WEAVER MODELS is CLOSING

While it won't come in a Weaver box in the future, I believe that was a cooperative effort with a smaller company who originally designed those cars.

Unless that individual isn't interested anymore without being able to market via Weaver(aside from being aware of the history, I have no insight into the business involved), I suspect those may re-surface under his original company name at some point.  Keep your eyes peeled.  Original company was called MNP, I believe (I think the acronym was for "Many New Products").

-Dave

Before I can seriously consider TruColor, I would HAVE to find a suitable alternative thinner for their paint.

A 16 oz bottle of TruColor's thinner at $81.95 (as of July 1) ain't happening for me, not the way thinner is consumed when airbrushing.

$81.95 for 16oz of thinner? Surely they jest.

Yo....it's called A-c-e-t-o-n-e....acetone.   I have an old quart of the stuff in my workbench...been using it for all sorts of applications for at least 5 years...$3.99...for 32 oz..  It's what I and our customers use with this paint.

The bottle of Tru-Color thinner sez on its side: "Contains: Acetone"

So, Testors charges about $3.58 (MSRP, 1.75oz) for their enamel thinner.  That's about $63 per quart.  Most of our regular customers doing significant amount of painting with enamels buy thinner by the gallon...from HD, Lowes, Menards, Walmart, etc....for much less than $250.00!!!

But if Tru-Color's thinner and its cost is a reason to NOT use it, so be it.  It was just a suggestion....FWIW, always.

KD

Yo....it's called A-c-e-t-o-n-e....acetone. 

OK, but is acetone all that's in there? Or is it a blend of acetone, isopropyl alcohol, "mineral spirits," and/or whatever? I've got a quart of acetone on the chemical shelf too - it's nasty stuff and I handle it with care. It's an ingredient in a lot of paint strippers and solvent based plastic cements, and if you spill it on plastic you will not be happy with the results. If you have experience and 100% acetone works for you as a thinner for Tru-Color, I respect your experience, but I do wonder what else might be in the commercial product. Obviously nothing worth 80 bucks a quart, but what?

I'm thinking about giving Tru-color a try on a couple of upcoming projects and I will keep the acetone recommendation in mind. They are just up the road from me in Phoenix so it's like doing business with your neighbors. 

I think the company that was doing the track cleaning cars is MNP.  I would contact them directly.  I know they were selling them before Weaver started listing them on their site.

Andy

OK, ...full disclosure.....

There's two relevant notes on the label.

The first...just to the right of the 'flammable' and 'skull-and-crossbones' logos...reads "Hobby Paint - Contains: Acetone"

Farther around the bottle at the bottom it reads: "Contains Acetone, Ethanol, Methylethyl Ketone, Toluene, Propylalcohol, Diacetone Alcohol, or Butyl Ester Acetic Acid."  (Makes your liver quiver just reading the list, doesn't it??)

(Must be some version of Phoenix Iced Tea?....)

Anyhow, I and others have used straight acetone for cleaning the paint equipment.  Three of us (moi+two paintaholic customers) have used Tru-Color without thinning in a single-action airbrush (Mine, Paasche H w/#3 tip, about 30 years old), and it laid down beautifully.  Of course, that's just MHO.  TEHO.

I suppose the other alky-type ingredients are flow improvers or life extenders or ???.  I thought the use of "or"  in the complete listing was sort of interesting.

So, just as the hobby's mantra has gravitated towards the 'lacquer-thinner-seems-to-work-with-all-non-acrylic-paints-and-it's-cheaper-too!',  I suppose there'll be some popular low-cost alternative expounded for this brand, too.  For now, I use acetone....straight up.

Whatever.

KD

Re availability of Weaver rolling stock, yesterday I received the order I placed early last week.  The B&LE and SR high side hopper orders were met in full.  I ended up one short on the PFE orange 57 ft mechanical reefers.  When I talked with the young lady last week, I inquired as to how many orange PFE reefers were remaining.  She said "18."  I ordered eight...and received seven.  So I suspect they're gone, like the Milwaukee Road side-ribbed boxcars.

A sad end to one of the mainstays of the hobby.  But Weaver has been, and will remain, a major part of the freight inventory of CONUS Lines.

Incidentally, three weeks ago when I was at Engine House Hobbies, Gaithersburg, Maryland (my LHS) to pick up my Tropicana "orange" 57 ft mechanical reefers (the most recent paint scheme, white with the orange and an inserted straw) I did note that he had a number of the earlier Tropicana paint schemes for the 57 ft mechanical reefers on his display racks.  So if you missed out on getting them from Weaver, you might try EHH. 

I was looking for Weaver Army cars and Weaver was out. I found some boxcars at Model Train Stuff/M.B. Klein and some medical supply ones at Public Delivery.

Yes, this is true.  MNP sets up at many train shows in the North East, including our own show here in Syracuse and Trainfest in WI.  Matt Poissant, owner has a supply of Weaver cars outfitted with his track cleaning pads last I knew.  If you want to get in contact with him directly, let me know as I have his contact info.

Tru Values XYLOL has been my thinner for Floquil for several years now 8.00 a qt at big box stores also works with Scalecoat.

I was able to find the track cleaning car at western depot. It was even the livery I wanted. 

Thanks for for the info. 

Saddest part of all of this is, what will become of the Scalecoat paint line????   Quality Craft, and later Weaver produced this great line of paints.   I hope Testors doesn't take it over, or it'll go the way of the Floquil line..... 

I like the new Weaver Moxie Drink car. Is that supposed to be their last car under  the current ownership?

Just got my two Tropicana Mechanical Reefers - Trying to get a few more but it is proving to be a challenge

I am going to place a small paint order so I can get my buildings painted.

Despite the sarcastic tone (made "okay" with a smiley face), I will probably eventually try TruColor, but not from your establishment.

I do thank all that shared input as to possible alternatives to high-dollar thinner.

Pain me as it may, it could be that I'll need to thin the paint with their thinner, and use the el-cheapo stuff for airbrush clean up.

Wow... I think I paid something like 50 cents per bottle for my first bottles of Floquil waaaay back in the dateless past!! 

Still love the way it smelled. (I know, the fumes weren't good for us, but I've smelled a lot of it and I don't have no dain bramage.)

Yes, it is the last project from weaver. Here is a photo of Todd holding one.

Don

I sure hope this is not a misprint. I love my weaver trains!!!

Best wishes!!!

Mark

Folks,

I just received my order from last week of all 6 US Army 50 ft green flat cars.   When I called to order them the lady said she was not sure if I would get all 6 new road numbers as stocks were running low.   

Having received all 6 cars has made my week!   Just wish Weaver was not closing.  I will miss them a great deal.    By the way with these six cars I now have 83 Weaver 50 ft flat cars in my fleet.  Mostly in US Army road name.   

Minuteman Scale Models is announcing over Facebook that they have acquired the full Scale Coat paint lines...

Is there much inventory remaining?

Andrew

Some of the club guys at AGHR have tried different paint thinners and such with out taking the proper precautions. Matt Jackson has been trying his hand at weathering with great success however they tried to tell him to do it in a well ventilated area but he sometimes can be stubborn, well we told him, now look at him.

Now that was just wrong, Pignatelli! Funny, but wrong! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going out to get more of those great toxic chemicals I like to decorate rolling stock with. By the way, thanks for the caboose. Now each of my UP Heritage units has a mate.

Made my final trip to weaver models today, hardest trip I ever had to make.

1. Minuteman Scale Models has bought EVERYTHING for scalecoat paint. give it about 2-3 more weeks and you will be able to buy it from them.

2. Everything in the building will be for sale including the building and property. Some of the items will be all of the railroad books weaver has bought over the many years, we saw about 100-150 books, all of the past models on display in the conference room.

3. If you are looking for tender shells, engine shells, steam chassis, there are still freight cars, but no trucks. they still do have 2 rail couplers and wheel sets, but did not see any for 3 rail. 

4. They still have diesel shells in painted colors, do not know about undec shells.

5. There are no more employees there, their last day was friday 26th. 

6. If you are looking for something, you better go on july 17th. 

My children and I have gone every year to weaver models in june since 2002, we have made lots of memories in the last 13 years. But today was very sad, we didn't talk much on the way home knowing this was the last ride to and from Northumberland Pa.

Thanks for the memories weaver models, I will cherish all of my black boxes that has USA made freight cars and diesel engines. I am most proud of getting the Lackawanna Brass 4-8-4 Pocono made from blueprint scale drawings. Weaver models was the only one that would work with it's customers to get something made no matter who it was for. 

Weaver Models is now gone, but it will never be forgotten. 

It was very sad for me as well. I made my final trip two weeks ago today. I was able to say good by to the employees that remained. I still can't fully grasp it. I traveled there quite a bit over the last eight years, taking my wife, two sons, and several friends. During preparations over the last five years, I have logged several thousand e mails between our committee, and several of the folks at Weaver. I will also miss lunches at the Front Street Station Restaurant. I will miss talking to Joe at York, and his occasional phone calls to discuss business. I was also looking forward to some day taking over the Manufacturers' presentation a the TCA Museum, when ever Paul Fischer would have decided to give it up. I really enjoyed filling in for him when he wasn't able to make it a few years ago.

Life goes on, but it won't be the same without Weaver, and all the friends I've made there. I may go down on the 17th, since it's just an hour away.

Don

What about the molds and dies and the Weaver brand name? I would think someone out there would want to buy these as a whole and continue producing Weaver freight cars.

Go back early in this thread.....been covered EXTENSIVELY already.

All due respect AMC Dave, the commenuts reflect on the graying of America and the lack of interest with kids in today's world. Nothing specific about a buyer just conjecture. I am still surprised that a company wouldnt gobble up Weaver or least it molds and dies. I hate to see yet another made in the USA company go the way of the Dodo bird.

I work in the plastic model kit hobby. 

Molds are bought and sold all the time....even leased. 

But it is NEVER a public endeavor and 99.9% of the time is all conducted behind closed doors.....so none of us know....and if we did we'd loose our jobs for talking about it. I'll find my post that detailed this....maybe it was a different thread....but I covered it along with a few other in the know. Thanks 

***EDIT see my post on page 2 June 11 for a more detailed discussion on molds and the industry******

This one. (I hope!)

I think a lot of the deeper discussion was in the "Who is buying Weaver Tooling" thread.

If anyone interested shows up with a big enough cashier's check to the final sale at Weaver, you never know, you may be the buyer if there is not already an agreement in the background we all just don't know about. 

-Dave

BTW we still have Floquil paints in stock. Call us, not on the web site.

Thanks

I tell guys all the time in the plastic model car hobby......put up your cash!!!!

They complain as to why there is not a model of a 1962 Flapgasser with 2 speed wipers. I say....think it's a viable (IE profitable) model?? Bring me the cash I'll make it happen. 

Same here......cash makes it happen......talk is just talk. 

Oh well. Its all business it just sad to see a mainstay of the 3 rail "hi rail" hobby close down.Weaver closing down is a larger more systemic problem with the current state of 3 rail; call it what you want, graying of the market, lack of interest, etc.... Not to be a Debbie Downer but I think we will see more closings, like Weaver ; 3 rail a truly "niche market", in future years, which tend to go the way of the proverbial Dodo bird. I hope I'm wrong..

Weaver Models sold their Locomotives and cars in 2-Rail and in 3-Rail.

I guess Weaver closed yesterday?  Too bad.  If I had a Weaver flag, I would place it at

half staff.  I remember the excitement around the E-8, which put Weaver on my radar,

and then I always checked them out on York trips.  Like comets, K-Line, Williams, and then Weaver...with a late return to three rail, it is hard to believe that just in my recent time in it, they have come and gone (Williams as an independent).  But then,

we can't regain the fifties either.

Yes.....it is JUST BUSINESS.....It is our passion and it gives us so much enjoyment. In my work in the plastic kit biz I want to pull old molds from storage and run a bunch of kits. Then the money guy says it will not work...but if I want to finance the project it's a go.......then reality sets in....and I see why things are not done sometimes.

Want to make a little money in the hobby biz?? Start with a huge pile of money....  

Thanks Pete.....what a shame....nice work space, equipment all just sitting......sad 

Wow! Those are some great yet sad pics dl&w pete. Thanks for sharing. Now about that black Gp38 on that table....