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Model Railroad Discounts And Best Deals In The United States

Tue 37 Comments

We’ve assembled some of the best deals we could find in the United States on eBay.

You will see why building a model railroad doesn’t have to be an expensive hobby.

Just click the links below to see what is on offer…

General

Model Railroad (general) | DCC Systems & Accessories | Live Steam | Magazines

G Scale

Aristo-Craft | Bachmann | Brass Imports | Decals | Detail Parts | L.G.B | Lionel | Other | Track & Accessories | USA Trains

HO Scale

Accurail | AHM/Rivarossi | American Flyer | Athearn | Atlas | Bachmann | Bowser | Branchline | Brass Imports | Broadway Limited | Buildings & Structures | Concor | Decals | Detail Parts | Fleischmann | Hornby | IHC | Intermountain | Kadee | Kar-Line | Kato | Life-Like | Lima | Lionel | Mantua | Marklin | Marx | Merten | Model Power | Other | Precision Craft | Rapido | Red Caboose | Roco | Roundhouse | Stewart | Track & Accessories | Trix | Tyco | Varney | Walthers

N Scale

Arnold | Athearn | Atlas | Bachmann | Brass Imports | Con-Cor | Fleischmann | Graham Farish | Intermountain | Kadee | Kato | Life-Like | Micro-Trains Line (MTL) | Minitrix | Model Power | Peco | Red Caboose | Roundhouse | Walthers | Decals | Detail Parts | Buildings | Track & Accessories | Other

O Scale

American Flyer | Atlas | Brass Imports | K-Line | Lionel | Marx | MTH | Weaver | Williams | Decals | Detail Parts | Track & Accessories | Other

On30

Other

OO Scale

Airfix Railway | Bachmann | Hornby | Detail Parts | Other

S Scale

American Flyer | American Models | S-Helper Service | Decals | Detail Parts | Track & Accessories | Other

Standard Scale

Other

Z Scale

Marklin | Micro-Trains | Detail Parts | Track & Accessories | Other
Bookmark this page and keep coming back, because this list will keep growing. If you’ve had a good or bad experience buying stuff on eBay let us all know in the comments area below.


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About Dan Morgan

Dan Morgan is on a mission to encourage more people to give model railroading a go... There is just no better hobby in the world!
View all posts by Dan Morgan →
  • Bill

    As  someone BRAND  new  to this  best help I got  from couple of friends  I go to these “Swap”meet or  shows  yes MOST stuff old may be  dented  cracked  BUT  I am brand  new  prices  unvelieveable an you can barter as some looking to sell there  old  stuff  when i get real good at it  will look at NEW till then  you guys keep bringing that ole  stuff Im  buyin if I can

  • Prazinpoet

    I think this a great idea! I have bookmarked this page as “Ebay trains” so any time I need something or just want to browse I can click on a link and go. Thanks for the listing, its great.

  • Walt

    I have purchased more than I should HO trains on eBay. Most are good when in their box. Have asked questions and been black-balled from their sites, “their loss” ! When used as a means to obtain what you are looking for, eBay is a good place to look and is no worse than any other. It’s the people that use it are the problem, one needs to watch .

  • John M. Schwehr, Sr.

    Hi Dave I grew up right across from the Roundhouse in Vancouver, Washington.  So I saw a lot about trains in real life.  I always want to have a train set for Christmas, but My Grandparent couldn’t afford the train set, but as I grow up I finally buy my first train set and I do love it now

  • Raincrane

    You need to review your association with “Walthers” in your magazine.  They are an unreliable advertiser that promotes one thing in their catalog and then tells you can’t have the item for that price when you go to order online.
    Its the old “Walthers”  ‘bait and switch’ technique that brings down the hobby and those associated with them.
    Most disappointing; I will not buy from “Walthers” again and recommend others to stay away also.
    Disappointed buyer,
    Paul Oliver

  • Fmrose

    I tried eBay and I must not know enough because I got took several times

  • Meatcutterss1

    I was raised on 2nd hand items when I was young. It just the way we were raised, My parents were hard working people, but they were not paid very well. As for trains my Father collection was all used trains & tracks from 2nd hand stores or swap meets.

    I could never have the set-up my Father had, My mother was very understanding, let him convert a large dinning room in the Victoria style home they rented into is train yard. This was done in the 60′s @ $2.00 hr salary. American Flyers & couple of Lionel trains.

    I started to collect my trains about 3 years ago. Went to a store bought 2 engines (not working) & 4 cars for $180. Than the owner asked me if I wanted the new complete train for $3,000. Of course I said no.

    Than I discovered E-Bay, and wow I was surprised that there was so many trains & access. for sale. And cheap. Of course my father showed how to fix certain things on the trains, so I was not afraid to take them apart. With all the material(parts & diagrams) they have now days on how to fix these old American Flyer trains, you can fix any model.

    Or ship it to someone who can do it for you. I like the used trains, bringing them back to life is like bringing back the 60′s for me, and those times I shared with my father & brothers. I bought over 45 engines, 60 cars,both several buildings(talking stations included) loading platform,log loader..etc.

    Sure you take a gamble. That is why you look very hard at the picture and ask questions.Plus check the sale history of the seller. Couple of sellers got over me, but I was lucky on fixing them. But I got so many great deals it didn’t bother me that much.

    Hey why age your brand new trains set, when you can get used trains that are already aged. FOR THAT $3,000 AMOUNT THAT GENTLEMAN WANTED TO SELL ME. I BOUGHT MY WHOLE COLLECTION PLUS TRACK & ROADBED.

    You see gentlemen I’m disabled & on a fixed income. Buying on E-Bay allows me to buy in pieces a train I want. Lets say I want 0-8-0 343 switcher engine. I can’t afford the price for a complete engine & tender. So I buy the engine by it self, than later on(in several months) I will keep an eye out for the tender that someone is selling all by itself.

    And now I have my train engine & tender I wanted but could not pay the price they were asking for complete & running. I love trains and E-Bay. Ed

    • Ray Ray

      Please tell me what a 0-80 343 switcher engine is?  I am thinking about becoming a trainer and like you, do not have a lot of $$$ to spend or waste.  I want to make sure that when I buy an engine that I get the best possible bang for my dollar.  thanks!

      • http://modeltrainsforbeginners.com/ Dan Morgan

        Hi Ray, come over to the forum when you have questions like this. It’s easier to have a conversation. It’s at http://www.homodeltrains.info/forum/

  • John

    I stay away from ebay I collect lionel trains and on ebay they think if its a train its lionel.lot of high priced
    junk on ebay.you want a deal go to a train show.

  • Bollywoggle37

    I’m new……I see engines equiped with DCC what is that. And my layout is not yet wired is there something I need to do to make it DCC friendly. Will engines without DCC run on the same layout ? Thanks for any comments. Rich

    • Jbmnd

       Hi Bollywogle, i am waiting to wire my layout untill Arista craft  releases their brand new  game changing life altering  electronics  simplifying  system .   Radio .  NO track current needed-   dirty track??? NO  PROBLEM!!!!!!!   shorts , track current routing switches???  GONE !!!  This  is  huge … it will replace dcc and analog . 

  • Bob Gillispie

    I have a problem, wondering if anyone can help me. I am building an HO set and I have one train that shorts out the entire layout when it crosses a turnout. I starts back almost immediately after a short pause, but all the other trains are shut down also for that short duration. Does anyone have an idea what my trouble might be. I have checked the flange gap on the trucks with a gauge and it is OK. If you have a suggestion, please email me at bkgillispie@sbcglobal.net……thanks, Bob

    • Bob

      It is the type of switch you are using probably. some switches have the frog insulated, some don’t and there are other configurations….check them out.
      Bob

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  • Thomas

    Over 44 years of collecting model trains of many scales,this is one of the top retails Ive ever came across.

  • Joe Wyman

    I have railroader mags all the way back to the 20′s

  • Rmcclelland7

    I’m very interested in the E-bay items. Please send me more info. My layout is in the construction stage!!Ron McClelland
    rmcclelland7@comcast.net

    • http://modeltrainsforbeginners.com/ Dan Morgan

      Hi Ron, Just click on any of the links above and you’ll be taken directly to the latest deals. Good luck! Dan

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  • Hypno

    What worries me is are they all compatible with Australia? As we have 240volt and they have less.

  • Jlka9

    This Page and the information on it are Great. Like Greg a majority of my model railroad purchases are through ebay. And while it’s sad to hear that Hedinsen had a bad experience on Ebay, he was kind enough to provide an alternative using “hoyardsale” on yahoo (I had know idea it existed) as well as noting that there many other ways to cut cost. Rod’s advise to Check cost of S& H is very important way to keep from having a bad sale. As I have seen Woodland scenic people (N scale) for $9 good price until you add their S & H charge of $12.95. another way is to check the number of sales and their feedback.

  • Anonymous

    Dan, I have been buying off of E-Bay for the last 3 years .Friends remember even if the price is right, the S& H costs could be more or the same as the price for the train. Take your time in buying. This is sad to say but I must. Alot of our Model Railroad Collector Brothers pass away every year. Huge collections are sold thru out the year. So they will always be good & reasonable prices on these trains. So don’t buy the first train u see & the price is high, there will be more later on in the year. Believe me I have been there. Hey may one day you might end with one of my trains!!

  • Shenderson32

    Dan, Thanks for the tips—I do alot of scratch built to save on cost since my wife cut up my e-bay credit card !!
    Scotty

  • Hedinsen

    I don’t know about anybody else, but I stay away from e-bay. I had a bad deal with them and so have a couple other people I know. Train Shows, yard sales, people you know through clubs, some times you get real lucky and meet other model railroaders through the various social medias like Facebook, which I did and pickup items that way. Another thats become real popular is a group: HOYARDSALE on yahoo. There’s always people shedding excess items that way and stuff being snatched up as fast as someone can respond. And best: No bidding for it either have the cash and resond off-line you want it and its yours. As I said: I’ve picked up the majority of my equipment through train shows and used equipment sold by people on Face Book.## #

    • http://larrys-trains-and-detail-shop.ebid.net/ Larrys Trains

      As a former seller on eBay, I found their new policies there, as well as with PayPal, to be far too restrictive to sellers. I now sell on eBid.com, as are many other former sellers. Many are offering free shipping with items at great prices, as there are NO FEES.

  • Greg

    Great page! About 90% of my model railroad was bought on ebay. It’s a great tool to use in our hobby.

  • Ed

    Yes, model railroading CAN be expensive, but like anything one wants to purchase, one needs to do like the old Smokey Robinson song, “(You better) Shop Around”! :) Ebay is a wonderful place to purchase motive power, rolling stock, structures, etc. Add to ebay the online hobbyshops as well as the physical ones. You can find bargains both in the cyber and real world, if one is willing to look.

  • Nscaleed

    How abiut the airplane guys – take off and crash land- chaching another $100. for a new plane, prop, gas, battery and maybe contro servos. Now we’re talking a couple of hundred dollars.
    It’s all in the name of having FUN.

  • Tim

    Thank you Dan! These are the BEST links yet!

  • Gregoryl_giuriceo

    I have been buying off ebay for years and find it to be good geting things off there, and find good deals on a lot of things

  • http://inmyhomeoffice.com/ Ian

    Thanks, I found this page to be a great help in finding some good deals.