Another Seacrest Auction

[Chris Webster]

To me, the most interesting item is Lot 115: Incredible Joe Fischer built O scale two rail Atlantic Coast Line ten car streamlined passenger set. The auction is still a week away, but that item is already up to $325!

The second most interesting, IMHO, item is Lot 365: O scale two rail Santa Fe streamlined passenger set E3 locomotive and 14 passenger cars. That might be a very easy restoration project or it might not be. I cannot tell.

The auction includes thirty two "Joe Fischer" lots. In addition to the ACL set, there are 31 individual cars being auctioned. Most of them have zero bids so far, but Lot 29: Joe Fischer built O scale two rail Pennsylvania Railway Post Office car is already up to $110. (Yet another example of how easily SPFs are separated from their cash! )

At least two early bidders really like the NP - Lot 67: Custom built O scale two rail Northern Pacific Chief Red Thunder 10-1-1 Pullman is up to $275 and Lot 108: O scale two rail Northern Pacific Emerald Valley observation car with full interior is up to $130. FWIW, these two are not Joe Fischer cars.

Another interesting one is Lot 27: O scale custom built Union Pacific 4800 series diner with full interior, described as a diner built from an American O-scale kit by Ed Wichman. It's already up to $150.

Stout keeps adding items to this auction. Several recently added lots sound really interesting, but those lots do not yet have photos. Finally, if you do bid, be sure to carefully read the descriptions -- the auction includes 227 lots of HO items!

[J. S. Bach]

There has to be over 35 alleged Joe Fischer built cars. The guy must have been trying to corner the market.

Jim had several spotters who would buy for him at shows he didn't attend and much was purchased after the show closed at bargain prices.
BH

I see nothing in that but pure, unmitigated GREED! Not to mention that most of that stuff probably stayed in its boxes.

[sarge]

I see nothing in that but pure, unmitigated GREED! Not to mention that most of that stuff probably stayed in its boxes.

Really? That's rather harsh.

Jim was a collector, and I don't believe he deserves your accolade. At one point I owned probably half that many Fischer cars myself, and can certainly point to a couple friends of mine who have each collected many many more than 35 over the years. You might not realise it but Joe built hundreds (perhaps thousands) of the dam things, and it isn't like Jim denied the world these cars, say by having them destroyed at his death or buried with him. I don't see where his memory deserves the word "greed", myself.

Now, to lighten the mood, it does put me in mind of the only O Scale joke:

What's the difference between a Fischer car and a Precision car?

Fischer cars burn longer.

[RDSRR]

What's the difference between a Fischer car and a Precision car?

Fischer cars burn longer.

Sad... very sad

[bob turner]

Agree with Sarge. Hobbies serve a purpose - in some cases filling a hole somewhere. Jim was one of the nicest, most generous people I have known. Google him sometime - check out how many very large charitable contributions he made in his lifetime. Big ones.

[Robert]

I'd know I would enjoy owning one of those Joe Fischer cars, but it would be a static display since my relatively slight radius curves will not play so nice with such equipment. Nevertheless I would find fascination in studying the construction and workmanship at my leisure until finally relegating it to a deserving siding.

Robert

[Rufus T. Firefly]

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[bob turner]

A good friend captured the images of the Lobaugh locomotives for me. I am greatly entertained. It is like getting a year's worth of "Old & Rare" in OSN. It motivated me to get some high def photos of a few old timers around here, which I can share.

[bob turner]

First, a Lobaugh/Scale Craft Mountain with a wood block tender. My friend Hal Sharkey started it, and did exquisite detail work. His work is more or less forward, mine is aft (like the cab). Hal died of a brain tumor a quarter century ago - really nice guy and a talented modeler. He was a Marine Fighter Pilot in the olden days. Admire!

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[bob turner]

Next a prewar Lobaugh Mike. This one has a brass tender, with maybe only a few Lobaugh parts. This one came as a kit - John Dill found a complete kit for the prewar Mike and Mountain, even with paint vials and decals!

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[bob turner]

And finally, a genuine Lobaugh Cab Forward. The drivers are wrong, and the tender is Adams (the kit came with a rectangular tender, and the spoke drivered AC-6 always had the Vanderbilt 160-C, so what you see is what you get). Previous photos of this one on the forum were in red oxide primer. Decals are from La Belle.

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[De Bruin]

Nice Bob. But I’m wired, tired and cranky so I’ll reply to Chris’s post re Stout listing links in particular (tha-anks Chris) and leave the rest to you guys, doing so as recipient of one of the Seagraves estate cars and seeing what Maroon and his pals have pulled off as well. Given the above, all is opinion, your results may vary…
Lot 115, Joe Fischer was “incredible” but this lot is not; looks like ALW kits, ironically most but not all good plans for ACL (a few NYC “stand-ins” for the coaches and a smooth ACF 70’ end door baggage for the ACL fluted ’85) with eight of the lot done in a completely fictional scheme. One car on the upper left side shot is so damaged (I would guess trying to strip off that incorrect paint job) that its floor is departing for Cuba. If I’m going to cheat on a specific signature car plan(s), I’d rather do it myself then pay for it (unless of course it’s really well done) but would not here. Yikes!
Lot 365, a single Adams E3 with later correct roof casting; appears to be powered with a single truck? (Jim what say you?) and a good-looking lot of Kasiner extruded shell finished car bodies, with under-bodies in two sets which would indicate this was originally two orders, maybe even two builders. Some of the seven coaches are a tad problematic for AT&SF plan wise but…ok, I believe the remaining are actually-largely-(loosely) based on PS AT&SF plans. (if the price was really good and I didn’t have a bunch of Kasiner shells already, I’d throw out a bid)
The rest look fine, I especially like the Wichman-built UP diner, I saw his built-up display models two years ago in Chicago and he’s very good, having his own line of C&NW 400 line of kits to boot.

[bob turner]

Yeah, it looks like I hijacked the thread. Those really neat Seacrest Lobaugh, Scale Craft, and scratch Mountains, Mikes, and the Deck & Cab Forward belong in this thread, and probably not mine. I truly enjoyed that series of photos. Had no idea Jim Seacrest had so many rare Lobaugh steamers!

[hibar]

Checked out the results of the latest Seacrest auction, Fisher cars seem to have fallen off in value, average 300 per car, Whats with Lots 412,424,438 & 473 these locos all went for way over auction estimates especially Lot 438 SP cab forward at 4800 and Lot 424 MG AC9 at 2600, just curious.

[E7]

I would have wanted to be at the auction site to see the stuff before I bid any substantial amount. If you end up with something that wasn't quite what you hoped, you were stuck! That might be OK if you stole if, but if you paid a bunch yikes! No thanks!