Am I the only dinosaur around who still builds all rolling stock from wood kits? I love looking at current model railroad videos, and most are really quite well done....but it seems that most if not all rolling stock I see are RTR plastic as are most of locos. I can understand plastic diesels as their running qualities are excellent, and brass models are no longer mainstream.
This could be an overdone thread, but a first for me. In no way would I critisize folks who operate RTR plastic as the hobby is first about having fun. For many I would guess building a wood car kit would be a waste of valuable time, which I fully understand as I cannot build a wood car kit to look as good as a current RTR plastic offering. I get tremedous pride of accomlishment from constructing everything, and there was once a time when visitors took notice. Recently not one visitor commented on my over one thousand kit built wood cars...in fact as a train of kit and scratch-built freight cars rolled by, one fellow remarked.....Athearn or Intermountain?? OH well! I now at age 80 finally realize that I have to adapt to the hobby as it certainly ain't gonnna adapt to me. And that is fine as I still am having a ball building and playing with my toy trains.
Point of this?...............I have no clue!
Your earlier similar post had some thoughtful responses, which might be interesting to re-read.http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/271995.aspx
As well, these earlier threads from you on RTR versus kits or scratchbuildinghttp://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/269552.aspxhttp://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/257683.aspx
Wood craftsman rolling stock kits are important to some folks’ enjoyment of the hobby and not to others’. Just as Varney and other early easy-to-build kits were decried back in the day by folks in letters to the editor, so RTR is bemoaned on forums now.
RTR and simpler kits let people get into the hobby easier and build a layout faster than back in the early 1950s and before, if that is their choice. How can that be bad?
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
Keep doing what you like, my friend.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
I really prefer the Labelle and Ambroid wooden stock car kits to plastic.
.
Other than those, I build mostly plastic or resin kits.
I only have two RTR freight cars in my collection. Both from Fox Valley and lettered for the Midland Road.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Deja Vu topic? more or less?
I see folks on that other forum which will not be mentioned are into bear skins and stone knives kit building so there are more dinosaurs out there than you.
I'm still a few years off from retirement so I don't anticipate the luxury of having the time for those kinds of things. It is challenging enough to get a basement finished and hopefully start building a layout so I can actually run those trains I've been collecting. Building wood kits implies having the time to do so, time I don't have.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
riogrande5761bear skins and stone knives
MURDERERS! ASSASSINS!
One of the top 5 episodes. See how quickly we get off topic? ADD runs high in the hobby!
Howard Zane...in fact as a train of kit and scratch-built freight cars rolled by, one fellow remarked.....Athearn or Intermountain??
Take that comment as a compliment. I recall a collision repair body man one time commenting that his best work goes unnoticed since when he's done the car looks just like it came from the factory.
I enjoy a resen or Proto 2000 type kit (many of those HO Protos are still available in the $10-15 range!) and I've built several laser-cut wood kits. My decision to "build or RTR is based mostly on what I'm looking for to fill a hole in my roster and what is out there in brass or RTR.
I'd really like to make several PRR "gun flats" that were used to transport the big 16" gun barrels. Choices for a PRR F22 flat car are slim. When they occasionally come up at a brass dealer or Ebay they will often fetch $200 +! So there is the Camerlengo resin kit for about $15/car. That narrows my choices considerably.
Thank You, Ed
Once again, how about all of the above?
I still build wood kits, I build plastic and resin kits, dificult and easy......
And I buy RTR.
What I don't do is discriminate as to material, wood, plastic, resin, metal, its all good to me.
I have lots of old Athearn and Varney metal cars.
Sheldon
Do they make modern ethanol tank cars in wood kits?
Era modeled might be an issue.
- Douglas
The only wood kits I contemplated was structures. I model form the 90's on, so any wood freight car kits I see wouldn't fit my time.
Even the wood craftsman structure kits I thought about would be a stretch.
Mike.
My You Tube
Personally, I have always enjoyed and prefer wood kits (that are not laser kits) for rolling stock and buildings. Probably, because they were so plentiful when I entered the hobby in 1971. I frequently buy old wood kits at train shows - mostly S and O scales.
But I also use RTR, plastic kits, and laser kits as well. And I have a few resin kits waiting to be built.
Paul
Once styrene scratchbuilding materials became readily available, I totally lost interest in wood kits or scratchbuilding in wood.I used a lot of wood to build the house in which I'm living, but its use on my layout is limited to benchwork.
Wayne
gmpullmanHoward Zane ...in fact as a train of kit and scratch-built freight cars rolled by, one fellow remarked.....Athearn or Intermountain?? Take that comment as a compliment.
Take that comment as a compliment.
Or take it as someone who can't tell wood from plastic. In this case it might be pearls before swine. Not nicely put but you get the idea.
Howard ZaneAm I the only dinosaur around who still builds all rolling stock from wood kits?
Howard ZaneIn no way would I critisize folks who operate RTR plastic as the hobby is first about having fun.
If the argument is wood=craftsman vs plastic=non-craftsman, that's right out of 1960 as a issue. Even if you want to make it wood=craftsman vs RTR plastic=non-craftsman, that's a lot like 1999.
Don't get me wrong, I like to build in wood, for prototypes that were wood.
But plastic, resin, and lasercut kits aren't always anywhere close to shake the box.
I've even done brass kits.
Really, material is immaterial, so long as you end up with a model that satisfies you. Nothing wrong with RTR anything, either because in my book it just makes more time to actually build models.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
I live in a country which is spoiled rotten when it comes to the availability of RTR rolling stock and engines. Hardly a prototype which is not covered by one of the mainstream manufacturers in both HO and N scale. Even the latest releases from the locomotive industry appear as a model shortly after the first roll-out. There are few high-end kits from smaller manufacturers like Weinert and Bemo (for narrow gauge steam engines), but they play a negligible role. Buildings usually are plastic kits, but the number of highly detailed laser-cut kits is growing rapidly.
The huge amount of stuff available has a certain detrimental effect on layouts - somehow, they all look alike with their Faller, Kibri or Vollmer buildings and streets populated by Brekina, Busch or Wiking vehicles and Preiser figures. People are less creative when they can just buy everything!
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
Howard, For what its worth and that just may be a big fat zero I just bought a United Models Santa Fe 1950 Class 2-8-0 and plan on buying Accurail 40' car kits while not wood they are still kits. I won't be buying any RTR cars.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Howard Zane Am I the only dinosaur around who still builds all rolling stock from wood kits? I love looking at current model railroad videos, and most are really quite well done....but it seems that most if not all rolling stock I see are RTR plastic as are most of locos. I can understand plastic diesels as their running qualities are excellent, and brass models are no longer mainstream. This could be an overdone thread, but a first for me. In no way would I critisize folks who operate RTR plastic as the hobby is first about having fun. For many I would guess building a wood car kit would be a waste of valuable time, which I fully understand as I cannot build a wood car kit to look as good as a current RTR plastic offering. I get tremedous pride of accomlishment from constructing everything, and there was once a time when visitors took notice. Recently not one visitor commented on my over one thousand kit built wood cars...in fact as a train of kit and scratch-built freight cars rolled by, one fellow remarked.....Athearn or Intermountain?? OH well! I now at age 80 finally realize that I have to adapt to the hobby as it certainly ain't gonnna adapt to me. And that is fine as I still am having a ball building and playing with my toy trains. Point of this?...............I have no clue!
Doughless Do they make modern ethanol tank cars in wood kits? Era modeled might be an issue.
I'd dare say that the largest combined segment of hobbyists are in an era where the only wood is on flat car decks.
NittanyLion flat car decks.
Russell
Yep, centerbeams.
Don't get me wrong, I love to see the builds where someone puts together a craftsman type kit, be it a frieght car or a structure, but those kits are made for the modelers that do that time period, and there are tons of them out there, kits and modelers.
So model on, wood kit builders, and those that do brass, or whatever the material, please show me your work!
All of my structures and a lot of my rolling stock is from kits. Most of these are plastic, but I've done a few wood structures and I even have a couple of cardboard buildings.
Kits let me customize so much easier.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
In this discussion, I saw no mention of a major factor in the shift from kit-built models to ready-to-run. Look at the number of grey and bald-not-by-choice heads you see wherever modelers congregate and, the reason is readily visible. It is the greying of the hobby.
Along with the hair issues, failing eyesight and diminished manual dexterity are facts of life as we age. Also, the reality of not having 30 or more years to devote to scratch and kit-build those items we want makes RTR attractive.
In the 1980s I jumped on the diesel detailing bandwagon just like a number or other modelers. Then, I bought my first Proto 2000 locomotives and, liked what I saw. I also noticed I was breaking more of those #79 drill bits and, the starter dimples for them were getting harder to find. Along comes Athearn's Genesis line and who needs to fight the inevitable?
I've built wood kits from Main Line and Silver Streak. I've also built plastic kits by Kurtz Kraft and Hobby Line. None could equal the realism of what I can simply remove from the box now. I believe this contributes immensely to the rise of RTR.
kurtz
NHTXthe reality of not having 30 or more years to devote to scratch and kit-build those items we want makes RTR attractive.
At 71, this definitely applies to me. As much as I love the old wood kits, my under construction layout will use as much RTR as possible. The wood kits and any other kits are, for now, just for a change of pace from building the layout.
Actually I apologize as I had posted on this topic before. Everyone in this hobby has an activity or preference as to which he or she enjoys most. With me, it is building rolling stock and structures, and then followed by scenery. There is no facet of this hobby that is objectionable to me. Due to my age, I no longer get under the bench, but there was a time I enjoyed wiring and installing turnout motors.
Wood kits.....I sold my hobby and train store in 1975, and the new owner wanted nothing to do with wood model railroad kits. During this period, kit building was mainstream as RTR offerings were rather poor. I had two 30' islands of wood kits for sale which I wound up with. I still have around 1400 of Ambroid, Quality Craft, Main Line, Olympic Casade, Central Valley, Labelle, etc. I have already built well over 1000 and I am still acquiring kits that I love building even though I probably have triplicates in my stash. Two years back I tried selling some of these kits at the Timonium show. Not only did I not sell any, no one passing my tables showed an interest.
Times and interests do change.
While I've bought a few r-t-r items (usually at train shows and at exceptionally good prices) I still prefer to build kits, but not wooden kits, whether structures or rolling stock.However, for those who enjoy working with wood, I'm sure that they find it just as enjoyable as I do working with styrene.I have used some wood on my layout, mostly as flatcar decks or lumber loads, but that was mostly to use-up stripwood left from earlier days.
We used to get loads of large dimensional lumber like this at the steel plant where I worked, and that was the inspiration for this long-ago lumber load. I probably should have tinted this with a wash before assembly, but never thought of it at the time...
...and the deck was done to use-up the stripwood, too. I don't mind it, I guess...
...but painted styrene is pretty easy, too...
...and not bad for stakes...
...or lumber loads...
Howard Zane...Everyone in this hobby has an activity or preference as to which he or she enjoys most....
I agree, Howard, and while I haven't yet settled on my favourite, I'm pretty sure that it's not building with wood.
I've built Gloor Craft, Ambroid, and LaBelle wood kits before and have enjoyed creating rolling stock from a box of wood parts. For me. the process of building these kits was just as rewarding as the finished cars themselves.
Russ
Modeling the early '50s Erie in Paterson, NJ. Here's the link to my railroad postcard collection: https://railroadpostcards.blogspot.com/
Me, I enjoy building models, both from kits, kitbashes, or scratch. I have one Ambroid coach running, and unbuilt kits for several more. Most of my rolling stock is blue box Athearn. I did shake the boxes to build them, but that isn't all that hard to do. The old time wood rolling stock kits are getting scarce, I find them at train shows now and again.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
Howard Zane Actually I apologize as I had posted on this topic before. Everyone in this hobby has an activity or preference as to which he or she enjoys most. With me, it is building rolling stock and structures, and then followed by scenery. There is no facet of this hobby that is objectionable to me. Due to my age, I no longer get under the bench, but there was a time I enjoyed wiring and installing turnout motors. Wood kits.....I sold my hobby and train store in 1975, and the new owner wanted nothing to do with wood model railroad kits. During this period, kit building was mainstream as RTR offerings were rather poor. I had two 30' islands of wood kits for sale which I wound up with. I still have around 1400 of Ambroid, Quality Craft, Main Line, Olympic Casade, Central Valley, Labelle, etc. I have already built well over 1000 and I am still acquiring kits that I love building even though I probably have triplicates in my stash. Two years back I tried selling some of these kits at the Timonium show. Not only did I not sell any, no one passing my tables showed an interest. Times and interests do change.
rrebell At what price point did you try to sell? Wood kits go all the time on e-bay but the price has got to be right. When I was into Central Valley kits, I bought them for around $10-15 but got outbid many times for $20 plus. Just the Central Valley fox trucks used to go for as much as $35 just 5 years ago, still go for a premium, just not as much. Now built kits of some types if well done can go for alot, been outbid many times on poultry cars (no RTR of those available in my standards).
Good question....I took 50 assorted Quality Craft hoppers, covered hoppers, and box cars.I priced them all at $8 each plus I had several well done built-ups on display. I did have one offer for a built covered hopper....$15. Note...during most of the 80's I'd sell built-ups of Ambroid and Quality Craft beginning at $75. All had sprung trucks,Kadee #5's, cut levers, air hoses and lightly weathered. I did not take the offer.
HZ