Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

A couple of finds at Ace Hardware

2942 views
12 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    February 2008
  • 2,360 posts
Posted by kasskaboose on Saturday, July 7, 2018 11:23 PM

Lonehawk

My wife got me one of those Fascinations Metal Earth kits like that backhoe, but it was a frieght train with a GP-30-something, hopper, gon, boxcar and caboose.  I measured it up and it's actually N-scale.  T

Always nice when the wife gets things for you.  Mine does sometimes or suggests things to use for storage, etc.  Funny that just when I think she doesn't care, surprise! 

Good going on getting the construction equipment.  What a pretty rare find!

PED
  • Member since
    April 2016
  • 571 posts
Posted by PED on Saturday, July 7, 2018 8:55 AM

Must be a local Ace deal. I searched the main Ace website and nothing like this shows up. My local Hobby Lobby sells these kits. Looks interesting but it would help if they gave the final dimensions with the kits.

Paul D

N scale Washita and Santa Fe Railroad
Southern Oklahoma circa late 70's

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • 8,879 posts
Posted by maxman on Saturday, July 7, 2018 7:45 AM

Lonehawk
My wife got me one of those Fascinations Metal Earth kits like that backhoe, but it was a frieght train with a GP-30-something, hopper, gon, boxcar and caboose. I measured it up and it's actually N-scale

Thanks for the info.  Maybe I'll get one of the backhoe and see how big the finished item is.  With the 40% off coupon it won't be that expensive to try.  It was disappointing to me when I contacted their customer service and they couldn't tell me the scale.  I'll try asking my question differently, i.e. what are the dimensions of the completed item.

I did see that they had a steam loco kit.  That package, if I remembr correctly, said 1:200, which would be a little smaller than N scale.

  • Member since
    December 2017
  • From: Buffalo, NY
  • 144 posts
Posted by Lonehawk on Saturday, July 7, 2018 4:51 AM

My wife got me one of those Fascinations Metal Earth kits like that backhoe, but it was a frieght train with a GP-30-something, hopper, gon, boxcar and caboose.  I measured it up and it's actually N-scale.  That kit at least.  But the backhoe in the kit above would probably be closer to HO, because it would be about the same size as the loco in my kit, and that would be way out of proportion for that particular type of backhoe.

- Adam


When all else fails, wing it!

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • 7,486 posts
Posted by ndbprr on Tuesday, July 3, 2018 4:43 PM

I think that could be the ones I saw at Ace.  Hard to tell because the detail is really excellent in person and doesn't show up well in the picture

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • From: California - moved to North Carolina 2018
  • 4,422 posts
Posted by DSchmitt on Monday, July 2, 2018 9:36 PM

I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.

I don't have a leg to stand on.

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • 8,879 posts
Posted by maxman on Monday, July 2, 2018 9:26 PM

SeeYou190

 dstarr

For construction equipment, if it looks right to your eye, it is right. The prototypes, Caterpillar, Komatsu, and others, all make the same machine in various sizes, from tiny little machines for grading suburban lawns, to really humungous machines for building interstate highways. If the model looks about th right size, you are golden.

 

.

Absolutely! I agree 100%.

.

If the cab looks the right size for an HO sized worker to get in and out, the model should be just fine.

.

-Kevin

 

Well, yes and no.  It's helpful if the model is somewhat close.  The problem with the Fascinations kits are that they come on a small piece of (I believe) aluminum.  And all the kits seem to come on a same sized piece.  So for all I know they could be N scale.  Or a scale to be determined.

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Vancouver Island, BC
  • 23,330 posts
Posted by selector on Monday, July 2, 2018 9:17 PM

If they are 'close enough', you can experiment by placing them here and there in a scene, fore and aft, and you'll probably find a position where they look okay in perspective.

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Monday, July 2, 2018 8:58 PM

dstarr
For construction equipment, if it looks right to your eye, it is right. The prototypes, Caterpillar, Komatsu, and others, all make the same machine in various sizes, from tiny little machines for grading suburban lawns, to really humungous machines for building interstate highways. If the model looks about th right size, you are golden.

.

Absolutely! I agree 100%.

.

If the cab looks the right size for an HO sized worker to get in and out, the model should be just fine.

.

-Kevin

.

 

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    June 2007
  • 8,892 posts
Posted by riogrande5761 on Monday, July 2, 2018 8:12 PM

My challenge is finding construction eq for late 1979s.  Most I come across is way too modern or new.

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

  • Member since
    August 2006
  • From: Franconia, NH
  • 3,130 posts
Posted by dstarr on Monday, July 2, 2018 6:55 PM

For construction equipment, if it looks right to your eye, it is right.  The prototypes, Caterpillar, Komatsu, and others, all make the same machine in various sizes, from tiny little machines for grading suburban lawns, to really humungous machines for building interstate highways.  If the model looks about th right size, you are golden.

 

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • 8,879 posts
Posted by maxman on Monday, July 2, 2018 6:47 PM

Were those kits made by Fascinations?  Similar to:

Picture of CAT Excavator

I saw these at HobbyLobby.  However, there was no scale printed on the kit package.  I sent an email to the company's product support email and received a basically I don't know answer.

Some of the other models: http://www.fascinations.com/metalearth/cat

 

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • 7,486 posts
A couple of finds at Ace Hardware
Posted by ndbprr on Monday, July 2, 2018 5:07 PM

Don't know if these are national or local but my Ace hardware here in northern Michigan has trucks and F units that are very close to HO scale.  The F units have lousy looking trucks but the cars and trucks are pretty good.  The gem is photoetched kits of a Caterpillar excavator and one of a road grader.  My store has a built up excavator that looks great with very fine detail including the treads.  They are abouit $10-12 each.

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!