E&C Shops HO Scale?

[csxns]

jean pierre duchesneau

Woodchip gondolas from them.

Intermountain has them now thet say comming soon.

[Graham Line]

If you want to widen your search, some of the E&C/LBF/Hubert's items appeared earlier branded as McKean Models and Sky-Lim.  Not always first-class quality, but they filled many gaps in the offerings of the '90s.

 

[LenS]

steamnut

I bought some boxcars from them too. Nice detail for the time - the grab irons were separate pieces, etc. But poorly engineered kits that needed a LOT of work to come out right - almost as much time as some craftsman kits at the end of the day.

Quite an understatement. Coupler boxes don't always fit flush, requiring shims, Gold wheels need replacement w/ IM 36" wheels, need extra weight, Kadees and other molding issues also come into play. I have 15+ Coal Porters and the inside braces are fragile and break. Look great w/ Motrak flood coal loads and in a unit train. Boxcars also have some of the same flaws.

I'd give them a C+.

Len S

 

[jean pierre duchesneau]

[quote user="fwdguy"]

Can anyone fill me in on E&C Shops HO Scale products?

I just bought 2 Woodchip gondolas from them. GN and BN, very nice models for the price.

I cant find any information on them or in the Walthers catalog. When were they made and were they ever listed in the Walthers catalog.

I would like to see what they all offered.

Thanks for any info,

Mark

 

hi

If you take a closer look at the new series from Intermountain call Value line you will find the E&C shops kits now in ready to run with almost the same number on each cars.

Thanks

JP

[riogrande5761]

That LBF covered hopper was one of the last they did IIRC and better than preceeding models.

[Doughless]

wp8thsub

 

 

Doughless

BTW, isn't one of the RTR LBF Grain hoppers now an Athearn Genesis?  I think I have two under the LBF wrapper.

 

 

Nope.  They were released about the same time, but are different tooling.

 

Interesting.  The LBF is a very nice model IMO.

[wp8thsub]

Doughless

BTW, isn't one of the RTR LBF Grain hoppers now an Athearn Genesis?  I think I have two under the LBF wrapper.

Nope.  They were released about the same time, but are different tooling.

[Doughless]

I thought the E&C, LBF, Hubert's kits were nice enogh models, but the paint seemed too think and glossy for my tastes.  Hopefully IM improved that.

BTW, isn't one of the RTR LBF Grain hoppers now an Athearn Genesis?  I think I have two under the LBF wrapper.

[maxman]

There is a diagram of an E&C coal gondola on the HOSeeker site which has some verbiage that would lead one to believe that it was printed circa 1995.  I have an E&C modern general purpose gon.  Unfortunately there is not a date on those instructions.

 

If E&C was ever listed in Walthers, I'd be searching in a catalog dated 1995 +/-.

[rrebell]

Lone Wolf and Santa Fe

WARNING DANGER

DON'T CLICK ON THE hubertsrr LINK ABOVE.

It will forward you to a page with a virus.

 

A little late in the warning, didn't click on any liks though except "I am not a robot". No virus found as far as I went

 

[Lone Wolf and Santa Fe]

WARNING DANGER

DON'T CLICK ON THE hubertsrr LINK ABOVE.

It will forward you to a page with a virus.

[riogrande5761]

dknelson

 

riogrande5761

I see an old topic resurrected...  what happened to the dies/molds that were used for E&C/LBF/Hubert etc? 

Resurrecting the ressurected.  Well the thread is old but MR just posted a review that will appear in the April issue for a coal gondola model that Hubert's offered -- now in InterMountain's value line!   This doesn't prove that InterMountain has all the Hubert's, LBF, E&C tooling -- but it suggests it.

 

http://mrr.trains.com/news-reviews/staff-reviews/2019/02/intermountain-value-line-ho-scale-coal-gondola

 

Dave Nelson

 

As is the habit here.  I don't know what happened to all the tooling but there are a number of former E&C/LBF etc. models showing up under the Value Line by IMRC. 

 

IIRC, there were 4 types of wood chip hoppers but so far I only see one in the IMRC Value line.  Also the Gunderson 50' High Cube box car flat and peaked roof, 13 & 14 panel Coalporters, Trinity Aluminator Coal gons, Aeroflo Coal gons and 52' corrugated gondolas.

I've tried emailing IMRC twice since the beginning of the new year and gotten nothing but Crickets.  There was a very helpful and responsive IMRC rep who I used to correspond with occasionally but he emailed me when the Chinese factory closing was announced and informed me that he was being let go and packing up his desk.  Seems IMRC has closed ranks and clammed up now.  I get it that this was a bummer for them but to shut out customers isn't helping.

[dknelson]

riogrande5761

I see an old topic resurrected...  what happened to the dies/molds that were used for E&C/LBF/Hubert etc?

 

 

Resurrecting the ressurected.  Well the thread is old but MR just posted a review that will appear in the April issue for a coal gondola model that Hubert's offered -- now in InterMountain's value line!   This doesn't prove that InterMountain has all the Hubert's, LBF, E&C tooling -- but it suggests it.

 

http://mrr.trains.com/news-reviews/staff-reviews/2019/02/intermountain-value-line-ho-scale-coal-gondola

 

Dave Nelson

[dknelson]

NP2626

I was incorrect, my cars were made by C&BT Shops not E&B Shops.

 

 

Nonetheless LBF did make a nicely painted and lettered NP 50' double door boxcar in the brown paint/large NP/Route of the Vista-Dome North Coast Limited" paint scheme, modeling a car with lowered ladders and no roof walk numbered 4499.  The  kit number is 2251.

Dave Nelson

[NP2626]

I was incorrect, my cars were made by C&BT Shops not E&B Shops.

[dknelson]

There is more than one thread on these forums about the Fred Becker (he was the Loads by Fred, Fred) / Fred Hubert saga in the hobby.  A lot of old manufacturer names are connected to it.   Either on those threads or on other forums I have seen references to the original dies and molds being of alumnium and thus prone to wear which is perhaps why the lines have not been purchased from the bankruptcy estate(s) and started up again.  It might also explain the somewhat shallow detail common to the Becker lines. 

Here is one such thread but there are others.

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/p/165139/1817103.aspx#1817103

Dave Nelson

 

[NP2626]

I have a few of the E&C Shops box cars in N.P. livery, they were easy to build cars similar to the Athearn Blue Box with a bit better detail.  I liked them and would buy more if they where available.

[riogrande5761]

I see an old topic resurrected...  what happened to the dies/molds that were used for E&C/LBF/Hubert etc?

[Catt]

FYI

E & C was owned by Fred Hubert,LBF (Loads By Fred) was the first reincarnation of E & C ,Huberts was the last one and was actually run out of Fred's garage.

[CNWSwede]

CNWSwede

Check Atlas on Google.

I just noticed that the message I was replying to was six years old, having been entered in 2008.  Might as well 86 that and my reply as well. I'm glad I have an E&C 50-foot CNW "High CUbe" boxcar - the prototype,, made in Atlantic Canada by GTrinity Car Co., thatg was the last "new" car ordered by CNW prior to the UP merger..  Thanks.

[CNWSwede]

Check Atlas on Google.

[desertdog]

I was in Homer's Model Railroad Supply in Longview, Texas earlier this week. He had a few of the E&C woodchip cars in stock. I don't recall the road names as I was not particularly interested in them. Discount Model Trains in Addison, TX has a couple in stock on consignment, as well. John Timm

[Calflash]

jasperofzeal

Ebay is your best bet for finding E&C or LBF cars, as a matter of fact, right now there is a plethora of gondolas listed.  Well maybe not a plethora, but you can find quite a few of them on ebay.

 Thanks. I have an article in progress on 2 I built and want to revise my instructions accordingly.

Cal

[jasperofzeal]

Calflash

A little late coming in on this thread but is anything still around in HO? The Hubert site appears to just be a Go-Daddy.com search results with nothing pertaining to the subject. I'm looking specifically for the 52' corregated side gondolas.

 Cal

Ebay is your best bet for finding E&C or LBF cars, as a matter of fact, right now there is a plethora of gondolas listed.  Well maybe not a plethora, but you can find quite a few of them on ebay.

[cacole]

 It was reported here last month that Hubert's has gone out of business already.  A Google search does not find a current web site for them and they no longer advertise in any of the magazines.

[Calflash]

desertdog

 

The successor to E&C is Hubert's Model Railroad Mfg. Their website is www.hubertsrr.com.  Their online catalogue currently shows six roadnames available for the woodchip cars.

John Timm

 A little late coming in on this thread but is anything still around in HO? The Hubert site appears to just be a Go-Daddy.com search results with nothing pertaining to the subject. I'm looking specifically for the 52' corregated side gondolas.

 Cal

[steamnut]

I bought some boxcars from them too. Nice detail for the time - the grab irons were separate pieces, etc. But poorly engineered kits that needed a LOT of work to come out right - almost as much time as some craftsman kits at the end of the day.

[bogp40]

Yes, most of the HO freight cars sold under the E&C name were later sold under the LBF name and now Huberts.  The wood chips care are fairly accurate version of some 4 types used out west by the SP, BN, and a few other roads.  Check prototype photo's to match model to the real thing as E&C/LBF may not have correct paint jobs for all models like other manufacturers (if that matters to you).

E&C/LBF/Huberts models do fill a needed nitch in a number of freight car types, even if the level of detail is dated, one can upgrade things like styrups if needed.

I agree that the E&C/ LBF cars are fairly accurate, decent paint and lettering. I do have a problem with the overall design, especially the bolster/ underframe and coupler box. Many of their products use a partial frame and you can have problems with coupler heights and/or slop in the box. On all the box and high cubes, I needed to use the Kadee coupler box and only mount the partial bolster that is supplied w/ the kit.

[riogrande5761]

Yes, most of the HO freight cars sold under the E&C name were later sold under the LBF name and now Huberts.  The wood chips care are fairly accurate version of some 4 types used out west by the SP, BN, and a few other roads.  Check prototype photo's to match model to the real thing as E&C/LBF may not have correct paint jobs for all models like other manufacturers (if that matters to you).

E&C/LBF/Huberts models do fill a needed nitch in a number of freight car types, even if the level of detail is dated, one can upgrade things like styrups if needed.