Model Railroading > Hobbytown HO Gauge UP E9A - E9A Locomotive

I bought this Hobbytown HO Gauge UP E9A - E9A Locomotive at a model railroad show in the Bay area about 15 years ago and it has been sitting on an inactive layout ever since. The double unit runs great and is in excellent shape other than some chipped paint on the drive unit. I believe it is made out of cast iron so should should be rather easy to touch up.

I can't find out much info on Hobbytown built (not the hobby store chain as I understand) HO Gauge locomotives, are they well built or junk like Tyco? I am selling all of my HO stock including this beauty, any ideas what it might be worth? Thanks in advance for your advice.

Tom

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Hobbytown was indeed a hobby shop in Boston that had their own line of cast metal diesels. It's not iron, but rather a zinc alloy called zamac. It was one of the better products available in the 1960's.

I know, because I bought stuff at that store and there were boxes of the body shell castings in the place.

Ray

Those are E7's by the way. IIRC Hobbytown also made an Alco RS-3 and RSD-4/5.

TJY

Hobbytown of Boston is back in business: http://hobbytownofboston.com/

I am sure that they are not part of the HobbyTown USA chain though.


Ray_Murphy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hobbytown was indeed a hobby shop in Boston that
> had their own line of cast metal diesels. It's not
> iron, but rather a zinc alloy called zamac. It was
> one of the better products available in the
> 1960's.
>
> I know, because I bought stuff at that store and
> there were boxes of the body shell castings in the
> place.
>
> Ray

buckeyetom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ... I am selling all of my HO stock including
> this beauty, any ideas what it might be worth?
> ...




I'm just sayin...

Mr. MRL

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https://tinyurl.com/ya23nfew

They are not junk, like Tyco (Toyco). They will pull everything in the yard.

ʎɹɹɐ˥

MrMRL Wrote:

> I'm just sayin...
>
> Mr. MRL


Just sayin what?????

Back in the day they were the cream of the crop. Varney also used zamac on their engines.

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

Hobbytown only sold kits. They were well designed and manufactured to close tolerences though the builder needed to do some filing and perhaps some shimming of cast parts. When done right they run KATO smooth and with metal bodies will pull everything in the yard. Hobbytown also made bare drive kits to power Athearn plastic shells for SD45, F45, GP35 and F7 models.

If you owned a full passenger train of those early Japanese brass passenger cars those Hobbytown drives with metal bodies from Hobbytown or Cary was the way to pull those metal cars with metal trucks which were not the smoothest rolling.

You notice one motor in one unit powers all 12 axles in both units through a universal between the units. A complete disassembly with a thorough cleaning of dried lube and find out how well these units can run.

fbe Wrote:
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> Hobbytown only sold kits. They were well designed
> and manufactured to close tolerences though the
> builder needed to do some filing and perhaps some
> shimming of cast parts. When done right they run
> KATO smooth and with metal bodies will pull
> everything in the yard. Hobbytown also made bare
> drive kits to power Athearn plastic shells for
> SD45, F45, GP35 and F7 models.
>
> If you owned a full passenger train of those early
> Japanese brass passenger cars those Hobbytown
> drives with metal bodies from Hobbytown or Cary
> was the way to pull those metal cars with metal
> trucks which were not the smoothest rolling.
>
> You notice one motor in one unit powers all 12
> axles in both units through a universal between
> the units. A complete disassembly with a thorough
> cleaning of dried lube and find out how well these
> units can run.

They also fit the GP30, GP7, FP45, SDP40, B-Boats and
with a little work the C-Boat line of GE’s. They take some
work to assemble and tune up, once you have that done
you will have a fantastic drive. The value, around $40 depending
on what the buyer will pay, look on EBay for what the current pricing is.

You have one of the older drives that used rubber connections for
the drive shafts that may need to be replaced with their new coupling kit.
It may not have a flywheel being an older unit. It also appears to have plastic
wheels on one side of each truck instead if all brass wheels with nylon inserts
In them to keep it from shorting out. Good luck!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/18/18 04:14 by EL-SD45-3632.

Back in the late 1960 I had a Hobbytown E-7A with the Pittman DC-91 motor. It would literally pull the walls down. I added weight to the unit also. The Pittman DC-91 motor was for O gauge really but it fit.

Stanley Jackowski
Valrico, FL

Well, I think we’ve answered the original questions. This conversation is already slightly off topic so I don’t feel too bad asking;

Stanley

Did you win many pulling contests with your beast?

Has anyone put a decoder in one yet? Sound? Digitrax sells a non sound decoder small enough for HO, but handles a four amp continuous load with a six amp surge. That’ll power a DC91, right?

ʎɹɹɐ˥

Oh yes they were for many years a prize unit to have. Some had a sort of a drive which used a rubber which expanded with motor RPM and engaged the cone which was attached to the gears. Much like some go kart drives different but sort of worked until oil got on it then the slipping began. And by the way when they started under there name the other didn't exist.

Why would you add weight to a Hobbytown of Boston unit? Stress testing your benchwork?
The only thing these units need to run better is a "modern" motor that can handle the load.

Hobbytown also had a switcher chassis for SW 7/9/1200 EMDs, s12 Baldwins, S4/T6 Alcos, FM HH 12-44/1_, and perhaps other short wheel base switchers.

Do not forget the PAs. Great power and nice castings. Wish I had kept mine. wag216

Larry020 Wrote:
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> Well, I think we’ve answered the original
> questions. This conversation is already slightly
> off topic so I don’t feel too bad asking;

Not quite, I still haven't seen anyone step forward with an estimate of what this puppy should sell for in today's market. I am going to be selling it with a set of 7 Athearn UP corrugated passenger cars.

buckeyetom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Larry020 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Well, I think we’ve answered the original
> > questions. This conversation is already
> slightly
> > off topic so I don’t feel too bad asking;
>
> Not quite, I still haven't seen anyone step
> forward with an estimate of what this puppy should
> sell for in today's market. I am going to be
> selling it with a set of 7 Athearn UP corrugated
> passenger cars.

Yes I did, in my post above. Price for the Hobbytown’ only.

EL-SD45-3632 Wrote:

> > Larry020 Wrote:

> Yes I did, in my post above. Price for the
> Hobbytown’ only.

Sorry Larry, I missed seeing that Amazon link.