Work In Progress My latest batch of license plate decaled cars, trucks and SUVs. I’ve probably already done 30 or 40 and I figure I’m only 20% completed, if that. Despite that number I could use at least twice the number of personal passenger vehicles to fill up my roads and parking lots. Sadly there just isn’t enough variety of N-Vehicles available to accomplish this without a ruinous amount of duplication.
If you know someone who can make decals you can make more.... http://acme.com/licensemaker/ they have plates from all over the U.S.A. and Canada
Are there going to be any more RR maintance trucks produced by Showcase? I have been thinking on taking a Ford 9000 from atlas and stretching it and putting a boom and storage boxes on it. Maybe a jnuckle and hyrails too.
Showcase and CinC have both stated at different times that their product lines could be sold if the price is right. From what I understand (I could be mistaken) neither has plans for any additional models at this time. One bright spot is Willmodels, who produces very detailed true scale resin models. He is very busy but does have many products on the drawing board, including MofW equipment. I really think this could be a gold mine for Atlas or Athearn to make a modernish (80's+) MofW truck.
I have hundreds of autos and trucks on my layout, and realize I've taken only a few pictures of them. Good topic!
WOW!!! I am looking at all the pictures in this thread and all I can think is that we really really really need more modern cars in N scale. (If I missed that discussion, sorry) Otherwise, there is some great modeling on display here.
Richard, I agree that we need a greater variety of modern automobiles, but I frequently wonder if everyone who would like to see more modern vehicle models is aware of what we do have. The following is a list (in alphabetical order by model manufacturer) of plastic injection molded N scale models of automobiles, vans, SUVs and light trucks in which a prototype with the same body style as the model sold as a new model in one or more years from 1999 to the present. Atlas Ford Taurus (1996 – 1999; slight styling changes for 1998-99) Atlas Ford F-150 (mid 1996 – 2003; also available as a Heritage Edition model in 2004) Busch Mercedes ML Class (1997 – 2001; similar to 2002-2005) Busch Smart Fortwo (1998 – 2007 for “gray market” in U.S.) Busch Mercedes C Class (2001 – 2007; slight styling changes for 2005-07) Busch Audi A4 sedan (2002 – 2005) Busch Audi A4 station wagon (2002 – 2005) Herpa BMW 3 Series E46 (mid 1998 – 2001) Herpa Mercedes CLK (1998 – 2002) Herpa Volkswagen Passat (mid 1998 – 2005) Herpa Porsche 911 (1999 – 2004) Herpa Volkswagen Golf IV (1999 – 2005) Herpa MINI Cooper S (2002 – 2007) Herpa Mercedes B Class (2006 – present in Canada) Kato Lexus RX 300 (1998 – 2002) Kato Lexus IS 300 (mid 2000 – 2005) Rietze Audi A4 (1996 – 2001) Rietze Audi A6 station wagon (1998 – 2004) Wiking Mercedes SL Class (1990 – 2001) Wiking Volkswagen Eurovan (1992 – 2003) Wiking Mercedes E Class (1996 – 2002) Wiking Porsche Boxter (1997 – 2005) Wiking Volkswagen New Beetle (mid 1998 – 2005; similar to 2006-present) Wiking Audi A6 sedan (1998 – 2004) Wiking Volkswagen Passat (mid 1998 – 2005) Wiking Mercedes G Class (2002 – present; 1979-2001 for “gray market”) Wiking VW Eurovan, Atlas Ford F-150, Atlas Ford Taurus and Busch Mercedes ML Class Kato Lexus IS 300, Wiking Mercedes SL, Wiking Porsche Boxter and Herpa Porsche 911 Herpa MINI Cooper S, Wiking VW New Beetle, Busch Smart Fortwo and Herpa VW Golf IV Herpa BMW E46, Busch Audi A4, Rietze Audi A4 and Busch Audi A4 Avant Continued in next post due to four image limit . . . .
. . . . continued from previous post. Busch Mercedes C Class, Wiking Audi A6, Wiking Mercedes E Class and Herpa Mercedes B Class Wiking Mercedes G Class, Rietze Audi A6 Avant, Wiking VW Passat, Herpa VW Passt and Kato Lexus RX 300 The Herpa Mecedes CLK is not shown, as I discovered a crack in its windshield when I was taking the photos. The only exact duplicates of a particular make, model and year are the Wiking and Herpa VW Passat station wagons. While some of these models represent rare prototypes, some also are generic enough in appearance to serve as stand-ins until more models of the more common prototypes are produced. Carter
Carter; I have multiples of most of the vehicles you have shown. A few of them I might only have one example of because I’ve never run across a second one I could purchase. Despite having multiples of them along with a lot of CMW vehicles from bygone eras I still don’t have enough cars to fill my roads and parking lots. Several of my business and industry parking lots are filled with Racing Champions 1/144th autos.
I was thinking the other day, I don't remember any Hondas in N scale. I wonder if Honda is weird about having models of their cars. Hondas are all over the place where I live (east coast USA)
Tomytec makes the Honda Fit and the Honda TN7 mini truck. They are labeled as 1:150, but seem to be a bit larger than that. I haven't checked them out with the calipers yet. Also, Johnny Lightning made a 1994 Honda Accord Monopoly token that scaled out at 1:155, so they seem to be allowing some small scale models of their vehicles. Carter
I feel your pain. It seems like it always has been, and probably will continue to be difficult to get a sufficient number of different body styles of N scale vehicles for any given era. Some examples from the Tomytec Car Collections mentioned in the previous post can be used as parking lot fillers, as long as you are selective, or don't mind having Datsun/Nissan Z cars the size of Corvettes. :smile: The complaint that I hear the most from the manufacturers is that the N scale vehicle market is not sufficient enough to cover the risk of investing very much in new tooling. All the manufacturers seem to be in either in a proceed cautiously or wait and see mode. The only exception to this appears to be Classic Metal Works, who has three new models in development in addition to the 1950 Dodge Meadowbrook that should be shipping about now. And, while it is nice to have the CMW models out there, they are not very useful for filling the roads and parking lots of the modern modeler. :sad: But, I am not going to give up trying to convince the manufacturers that if they will make them, we will buy them! However, at times this is somewhat like preaching to the choir, because many of the manufacturers who make N scale vehicle models are also N scale modelers. Carter
I don't have many highways on my layout, so I mostly feature vehicles in the "Before"... and "After" modes... Great looking stuff. BTW, the wrecker in the second pic is an old Bachmann that's been dolled up with some paint... Lee
Carter, I have some photos of Hino Trucks but can not figure out how to post as my railimages account will not allow anything more with out dumping some of the 12 photos in my account. Your thoughts? Bob.
Bob, Are you referring to the Hino trucks in the Tomytec Truck Collections or the Hino Dutro in Tomytec Car Collection 5 (also Basic Set E)? And, there are other sources of model Hino trucks as well, such as F-Toys, Maruka and I believe Bandai. The Dutro in Car Collection 5 actually scales out a little smaller than 1:160, even though it is labeled 1:150. The Dutro was marketed in Canada in 2009 as the 155 series, but it does not appear in the 2010 Hino Motors Canada brochure. http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10083973a/20/1 (Note: Hobby Search is calling what was labeled the Dutro in Car Collection 5 a Toyota Dyna in Basic Set E.) The medium duty Hino trucks in Truck Collection 5 are generally usable, although the prototypes were not used in North America as far as I can tell. The Tomytec Class 8 trucks are pushing the limit for size, and they really don't look much like a North American class 8 truck. Here is a link to Truck Collection 5. http://www.tomytec.co.jp/diocolle/lineup/truck/index.html Oh, and I should mention that another Honda model is on the way from Tomytec. Car Collection 8 will have a Honda Odyssey minivan. Hopefully it will be closer to 1:160 that 1:150. http://www.tomytec.co.jp/diocolle/lineup/car/index.html Carter
No, these are trucks you can't buy. Hino Canada had them made as promotional models. They are the North American truck, a conventional, in resin. I just can't post without dumping some of my photos on railimages. Bob.
Twelve photos? That doesn't seem correct, but it may be correct. I'll check. You should be able to "attach" photos to your post. They have to be less than 100.0 kb. Use the little paper clip logo at the top. They won't be full size, but a reader can click on them and see a larger photo. I'll attach one here.
