BigDumbWookiee Posted February 10, 2011 Posted February 10, 2011 With the Maersk train coming, I'd really like to add (back) to my collection, the Santa Fe engine and cars, BNSF engine, and TTX cars. Looking for opinions - am I better off trying to purchase a completed set on eBay/BrickLink, or should I buy all the parts seperately (including decals and instructions) via BrickLink? I don't care about having an "authentic" set, as long as all the parts are accurately/correctly represented. Quote
yugistew Posted February 10, 2011 Posted February 10, 2011 id say start with some thorough ebay digging first... i have had some very good luck getting incomplete sets for scratch and then filling in the gaps with bricklink... 4511 was my favorite little project that started out with 2 partials and a number of pieces from around the globe.... its a whole lot more fun with the little gamble to start things off vs just buying everything Quote
L@go Posted February 10, 2011 Posted February 10, 2011 Actually, I think that a complete set is the way to go, especially with the Super Chief. Some of the parts, like this, this, and not to mention this and the worst example of all: This part, make piecing it together through BrickLink a very, very expensive option - probably just as expensive as buying a complete set. I bought a second Super Chief before Christmas, and ended up with paying around $150 for it, which doesn't seem unreasonable. That was on BrickLink, and eBay tends to be a tad cheaper. The Santa Fe cars may be a better option if you're just buying the parts. I haven't checked out the BNSF, though. I also notice that you talk about buying the instructions. I'm assuming you'd want them because you're a collector, and not simply because you want to build the train, as they are readily available on several web sites, including Lego's own. Quote
LEGO Guy Bri Posted February 10, 2011 Posted February 10, 2011 Yeah trying to complete a Santa Fe or BNSF from scratch from bricklink might be a a lot more expensive than a semi complete or complete set. I always keep an eye out for another BNSF to bid on. They are currently averaging $140-160 opened, $200ish for MISB. The SF Big Chief usually around $130 opened. The deal breaker on that is the price of the cars. The 10025 Set 1 cars are $110-$130, Set 2 (10022) have been rare on eBay. Usually only offered MISB at a buy it now $400+, rediculous... As for the TTX cars $70-100. I stopped buying those after they broke the $70 threshold last October. Hope this helps. Good luck with your search Quote
drdavewatford Posted February 11, 2011 Posted February 11, 2011 It'll probably cost you as much to buy the parts as it will to buy a complete set, and it's a whole world of hassle as well. Keep a close watch on eBay instead and you'll eventually pick up what you want at a fair price - I did. I even managed to get a sealed Super Chief for around £65 (= less than $100) a couple of months back. Patience is the key. Bid on everything up to your limit and eventually you'll win. Dr. D. Quote
roamingstop Posted February 11, 2011 Posted February 11, 2011 (edited) Patience will be the key as I strongly suspect after Maersk launch the prices will initially rise (people will be keen to go backwards) and then possibly drop once they realise how good the Maersk line is... However in Europe there are often good deals around to pick up some bits of models - but to be fair the price of the grey port holes is incredibly bad... (but 3 months ago there were only 10 on BL). So not sure where the >50 items have suddenly appeared from, as no new pieces have been produced. It is also worth checking other auction websites... e.g. in Switzerland we have Ricardo.ch and sometimes models appear on there much less then ebay. The prices of the SF car's is ridiculus... I picked some up in the summer for a good price only to find most of them had light bley pieces and a light scattering of light grey. oh well. Oh and also find a good friend. Occasionally large 'sets' made up of a couple of locos and carriages appear and can be split between you. BL can also be your friend - as I once picked up a full Chief without box for a decent price - I was quite surprised as it was much lower then EBay. Edited February 11, 2011 by roamingstudio Quote
Gareth Posted February 11, 2011 Posted February 11, 2011 I suppose it depends on what type of trains you are thinking of building. Possibly E bay and Brick link for complete sets from the last ten years as the pieces are more expensive brought seperatly , but if you are thinking of making 80's trains then pieces added with Lego you already have would be cheaper because 80's trains are a lot simpler and the pieces used were very common and easily available. you could always 'jazz up' the 80's trains to make them look more modern. Quote
Toastie Posted February 11, 2011 Posted February 11, 2011 (edited) Looking for opinions - am I better off trying to purchase a completed set on eBay/BrickLink, or should I buy all the parts seperately (including decals and instructions) via BrickLink? Hi there, you know what? LEGO is about imagination, about making "your thing". Don't spend too much time on copying. Take your very own route of dreaming up >your< Maersk Train, >your< GP38, >your< BNSF GP38. The point is: It is up to you! Not up to the inventory. What, if you figure out out a better way of creating the "Maersk train"? I'd rather buy your approach than dealing with what came out of TLCs think tank. They might be ingenious - but we might just "beat" them by simply outnumbering them with our ingenious (or simply wild) ideas. Rock on, Thorsten Edited February 11, 2011 by Toastie Quote
Dan-147 Posted February 12, 2011 Posted February 12, 2011 (edited) I agree with Thorsten. As much as I like the Santa Fe SuperChief, I'd rather have a version of EMD's F-unit in a color-scheme that has more meaning to me. I've started gathering pieces for a VIA-Rail (Canada's passenger trains) FP-7 in blue and yellow. While it follows the general guidelines of the LEGO Santa Fe version, I've also included a few more recent pieces that were not availible then, such as the Black Wedge 4 x 6 x 2/3 Triple Curved (52031). I've also lengthened it by 2 studs and shortened the nose by 1 stud because I feel it has better proportions that way. The Santa Fe SuperChief is certainly one of LEGO's best train models but nothing looks more like a SuperChief than another SuperChief, whether it was built from a set or from parts. When I finally get all my parts, I'll post a few pictures. P.S. I can't wait to get my hands on the Maersk train. I've already decided it will be a 7-stud wide SD-40-2! Edited February 12, 2011 by Dan-147 Quote
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