Ever since sometime in 2010 the most used varieties of Aristo USA Brass track have been unavailable. Any thoughts as to why? Even Aristo's "Buy 4 Get 1" offer resulted in cashed postage checks and no inventory in the mail (the better part of a year later). Checked Aristo's "in Stock" list on their web site and it is not good news as to common track. By that I mean 5 and 8 foot d curves, 1/2 foot, 1 foot, and 2 foot straights (brass USA). This also applies to Aristo rail clamps. Since rail is so basic to setting up a garden railway, and thus to promoting sales, I am surprised that Aristo's supply chain is empty of these and lots of other items. Does anyone have an explanation.
While we are on that, Aristo's 2011 Club Cars are still in the wind.
Like lots of other manufacturers, Aristo includes parts diagrams and instructions in the boxes with their rolling stock but these don't make it to the Aristo web page. Perhaps, with the permission of the manufacturers, the Garden Railway & friends could set up a web page where modelers could scan and post the manuals - for Aristo, USA, LGB, and other brands of rolling stock and accessories. That would be very helpful to the craft.
Personally I think it because they want you to buy the 10 foot and up track and the best way to do that is to not keep the 2 most popular curves in stock. If you buy the wider stuff your more likely to buy the larger size engines and rolling stock. Of course one needs to have the room for those uber wide curves in the first place.
Have fun with your trains
So then only stainless is available?? or is this post just about brass??
The head is gray, hands don't work , back is weak, legs give out, eyes are gone, money go's and my wife still love's Me.
???
The first two dealers I checked on line (RLD and St Albin) shows Brass (both USA and Euro) track in stock in most curved sizes. They only show what is in stock.
Information posted on the Aristo-Craft Forum shows the 2011 Club Cars (Ready -Kilowatt Hoppers) are on the September Container from China, arriving in October, and out to members in November.
Don U. TCA 73-5735
M_Parsons Like lots of other manufacturers, Aristo includes parts diagrams and instructions in the boxes with their rolling stock but these don't make it to the Aristo web page. Perhaps, with the permission of the manufacturers, the Garden Railway & friends could set up a web page where modelers could scan and post the manuals - for Aristo, USA, LGB, and other brands of rolling stock and accessories. That would be very helpful to the craft.
That's a good idea, maybe being a web designer I could help. I know Bachmann posts that stuff on their website, though.
Hello, As Bill Clinton once said, "I feel your pain" I have been a Aristo-craft and a USA trains dealer for about 10 years. To tell you the truth I am about to give up on them. Mostly everytime I go to place a small order, they are out of stock, and they tell you a container is on a ship somewhere and will arrive in 2 months or longer. I called last week to order their latest catalog, and was told they are not printing any now.
I have been ordering all USA track, as I like their track better, and it is in stock 99% of the time, as well as their loco's and cars etc. Also their shipping cost is very low, or ships free. For freight cars I try Aristo first, as their cars are a little costly. I sell to many commercial stores that run trains 10 hours a day. I no longer buy LGB for these stores, as parts can be a problem, So the next best engines for 10 hour a day running are USA brand. Forget about Aristo or Bachmann engines for prolonged running, they fall apart or burn up.
Hope this helps,
Jim Hendley, jhh1218@att.net
One of the only things I'm reasonably certain of when it comes to aristocraft is that if I ran my inventory like they do and deliberately produced non-functioning products like their switches and other items I would be out of business in about four months.....
The St. Francis Consolidated Railroad of the Colorado Rockies
Denver, Colorado
Jim Hendley Hello, As Bill Clinton once said, "I feel your pain" I have been a Aristo-craft and a USA trains dealer for about 10 years. To tell you the truth I am about to give up on them. Mostly everytime I go to place a small order, they are out of stock, and they tell you a container is on a ship somewhere and will arrive in 2 months or longer. I called last week to order their latest catalog, and was told they are not printing any now. I have been ordering all USA track, as I like their track better, and it is in stock 99% of the time, as well as their loco's and cars etc. Also their shipping cost is very low, or ships free. For freight cars I try Aristo first, as their cars are a little costly. I sell to many commercial stores that run trains 10 hours a day. I no longer buy LGB for these stores, as parts can be a problem, So the next best engines for 10 hour a day running are USA brand. Forget about Aristo or Bachmann engines for prolonged running, they fall apart or burn up. Hope this helps, Jim Hendley, jhh1218@att.net
As far as Aristo vs USA Trains rollling stock cost is not really comparing apples to apples. Aristo rolling stock may be cheaper than USA Trains but you forgot to mention they come standard with plastic wheels which no one likes to run. Aristo metal wheel sets adds another $30 to the cost where as "ALL" USA Trains Ultimate Series came standard with metal wheels.
I agree the USA Trains locomotives are pretty much bullet proof. Biggest thing with them is to remover the motor block gear box cover and re-grease the gears every 40 hours. The gears will wear a "Helical" pattern on the teeth and fail if you don't grease them. I use a light lithium grease. In the 12 years I have owned USA Trains locomotives I only had 1 motor fail and 1 idler gear fail. Not a bad track record for the amount of hours on them.
I did own the Aristo SD-45 first gen, Alco FA REA version and a Mikado first gen. Lets just say I don't own them any more and leave it at that.
http://www.usatgscalegroup.com
EMD TrainmanI agree the USA Trains locomotives are pretty much bullet proof. Biggest thing with them is to remover the motor block gear box cover and re-grease the gears every 40 hours. The gears will wear a "Helical" pattern on the teeth and fail if you don't grease them. I use a light lithium grease. In the 12 years I have owned USA Trains locomotives I only had 1 motor fail and 1 idler gear fail. Not a bad track record for the amount of hours on them.
Thanks for the tip!
There was a time when the States appeared to have better availability of Aristo products than the UK. However, the UK importer of Aristo-Craft lists most categories of Aristo track as available, which of course includes the two versions of brass track plus the stainless steel version . The only range where many items are listed as out of stock is the aluminium version.
USA trains are not very prolific over here. One or two dealers seem to carry the pre-war2 style models and others will get, on a protracted delivery time, the other ranges if they are in stock in the USA.
If it were not for Messrs, Bachmann and Aristo-Craft those of us who are involved with American style railroading would have found little low priced rolling stock generally available.over here and would have to have imported our needs. Whilst I have imported many 'special run' stock it is more likely, since 2010, to attract excessive taxation charges. In my instance, not preferring European style models, I most likely would not be a large scale model railroader today had the two above-mentioned companies not been well represented in the UK.
Alan, Oliver & North Fork Railroad
https://www.buckfast.org.uk/
If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there. Lewis Carroll English author & recreational mathematician (1832 - 1898)
Great WesternIf it were not for Messrs, Bachmann and Aristo-Craft those of us who are involved with American style railroading would have found little low priced rolling stock generally available
That's the part I didn't mention when I said if I ran my business like they do, I'd be gone in four months....the part I didn't mention is that I don't have the semi-monopoly and the market demand that Bachmann / Aristocraft have. If I did, I might not be so attentive to details and my customers' needs, either. I'd like to think I would, but who knows? I hope I have the chance to find out some day!
St Francis Consolidated RR EMD TrainmanI agree the USA Trains locomotives are pretty much bullet proof. Biggest thing with them is to remover the motor block gear box cover and re-grease the gears every 40 hours. The gears will wear a "Helical" pattern on the teeth and fail if you don't grease them. I use a light lithium grease. In the 12 years I have owned USA Trains locomotives I only had 1 motor fail and 1 idler gear fail. Not a bad track record for the amount of hours on them. Thanks for the tip!
If you want those USA Trains locomotive motors to last any length of time don't use any transformer that uses Pulse Width Current or PWC for short such as the Crest Transformers from Aristo. The USA Trains motors are really not design to be powered by those.
A PWC uses a wave or pulse of power, sort of almost the same theory as turning a light switch on and off. The PWC could damage the motor by shorting out the windings or brushes inside by arcing them. PWC almost creats a little arc welder inside those USA Trains motors and this will eventually cause failure.
Always use a transformer that advertises to be pure DC power such as MRC and Bridgewerks.
Perhaps it may get to the point where you can only buy rail in straight sections and have to bend the radius you need.
It would mean that the manufacturer only had to pack all rail in the same size box for transport. Also make a fortune in selling parallel rail benders.
Most trains seem to be creeping up in price, as I have a limited amount of cash to go around, I am doing a lot of scratch building. Buy a motor block & go from there.
Andrew
Sandbar & Mudcrab Railway
Hi, I only have a loop of G scale running at the present time but would like to expand soon. I have Aristo Craft SS track now with 10 foot Dia. curves. For me, it's the cost of the SS track that keeps me from expanding. However, I see that Gargraves offers a SS rail on its track. The only problem is that they don't have sectional G track for curves. Their track on comes in 37" flex. I have a few pieces of their Tin Plate track in G scale and it is very easy to form curves by hand. Don't know if SS would be easy to bend or not. So, I'm now considering going to all Gargraves SS track for my layout. Another problem is they only offer a 72" dia. switch at this time. I also think their track looks better than other track because it isn't as huge looking. But, price is lots better, even for SS. Comes on wood ties also.
Rick
As of the last couple of weeks i have 9 cases of Aristo 6ft alum track, 72ft each. ready for a spring project. Now switches I have had to "put the word out" so to speak and they are slowly coming in. #6 brass USAT or Aristo's.
Is it REAL? or Just 1:29 scale?
Long live Outdoor Model Railroading.
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