# Brass engine



## [email protected] (Nov 25, 2019)

Would I be wrong to think it's good to have at least one or two brass engines to keep as show pieces. Do people who have them that don't run them keep the brass under glass to stop tarnshing?


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Collecting brass locomotives*



[email protected] said:


> Would I be wrong to think it's good to have at least one or two brass engines to keep as show pieces. Do people who have them that don't run them keep the brass under glass to stop tarnshing?


samliz;

Collecting brass locomotives is sort of a sideline hobby of model railroading. Some run their brass locomotives on their layouts, others just display them in a case, or on shelves. Some collectors don't even have a layout but just collect and display. 
There are a lot more brass locomotives made in HO-scale and O-scale than in N-scale. I do have one N-scale brass locomotive, a bipolar electric. 
Keeping brass in a case won't prevent tarnishing, but it can prevent expensive locomotives from hitting the floor!  To some degree, brass locomotives have sort of "gone out of style" due to increasing prices and the improvement in the detail available on plastic locomotives. 
Do you have a layout, or are you strictly a collector?

Have fun;

Traction Fan :smilie_daumenpos:


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Brass locomotives don't tarnish. They are varnished to prevent it.

As far as just having one or more for show, that's up to you. I don't have any. I can't imagine paying those prices for something I'm not going to run, and I wouldn't dare run something that cost that much.


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## [email protected] (Nov 25, 2019)

Not a collector, but I have always admired the brass engines to the point I thought someday I'll get at least one. Kinda like having 1 gold coin. Anyway, I am an hobbyist of many things and have decided it's time to pursue trains. I have enjoyed trains since I was young. I have several cars for my yard and a couple steam locomotives. Now I finally have the time and room to start my layout.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

I like to look at other's brass locomotives, but I would never own one myself. I think they are very nicely detailed, but I like livery paint schemes, so brass is rather pointless for me.


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## [email protected] (Nov 25, 2019)

What is it like to run a brass 4-8-2 or any other brass locomotive as a daily driver?


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

i have some .. run the layout with medium-small ones, painted, nothing over six driving wheels ..
the rest , smaller and larger, are in the display rack, about half are painted ..and yes, i ran them for a bit, but 2-6-0, and 4-6-0 fit the layout better, as well as the ones on the layout are already painted and weathered, you can't pick them apart from the plastic ones, except for better detail ..the plastic i have is bachmann spectrum geared steam mostly ..[ actually most of my brass is steam as well ..]


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## Sam4014 (Dec 22, 2019)

If I had the money and desire to buy a brass loco to represent and run where can I get a good one - my knowledge is little on what is good to excellent, so where to start?


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

Sam4014 said:


> If I had the money and desire to buy a brass loco to represent and run where can I get a good one - my knowledge is little on what is good to excellent, so where to start?



brasstrains.com [ i think-]


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## Sam4014 (Dec 22, 2019)

Thanks for the start.


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## Jscullans (Jul 8, 2019)

I have a few brass locomotives that I run. I have the blue goose and atsf 3463 by tenshodo. Now that I’ve done the work to them I enjoy running them. I also have a brass pioneer zephyr from nickel plate products a west side e8 a/b set a hallmark sd7 and an offbrand gp7 that has a brass shell on a plastic body. Not sure of the make on that locomotive. I personally buy the locos to run them but when you run them you have to keep it in mind that they’re eventually going to wear out. So they don’t get a whole lot of running time but when they do I enjoy seeing a brass locomotive from the 70s running today


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