Advice for selling railroad tooling?

TFarrell9 · Jan 20, 2022

We have some Iscar railroad form tools that we'd like to sell, but I have no idea how to value them, or even the best place to sell.

There are four different indexable tools, two of which, we have quantity two of.

These tools cost a small fortune new (nearing $25k I was told), and only one of these were used a couple of times. One has inserts, but doesn't look like it made a cut, and four are new in-box.

I'm hoping someone can help and point me in the right direction as to how to sell these (for considerably less than new, I'm sure)considering the narrow market for such tooling.

Thanks for your time.

DDoug · Jan 20, 2022

CarGuy90 said:
We have some Iscar railroad form tools that we'd like to sell, but I have no idea how to value them, or even the best place to sell.

There are four different indexable tools, two of which, we have quantity two of.

These tools cost a small fortune new (nearing $25k I was told), and only one of these were used a couple of times. One has inserts, but doesn't look like it made a cut, and four are new in-box.

I'm hoping someone can help and point me in the right direction as to how to sell these (for considerably less than new, I'm sure)considering the narrow market for such tooling.

Thanks for your time.

What is you expectation on price ?

NOS will be maybe 50% of new, used a few times is getting down there to 25%

Try Curtis:
about us at www.latheinserts.com

Or Hemly tool in Thompson Ohio.

FredC · Jan 20, 2022

In case 9100 does not see this thread, you might PM him. He made and rebuilt contacts for locomotives. He may know other shops in the industry.

3t3d · Jan 20, 2022

Josh Topper (current user name?) also works on railroad stuff.

WGNRR ?

Bill D · Jan 21, 2022

For $25,000 talk to your tax guy. I would seriously consider donating them to a railroad museum for a tax write off. Just Make sure they are a IRS registered charitable outfit.
What about they guy on here who used to post about the Todd engine house museum. He fixed locomotives for the museum .
Bill D

Category:Railroad museums in Washington (state) - Wikipedia

TFarrell9 · Jan 21, 2022

digger doug said:
What is you expectation on price ?

NOS will be maybe 50% of new, used a few times is getting down there to 25%

Try Curtis:
about us at www.latheinserts.com

Or Hemly tool in Thompson Ohio.

I'm not sure what the owner's expectation for price is. And I've never bought or sold used tooling, so I'm completely oblivious to to used vs. new pricing.

I will check this out though, thank you for the suggestion.

Bill D said:
For $25,000 talk to your tax guy. I would seriously consider donating them to a railroad museum for a tax write off. Just Make sure they are a IRS registered charitable outfit.
What about they guy on here who used to post about the Todd engine house museum. He fixed locomotives for the museum .
Bill D

Category:Railroad museums in Washington (state) - Wikipedia

Interesting, I'll look into this. Thank you for the suggestion.

eKretz · Jan 21, 2022

Post some photos of what you've got. I have connections with a guy at a place that rebuilds locomotive and freight car wheels and axles. I don't recall them using any form tools though. All CNC.

EPAIII · Jan 21, 2022

You can dream on about that $25K, but keep in mind that something is only worth what a buyer will pay.

I think the first thing you should do is determine exactly what part those tools were meant to machine. And what are those parts used in. Are they even still in use or have they become obsolete?

I fear that even 1% of that $25K may be out of the question.

Bill D · Jan 21, 2022

Another choice is the local college or museum for a donation for their museum of machining about how they used to do things before CNC.
Bill Clinton donated his used underwear to charity and deducted about $4.00 per used tighty whitey.
Bill D

adammil1 · Jan 21, 2022

Post some photos to help us understand what do you have? I did a little Google searching and it seems the most likely form cutter would be something like this. https://youtu.be/NlyumHyAiYs

Outside of this it seems as though a lot of railroad wheel turning equipment is going to CNC

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SIP6A · Jan 21, 2022

Do your tools look like the one is this video?

ISCAR Tools for Railroad Car Wheels Re-Turning - YouTube

eKretz · Jan 21, 2022

SIP6A said:
Do your tools look like the one is this video?

ISCAR Tools for Railroad Car Wheels Re-Turning - YouTube

That's a very similar setup to what the place I was referring to uses. Not a form tool, so if that's what he's got he is mislabeling it.

DDoug · Jan 22, 2022

Any shop that has that amount of equipment invested is not very small.

And your going to go knocking on a door un-solicited, selling (only used on sunday) used tools ?

adammil1 · Jan 22, 2022

Look at these beauties for railroad form tools. These look like they could easily cost $25K or more.

wheel-truing-machine-stanray-milling-cutters-scaled-1-1200x460.jpg

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eKretz · Jan 22, 2022

They look like they could hold $25k worth of inserts!

DDoug · Jan 23, 2022

eKretz said:
They look like they could hold $25k worth of inserts!

...and if qty (1) pocket is blown.....

TFarrell9 · Jan 24, 2022

EPAIII said:
You can dream on about that $25K, but keep in mind that something is only worth what a buyer will pay.

I think the first thing you should do is determine exactly what part those tools were meant to machine. And what are those parts used in. Are they even still in use or have they become obsolete?

I fear that even 1% of that $25K may be out of the question.

That's my thought as well. I figure anyone who's looking to invest in this tooling is going to just buy new.

These tools are for forming the rails the train rides on. We were running a lot of the the sections of rail that are used for switching tracks...I'm not sure what to call them, honestly. The other ones we ran a lot of had "X" shapes (also use for switching tracks) that were called "frogs".

We were surfacing everything in prior to purchasing these tools.

TFarrell9 · Jan 24, 2022

I'm trying to attach a .jpg with the "insert image" function, but after I select my file, it doesn't give me any sort of "okay".

This link shows the tooling we have. We have varying diameters and radii.
Industrealize Railway

eKretz · Jan 24, 2022

I don't know anyone doing anything with rail. Your best bet might be trying to connect with someone who works in one of the railroads' machine shops.

adammil1 · Jan 24, 2022

Google Ozark Mountain Rail Car, they are brokers of everything used and railroad, they sell tools and tooling. Give them a call, tell them the cutting tools were $25k new and see what they can do. I think that may be your best bet.

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Advice for selling railroad tooling?

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