Model Power Manufacturer

[Anonymous]

Does this company have models made in Yugoslavia or have they ever had them made there. I have a Chessie Systems GP9 model that says made in Yugoslavia on the bottom. Could not find anything on Google on it.

Is their a list of manufacturers and where their products are made? I have models from around the globe looks like. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

I also have a " Made in Yugoslavia" model. Mine is a Canadian National GP-40 with only the rear bogeys powered. I am also trying to find out more info.

[Anonymous]

I seem to recall that I have at least one made in Yugoslavia. I don't remember if it's the Mantua Pacific 4-6-2 or not, but that's what comes to mind. Model Power bought out Mantua a couple of years ago, so they may still be using the same plants that Mantua used.

FWIW, my Model Power Pacific 4-6-2 in N scale was made in China, as are most of the models these days, unless you're going brass.

[BentnoseWillie]

The "Made in Yugoslavia" (and since the Yugoslav civil war, "Made in Slovenia") trademark on models from AHM, Model Power, Life-Like and IHC indicates a product of Mehano. They currently are distributed by IHC in the Americas and by Mehano themselves elsewhere.

For a long time these shells were the only starting points for certain locomotives otherwise unavailable in plastic, especially the Alcos. The modeller was left to install a better motor or a complete drive for smooth operation. The flywheel-equipped versions (such as IHC's "Premier Series" C628) are reportedly much better, though now in most cases you can get much better models from Kato, Atlas, Stewart or Proto 2000.

Mehano/IHC steam locomotives remain a decent buy in HO scale steam; these are also marketed through SunFresh in the "President's Choice" trainsets sold in Loblaw's supermarkets in Canada. I don't really recommend the diesels unless you're looking for an interesting project. I have two or three of the diesels awaiting rebuild, but only one of them is probably going to get finished, and that one will only use the Mehano walkway and nose, with every other component replaced.

I'm pretty sure the steamers currently sold by Model Power in HO are the old Mantua tooling; Model Power and Mehano ended their relationship decades ago.

[Anonymous]

i have a few

[Anonymous]

I have three BN yard/road switchers that I got on clearance at Hobby Lobby.

After cleaning and relubing they run great for the $13 plus I paid for them. Not top of the line but great for the price. Also if my sons break it's no big loss.

DT

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info BentnoseWillie. That helps alot. I'll do a Google search on some of the names you gave. Maybe can find some more on the subject.

[Anonymous]

For more information about Mehano, look here :
http://www.mehano.si/

[Anonymous]

I have a MKT diesil mde by Model Power. I will check it.

[DSchmitt]

Check this web site

http://www.spookshow.net/trainstuff.html

 

[cacole]

IHC models have been marked as made in Yugoslavia, Bosnia, and other European countries before everything started being made in China.

[Wdlgln005]

The GP-40 with only the rear truck powered is a relic from the bad old days of Nscale before Atlas/Kato arrived. The shell is crude, performance is worse. Model Power is one company that may have imported them at one time. They may have had a line of crude freight cars to go with them.

Their only use today is in a junkyard.

[BentnoseWillie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cacole

IHC models have been marked as made in Yugoslavia, Bosnia, and other European countries before everything started being made in China.

Actually, just Yugoslavia and Slovenia. The Mehano factory has always been in Slovenia, and the trademark changed to "made in Slovenia" after the Yugoslav civil war.

I should have been more specific about IHC and Mehano. IHC is not a manufacturer, and neither was AHM before it. IHC is and AHM was an importer for several overseas manufacturers, including Mehano. As a result, some IHC products may indeed be labelled "made in China". Their Mehano-made engines are labelled "made in Slovenia" - before 1992, "made in Yugoslavia".

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cacole

IHC models have been marked as made in Yugoslavia, Bosnia, and other European countries before everything started being made in China.

This is all very simple. Let me give you some facts you don't really need to know at all. [:I]

BentnoseWillie got it right - see his post above; it used to be Yugoslavia until the early 1990's - Yugoslavia broke apart after 1991 into:
-Croatia;
-Slovenia;
-Bosnia and Herzegovina (or short Bosnia);
-Macedonia or "the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" - the Greeks objected to their using the name Macedonia 'cause it's also the name of a part of Greece. I believe this has been settled now;
-and finally the "new" Yugoslavia which consisted of Serbia and Montenegro, and today calls itself "Serbia and Montenegro".

So finally there is no more Yugoslavia in any form. The manufacturer Mehano (Mehanotehnika while the ex-ex-Yugoslavia existed) is in Slovenia. No model or toy trains were ever produced in Bosnia to my knowledge.

Mehano (then Mehanotehnika) was making HO models for AHM (Associated Hobby Makers), Life-Like, Model Power, Jouef (France), maybe somebody else, too, and still is making them for IHC.

Their N scale products were imported into the U.S. by Atlas, Model Power, MRC (Model Rectifier Corp.) that I know of.

So don't you let Slovenians hear you say that everything is made in China, or even worse, that any of it was ever made in Bosnia! [;)]
Small nations like us are extremely touchy about confusing us with somebody else, especially if it's someone we "divorced"! [tdn] [swg]

No hard feelings anyone! [angel] [%-)]
Best regards,
Oliver

[Anonymous]

Let's see, I need to become more knowledgeable in history, geography, companies, politics, and the marketplace to understand my railroad hobby more it would seem.

The above posts sure explain alot. All a person has to do is ask questions. Ay? [:D]

[BentnoseWillie]

Not really, but it's neat to know where stuff comes from. It also makes it easier to know what you're buying or how to find something if you know what other names might have been applied to the same product, eh?

F'rinstance, if you want to fix a Model Power HO scale C628, you can try parts from an IHC, AHM, or Life Like C628; they're all the Mehano model, with many common parts.

[Anonymous]

BentnoseWillie,

That is a good point as I am repairing and RTS old steam locos. And we have had many threads with questions on where to get parts. Just checked out two old worm gear driven locos that were not supposed to work. They do now. But where would one get a replacement motor or brushes for an armature etc. Or a broken cab.

I know of some places, thanks to these forums, but not near all that are out there.

[DeadheadGreg]

does anyone have any recommendations for putting knuckle couplers on a Model Power RS-11??  i'm totally stumped on how to convert their products; i have some passenger cars that I need to convert as well