What is going on, Com-Cor? My prized possession is the Con-Cor N Scale Post World War II Pioneer Zephyr, with DCC and sound. Con-Cor offered it only in a DC only 3-car version, but not withstanding their vehement disclamer of responsibility should someone choose to purchase the extra car and add a decoder, they provided all sorts of documentation and recommendations for what was needed to make the conversion. What an absolutely marvelous endeavor for those who could accomplish it. Over the years, I have acquired other pieces of Con-Cor's rolling stock, talked to the folks there and Jim Conway himself found a B&O F6B with DCC and sound for me. My latest prize is an L&N 2-8-2 Heavy Mikado with DCC & sound. Their web site has lots of cool stuff for sale. But as of my last attempt at communication, maybe because of the Coronavirus pandemic, the folks in Tucson are unreachable, either by phone ("The person you are trying to reach us unavailable"), by text, or by email. My last order from the web site arrived safely and promptly, but all previously printed contact information had been carefully scissored out of my invoice, which had stapled to it advertisements for LaBelle Lubricants and face masks. I sure hope that the folks at Con-Cor are well and safe, and that some day, they can return to the good old days of telephones and technical support. Don Stafford
Now being able to contact Concor and advertising product that never materializes is (unfortunately) nothing new for them. It's almost like selling trains is an inconvenience for them. If you search you will find several other threads about how they just don't...do almost anything. Maybe someone can tell me how they keep their doors open...
Thanks for responding JMaur1. I though the same thing. Too bad, because they seem to have a market nich and and have offerered some unique products.
Certain factions in this country have to stop their nonsense or be forced to before we can get back to normal. Douig
I've been waiting for them to come back out with the UP veranda turbine (ok, so I've actually given up on them coming out with just about anything). Originally announced back is like 2009...then 2011, then 2013, then 2015 then 2017. Same ad, just with a new due date added. Now it is no longer on the Concor website at all. Since the new ones were supposed to come DCC ready with an NMRA socket and the option of adding sound and a newer, quieter motor, I foolishly sold the one that I had (clunky handrails replaced and custom painted instead of their questionable printing and bad decal job) so I could get the updated version. Not that I need one as it is actually out of my era and NEVER got close to my NWP RR, but I have always liked them and just wanted one. I know that Scale Trains also came out with a turbine set (not the veranda, however) but buying one of those would have cost more than the most expensive locomotive I have on the roster - a BRASS SP cab forward flat face AC-4. I don't want one that bad...
Man, ConCor is one that didn't go away but just drifted out of the spotlight. In the 80's and early 90's, I bought quite a bit of ConCor in the 80's and 90's and really enjoyed their catalogs as well. I sold most of those engines I bought (some I wish I hadn't now) and only have a couple left but still have many of the freight and passenger cars. They were a cool MRR supplier at the time with some innovative products. Maybe things will circle back around for them. Still have this out on my layout all the time.
We need to hear from Charlie Vlk. He could add insider knowledge, but there's at least one question here that I doubt he will answer.
I still have my JMC catalog from 1971. Using an online inflation calculator, the Con-Cor (Kato) PA-1 which sold for $12.98 then would cost $82.62 today.
I had a number of Concor F-3s for awhile and a lot of my passenger cars were Concor. I don't remeber when or how I became aware of the fact that a lot of their passenger the opposite side was exactly the same as the side looked at when in real life there would be different window placements. And of course their fantasy paint schemes. The only thing I have of theirs today is the galloping goose and even that came in fantasy schemes.
I have one of those. It is a real gem. My one gripe is that the pilot keeps popping off of it. In fact, it popped off and got lost in my carpet somewhere. If ever I decide to run it again, I will have to fashion another one. I sold off almost all of my C-C power and passenger cars as well as a sizable number of freight cars. A number of years past, they did their final upgrade to the PA chassis with flywheels and everything else modern, They were pretty good. I still have two PAs on that chassis. I still have a number of freight cars, those two PAs, one or two head end RR HWs, one or two of the LW head end cars and several of the unpowered RDCs that I run with the powered Kato cars.. Other than that, my passenger equipment is MT, WOT, B-mann shorties and Atlas shorties plus a few bashes from varying sources. At one time, C-C was just about the only one that sold full size passenger cars. There was Lima/MP, but they had only three car types, one of which was that open deck observation car that was really a Penn P-70 with an observation deck swapped in for a vestibule. I did look at the C-C website. I see that most of their older design power is available only as dummies. When I saw the prices on some of the passenger equipment, I thought that I was looking at Trainboard's Own "More E-Bay Humour" topic. Those are pretty stiff prices. I think that this was about what I paid for the "new, improved!" C-C PA when it was issued. I see that C-C has discontinued it. The "NEW IMPROVED!" version runs as well as either of the LL issues. It is not quite the calibre of the Kato, but it is still pretty good. I never bought the BLI PAs, so I know nothing about them. I was disappointed that BLI did not do P&LE PAs.
Too cool. That's from 1971 and I have that building on the right side of the cover earning it's keep on my layout today.
This has been a fascinating drift from Con-Cor's blockage of all roads to communications with it's former, current and possible future customer base. The original intent of the question was to say, "Hello Con-Cor, a lot of model RR enthusiasts would like for you to make it possible for your loyal customers to communicate with you, and thereby help you return to the status that your company once so justly diserved". Let's not abandon this Con-Cor products discussion, but rather move it to a new thread and return to the original topic: What is going on, Com-Cor?
Sorry if I took it off the core topic sir. Just thought that it might help if they know we model railroaders still appreciate their products and miss them in the forefront of N scale.
We steered a little off topic, but there's only so much we'll accomplish by clicking [Like] or posting our affirmation of our want that Con-Cor wakes from its slumber. I too would like to see them back in the game. N Scale owes a lot to Jim Conway, who I'm guessing is perhaps now 80 years old and has greatly earned some time for rest and other pursuits.
I actually have a bunch of Concor cars and engines, especially passenger cars and I really like them. They made things that nobody else had out (like the veranda turbine). My first N scale engine was a Concor F-3 that I still have...somewhere. It's just so sad to see a company that was on top of its game and at the forefront of N scale become just a shadow of what it originally was. Back to the original question that was asked: How do you get in touch with them? With how this thread has gone on and nobody has offered any help or anyone from Concor hasn't responded, it sounds like the answer is you can't at this time. Maybe just keep trying and hopefully you eventually get a response.
I still have several of the CON-COR, Kato made, 4-6-4 Hudsons. I'd say they are close to 50 years old now. With a little greasing, cleaning and maintenance, they still run like watches. So maybe the detail isn't the GREATEST..............But they are one of the reasons I am an N-SCALER. CON-COR has made some great products, and I hope they will remain in business. Could you imagine CON-COR retooling some of their products, and maybe making a NEW engine or two? What's that? A C & O 2-10-4 T-1? I can WISH can't I?
