would also likely scratch build and not buy castings unless absolutely necessary and then only if I were able to see the castings and the quality in person before purchase.
But hindsight is called hindsight for a reason and a fella has to carry on.
My .025.

[Mike Walsh]

I'm in the process of repairing the copper boiler for my 1" Atlantic that I purchased from someone else. After identifying some work that needed done, I completed that work and went to perform a hydro. Throttle wouldn't close. Broke a few rivets. Three years later, the rivets are fixed... But I've found other leaks that either I didn't find during the failed hydro or the repeated picklings have opened up borderline seals. I'm looking forward to getting it running.

I have purchased many partial projects.. I had big hopes back then. Then I met my then-girlfriend... Got married... Now I have a kid.. And another on the way... And I've been clearing out these partial projects, in favor of new builds... With the exception being the 1" 0-4-0 I picked up in college... and have started the conversion to a 2-8-0 thanks to a donor 0-6-0. At this point, I want to get started on it but I need to finish the copper boiler for the Atlantic.

Long story short, depends on how you feel about it. If you were doing a restoration, that's one thing. But partial builds... Good luck. I won't do those again unless its something I'm very interested in.

Can't wait to start my new builds after these two projects!

[mmichaud1972]

I think I have lucked out because 2 of my locomotives came to me as projects that I rolled the dice on. Both projects had run at some point in time. The first was a one inch scale pacific, build by Marshal Black about 60 years ago. It was severely wore out, dropped or hit real hard on the front end and needed running gear work and a new boiler. I decided to completely rebuild it. Took the entire loco apart bead blasted almost every part, designed and had a fab shop build a boiler and put it back together with a few changes I wanted. It turned out to be a great project. I learned I could handle the basic machine work, and farmed out what I considered to be more difficult. It runs great now.

The other project was a 1.5 inch two truck shay from a gentleman in our club who had pulled it apart 11 years ago, cut a hole in the boiler and then never did anything with it.(The boiler had failed at a steam up.) I bought it from the estate. Spent a few days in their garage trying to find all of the parts, looking around the basement for what I could not find in the garage. Somehow I got it back together and it runs real well.

To answer the question, I feel in both cases it was worth it.