1948 Model railroaders

[drgwcs]

While perusing through a flea market/antique mall today I came across some 1948 Model Railroaders and bought 3 of them for 4.50 total. Pretty neat find. They had an article from John Allen on the first G&D and cool, I got a plan for D&RGW observation car. I guess we should be glad for all that we have today in the hobby. It was interesting to read an article about scratchbuilding a steam locomotive where the instructions state to cut out the frame with a hacksaw and jewlers saw! It was interesting to note how few of the businesses and hobby shops actually survived these years too. I guess that the hobby shop going out of business is not a new thing and there are a lot more today than what there were then.

Jim C

[Tracklayer]

You lucky stiff... I've never had such luck. All I can say is congratulations on your treasure hunt. Sounds like you've got a lot of cool "prehistoric" reading there. Can you imagine building your own loco using a hack saw to cut it out with... I'm sure it's been done, but I seriously doubt I'd ever be able to accomplish such a project - not unless my life bepended on it maybe.

Tracklayer

[tomikawaTT]

Quite a contrast between today and 59 years ago, no matter how you cut it.  One of the biggest differences is the cover price of MR which, IIRC, was about 1/4 of what you paid (for all three issues.)

If a modeler from 1948 were somehow time-jumped to the present, how would you explain present-day techniques to him.  In 1948, things that we take for granted, like CAD, DCC and locomotives with a full range of on-board noises would have been fodder for Astounding Science Fiction, not Model Railroader.

OTOH, the original Gorre and Daphetid is still a classic small layout design and Mel Thornburgh's scratchbuilding methods can still be used if you don't have access to a CAD-driven laser cutter.  The more things change, the more they remain the same.

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

[Dave-the-Train]

1948.  

• Three years after the end of WW2, and the atom bombs -
• Cold War just getting under way -
• Two years before the Korean War  -
• Had anyone heard of Vietnam by then??? -
• Israel just established by UN Mandate -
• India and Pakistan dividing in a bloodbath -
• Mao hadn't quite beaten the Kuomintang to form the People's Republic.-
• McCarthyism affecting the lives of US citizens -
• British Rail just formed and war shattered British industry being Nationalised because there wasn't money around to get them back on their feet any other way. 
• The Marshal Plan rebuilding Western Europe. 
• The Berlin Wall wouldn't be started for another 13 years
• The Berlin Wall wouldn't come down for another 41 years
• Seven Years before the death of Joseph Stalin
• Elvis was still at High School
• .
• No plastic card /styrene for modellers back then.  Modellers laminated card with Shelac Varnish to achieve a stiff, thin board that was water resistant.
• White metal for casting was beginning to be used for models - very thick casting and the models could be very heavy
• Tinplate metal sheet was salvaged from things like gallon oil cans for model making.  (That stuff could be sharp)!
• Injection moulded plastic was being invented / in early development.  Bakelite didn't work well for small detail on models and tended to crack when used in thin sections or knocked about/vibrated.
• Printed card or paper on wooden blocks were accectable for boxcars.
• "Super detail"?  Is it train shaped?
• Clockwork still a prime mover. 
• H0 just getting under way - compared to the established larger scales - John Allen was a pioneer in small scale as well as layout design.
• Two Rail electrification of models was new.  (Without cheap, readily available plastics the big problem was insulation of the wheels/axles - Things we take for granted had to be developed). (Before I get corrected... these things were there and possible - BUT nothing like the "order it on E mail" that we expect today). (Come to that computers took up whole buildings - really made your knees ache to use as a laptop - and had to be talked to in computer language which used punched cards or tapes.... one wrong punch hole and the programme ground to a halt)
• .
• The big Eastern coal Roads still running Big Steam.
• Passenger service still predominant over any other means of travelling around the US
• The Big Named Trains still competing - with each other.
• .
• I was still four years away from being born

[Rods UP 9000]

  Back about 30 years ago, I was at a yard sale and as I was leaving, I found a sack of 40's Model Railroaders they had them at the curb to go to the trash. I asked the lady for them, and she gave them to me. I asked where thay came from and she had found the in the atic of the house they just moved into. I started a new hobby that day (I was already a model rr), and now have almost every issuse of Model Railroader.

 Rodney

[BRAKIE]

While perusing through a flea market/antique mall today I came across some 1948 Model Railroaders and bought 3 of them for 4.50 total. Pretty neat find. They had an article from John Allen on the first G&D and cool, I got a plan for D&RGW observation car. I guess we should be glad for all that we have today in the hobby. It was interesting to read an article about scratchbuilding a steam locomotive where the instructions state to cut out the frame with a hacksaw and jewlers saw! It was interesting to note how few of the businesses and hobby shops actually survived these years too. I guess that the hobby shop going out of business is not a new thing and there are a lot more today than what there were then.

Jim C

 

My Dad built several steam  locomotives out of tin  and brass stock.He also built a Baldwin switcher..They look good and was smooth runners for their day..

How many of us can do that today? I can't.So let's not knock those Craftsmen since everything we have today is taken from a box.We have nothing to be smug about.

[drgwcs]

Sorry, if it came out that way, I didn't mean to seem to knock anybody's work. Really It was a beautiful engine from the pictures. It looked for all the world like an O-scale version of the Bachmann 4-6-0 (in HO) I just was commenting on how good we have it now and more my lack of patience in such an endevor than Mel Thornburgs beautiful work or anyone elses. I love to scratchbuild as well as craftsmen kits, but I couldn't see myself able or willing to scratchbuild a locomotive frame (especially able.) We should be really thankful for what we have now. If someone scratchbuids there are many more choices now too to semi-scrachbuild using a commercial frame-etc.

JimC

[ARTHILL]

These scratch builders were the ones who stated the brass industry. They could build wonderful models of incredible detail. I remember one article about an O gauge steamer made from tin cans as stock material. The guy was a magician with a tin snips.

I love to go back and reread my MRRs from 48 to 54. I have very few from before that, but the model making was in engines and rolling stock more than layouts.

[spidge]

1948.  

• Three years after the end of WW2, and the atom bombs -
• Cold War just getting under way -
• Two years before the Korean War  -
• Had anyone heard of Vietnam by then??? -
• Israel just established by UN Mandate -
• India and Pakistan dividing in a bloodbath -
• Mao hadn't quite beaten the Kuomintang to form the People's Republic.-
• McCarthyism affecting the lives of US citizens -
• British Rail just formed and war shattered British industry being Nationalised because there wasn't money around to get them back on their feet any other way. 
• The Marshal Plan rebuilding Western Europe. 
• The Berlin Wall wouldn't be started for another 13 years
• The Berlin Wall wouldn't come down for another 41 years
• Seven Years before the death of Joseph Stalin
• Elvis was still at High School
• .
• No plastic card /styrene for modellers back then.  Modellers laminated card with Shelac Varnish to achieve a stiff, thin board that was water resistant.
• White metal for casting was beginning to be used for models - very thick casting and the models could be very heavy
• Tinplate metal sheet was salvaged from things like gallon oil cans for model making.  (That stuff could be sharp)!
• Injection moulded plastic was being invented / in early development.  Bakelite didn't work well for small detail on models and tended to crack when used in thin sections or knocked about/vibrated.
• Printed card or paper on wooden blocks were accectable for boxcars.
• "Super detail"?  Is it train shaped?
• Clockwork still a prime mover. 
• H0 just getting under way - compared to the established larger scales - John Allen was a pioneer in small scale as well as layout design.
• Two Rail electrification of models was new.  (Without cheap, readily available plastics the big problem was insulation of the wheels/axles - Things we take for granted had to be developed). (Before I get corrected... these things were there and possible - BUT nothing like the "order it on E mail" that we expect today). (Come to that computers took up whole buildings - really made your knees ache to use as a laptop - and had to be talked to in computer language which used punched cards or tapes.... one wrong punch hole and the programme ground to a halt)
• .
• The big Eastern coal Roads still running Big Steam.
• Passenger service still predominant over any other means of travelling around the US
• The Big Named Trains still competing - with each other.
• .
• I was still four years away from being born

You forgot one that is dear to some in California, Harry Snyder openned IN-N-Out Burger.