I have an old kit from them I'm about to start assembling, and I'd like to find out a bit about the company. They were apparently located in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania. The kit is several decades old at least, but there is no date on any of the instructions or the box.
The company's tag line was apparently "HO all wood structures", as that's on every face of the box except the bottom and the kit label end (and there it says "All wood kit."
The one I've got is #564 - HO Feed Mill.
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
I only know what's in the MH kit I have, #544. It builds into a variety of stations platforms with a covered roof. Also included is a piece of green cardstock with various signs printed in black ink.
A catalog page is also included, showing a variety of small structures. The coal yard and trestle and the lumber yard are both $2.95. Pricing was generally between $1 and $2.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Check out this story, Mark.
https://theburgnews.com/business/chugging-along-the-station-has-been-on-the-right-track-for-60-years
Rich
Alton Junction
Here it is:
In addition to the structure kits and a few freight car kits, they sold a nice line of ballast, coal, gravel in HO, S and O.
Late 70's was the last I remember the kits and ballast being available. About that time, Campbell moved into both of those markets pretty stong. I used their ballast on my first few layouts.
Sheldon
richhotrainCheck out this story, Mark. https://theburgnews.com/business/chugging-along-the-station-has-been-on-the-right-track-for-60-years Rich
I have several older kits I've acquired at train shows over the years, and started building them recently. The first was the Campbells Scale Models HO Loading Tanks I talked about in my layout build thread a few weeks ago. It was tremendous fun (and it came out better than I thought my skills would permit!). Now I'm looking forward to starting this Model Hobbies kit in the next few days.
The North Platte, Nebraska train show is coming up in mid-April. I'm going to make it a point to look for older kits while I'm there.
There's just something undefinable about building them that isn't there with new plastic kits.
Speaking of modern times, some of their stuff is garbage but a few have stood the test of time like a single stall engine house. They made a few different versions so you have to be carefull. That enginge house had real working hinges in HO of the strap type. Also sometimes you need to switch out like a building paper for better materials. The history of hobby companys can be a hobby in itself and was once working on a book but life happens.
Rich, thanks for the video.
It shows some of what we lose each year as local hobby shops close. Hopefully family shops like this can weather the virus and continue the business.
York1 John
I grew up with companies like Model Hobbies in the late '50's and early '60's. They were nice kits for the time and well thought out. By todays' standards people might call them craftsman kits but back then they were just a normal kit.
They were lacking fine details and required hands-on construction techniques using mostly wood, cardboard and paper siding.
They were fun to build and made into decent looking structures.
oldline1
The subject kit is very rare at this late date. Even my friend Sean who works part-time for The Station has not been able to find those kits, despite watching for them at train shows.
The Station is currently owned by Mrs. Doris Wildman. Her late husband and his father disassembled the Reading Station in Robesonia, PA, moved it to New Cumberland, reassembled it board by board, and painted it the traditional Reading colors of cream and brown.
They excel in customer service, and coffee and sodas are offered free to customers. Additionally on Saturdays there are all manner of snacks brought in by customers and freely shared. They work very hard to make the customers happy and as a result enjoy a great local following. They are the last of as many as 8 all-model-train stores in the greater Harrisburg, PA area. They offer a wide variety of model train repairs done in house.
In the future The Station's online presence will increase...need to find the right person for that.
John
rrebell Speaking of modern times, some of their stuff is garbage but a few have stood the test of time like a single stall engine house. They made a few different versions so you have to be carefull. That enginge house had real working hinges in HO of the strap type. Also sometimes you need to switch out like a building paper for better materials. The history of hobby companys can be a hobby in itself and was once working on a book but life happens.
Garbage? Just like TruScale track I guess?
No matter your personal detail standards, or the relative detail level or quality of a model, that is a rude word for two lines of product that served this hobby very well for many decades.
These kits were typical of the time, and the results varied with the skill and knowledge of the builder.
The True Scale coment was from the original owner, not me, never used the stuff. And if you notice I said modern times, in its day they were great but that day has passed. Did you ever build any of the very first FSM kits, they would not have gotten their good rep if they had continued the same, just ask the present owner about the first kits. Kinda amazing the people who I have met in this hobby.
rrebell The True Scale coment was from the original owner, not me, never used the stuff. And if you notice I said modern times, in its day they were great but that day has passed. Did you ever build any of the very first FSM kits, they would not have gotten their good rep if they had continued the same, just ask the present owner about the first kits. Kinda amazing the people who I have met in this hobby.
No, I have built a fair number of craftsman kits, but FSM kits never appealed to me. I have never modeled the back woods, 1930's, rural, run down kind of modeling, so the subjects of most of his structures never fit my needs. Sure a few of them could have been easily built to look different but I never bothered.
Your opinions about products would go a lot farher with me if you gave even the shortest explaination of why a product is not satisfactory to you.
Otherwise I just dismiss such comments........
As for who has met whom, I think our lists might be similarly impressive........