danmerkelOr I wonder if it will... could it be that they will only be sold in Europe where the trademark issues have been apparently worked out? It wouldn't be the first time that something was available in one part of the world but not in others because of trademark issues.
I don't think that will be the case this time, since Walthers lists the kit. $63.99 seems a bit steep to me, though.
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/770-3634
Robert Beaty
The Laughing Hippie
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The CF-7...a waste of a perfectly good F-unit!
Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the
end of your tunnel, Was just a freight train coming
your way. -Metallica, No Leaf Clover
I had asked for any rumors that you may have heard because over the years, I've heard some good ones about the kits. Perhaps the best one is/was that the kits taken off the market weren't destroyed and McDonald's managers had access to them! I followed up on that one but it never went anywhere.
It will be interesting to see what comes of the original kits' value once the Vollmer kit hits the hobby shop shelves. Or I wonder if it will... could it be that they will only be sold in Europe where the trademark issues have been apparently worked out? It wouldn't be the first time that something was available in one part of the world but not in others because of trademark issues.
We will see...
dlm
I've been in a McDonald's in Asheville, NC. that's located in a historic business district. In keeping with the up-scale shops around it, the restaurant has a guy playing a grand piano in the lobby! Gerry S.
Downey, CA 1953 "Oldest operating..."
Des Plaines, IL 1955 "First Franchise opened by Ray Kroc..."
Many, many french fries ago. Yes It's true, I worked at the one on 58/72 in Schaumburg, IL as a young lad.
Mine doesn't move.......it's at the station!!!
Allegheny2-6-6-6 I don't know but look pretty close to me with some minor exception arch's are definitely the same. But the Life Like kit is a dead ringer, I think the deciding factor here was that Vollmer donates to the Ronald McDonald Children Foundation First McDonald's Restaurant according to Encyclopedia Britannica.com The Vollmer kit. Life Like kit
I don't know but look pretty close to me with some minor exception arch's are definitely the same. But the Life Like kit is a dead ringer, I think the deciding factor here was that Vollmer donates to the Ronald McDonald Children Foundation
First McDonald's Restaurant according to Encyclopedia Britannica.com
The Vollmer kit.
Life Like kit
I saw a picture of a mcdonalds in chicago that was built like these. also the one in middleton WI is simular also. From what i have found Mcdonalds are building some of their new buildings simular to the old ones and naming them "reto designs based on the original ones".
I will throw my $0.02 worth in concerning McDonalds. Yes the McDonalds brothers did own a chain of several restraunts in SanBerdino. Mr Ray Croc (spelling?)from Illinois (or was it Indianna) sold restraunt supplies and had the McDonald brothers as customers. He sold them MultiMixers for making milk shakes. Rather than one spindle there were several. The McDonald brothers owned a chain of restraunts. Seems as if Ray saw the light of the McDonalds ideas, with his idea of franchising he came up with the McDonalds Restraunts with the single arch sign out front with the Mr Speedee the hamburger headed guy as well as and a smaller sign inside saying how many million hamburgers had been sold. There was an arch on each side of the red and white tiled building with seating on tile benches beside the windows, and spotless restrooms. The arch sign in front had a sign that said how many million hamburgers had been sold. The originals had no inside seating, only a lobby where you could wait in line out of most of the ellements. I do not remember them being heated or ACed. Those original stores were called Red and Whites, and were remodeled first by adding seats in the lobbies, then expanding that for more seating and they kept on balooning to todays typical stand alone restraunt with one or more drive throughs. Another of his ideas was to have lots of glass so the customers could see just how clean his restraunts were. You were always doing something, if nothing else then you were using a cloth to wipe surfaces clean(not to be confused with a rag, as I learned in about 1967.) The McDonald brothers stores were not the original red and white stores. IIRC they were kind of brown and had a family crest on the front facade. The first Red and White stores was in Illinois I believe it was, and it was like the 10th or so McDonalds Restraunt. It is now a mesuem. I learned most of this as I was a graduate of Hamburger U, where McDonalds sent budding managers. I am just recalling from memory from about 1970 or so, so please don't flame me if I got a detail or two wrong. The idea is correct. At that time a McDonalds store could be bought for around $250,000 plus franchising fees and etc. You had to buy all your product from specified companies and no one else. A percentage of the stores were company stores owned lock, stock and barrel by the McDonalds Corporation, and a percentage of the stores owned by franchisees. I believe some of the company stores were rented to their operators.Their business model may be different now, as I quit being in McDonalds manager in 1979. My full time military job sent me overseas at that time and I had tired of working two full time jobs by the time I was 27. I joined the Air Force 1972 after receiving my draft notice, but continued on full time at McDonalds. I have a White Castle on my Dayton and Mad River RR. Just for the record I know nothing of the original posters question, but at that time McDonalds was relentlessly pursuing their trademark(s), and people who violated the law.
P.S. Anybody that is a current Store Manager, or otherwise knows, feel free to correct me.
Paul
Dayton and Mad River RR
WPAllenWhile we are on the subject, any votes for San Bernardino California as being the first McDonald's?
While we are on the subject, any votes for San Bernardino California as being the first McDonald's?
Hi,
It's ironic that you bring John Amos up, in regards to McDonald's. When the 1st Canadian McDonald's opened up in Vancouver, John Amos was the 1st store manager!
I'm going to put a John Amos figure in my McDonald's.
Blaine
P.S. The 2nd McDonald's in Canada was on Oxford ST W, here in London. I was there at the grand opening. Wish I had a camera back then.
Blaine's
Commit random acts of kindness and senseless beauty.
I would do like John Amos' character in "Coming to America", change it from McDonald's to McDowell's. And instead of the Big Mac, make it the Big Mick.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
MisterBeasleyMcDonalds of today looks almost nothing like the original. The trademark Golden Arches are gone, which makes models of that older period a really good indicator of the era of your layout.
Typically yes, but I would like t put an emphasis on at least one exception, as there are probably a few. Right here though in good ol' Greenwood IN still stands and operates one of the walk/driveup McD with the arches.
Come to think of it, seems like there's another one here in the Midwest too. Hmm. They are however, a bit rare.
-Morgan
http://www.eurorailhobbies.com/erh_detail.asp?CA=19&stock=V3634
Looks like one of the modern 'retro' style buildings, but it could be backdated into a reasonable facsimile of a 60's style restaurant. Would love to see someone do the 70's brick version.
Sir MadogMaybe because it´s a model of the first McD restaurant.
The kit represents a modern but retro-styled building. The original restauraunts had round arches, not parabolics as in the Vollmer structure.
Dave
Just be glad you don't have to press "2" for English.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ_ALEdDUB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hqFS1GZL4s
http://s73.photobucket.com/user/steemtrayn/media/MovingcoalontheDCM.mp4.html?sort=3&o=27
This design was very much associated with the car-oriented, "the teeny-bopper is our new-born King" mentality of the 1960s. The whole idea was to be a drive-in and take-out place. Inside seating was minimal, and the parking lot was essentially part of the restaurant.
This image lost its appeal as McDonalds tried to move into the mainstream and off "The Strip." When they tried opening big, gaudy restaurants in more traditional business districts, they were met with constant resistance by community groups. In historic Concord, Massachusetts, where I was living through this period, the McDonalds people basically gave up when faced with a never-ending string of noise and traffic ordinances, sign and lighting by-laws, and approvals from historic district boards. Woolworths, hardly a gaudy shop themselves, was forced to re-design their signs to have a store in this town.
McDonalds of today looks almost nothing like the original. The trademark Golden Arches are gone, which makes models of that older period a really good indicator of the era of your layout.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
You bet they do!
It is a pity that McD apparently did not follow up on this design. It is most likely to expensive to build.
Sir Madog Strange - the Vollmer McD does not look like the ones we have here in Germany. I hope they don´t have a license issue with it
Strange - the Vollmer McD does not look like the ones we have here in Germany. I hope they don´t have a license issue with it
Maybe because it´s a model of the first McD restaurant.
I made some murals for McD here in Sweden and they wanted the first one as a motif.
I really like the architecture on that one, the Arches really makes it in my opinion.
Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:
My Railroad
My Youtube:
Graff´s channel
Vollmer just announced a Micky-D's in HO:
http://www.reynaulds.com/new-item-show/dept_449.aspx
Too bad about the Life-Like kit, It's a dead ringer for the first one in Des Plaines, IL, I have the KFC it's pretty cool.
Not that it's something that would fit my era of modeling but thats a cool kit, I would defectively hang on to that sucker.
Couple of opinions in the discussion here: http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=56155
I received a real windfall from my late uncle when his wife gave me his old modest collection of HO railroad equipment. Among the brass track and the Tyco & AHM cars was a brand new but opened McDonald's Restaurant kit which was part of the LifeLike Build'ems Series. I know that they are quite rare and that they were only on the market for a few weeks but does anyone know the real story of what happened?
From what I've heard, it was a trademark issue dealing with the Golden Arches but other than that, I've heard various rumors... If you know, I plus others would probably like to hear from you. If you are speculating, please say so as well. That way, we can keep the rumor mill at bay.
Thanks!