I recently picked up a set of the Stewart FT A-B kits off eBay for a good price. Everything looks good and seems to be in order. I was curious if anyone knew when these were first released?
Once I assemble them I'll dress them up with the Cal Scale detail kits from Bowser.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Assuming you mean RTR locomotives. Do not know time of 1st release.
Note of caution: I have one early 90s HO Stewart FT-B with Kato drive and all the gear-axles ended up developing hairline cracks in the tube portion of the axle where the half-wheelset fits. The cracks are tiny and not easy to see, but do cause out of gage wheelsets. In fact all the Stewart Kato drive and Kato HO locos I purchased in that same time period developed the cracks. The cracks can even be present in NIB old stock locomotives of that time period.
Edit: Above HO Stewart F unit Kato drive orig. instruction sheet dated 10/1/97. Though instruction sheet refers to the model as a kit it came assembled. BTW, defective gear-axles aside, those Kato drives are exceptionally smooth, reliable and quiet.
Regards, Peter
I've seen mention of them in the '90s, but I'm pretty sure that they were around before that. I painted a number of F3s or F7s for a friend in the early Wabash scheme, and they were all kits. There wasn't a great deal of construction involved, but I added grabirons, handrails, etc., which weren't supplied. They were beautiful running locomotives and great pullers, too.
There's info on the Stewart FTs HERE, and the instructions show that they definitely were kits.
Wayne
Several years ago, I purchased 2 AB sets at a train show for a very low price. They were undecorated, and I painted and lettered them for CB&Q. They are very smooth runners, and I am very pleased with them. I normally run them as an ABBA locomotive. ..... I'm not sure, but I think it was about 20 years ago when Stewart began producing them.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
The instruction sheets that came with my original FTs indicate that they were released on September 9, 1996.
The very informative instructions also mention which railroads had the steps at the rear of the A units and which were to be cut off. Mine came with lots of extra parts to customize the locomotives to represent your exact model.
I recall that the nose PC board also had red and yellow LEDs to illuminate the number boards and "class" lights. It was a feeble attempt and the very small size of the number board didn't lend itself to illumination very well. But it was a step in the right direction, and this WAS twenty years ago!
I have since given my FTs to a friend. I replaced the dummy B units with powered chassis.
If you'd like I can scan and post these instructions and parts list.
These are the same sheets that Wayne linked to at HO Seeker
Regards, Ed
Thanks for the input, fellas. I have the instruction sheets that came with the kits. The font style used looked mid-90s or earlier. They are painted for the NYC with the full lightning stripe. As soon as I assemble them for the appropriate phase I'll detail them with the Cal Scale detail kits.
tstage The font style used looked mid-90s or earlier.
Hi, Tom
If your FTs are from the first run this date should be on the documentation.
I began construction of my layout in late 1995 and I recall getting the FTs not long afterward.
They should round out your roster nicely.
Thanks, Ed. That's the same date given on the back of my exploded view. Missed that when I was perusing through it before.