Does anybody know anything about USTTC ? I had never heard of them until a few weeks ago when I stumbled across some O gauge tinplate pre-war style box cars built by them in a train shop. I did do a search on the internet but didn't find much on them. What cars I have of theirs is really high quality, I would like to get more of their stuff. Does anybody know if they are still active? I cannot remember ever seeing any advertising by USTTC.
Thanks,
George
Never have heard of them.
Bill T.
I believe they are long gone. I shot some of their stuff for the Feb 1998 product news and I don't think I ever heard from them again. Seemed like high-quality stuff, but believe it was a side line for a fellow who owned a metal fabrication business.
Bob Keller
That's a shame. I really like the few pieces I have. He did really good work. Maybe he will look at the market we have now and decide to try again.
The USTTC is no longer in business, but their items can occasionally be found on eBay or through one of the major auction houses. Here's a photo of their San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) commuter train on my layout.
About 200 BART train sets were produced in 1978. The three-car basic set consisted of a powered A unit, and non-powered B and A units. Additional B units were offered to make longer trains. The set has dual head and tail lights, and the interiors are illuminated. The BART set is powered by a Marx double reduction geared motor, which allows for smooth operation at slow speeds. There is a two-position directional control that permits either forward or reverse operation. The set performs well on Lionel three-rail tubular track and switches.
There are some very good articles about the USTTC in past issues of the Train Collectors Association Quarterly, specifically 1980, volume 26-4, and 2008 volumes 54-2 and 54-3.
Robert
http://www.robertstrains.com/
I have just started model railroading with my son after putting it aside for 30 some years since I was 10. I googled USTTC because my uncle owned it and I was curious. This link showed up and I thought I would fill you in. My uncle was Tom Stephenson and he was an Industrial Designer that had USTTC on the side for fun. He did tin plate O scale trains and prints for buildings and such. He did do a few HO scale cars and whatnot, but O scale was the main. He passed away in 1989 and the company did as well.
Your uncle did good work, my friend. I only have a few pieces, but I really like them.
I have just picked up 2 of the box cars by this manufacturer - a Union Pacific Stock Car No. 428 and a Denver and Rio Grand Refer No. 454D. Brand new in the box - absolutely beautiful graphics and construction. Sure hope I can find more.
that BART looks amazing!
If your Uncle passed away in 1989, how was the company still putting out new items (like the A&A stuff shown in the 2/1998 issue of CTT) almost 10 years later?
Perhaps there are two companies with the same name?
Modeling the D&H in 1984: http://dandhcoloniemain.blogspot.com/
Sorry to resurrect an old thread but this has still been bothering me.
I recently purchased some USTTC cars that are the one discussed earlier in the thread and which were new in 1998. I also looked at a website showing some of the earlier (1970s-1980s) stuff (http://www.tcawestern.org/usttc.htm) and my trains look like they were built using the same techniques and forms.
But, how can that be if the owner passed away in 1989 and the company closed thereafter? Also, the company making the A&A models I have was based in Buffalo, NY but the original company seems to have been based out west in California.
Were there two different companies called USTTC that produced similar trains?
There might have been two firms, same name. The Feb 98 issues shows a Bliss, NY mailing address. It also stands out that the material I received was tagged "a division of Invicta High-Temp" or something like that. Seemed like is was a hobby part of a company making metal products. Does this sound familiar?
Bliss NY is near Buffalo NY, and there might have been two companies. But, the trains look remarbably similar (at least the cabooses and gondolas I have seen). It does eem as if they were made by the same process, or forms.
An article in CTT a few years back said "Toy train companies come and go, but tooling is forever."
Possibly that USTTC toolling is still out there somewhere? I hope it doesn't get into the hands of the Chinese, if that happens it'll NEVER come home again!
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