There is an interesting thread on terrible model railroad ideas....since I have always gone with the glass half full bit....here are ten of my favorites.
1. All products offered by Scenic Express and Woodland Scenics.
2. Mt. Albert Scale Lumber
3. Evergreen products , Tichy, and Grandt Line (styrene products)
4. Kadee couplers
5. NCE control systems
6. Imported brass locomotives (even the very early ones)
7. Basswood rolling stock kits (almost entirely have disappeared)
8. Scale model (only) model train shows
9. Floquil paints (stupidly removed from the market)
10. Allen Keller Videos (Allen now retrired)
My two bucks worth......others???
HZ
Howard,
I've never heard of Mt. Albert Scale Lumber and being interested in making decent open lumber loads for flat cars, I googled them. I get nothing but errors no matter which link when trying to go there: "Database connection error (2): Could not connect to MySQL." Shame.
I'll add on in that I think the following have been awesome rolling stock products which are nice and fit my needs as a western 70's and 80's guy:
- ExactRail
- Tangent
- Athearn Genesis
- Intermountain
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Going back to my beginning in HO, my list of MFG heroes are:
Athearn - cars and locos
MRC - powerpacks
Atlas - track and controls
Kalmbach - Monthly mags and "how to" books
Revell - RR theme structure kits
KD - couplers
Of course there are a lot more, but IMO these were the ones that made a huge difference and opened the hobby to many.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
I thnk their site is down. Contact is Gerry Cornwell...number is 905 473 3161. They are located in Ontario, Canada. Their wood in my opinion is by far the best I have ever modeled with.
Their dealer base in rather light in the US, but hopefully this will change. One dealer I know is located in NJ and attends the Timonium MD shows....Harbor Belt Lines. I buy direct as I use their products professionally (www.zanestructures.com).
I thought the Walthers "Modulars" structure packages were a great idea. The marketplace evidently thought otherwise. At one time Model Die Casting had a similar but less ambitious idea and it too died on the vine. I think the Design Preservation Models modular system might still be around. There was still a fourth outfit that started up a modular structure system maybe 15 or 20 years ago but they did not last long.
I would say the entire introduction of styrene into the hobby - and I am old enough to recall when there were those who rejected every aspect of plastic in model railroading -- was one of the great ideas. That and nickle silver for rail instead of brass, which I think the British had way before we did, are now so common. But they weren't always there.
Dave Nelson
Great ideas that are not products:
* The NMRA
* Railroad Historical Societies
Tom
Laser printing, or whatever the process is currently called, for manufacturer lettering of engines and rolling stock.
I was able to get onto the Mount Albert Scale Lumber website:
http://www.mtalbert.com/
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Some more items I should have mentioned as being way excellent...........
.Ballast in O scale or gauge would be Brennan's Ballast, and for smaller scales would be Arizona Rock and Mineral.
Then my personal favorite.....Goo! Everything I have ever built be it structure or piece of rolling stock was built with Goo. It can be thinnned if neccessary and applied with a tooth pick of from the tube with practice. When dry, it is a solid bond, but there is a long period of time to make adjustments or realign if needed. Then even afterwords if needed, model can be disassembled with thinner appplied to joints. Walthers took it over from Hobsco decades back, and did not cheapen or ruin the product. It still seems the same as when I first used it in 1962.
Mt. Albert are the nicest people. I still remember many years ago when I was planning to manufacture cars, how they sent me free samples. Someone beat me to the punch with an almost identical offering so the project was abandoned but I still remember the generiosity of the people there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dave, yes its back up. Darn, another Canadian company. Shipping from the great white north can be uneconomical but I'll check them out.
Howard Zane Then my personal favorite.....Goo! Everything I have ever built be it structure or piece of rolling stock was built with Goo. It can be thinnned if neccessary and applied with a tooth pick of from the tube with practice. When dry, it is a solid bond, but there is a long period of time to make adjustments or realign if needed. Then even afterwords if needed, model can be disassembled with thinner appplied to joints. Walthers took it over from Hobsco decades back, and did not cheapen or ruin the product. It still seems the same as when I first used it in 1962. HZ
Then my personal favorite.....Goo! Everything I have ever built be it structure or piece of rolling stock was built with Goo. It can be thinnned if neccessary and applied with a tooth pick of from the tube with practice. When dry, it is a solid bond, but there is a long period of time to make adjustments or realign if needed. Then even afterwords if needed, model can be disassembled with thinner appplied to joints. Walthers took it over from Hobsco decades back, and did not cheapen or ruin the product. It still seems the same as when I first used it in 1962. HZ
Goo yes. Thanks for reminding me. I've had some projects that are on hold because I need it. I've also used Zap A Gap Goo in place of Walthers Goo and liked it too but it's hard to find lately.
Something that took manufacturers a long time to figure out.
Multiple road numbers.
Seriously, for decades Athearn blue-box cars and almost everything else was produced with the same number. Every once in a while something would slip through, as Athearn did sell a small number of Chessie SD40-2s numbered 7612 instead of 7614, but for a long time it was one and done.
Now, three numbers per loco run are common, and it's quite easy to get 12-15 different numbers of lots of rolling stock.
Howard Zane Everything I have ever built be it structure or piece of rolling stock was built with Goo. It can be thinnned if neccessary and applied with a tooth pick of from the tube with practice. HZ
Everything I have ever built be it structure or piece of rolling stock was built with Goo. It can be thinnned if neccessary and applied with a tooth pick of from the tube with practice.
What do you use to thin Goo with, Howard?
Milepost 266.2 Something that took manufacturers a long time to figure out. Multiple road numbers. Seriously, for decades Athearn blue-box cars and almost everything else was produced with the same number. Now, three numbers per loco run are common, and it's quite easy to get 12-15 different numbers of lots of rolling stock.
Something that took manufacturers a long time to figure out. Multiple road numbers.
Seriously, for decades Athearn blue-box cars and almost everything else was produced with the same number.
Thats a good point when some wax nostalgic with their rose colored glasses at the (not so) "good ol days". I'd take todays offerings over 30+ years ago any day! There are definitely some things I think were better back then, but model railroading isn't one of them! This is the golden age of the hobby as far as I'm concerned.
Road numbers is something manufacurers finally woke up and smelled the coffee on. I never considered myself an elitist by any means, but I didn't like to buy multiples of a freight car with the same road number - that actually kept me from buying more. When freight cars and engines began being offered with multiple road numbers I bought more of them where appropriate and I think many others did too.
I remember one of the first multiple road number items - I have some old kit MDC FMC Western Pacific double door box cars produced in mulitple road numbers. I think it was the 1st 2 digits was printed on all of them along with the rest of the artwork, and then the last 3 were done after in different numbers, they are of a slightly different shade and do not quite match up, but they are unique road numbers!
dknelson Howard Zane Everything I have ever built be it structure or piece of rolling stock was built with Goo. It can be thinnned if neccessary and applied with a tooth pick of from the tube with practice. HZ What do you use to thin Goo with, Howard? Dave, I use Floquil thinner (dio-sol), but I'm sure any laquer thinner would work with Goo. I know dio-sol is no longer available, but I still have a serious mess of it from my custom painting days. HZ
Dave,
I use Floquil thinner (dio-sol), but I'm sure any laquer thinner would work with Goo. I know dio-sol is no longer available, but I still have a serious mess of it from my custom painting days.
hon30critter I was able to get onto the Mount Albert Scale Lumber website: http://www.mtalbert.com/ Dave
If you want Mt. Albert scale lumber, it is best to call Black Bear Construction Company: http://www.blackbearcc.com/BBCC_Home.html.
They are in Glenwood, Iowa.
Contact information is on their webpage.
ExactRail's GSC flat cars with the laser cut taskboard decks.
The decks are user installed, meaning they're easy to weather before installation. The car at rear shows the color of the taskboard material before weathering.
And what's a flat car without a load? Owl Mountain Models has a great plastic kit for a 50s or earlier lumber load http://owlmtmodels.com/ . I modified it into a configuration more suitable for the 1970s. I highly recommend these kits.
Rob Spangler
Milepost 266.2Athearn blue-box cars and almost everything else was produced with the same number.
Russell
I agree with items on the list.
I think flex track and ready to install turnouts are a great addition to the hobby. Hand laying of track is too time consuming and is impractical if building a large layout.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
My top ten.
1. S scale - big enough to enjoy building, small enough for a layout
2. Wireless DCC - for effortless walk around control
3. RTR - so you can get something up and running quickly.
4. Sectional track - for the same reason.
5. Basswood kits - just because they're fun.
6. Flex track - for easements and curves of any radius
7. KD couplers - a good compromise between looks and operation.
8. NMRA - for standards
9. Thomas the Tank - for my 4 year old grandson.
10. Lionel trains - for my grandson as he gets a little older.
Enjoy
Paul
Preiser figures. I think Preiser makes the best figures. Not only do they look the best they have a huge variety of styles. I have hundreds of them on my layout and they really do bring it to life. I also have other brands but Preiser figures are the stars.
Kadee couplers are also great, so HO scale has some uniform couplers that look realistic and can operate.
Flex track is awesome so we don't have to hand lay track or use 18 inch curves.
Walthers for putting all products together in one catalog so adults can still have a wish book.
The hobby has had several excellent products over the years.
Atlas locomotives
Athearn BB cars and locomotives.
Roundhouse cars
Walthers
Life Like's P2K models.
X2F couplers( in their time)
MRC Power Packs-One of the best in its day was the 'Golden Throttle' pack.
KD couplers
Nickel Silver track
DCC
DCC/Sound
Code 70 rail-It should have been the standard but,C83 was the modelers choice.
Metal wheels like Intermountain.
Dremel Tool
3 and 5 prong grippers.
Flo Quill paints
Woodland Scenics
Champ Decals-now gone.
Linburgh RP25 trucks. Smoothest rolling trucks of the 60s.
Model Railroader
Trains Magazine
Honorable mention
Hobbytown RS3 and their replacement drive for Athearn's F7 and GP7.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Good thread. I'd like to add some of my favorites.
Blair Line signs
Scale lumber and shapes from Northeastern, Kapler, etc
Plastic sheet and shapes and embossed sheets for brick,stone,etc
door, window, ladder and detail parts by Tichy, Grandt Line, etc
Kadee coupler line
Walthers old line of metal and wood passenger cars, gas-electrics.
Central Valley and Lindberg trucks (Still available under new nane)
The "freight car revolution" of the 1980's
Peco turnouts
Walthers line of urban and industrial buildings.
The explosion of information via historical societies, literature, video and Internet.
I'm sure there's many more I could add but these popped into my mind right off.
Hmm, so many great products/ideas... Just a few of the best off the top of my head:
1. Static fibers and applicators.
2. The various ground-foam scenic products.
3. Evergreen styrene products, and a special tip of the hat to the late Al Armitage for his early efforts in promoting styrene as a scratchbuilding material.
4. Grandt Line!
5. Flex track and ready-made switches.
6. The recent development of "dead rail" battery power.
7. Sound!
8. The Narrow Gauge & Short Line Gazette.
9. L-girder benchwork.
10. "Pink foam" for building terrain.
Howard ZaneMy two bucks worth......others???
Just Three Words...
LIGHT
EMITTING
DIODES
We take these little guys for granted these days but every time I watch my nearly to scale, three-color searchlight signals automatically change colors (thanks to I-R LEDs embedded in the roadbed) I just get all smiley
Not to mention cab lights, number boards, the Walthers traffic light, lighted flood lights on the roof of my Capitol Limited "Moonlight Dome", LEDs allow us to place nearly scale sized lighting just about anywhere the real world would have them.
Just amazing.Yes, there are many other great advancements and I agree with all the other contributions above but the advances in sub-miniature electronic wizardry are indeed a real benefit to all modelers!
Oh, and I should mention, too, that about 80% of my entire layout room is illuminated by LEDs as well!
Regards, Ed
Oh yeah, LEDs! Not strictly a model railroad product but definitely a great asset to the hobby.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
I'll emphatically third Mobileman44's and Brakie's mention of Model Railroader Magazine,(or Kalmbach pubs)
And this forum...
Lest we forget (HO in my case) vehicles and equipment, a sub hobby in itself:
Keeping it affordable; Jordan, CMW, Boley, Woodland Scenics kits, Athearn KWs and Freightliners, Minitanks (Roco?) Williams Bro's, Herpa (some)
Quality worth a few more bucks; Athearn's more recent trucks, Wiking, Lee Town...
Those are some of my faves, but the list is not complete, just off the top of my head.
Put Ulrich in where you think it fits. Norscott, Busch, Walthers, Alloy Forms, Kibri, Preiser, and those well detailed resin kits from various makers are some I haven't bought into yet, but look great.
Wha'd I forget?
Here's an older pic of some of the vehicle family, even with a few Matchbox trucks detailed and snuck in.
If you just see an X here, click on it.
MB Klein and their real-time online inventory/availability display for each item.
-Ken in Maryland (B&O modeler, former CSX modeler)
riogrande5761 I never considered myself an elitist by any means, but I didn't like to buy multiples of a freight car with the same road number - that actually kept me from buying more.
I never considered myself an elitist by any means, but I didn't like to buy multiples of a freight car with the same road number - that actually kept me from buying more.
That's not just about being elitist. If you do any sort of operating with car cards or switchlists where movements are based on car numbers, every car needs to be unique - just like the real thing. If every box car on your system has the same ID number, you can't even do it.
Chris van der Heide
My Algoma Central Railway Modeling Blog