Does Atlas own K-Line dies & molds?

Another mystery is what happened to all of the tooling that was used to make Bill Bensons Right of Way Industries products? They made some beautiful passenger cars, trains and accessories in  their day.

 

Well Most of the ROWI items were brass with some exceptions.

• IT appears that MTH picked up the signals.
• Ross has the Trackwork tooling and has thankfully upgraded that product
• Weaver and now MTH has the 20' containers. 
• passenger cars were plastic
• I don't think the molds for the metal Ft's were ever made and hence was the downfall of Rowi.

I have no Idea what happened to the double stack tooling as well as the following mass produced items:

• 3 bay offset hopper cars
•  50' flats for farm tractors
• stock cars  

[The above 3 could have been subcontracted from Weaver models since they look very similar]

• 40' containers for their double stack cars

Interesting on the ROWI tooling.

About 20 years ago or so I bought the ROWI BN hoppers. A 6 car set with different numbers. They are buried deep under the layout guess I will dig em out and run them a bit.

I would like to see some of the former K-Line passenger sets produced again.

The set that I bought, the Reading Crusader, is most likely over 6 years old and still commands a high price. Maybe it's because the K-Line items won't be made again that K-Line brings such a high price for their premium sets.

Lee Fritz

To my understanding the company that does bachamann owns the dies and have least some of them to RMT and some other companies check RMT's hoppers they probably will look very familiar to you look at his GG1 walter can correct where I'm wrong but this is from what I under stand is the case and yes bachmann is probably using some in the williams line and who else has leased some not sure but If I remember correctly theres 2 or 3 companies that have use of the old dies.

The R.O.W. Alco PA's were simply beautiful - especially for their day in the 1990s. Ours had very advanced lighting over the windshield, side number boards, a rear cab back up light in addition to the usual number boards and headlight(s). Lots of detail in the pilot with hoses etc. as well as windshield wipers. I believe they were the first scale PA's in O gauge to be released. The Santa Fe and D&H had an unusual body treatment over the brass construction that gave the illusion of stainless steel which contrasted with the 'normal' silver of the trucks.

Strong pullers with twin Pittmans and good sound featuring the 'Alco bark' they were expensive @ $1395. Actually not bad for brass...

1. I'm not sure there ever was an actual transfer of assets (tooling) with regard to the ROW Signals, Trackwork and 20' Containers. The folks producing them today likely created their own tooling. (Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on this one.)

2. I don't believe ROW ever made plastic passenger cars. Theirs were brass.

3. The tooling for the ROW die-cast FT bodies (A&B) was indeed produced (...and hence was the downfall of ROW).

TRW 

TRW~

My friend, you are quite correct on 1 and 3.

Regarding item 2, the passenger cars were aluminum extrusion made in Youngstown and sent to Korea for processing.  The prototype bi-level passenger cars were brass.

Lou N

Might that be UMD, United Model Distributors, originator of Industrial Rail?

---PCJ

c.sam~

I am glad you liked the Alco sounds.  I remember recording them on a portable casette player.  It was always fun to have the right sound for the locomotive.

The finish on the D&H and SF was nickel plating over the brass.  And the Pittman motors were 7 pole skew wound with ball bearing end bells and rare earth magnets.  I believe they were 60 bucks each at the time.


Going thru customs in Korea i had a package with an Alco D&H body in it.  The customs people wanted to see what was all wrapped up.  When I showed them a train they became kids all wanted to have a look.

I am fortunate to have two prototypes, Erie and E-L. 

Regards,

Lou N

Walter,

Why is there no "Coach-Coach" sets?

I have a set of K-Line 15" CZ passenger cars I bought on Ebay for 80.00 to include shipping.  At the time I was new in the hobby and had no idea what I had except that I was missing the observation car which I ended up getting on Dash for 50.00.  I now know what I have and they will never leave my collection ever!  If anyone ever released a high quality set like this again I would definitely buy it.  I need a set of Texas Specials but that's a dream right now. This is not a new thread and maybe one day one of these companies will hear our desperate cries.