Is this my chance for 1 of these

U

UKSGR

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I've been watching these for a few days.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/G-Scale-B...=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item27d31dc7c9 < Link To http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm...mp;hash=item27d31dc7c9
&
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/G-Scale-B...=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item27d31dc7c9 < Link To http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm...mp;hash=item27d31dc7c9
I'm not a regular buyer on Ebay so what do the numbers and stars means next to the bidders abbreviated names? Also, what sort of price should I expect these to go for?
Thanks
 
The number is a feedback score. The higher the more trade that they have completed. But look at the actual comments.
 
If you're looking at the BIDDERS' names rather than the seller's, then you won't be able to click on the feedback numbers and read the actual comments - because that would possibly enable you to identify the bidder, which is why eBay now gives only an anonymous ID for each bidder. You don't get to know who else is bidding on the item, but you do get to see how many bidders they are, and see their pattern of bidding (on this item anyway).
As you're new to eBay, my best advice is this: decide what is the absolute top whack you'd be prepared to pay for the loco, taking postage into account as well - then put a bid in for that amount (or maybe just a little more) and then try not to look at it too often until it is all over. You'll either get it, or someone else will have wanted it more. What you really don't want to do is to watch it every moment and get into a bidding war that sees it go over what it is actually worth to you; if you miss this one, there will probably be another up before long.
Best of luck!

Jon.
 
Might be worth asking whether the shay has plastic or metal motor blocks: the first ones had plastic blocks which had a few problems from what I've read.
 
ntpntpntp said:
Might be worth asking whether the shay has plastic or metal motor blocks: the first ones had plastic blocks which had a few problems from what I've read.
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Indeed, so much so that Bachmann list a replacement set of trucks (part number 88999) in their catalogue.
Presently shown as out of stock in the U.K. but a full retail price of £213.00 per pair. Even with a reasonable discount, frequently offered on Bachmann prices, it's worth factoring into any bid you may make.
Don't be influenced by claims that a loco has been little used as the critical plastic degrades with time rather than use.
 
You can tell that it is a new version with metal trucks by the box design, metal type cab and cabbage stack. The old versions only came with wooden cabs and either Lima diamond or balloon conical stacks, plus the boxes had a photo of the model on, the new ones just have "Spectrum" in big letters.
 
Thanks for all this really useful info. From what I can see, it looks like 1 of each with the higher starting priced 1 being the older type.
 
Bach improved the design several times over about a 20 year period, the first were only available as the Ely Thomas wooden cab air braked version and a similar plain black version. All of the first batch seem to have failed gear boxes.
The next issue was the above locos again but also a non-air braked version with conical stack in several liveries. These still had plastic gear boxes but the plastic used for gears seems to be a little better and some still run ok if treated with care. Most problems are caused by Bachmann's over the top maintenance instructions asking for far to often lubrication. Often the gearbox cover screws have been over-tightened caused the ase to crack and then over time fall apart.
The latest version with die-cast metal gear boxes run well and should last.

If you are buying an old version unless to see in run assume that you will need to replace the trucks (£100-150). Even if the loco runs assume that the gears will split within a year or two. I've changed the trucks on one of mine and it was quite a simple 30 minute job. Before the new version came out I really wanted a shay and bought 4 on ebay of which only one ran and had to return the others.
 
Going back to the OP question about stars and numbers against the name, the more important figure (IMHO) is the percentage underneath. This tells you what percentage of the feedback has been positive. This guy appears to have 100% positive feedback on over 1500 transactions, I would consider this guy to be trustworthy. That said don't ignore all the comment above about checking out the trucks and asking as many quetions as you need to, as at the end of the day the guy is not an expert then he could be selling a pup, even though he might be doing so in good faith.
 
Might be a good idea to see if his 100% rating is evenly split between buying and selling. A great failing of Ebay - and quite deliberate is to lump selling and buying together. It's quite possible to find a high number of 100% positive feedback with only a fraction being sales.
 
I was watching this shay as well, but if you are interested in it I will refrain from bidding, so we don't start a bidding war between 2 forum members.
Good Luck.
 
steve is right about the first version,
which i have , and on which i replaced the trucks (after a time consuming rebuild of the originals after failure-one hour of running light!)-the replacement trucks are pricey, and can be hard to find

once the trucks are replaced-they are lovely -huge-have brittle plastic and details that are easily damaged
bachman plastic for the most part is brittle and not too great -consider this a 'model' that runs and that must be delicately handled -and-they have rather extensive lubricating needs, not only the trucks and motor gears, but also the side cams, pistons etc-

i would NOT buy an old first version without the new version trucks being readily available to me -i guarantee you that if you get the old trucks, they will fail. The axel gears were made of plastic that contracted and then split-not to mention the bottom plates covering the gears, and other issues too, such as the metal ball bearing pick ups against the back of the wheels-some of them have tremendous pressure and dont glide at all-they really are that terrible -put me off bachman forever

once the new trucks are installed, things change completely, and these are cool locos-especially,imho, this smallest version

btw -they really are HUGE -look fine with LGB stock however-however they need more in the way of clearance on the side of the tracks

they are NOT , AT ALL, IN ANY WAY, weather worthy -do not leave outside -they will have some parts rust, electronics will likely be damaged too, smoke units are .....unusual, huge reservoir, which leaks, but will smoke well by running a high voltage (loco still runs pretty slowly) and then will fail and burn up, if ever run dry ,
they are fine on R1

i wouldnt disuade you, but this is my experience, i run mine ....carefully, in fair weather,
but i do love it
 
Have to agree with Steve the other option if you can buy a striped gear one cheap is to remove the white plastic gears (The ones that break) and have it free rolling but pushed by a powered wagon ( i have a Tools box car with a motor block cut into the floor) you can then link them and get power pick up from all wheels makes a lot cheaper repair than $200 plus for the replacement blocks
 
SGR said:
MRail said:
Seems to me that both links lead to one and the same loco.
Am I missing something?
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OOPS, I put the wrong link in the second time. Here is the right link
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bachmann-...=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item1c330723c9 < Link To http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm...mp;hash=item1c330723c9
Click to expand...
These can be OK but given that it has been "improved" by the previous owner by painting some parts it will not be worth as much as a mint one. Also if the postman drops it having plastic gearboxes it might not run by the time it arrives even if as the seller states in runs fine at the moment.
 
alec dawe said:
I was watching this shay as well, but if you are interested in it I will refrain from bidding, so we don't start a bidding war between 2 forum members.
Good Luck.
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Alec. I have decided not to go for this at the moment as we are moving back to the UK and won't have a track for some time. Hopefully I'll find a forumite that has 1 local to the Bournemouth area that I can see and then pick up 1 later.
 
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