# First train show and got tricked



## Rabbitman (Jan 24, 2014)

I went to a train show with my cousin Saturday and bought a load of things including a supposedly never sold 4-6-4 Hudson steamer (30-1121-1) which was supposed to have PS1 and an 0-8-0 Scale switch engine (RK 1111 L) also supposed to have PS1. Both are MTH with the switcher first appearing in the 1996 catalogue and the Hudson first appearing in the Fall 1997 catalogue. According to the catalogue they made both these engines with and without PS1 back then. The box clearly states, Optionaly equiped with ProtoSound, squeaking brakes and Freight Yard sounds with the sentence printed in red on each box . Both these engines do actually look brand new other than probably demonstrated some from looking at the pickup rollers and the wheels. The guy said to make sure to charge the batteries first as they are probably dead or worse. I got home and took the tops off the tenders as I was just going to get new batteries anyhow and there is no battery or a place to hook one up to and the only sound I have is the whistle on both but other than that they both run perfect and smoke fine. Obviously I got the without sounds version of these engines in boxes stating they have sounds or the tenders were switched. The connector plug has 4 pins on each of these engines, just an on-off switch on the tender and no proto couplers so I'm sure there is no sounds of any kind on these other than the whistle. I got both for less than $3oo and after my recent PS3 experiences I thought I'd give them a try. I do like them and I'm still glad I got them but I still did get ripped off. OH well, they'll probably both burn up in a month or so anyway with my luck with MTH.


----------



## callmeIshmael2 (May 28, 2012)

Hopefully, you still have the buyer's info. The show you went to may have info. on the seller and will want to make sure people aren't getting ripped by the guy. Another possibility is he actually didn't know. Another possibility is he bought them from someone else who ripped him off and he thought he'd do the same to someone else; in this case, you. Always best to contact and give him/her a chance to make good, as the boxes stated the engines were something other than what you purchased. "Buyer beware" is hardly an excuse for misrepresentation; you must have some avenue of meaningful protest.


----------



## Rabbitman (Jan 24, 2014)

callmeIshmael2 said:


> Hopefully, you still have the buyer's info. The show you went to may have info. on the seller and will want to make sure people aren't getting ripped by the guy. Another possibility is he actually didn't know. Another possibility is he bought them from someone else who ripped him off and he thought he'd do the same to someone else; in this case, you. Always best to contact and give him/her a chance to make good, as the boxes stated the engines were something other than what you purchased. "Buyer beware" is hardly an excuse for misrepresentation; you must have some avenue of meaningful protest.


I did write the guys name in my check book, he's from Camden New Jersey, probably a friend of Tony Soprano. I'm just gonna let it go, if it was somewhere close by I would check it out but I really don't think he even new because he did tell me about checking the batteries out and using a temporary 9 volt instead of the 8.4 it supposedly had or used.


----------



## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

I would definitely try to get in touch with the guy, maybe he'll refund you some money or make it right somehow. Not everyone in nj is related to tony soprano, if we were there would be no one to rip off. Besides the soprano family works north jersey not south.


----------



## BigAl56 (Dec 14, 2011)

If your seller is a TCA member he is obligated to make this deal right. I never knew a TCA member including myself who wouldn't quickly make good on something like this. Mistakes happen, I have made a few myself.


----------



## Dave Sams (Nov 24, 2010)

Education and patience are your best tools when going to a show. 

I saw a 626 at one end of a show for $250 and bought one at the other end of the room for $100 down from $125 asking. They were in equal conditon. One seller was too high, and I knew it, and the other was at a reasonable number, and I knew it too.

Recently some accessories were at a show and I took a chance. They turned out to be very nice and worth more than what I paid, but I knew I was taking a chance.


----------



## Rabbitman (Jan 24, 2014)

BigAl56 said:


> If your seller is a TCA member he is obligated to make this deal right. I never knew a TCA member including myself who wouldn't quickly make good on something like this. Mistakes happen, I have made a few myself.


 I wonder what would be a reasonable amount of money for him to refund me for them not having PS1 as advertised. I'm not going to make an issue out of it but I'm just curious what the difference should be. I probably will see him at next years show and let him know then if he is there. I'm probably better off not having the extra features anyway because it would probably cost more to fix it when it needs a new board if one is actually available. I couldn't believe the size of the boards in those engines though for not having any thing at all other than a whistle and smoke. They looked every bit as complex as the PS3 ones if not more. I looked up both on MTH's website and they showed the Hudson appearing in the 1997 catalog for $399 back then, that was 14 years ago so if you consider that the prices on the new stuff in their Imperial line is pretty good. I guess they were made in Korea then too weren't they? I'm just gonna write it off as a learning experience and I'm not near as upset over these 2 as I am over the 2 new PS3's I've burnt up since December


----------



## PeterA (Dec 9, 2012)

According to the manual I came across on the site the Hudson batteries are in the boiler.

http://www.mthtrains.com/sites/default/files/download/instruction/70st16911i.pdf


Sent from Pete's Pad using Tapatalk


----------



## Rabbitman (Jan 24, 2014)

Dave Sams said:


> Education and patience are your best tools when going to a show.
> 
> I saw a 626 at one end of a show for $250 and bought one at the other end of the room for $100 down from $125 asking. They were in equal conditon. One seller was too high, and I knew it, and the other was at a reasonable number, and I knew it too.
> 
> Recently some accessories were at a show and I took a chance. They turned out to be very nice and worth more than what I paid, but I knew I was taking a chance.


 Yes I have to work on the patience part and now I know a few more things to look for especially under the tenders for volume controls and such other than just an on-off switch like mine has.


----------



## Rabbitman (Jan 24, 2014)

PeterA said:


> According to the manual I came across on the site the Hudson batteries are in the boiler.
> 
> http://www.mthtrains.com/sites/default/files/download/instruction/70st16911i.pdf
> 
> ...


 Thank's for the quick reply and I got excited for a minute thinking I might have been looking in the wrong place for the battery but that version of the Hudson is a way higher price engine than mine and it is PS2 also but thank's anyway.


----------



## PeterA (Dec 9, 2012)

Oh well it was worth a try...


Sent from Pete's Pad using Tapatalk


----------



## BigAl56 (Dec 14, 2011)

It's a significant difference between the PS version and the simple sound version. I would think at least a 30% refund is in order if you see the dealer. 

Since working PS engines are far more desirable maybe he'll do an exchange with you rather than a refund.


----------



## Frisco Firefly (May 17, 2012)

The RK-1111-L did not come with Proto sounds. If the box was marked (RK-1111-LP) it came with proto sounds. A lot of confusion with the way MTH identified when they first came out. Most of the first RK Proto sound engines did not come with Proto couplers either. So I doubt that the RK-1111-LP had Proto couplers

On the Hudson the -1 should be Proto sounds. If it was a -0 or blank it did not have Proto sounds. All of the first Rail King engines were made by Samhongsa in South Korea. Samhongsa also made the Williams and Weaver Brass engines back then. These are actually excellent engines.
Robert


----------



## Dano (Aug 26, 2012)

I think that I have a Lionel Pacific that has 'optional' systems, but they must be added, it did not come with it hence the 'optional' part. The tech sheet tells how to do it.


----------



## Luke 221 (Feb 12, 2013)

BigAl56 said:


> If your seller is a TCA member he is obligated to make this deal right. I never knew a TCA member including myself who wouldn't quickly make good on something like this. Mistakes happen, I have made a few myself.


I bought a piece of junk from a TCA seller at a train show once. It does happen. But hey that is what E-bay is for, to part out and sell off your mistakes.


----------

