065 The Augusta Railway - Grandt Line Windows and Doors Grab Bags

You need to know this!  Look what I go in the mail from my friends at Trainmaster Models in Buford, Ga.

I always keep a supply of Grandt Line windows and doors around for scratchbuilding.  I've got bins full of O, HO and N scale, along with a few other odd sizes.  You never know when you will need them and sometimes it is a pain to get them.  Especially if you local hobby store doesn't have them which is getting more common due to the vast investment it takes to stock them all.  Even then, they seldom have all 12 of the ones you want, maybe having just 2 or 3.

Trainmaster Models is a big store, Atlanta's biggest.  They stock #3628 Door Grab Bag in 1/4" and #3741 Window Grab Bag in 1/4".  I paid $16.09 for the doors and $18.89 for the windows, which is less than anywhere else that I could find.  They come loose packed in the big bag.

I keep them all in a drawer, but with this many, I'll need two drawers.  Time to make a new one.

Its is easy to find special tools when you keep them in a container like this see through plastic shoe box which is labeled.  All the labeler parts and suppliers are together, including the instructions.

This is my Brother labeler.  They really do a good job, although they are designed to waste label stock, and thus, make their owner more money.

I just type in "DOORS O" and hit the print button.  I'm using white label stock, which works here way better than the clear that I've used before.  Makes the type easier to see on small parts cabinets.  Using scissors I just trim it to fit.

Bang!  We have a new labeled drawer. Let's break open the bags and see what we get.

First I sort out my old parts.  Wow!  Only one door in the whole box!  That is because I do scratchbuild windows and was just running low at the same time on doors.

The #3628 Door Grab Bag as 80 pieces in it.  That comes out to $16.09/80 = $0.20 a piece.  Te two separate doors and frames that I bought recently were $3.20 per pack or $0.80 per piece.  This is a big savings.  No, I won't use every one of these, but I will trade them to friends for things I want.  I also keep one of each as a sample for figuring what I want to use to build a model.  Sizing it up helps and I like to have a physical specimen instead of a drawing.  To me this is a great deal.

When I opened the windows bag I noticed that the resin they are using for injection molding has a significant color difference.  The older one on the left is much lighter in color, making it easier to paint.  I like it better than the dark one, which often you have to prime.

Check this out!  122 pieces!  At $18.89/122 = $0.16 per piece.  That is a deal.  Out of all 202 pieces I found only one that had a defect.  One mullion didn't quite get formed.

I highly recommend that you by a bag of each for your self in your preferred scale.  Keep the ones you want, a few for sizing up new models, and sell or trade the rest to friends.  I'm a big fan of Grandt Line parts and am happy with my bonanza.  Now, its time to build that station!