For those of you looking for that odd something..... Here's a set of genuine wood beam 6-axle passenger car trucks for sale on ebay. I have no connection with the seller in any way. I just thought that some museum out there might need these.Stuarthttp://cgi.ebay.com/Pre-1909-rail ... dZViewItem

By the journal box hangers, I would say it is from a former Osgood Bradley (Worcester, Ma, later became part of Pullman) built car. At the Ct Eastern RR Museum, we have a Horse Carrier / Baggage car (NYNH&H #3841) with a 2 axel version of that truck, strap steel (or wrought iron) over wood beams, and we also have a former NYNH&H Coach (#4414) that has the later cast version of the truck, both came out of the O-B Worcester Plant. http://www.cteastrrmuseum.org/inventory.htmRegards,Rich CizikMoW ForemanConnecticut Eastern RR MuseumWillimantic, Ct 06226www.cteastrrmuseum.org

I would not call this ($1,000: reserve not met) "at a great price".I doubt they would scrap out to $400, even at todays high prices!Steve Zuiderveen

To Hell with the scrap value of those trucks!Museums all over the country have more car bodies than trucks to put them on. The steeet car museums are always looking for and trading the remaining trucks around and I think it is also true of the main line museums to some degree. I am sure that somebody needs that pair!

Ted,Perhaps you misunderstood the tone of my comment.I have been purchasing and reusing used coach parts since 1982, and in general I agree with your comment that there are a multitude of coach bodies in need of extra trucks.If the owner of these trucks was working within our community's interest, then they would have been advertised on the Reading Tech Rail-Swap; or the fine folks at the Duluth museum would be putting the word out to the commumity that they were available as swap bait for something else that they needed.I have purchased and reused coach parts from some of the great junkies such as Naporano in Newark, and Hyman-Michaels; I generally have offered them twice heavy melt price, and we have both departed happy. When this guy on eBay states in his ad "And at a great price", the starting bid is $1,000, and the reserve is not yet met; I smell a reserve of at least $2500. The trucks will most likely go "no bid", and who knows if they will ever get under a deserving car.Steve

In scenarios like this, it is good to contact the seller on eBay and supply your name, etc. Once they learn their item will not sell as they thought, and they cool down, they will likely contact you.

I don't own those trucks, but if I did, I'd be happy to give them to any group who could make good use of them, just to get them out of my yard.

Minnesota Transportation Museum has at least two very old bodies at their Jackson Street Roundhouse museum facility that could possibly use the pair. One car that I am thinking of is the ex-Soo sleeper Valhalla. Wood body with semi-intact interior built by Barney & Smith in late 1890s, I believe. If the car didn't have six-wheel trucks similar to these I'd be surprised.I agree. Donate them. Most volunteer-based museums like ours simply don't have a lot of spare cash lying around. It would be a sight better to give them to someone who needs them than to scrap the rare, old birds.

The only “real” value is that magical moment when someone makes an offer that the seller accepts.On the low end if these trucks were burned and melted for scrap they would be worth less than the asking price on the auction.Some of us have suggested that the seller thinks they are worth more than the “starting auction price,” possibly a great deal more.If you had to replicate these specific trucks for a car restoration, (including patterns) the price would be huge, probably over $100,000.It is possible that the seller could likely get a higher value (than the likely ultimate selling price) by donating the trucks and legitimately (requiring an appraiser to value the trucks) claiming a donation tax deduction. (but that deduction would need to be 3 to 4 times the likely selling value for it to be greater than the value of a simple sale)There are lots of cases of “antique road show” syndrome about, both in railroad preservation and elsewhere in preservation, where the seller “knows” (sometimes in the absence of supporting facts) what he has is worth a lot. In some cases the seller’s perceived value is much closer to a dream. But the seller may have a great deal of emotional energy invested in the dream.Additionally while it is likely that these would be of great value to many railroad preservation groups, few of those groups have the resources to make a purchase like this. More likely, these would fit an old carbody, currently sitting on railroad ties, off in the back 40, tarped (if lucky), awaiting a future restoration which is likely never to come. In a perfect world, if the owner is unwilling to donate, one museum or organization would be able to purchase and hold them until the correct home was found. We don’t live in that perfect world.

I don't own those trucks either, but if I did, I'd be happy just to have them sitting in my yard ...

Steve,Good on you for the preservation work!Selling those trucks for scrap would be like selling a 19th century silver dollar for scrap because it has a small amount of silver in it!Ted Miles

Steve,Good on you for the preservation work!Selling those trucks for scrap would be like selling a 19th century silver dollar for scrap because it has a small amount of silver in it!Ted Miles