January 1940 MR cover revisited

If that is your K-5, a broadside or "elevation" shot, please?

Hello Bob    here are some more photos of the K5 ....the reversing linkage is tied to a manual reverse switch ..engine was outside 3rd rail when born ...runs well ...

Thanks!  A piece of history!

Carey,

Several years ago at the Cleveland O Scale meet I picked up and untouched kit for a USRA Heavy Pacific.  Only the Erie RR had those locos.  The kit is in a Hines Lines box.  Is it possible that Hines Lines picked up the original tooling from Scale Model Railways for this loco?  Very interesting.  I know the tender is the same cast aluminum USRA tender that All Nation sold for years and I understand this was once a Megow product and I believe Megow took over Scale Model Railways at some point in the late 1930s or early 1940s.

Joe

Hello Joe 

Bill Lenoir is the common thread here ...  as he work for and with Ferris at Scale Model Railways ..in the 30's   and help design Hines line  of engines ...hence the near identical tenders.

Megow bought Scale Model Railways on mid 1940 ....  but Ferris continued in business... and WW2 ended the Megow  line of O gauge .  Scale Model Railways in postwar years  was selling the cast freight cars out of Wheaton , Il  for a while ..

I've not seen a Hines Pacific ..... (in the flesh/ brass)..one was pictured in the Hines ad found in MR April 1949 

It was a very small pond in which these early O scale manufactures swam ...   and Bill Lenoir seemed to have his influence on may pieces manufactured by numerous manufactures...he was a very good modeler  and helped advance the hobby . 

Cheers Carey 

Carey,

I believe I saw a couple of the Erie Pacifics assembled and for sale at the Cleveland meet some years ago but did not pay that much attention to them.  Certainly the Hines Mikado seems easier to find.  I have had one of those for several years and I see them at meets from time to time.  I have never seen an un-started kit for the Mike.

Right now I an scratch building two brass tender tanks that will fit on the diecast All Nation B&O Ten Wheeler tender frame.  I have two Varney/All Nation B&O Ten Wheelers that have the original Varney tenders with no rivets and very little detail.  I used my vertical milling machine and a special tooling set up to accurately punch rivets in sheet brass to make new tender sides and top decks.  The new tenders are much nicer looking than the originals.

This is a time consuming project but that is what a hobby is supposed to be isn't it?

I don't relate much to the O Scale hobby as it is today with all of the ready to run trains being sold.  Call Me a dinosaur!

Best regards,

Joe

That $79.50 engine was a little pricey in 1940:  $1,438.94 in 2018

That's why there are so few doorstops floating around - it was a rich man's hobby. Ever hear of Everett DeGolyer, that famous O Scaler?  Or Pappy Joiner, whose grandson became a famous O Scaler?  Or Cronkhite, who had some bucks . . .

Joe - if punching rivets becomes laborious, e-mail me and I will shoot some photos of my $50 Harbor Freight rivet machine.  I do them while watching the News Hour.

Hello all

Joe have fun with your rivets ... if you run across any extra Hines Pacifics please keep me in mind ... need to work one in between the Mike and 080 on the Hines shelf. 

Oh yes O Scale could be expensive Icken and Alexander engines could easily run in to the 200+ range in the 30's. About 1950 Jerry White's list price for a triplex was 1000. 

Wood kits were cheap but most the engines could set you back a fair bit. 

1947 the Varney ten wheeler $100 .    Selling 1000 in the first year,

.

GMC and International did good business with selling engines at half that price range . 

Lobaugh Berkshire was 110 plus a tender ... and they claim over 2000 were sold! ( by 1950)

Vintage O scale today is a relative bargain compared to other fields 

Cheers Carey

Bob and Carey,

Two tenders are assembled with just some detailing left to do.  When I get them finished I'll take some photos and send them along to you. 

I am not sure there are enough loco builders is O Scale or any scale for that matter to keep a manufacturer in business.  I am thankful for Stevenson Preservation Lines and Precision Scale Company.  Those of us who do still build are getting to an age where we will eventually be forced to stop and there are very new newbies behind us that will carry the torch

Around here in Maryland it has become difficult to purchase brass angle stock (K&S or Special Shapes) and other staple items that were once common in any good hobby shop.  Want to buy a RTR freight car??? No problem.  Look at ebay every day.

I am depending more and more on purchases from places like McMaster Carr.

Thanks,

Joe

Forgive me Joe F., as you probably know about this already. Have you tried Special Shapes.com?

They have brass pieces I believe? I didn't post the link because I don't know if they are sponsors here? I have not ordered from them myself.

Tried that with less than stellar results

Joe