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Good Morning,

 

Just wanted to mention that I have now gone to plan B so to speak. After not locating  the original AN parts, I called Atlas O and they have the smoke stacks for their sw-8 in stock @ about $2. each. FYI if anyone else comes up with my problem. I hope to be able to make them work even though they mount differently.

 

I still want to know who, what ,and where  about the original AN  line of diesel kits.I figure they have to be somewhere, surely they weren't destroyed when the line went out of business.

If anyone knows the whereabouts, please satisfy my curiosity and let me know.

 

Thanks to all who replied and tried to help.

 

Leon

Bill's kids want to sell the business.  If you have a couple hundred grand laying about, I am sure they would be happy to talk with you.

 

The problem is that there is no profit in this stuff.  You could get it for free, and supplying kits in direct competition with the Chinese would send you to the poorhouse.

 

Ask about CLW - same deal.

 

Opinion.

Originally Posted by bob2:

Bill's kids want to sell the business.  If you have a couple hundred grand laying about, I am sure they would be happy to talk with you.

 

The problem is that there is no profit in this stuff.  You could get it for free, and supplying kits in direct competition with the Chinese would send you to the poorhouse.

 

Ask about CLW - same deal.

 

Opinion.

Bob's hit it pretty much on the head.  AN was briefly advertised as for sale and nothing happened.  As far as I last heard, there was little interest within the family to continue on.  Whether it's all in storage, available for sale at some familial emotionally attached/inflated price vs. reality, or all went into a dumpster is something some one else knows better than I.

 

More opinion,

Well, my interest was always the passenger cars and gas electric, and I have serious doubts if the Chinese are going to be stamping out those metal sides, milling the roofs, and putting all those little wooden parts in the boxes.  One problem was/is that a lot of these old kits in the yellow boxes from the Walthers days are still around, unbuilt, and offered on eBay.  But I have built and kitbashed about all of those I'll ever use, so I'm not really a market, and I am not sure there are that many people left in O who are building rolling stock kits,  with so much ready to run stuff now available, or enough left to at least support production.  Of course, the Chinese are turning out the RTR. It even looks like HO is getting a lot of RTR.

Some new designed kits of different prototypes, vs. reruns of what Walthers did might

spice up the line, but demographics might not support that.  May not be enough of us old coots left willing to squint and squeeze a glue tube.

Originally Posted by coloradohirailer:

....I am not sure there are that many people left in O who are building rolling stock kits,  with so much ready to run stuff now available, or enough left to at least support production. 

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May not be enough of us old coots left willing to squint and squeeze a glue tube.

I think that there are quite a few left actually,

 

And, I was quite interested in the AN line of traction freight car kits, but I suspect that I could resurrect those on my own now if so inclined.

I too am a fan of the Walthers line, and have more than my share.  I still have four to build, but I cannot run all the ones I have finished, let alone add four more.

 

If you would like to produce these things, I bet I can get a phone # for you.  I have talked to one of Bill's sons, and he seems like a very nice guy.

 

Since older untouched kits can be had in the neighborhood of $25, how many kits with $35 worth of parts do you have to sell at $25 before you make all your investment back?

 

It is a shame, but we cannot compete with overseas labor.  Even my Tony Lama boots say "made in China" inside.

Hello,

 

The AN Switcher stacks are simple brass turnings with a taper that could be duplicated by setting the correct taper angle on the compound rest of a lathe.  Drill the center of the stock in the lathe down about 1/2" depth with a bit slightly smaller than the top OD of the stack.  Leave a small solid section at the bottom drilled #50 and tapped 2-56 for the mounting screws coming up from below the body casting.  If the Atlas stack doesn't work out for you, I could make you couple of brass ones.  I have a couple of AN switchers that I could measure the stack on to get the correct height and angle.  Anyone owning a small lathe could easily do this.

 

Joe

Joe Thanks for the suggestion and offer. I'll get the Atlas stacks hopefully before the weekend and if they don't look correct, I'll get in touch. Sure wish someone could talk the AN heirs into selling parts, if they still have any. I know I'd buy some stacks, horns, bells, drive components, etc. to have for repairs. Again, let me thank all who have shown interest in this topic. Leon

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OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

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