Need help identifying 1/2 scale 4-6-2 live steamer

[pauly]

Tàlking out our butts?

What are you bloody 12 years old?

So 2 other people who's qualifications/experience you haven't told us Vs everyone here who's told you otherwise.
Sounds like someone's got themselves some pretty selective hearing.

You clearly only want to hear the truth so long as it maximises your profit.

[The Denying Dutchman]

As I said earlier: a trader with an attitude.

[pauly]

Why don't you sell it to these other 2 experts? Surely with their vast knowledge they would make an offer an offer reaching into the thousands on it.

I wonder how much you paid for it, I bet it was a lot.

[TTHLRMatt]

I totally get your argument about its background and possibility but nothing is confirmed about the builder until you have written proof and no opinions.
I have my great granddads old collection of models, including a 4 3/4 inch gauge tipper. Now, this is around 100 years old, does not mean its worth a lot!!
I have his old gasworks coal tipler, working. This was patented to him and is over a 100 years old, I know who built it, its an important original with evidence, thats whats worth value!!!
Also, engines without boiler do not tend to go all that high in price, the boiler is the main component so if you want the best price, take off the rust (if any), make a boiler and do what you can to it since you say your a "train guy".
The main issue is that this is a 2.5 inch gauge locomotive...... for pushing $5000!!!! Feel free to try but, that will not sell. You can buy a new 5 inch gauge locomotive for that or an almost complete 7 1/4. My step dad sold one of our locomotives we had no need for for around the same price, no higher price, boiler, chassis, tender, pretty much everything...... and this was a 9.5inch gauge Warbash thats bigger than most 10 & 1/4. This was back a bit but that minus boiler makes it a lot less than this.
There are plenty good people on here who will probably know a lot to help you and would want to help you including me (H.J was a castings/parts supplier who made the kit bits for the loco) but insulting me and them wont get you any where, so smarten up or shut up

[laurence703]

I don't talk out of my butt... That is where I poop... I use my mouth for talking...

Now then... This is a VERY knowledgeable forum and bearing in mind you've only been here a short while, I suggest you wind your neck in before the Admins decide to cut it off...

Secondly, What you have may possibly be a design that not many people have built which could possibly make it rare... but I very highly doubt it considering I can probably buy the drawings for it at any self respecting supplier... Unless it was designed and built by one person which in effect could possibly make it worthless in the wrong hands...

Its missing the most expensive part for a starters and I can buy a much nicer and bigger loco for a lot less...

So! "Train Guy"... Go back to your electric snails and leave the live steam stuff to those who aren't full of themselves...

[Keith S]

90% of you are just talking out of your butt.

Turns out I was completely right about my claims of it being very old and rare. It has been confirmed by 2 people now what it is, and it is very special, even missing parts.

I'm calling bullshit. Good luck selling it. Ebay is lousy with part-built live steamers, and what museum is going to want a frame with no boiler or cab? Another thing Ebay is lousy with is sellers claiming all kinds of pseudo-historical nonsense about things they know nothing about. Nobody who is smart enough to finish building that thing is going to fall for it, and nobody else is going to want half an engine!

[Paul H]

There are VERY few 2 1/2 inch gauge tracks left. I know of three tracks in the whole of the western U.S. in private ownership and one club track. Price is driven by several things, two of which are rarity AND desirability. A half built model in a virtually moribund scale will not likely sell for a great deal of money because the overall market is very small and the segment interested in completing projects like this is even smaller.

An air tested Bassett Lowke Flying Scotsman chassis and tender sold for $1100 earlier this year on the Discover Live Steam list.

http://www.discoverlivesteam.com/discov ... /index.htm

Your loco is at a similar stage of completion, but you do not know if it has run on air. Thus I would say that your Coventry Pacific would probably sell at a not dissimilar price point.

As for your comments about the posters in this thread, they are not really called for. People offered their opinions on the matter of your model and you can take or leave the feedback offered.

[kevincal]

I get it, I am a new member and everyone is allowed to treat me like dirt and give their opinion on value even though 90% of them dont even know about this model.

I am sorry If I am coming off as having an ego but I have participated in forums of all kinds for over a decade now and I just get really tired of being shot down.

Sure, I listed it at a high price to start with, but as it turns out, I am very confident now, knowing what this is, that it is indeed very old and rare, given the information we know.

What also confirms this is the amount of attention the ebay auction is getting, already over 800 hits and 25 people watching.

Doing a search on Conventry live stream on Google, ebay, and Youtube turns out next to ZERO results. These are VERY rare and do not come up often at all, maybe not even once a year, or once every 3 years... Therefore, I believe I was and am not out of line in being excited for this model and my pricing.

You know another thing that really ticks me off when people group up against me about my pricing? I always offer BEST OFFER on the expensive stuff I sell... I give people the option to make me a reasonable offer, therefore, why complain about my starting price? This is the way business works.

[pauly]

Your experiance is with HO Brass models right?

Well non of that experiance is applicable here, the market for this engine is not a collectors market its an operating market and youv got an inoperable model of unknown mechanical condition and build.

You came here asking for information but you had clearly already made up your mind about this models worth.
You keep shooting people down saying you dont want opinion yet you build your auction on IV GOT A REAL GOOD FEELING THAT THIS IS VERY RARE AND VALUABLE now what the hell is your GOOD FEELING built on other than wanting a high sale?
Because the opinion of everyone here is built on experiance and first hand knowledge of this branch of modelling and engineering and how it operates.

It operates nothing like the small scale collectors market and youd do well to heed their advise but I very much doubt you will because youv already shown yourself to be massivly arrogent and rude to those who offer you their valuable knowledge.

[vjoneslong5040]

If you actually think you have the mortal remains of the very first H.J. Coventry Pacific I think your very much mistaken! See:

http://www.friendsmodels.com/productsfo ... p7462.html

There is always someone who has to spoil for a fight when they don't like what they hear!

To be fair, a new set of casting is $5000! No wonder they are rare! Its cheaper to get castings for a 7&1/4 gauge engine!

[TTHLRMatt]

This is what you have :
"1/2" Scale, 2-1/2" Gauge, P7 class PRESIDENT WASHINGTON, Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.

Designed by H.J. Coventry in 1928.


The ORIGINAL design that BEGAN the live steam hobby in the USA. This is the live steamer that "started it all".....our grandfathers and great-grandfathers built this locomotive beginning in 1928, through the Great Depression, and into the 1940s; and many builders used only a 9" lathe, a drill press, and hand tools to do so. "

There is no chance it could be the original, no need sayings it rare but it certainly is not common so I would not be so prompt to push it in our faces.

[Dr. Bond of the DVLR]

I am very sorry to see a thread spiral out of control in such a way, I should have reacted faster but I think its probably best if I lock this topic.