Here are some companies and products out of the past that should bring back some memories to the old timers.
Revell HO trains and structures
Tru-Scale milled wood roadbed including the crossties.
Brass rail track
Varney Casey Jones and Old Lady engines
Athearn "Hi-F" drive engines
Brass engines from Pacific Fast Mail, Akane, Gem, Kemtron and others
Aristo-Craft die cast HO steam engines
Die cast steam engine kits from Mantua, Roundhouse, Bowser, and others
Block control DC layouts
I know there's more but that's more than enough to start.
It looks like the only thing train related that Revell has now is an HO Big Boy kit and that is Revell of Germany.
https://www.revell.com/germany/other/80-2165.html (https://www.revell.com/germany/other/80-2165.html)
Revell and Lionel probably got into the HO train set market too late, right before slot cars came out. Revell's structures in particular were exceptionally well done and finely detailed even by today's standards.
Tyco lasted longer but by 1970 or so the golden age of train sets, especially as an entry vehicle into scale model railroading, was done.
I built quite a few Revell model cars way back in my teenage years. Just the mention of Revell took me down memory lane. I never built any of their train stuff.
I too built many a Revell car model. They had some of the most detailed kits for the day.
They just went out of business earlier this spring when they got sold off to Blitz in Germany. No more Revell USA, it will all be marketed under Revell Germany's label. Monogram models is another casualty of this storm.
Read here...........
http://www.scaleautomag.com/articles/2018/04/revell-has-been-sold (http://www.scaleautomag.com/articles/2018/04/revell-has-been-sold)
Sid
I have a Revell Big boy in my display cabinet next to a model of the first Dutch steam locomotive.
The biggest and the smallest next to each other.
I also had a H0n3 Roundhouse model of a outside frame steam loco.
It doesn't live here any more.
I gave it to a friend and it lives in his display case these days.
I don't know how it was in the US but here we had 00 Airfix kits of steam locomotives and rolling stock.
Ton
I haven't seen their Big Boy model, but I do have a couple of NYC Hudson's from Revell. I figured they would be good for detail parts scattered about the enginehouse.
Sid
(https://media.fotki.com/2v2JnoFk5xfwZGL.jpg)
I had one of the early versions of the Hi-F Hustler, with two rubber bands. I didn't realize what I had and practically gave it away when I decided to focus on the steam era... Oh well.
My first HO loco was a PRR Hi-F F-7, bought at a Washington's Birthday sale when I was maybe 12. I really didn't get seriously into scale trains until late high school. I helped my grandfather build a garage one summer and that got me enough to buy a Mantua Pacific kit. Still hate all those valve gear rivets. Then came a sale on some brass Gem models and I got a Ma and Pa Ten-wheeler for $29.50.
Who can forget those 'old reliable' Mantua hook-and-loop couplers? Or the pile of wood in a Walthers yellow box passenger car kit?
Len
I have a pile of wood in a Northeastern passenger car kit. Where you have to carve the rounded ends!🤭😮🤬
Ebtnut, what year did you buy the Gem Ma and Pa 4-6-0 for $29.95? I bet I got mine at the same sale. In 1965.
1965 sounds about right. There was an ad in RMC for a summer sale special. The sale also featured the Reading I-5 Camelback and one other loco I can't recall any more.
I later got a brass wabash mogul at the same sale price from the same place. About 5 years later they were both destroyed in a household accident.
Quote from: Trainman203 on August 01, 2018, 11:07:29 AM
I have a pile of wood in a Northeastern passenger car kit. Where you have to carve the rounded ends!🤭😮🤬
I think those kits are why combo disk/belt sanders were invented.
Len
I found the reference to Tru Scale roadbed interesting.
My Dad's layout is built entirely on Tru Scale. We bought the plain roadbed, and laid our own ties and rail on it. 40 years later, it's still in regular use with few if any problems.
I haven't found any roadbed out there that is as good for handlaid track. But it's almost impossible to find now. I am wondering if i'll have to make my own out of pine moulding.
Code 100 rail laid on the milled tie Tru Scale roadbed had an unmistakable early 60's look. Tru Scale also had some nice MOW cars, wish I had them.
OK, I'll trip down the lane for a moment. These are a few of my oldies but goodies:
1947 Varney Little Joe--worked over a bit, as I hope you can tell. Plus, a Mantua 2-8-2, from 1969 I think... maybe 1970. I worked that one over, too--new motor, lots of added details, etc...
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/852/30053229688_1c2391fd16_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/MMGE9y)DSC_1422 (https://flic.kr/p/MMGE9y) by Jon Vogel (https://www.flickr.com/photos/152929963@N07/), on Flickr
Here is an old Pacific Fast Mail (PFM) brassie. Again, completely worked over. The gearing is really slow.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1815/42113660090_9212f54388_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/27arvVL)DSC_1423 (https://flic.kr/p/27arvVL) by Jon Vogel (https://www.flickr.com/photos/152929963@N07/), on Flickr
A Bowser PRR G-5 Kit. I bought the last, brand new, open frame motor from Bowser. Never found a correct ender for it. I have an old Varney tender in back. Runs pretty well. Thanks again, Woody.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1780/30053227988_1b4a9e4a8b_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/MMGDDf)DSC_1424 (https://flic.kr/p/MMGDDf) by Jon Vogel (https://www.flickr.com/photos/152929963@N07/), on Flickr
Don't know much about this boxcar. It belonged to my grandfather. It's made of tin (I think). The decorated sides seem to be paper, laminated to the tin. The wheels are brass. Wish it were in better shape. My Grandpa passed before I could ask about it's origin.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1835/42113657550_0f61eba067_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/27arvaY)DSC_1426 (https://flic.kr/p/27arvaY) by Jon Vogel (https://www.flickr.com/photos/152929963@N07/), on Flickr
Finally is an old Athearn GP kit. I replaced the old motor, upgraded here and there, and so on. These kits were around for a long time, so I don't really know how old this is, but it did have the old open frame motor and no flywheels.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1831/30053226238_794a5ce5d5_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/MMGD85)DSC_1427 (https://flic.kr/p/MMGD85) by Jon Vogel (https://www.flickr.com/photos/152929963@N07/), on Flickr
Regards,
Jonathan
Jonathan;
Thanks for the pics. I really like your grandfathers boxcar as well as the loco's.
Chuck
The "Land O'Lakes" reefer looks like it's a old Globe Models (later bought by Athearn) or Varney kit.
Len
I was going to guess the Land-O-Lakes reefer might be an old Mantua kit from the late '40's/early '50's.
Quote from: ebtnut on August 08, 2018, 10:10:31 AM
I was going to guess the Land-O-Lakes reefer might be an old Mantua kit from the late '40's/early '50's.
That's what I thought at first, but none of the old Mantua reefers I've got, inherited from an uncle back in the 50's, have the wood pad under the ice hatches.
Len
When I look at it up close, it appears those wood platforms were scratchbuilt and added on. Also, it used to have mantua-style couplers (brass hook and loop). This may be one of the first cars built after the Varney docksider was acquired.
My dad says he remembers playing with this equipment as a kid. He said they had a bulky 6-volt battery connected a circle of brass track.
Regards,
Jonathan
It is mantua, 6 volts would date it back in the 1930s.
Ah! The platforms under the ice hatches threw me from my original take it was a Mantua car. If they're a scratch built add on, then Mantua it is.
Len
I had several die cast steam engines 50 years ago. They were all lost in a misguided household clean out while I was away.😡🤬 they have been in a landfill for 50 years now.
My first HO loco was an Athearn Hi-F PRR F-7, bought at a Washington's Birthday sale (remember those?) in about 1958. I set aside trains for a few years, then got back into HO - bought a Mantua Pacific kit, followed by Athearn's "Little Monster" and USRA 0-6-0. Then came a brass Olympia Ma and Pa 4-6-0. All are long gone, having moved to On3 in the early 1970's.
Remember the smells associated with model railroading? Floquil paint, Walthers Goo, Perma-Scene, electrical smells, all mixed together meant huge fun.