E-44 revisited

[Mouse]

  Don't mean to keep dragging this up, BUT.... Just saw a brass E-44 on "that auction site" going for over $460.00! I bought two awhile back that needed work. I used two of Bachmann's E-33 for trucks, motors and some railings. Added a decoder and some lights and now have two remarkable units!
  Bachmann could produce these with less trouble. All is needed is a frame and body. The trucks are the same as the E-33. The E-60's use the same pantographs. And with the limited number of engines out there, I believe it would sell.
  Although only a small number of railroads had them, look at the E-60's, only two phases of Amtrak and they're doing great. The E-33's are another great engine. I have several in both PC and Conrail. If the E-44 is made, I would have to add as least 4 to 6 to my roster!

[Len]

Most of the differences between the E-44 and EL-C/E-33 can't be seen, e.g., motors, rectifiers, controls, etc. The most noticable external difference is the use of two single arm pantographs on the E-44, versus a single dual arm pantograph on the EL-C/E-33. Other than that  there are only some minor cosmetic differences between the car bodies of the E-44 and the EL-C/E-33.

Len

[Mouse]

BTW: that brass E-44 on eBay sold for $655.00! I think there's a market for them.

[Doneldon]

Mouse-

That E-44 on ebay was a very nice example of a relatively rare locomotive. Such items bring handsome prices from the investors and collectors. The models often end up as Display Daisies and are never run except for a test upon receipt. I obviously don't know the intentions of the buyer of that specific loco but I can say that it probably wouldn't demand so much from a person who merely wanted to run trains. The investors and collectors have screwed up the brass market, in my opinion, much as the investors screwed up the coin collecting hobby. At least there the collecting part is the hobby rather than some hollow quest to have one of everything or the best example of something or make a slug of money.
                                                                                                                            -- D

[jward]

it is interesting to note that the collectors are about the only ones buying brass anymore. most of the plastic diesels out now run better and may even look better than many of the brass pieces. given the choice between say a brass sd35 and an atlas one, most would rather go with the atlas one. it looks and runs way better, and has drop in decoders available. with the brass you'd have to tweak it to get it to run right, tear it down for painting, and probably have to isolate the motor for dcc.

i personally only own 2 brass locomotives. i acquired both because i got a good price on locomotives that weren't then available in plastic. (rs27, since made by proto, and t6 which has never been produced in plastic.) my friend also has a t6, and in order to get it to run right he had to scrap the drive and frame, and put the body on an atlas s4 chassis.