This forum has been quiet here lately. I've done very little towards my S scale empire. I have started accumulating some kits of prototypes not sold RTR. Kit building seems to be dieing in other scales but On30. The growth there is really neat. There is also a possibility of a new player in the S scale field. His first entry to the S market will be a steel low sided Southern Railway gondola kit. His kits are very nice in HO and On30 so I'm hoping he goes forward with the S models. Kaslo is about ready to deliver Canadian Cylindrical grain hoppers in S. These kits are of prototypes I wouldn't want to tackle as scratch building projects. RTR equipment tend to fall short of my selected time frame for the most part. Sure some cars can fall through the cracks and work but large numbers of them won't make a believable scene. My other option is the back date my layout. Doable but not what I really want to model. To me kits are a double edged sword. Time to build them is hard to come by but the finished product isn't on everybody else’s layout either. Kits remind me of my youth, cars and planes were great entertainment. Today the kits are more focused on a theme but still enjoyable to assemble. I hope they don't totally die out. Cheers, Greg Elems
Hey! The Borg finally let you have a few moments for yourself? How about some pictures of the finished products? Boxcab E50
I second the request for photos! Your rcollection of kits as a kid is similar to my history. By the time I was eleven I was selling our local hobby shops dioramas so they could promote the model kits represented. In those days I was about military models first and railroad models second I too hope that kit building never stops happening in our hobby!! John
Thought I'd bring this thread back to the surface. Another manufacturer has entered the S field with a kit for the Southern low side gondola. They are a neat looking car and probably went all over the country when they were young. My rational for getting them for my mid 70's railroad out west is MofW. The Sierra Western needed some small gons and southern was happy to sell them a couple. If you're interested they will be made by Jim King Smoky Mountain Model Works, Inc. http://www.smokymountainmodelworks.com I can post more details if anyone is interested. I'm glad Jim decided to test the waters for S scale sales. Hopefully some more modern south eastern railway equipment will be produced that I can use. How greedy of me. Greg Elems
I've seen a couple of messages, elsewhere, from Jim. He's quitting O scale. For S. Even targeting Sn2. Says O scalers just aren't doing kits any more. They're all R-T-R folks now. :sad: Boxcab E50
Yes Jim quit O scale. He's gotten a good response to his Southern gondola kit. He will be working on a box car next and if I remember the scutle butt right it will be a Seaboard Airline box car with the round corners at the roof and side. Similar to the B&O wagon top cars I guess. Not what I want era wise but he is thinking about a 50' Pullman Standard waffle side car after that. I sure hope he decides to go with that, his HO version is sweet. Greg Elems
Do S scalers have a preference toward kit building? Or is he more or less finding gaps to fill? Boxcab E50
Yes he's filling gaps with models that don't have a big call for. His method of urethane casting has good results and are good projects for that method. I found out also that the Milwaukee ribbed box car will probably be next instead of the Seaboard round roof box car. Good news for me, WP had two of them they bought from the Milwaukee. In the mean time, I recieved an e mail from Kaslo and my Canadian cylindrical hopper kits are to ship soon. Another kit that will fill the gap. Greg Elems
Two bits of news on the kit front. Jim is about ready to make the prototype model and test run the molds. Kaslo shipped the hoppers and they are really nice. Now to find some time to actually put one together. Greg
Smoky Mountain Model Works, Inc. has started sending out the first batch of kits with the older Roman style lettering. The later style will be going out next week. The production sample pictures are sweet and I'll see if I can get permission to post them. Well Boxcab, we have enough people we're just not able to get the work done in a timely manor. And that is due to many factors which are part of the railroading environment today. Greg
Greg- Well, at least you can get away for a few minutes of hobby. I saw that you were heading to a PCC gathering. Sounds like fun! Boxcab E50
Yeah, actually it's a railroad show and the PCC group is trying to meet for breakfast before the opening. Snow forecast for tomorrow so it's looking like I won't leave as early. We shall see. Greg
This is somewhere in the Sacramento area? Let's see- Roseville? Hope you will have a camera along! Boxcab E50
Hey Boxcab, The show was pretty good, and at the fairgrounds in Roseville. I picked up a couple of things, more stuff for furture projects. I also got a chance to visit with a couple of friends that I don't get to see too often. There was a lot of stuff for sale, junk on up to brass. Some good deals were there and a lot of over priced stuff. I was glad to see all the young families with children. They will keep our hobby going IMO. Greg
