I found this car at a LHS. There were a total for four used ones for sale. On the bottom of the car and trucks, it says, "Kadee." I typed in "Belmont Shore Lines" in Google and it doesn't appear to be a real roadname and the first listing goes to a railroad club in SoCal.
It is what is often known as a special run car, done for a very well known model railroad club in southern California. Boxcab E50
Yes, it's a freelanced railroad. I've been to the club, it's only 30 minutes away from me, just down the freeway in San Pedro, CA. They put on a swapmeet twice a year (March & October) that's mostly N-scale. They're a very famous N scale club; apparently they invented the N-Trak specifications. Kadee probably made this before they spun their N scale division off into Micro-Trains.
I didn't know a club would have the ability to have a special run made just for them. That is the "NEWB" in me. Pretty cool to have a unique car. I'm not protoypical and buy anything that catches my eye. Ike: It is Westside Trains on Durango/Desert Inn. These were sitting on the shelves for quite some time. I bought one and since then they have been sold out.
I think it was more possible when items were made in the USA and when Kadee was still only starting out in N scale. Also, this was obviously made decades before the "Pre-Order" Era. Although I have heard of MTL making limited-edition freelanced paint schemes for some cars relatively recently.
Micro Trains has been known to do special runs for no less than 300 cars. A site I frequent had some done and that was the minimum for us. Also as said before Micro trains was a spin off of Kadee. I believe there were two brothers that split the company. As far as I know the Belmont Shore Club was the first N scale "club" and did play a major role in developing Ntrack. I would consider going back and picking up the rest of those cars. They would make an interesting collectors piece and an attention getter for visitors. Or you can sell them off here.
Was it MTL that did the cars for NScale.net or another manufacturer? Maybe we should get some Trainboard cars going on here!
I am not that great fan of "special runs" or commemorative runs by MTL or anyone else, because I am confused enough determining if the particular model had any integrity. When I got re-started in model railroading way back in the late seventies in HO, I purchased a Gorre and Daphetid steamer kit that I thought was a legitimate real road. Over the years I have seen collectors go bonkers at totally non realistic themes on train cars, like the states series of a few years back, and I went off thinking it was for the "money' only. As a former stamp collector, when the USPS declared its intention to cater to stamp collectors with more inflammatory commemoratives, I felt the purism left the hobby and went on to other stuff. Now my small local post office has its own collector section with a large inventory of new and past stamps. My point is that sure, let it keep on coming, but keep it under some form of perspective to preserve value of certain production runs yet keep the model railroad operating populcation supplied. When the suppliers get too involved with the business of collectors, to me, it diminshes the process of obtaining the true value of any piece worth collecting. Just my opinion, from being around forever, Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman
Shamless plug: My Belmont Shore Lines photo gallery. Belmont Shore Lines website. Belmont Shore Model RR history. Unfortunately, regrettably, I haven't been to the club since 2005.
Actually special runs for clubs is still being done by Athearn,Atlas and Accurail in HO..I'm sure Athearn and Atlas would do a N Scale club car just as easily..
In my recent involvement with special run cars, it has been very difficult to sell all the cars, even at the original cost of the project, especially when they are not prototypical and represent a clubs rolling stock. Making a profit is very difficult. Just my two cents. Also, many different companies will do special runs now and not just Micro Trains.
Trainboard made some cars a while back but they were apparently only available to moderators or "high rollers". Bowser did some special runs for the NMRA Lone Star Region and their minimum was 200 cars. This was still too many, as our convention attendance was around 260 and even if you consider N-scale as 20% of the modelers that's only 52 cars. I think they had sold nearly 100 by the time the convention dinner event started, whereby the president proceeded to chastise n-scalers publicly for not supporting the Region and jeapordizing the convention car program. That's the main reason I am not in the NMRA anymore.
check that date/road number. IIRC the BSL club began about 1977 in the infancy of Nscale. A set of BSL cars may have high value on NSC due to the scarcity.
I checked out those links Flash...thats quite the layout :thumbs_up::thumbs_up::thumbs_up::thumbs_up: .
Yes they were done by MTL and the guy who pays for the site to run put up the funds in hopes to only break even. I think there are still around 100 cars left. Want 1 or 10? Agreed Flash, but are the clubs always out to make money on them or use it as a way to bring attention for the club? I would likely not pursue such a project as they just look somewhat out of place on the layout. Of course I could make the one I have into a rust bucket to help it fit into the SP theme.
