Educate me---KTM vs NJ Custom Brass

Dear Andy,

NJ International and NJ Custom Brass were brass IMPORTERs by the name of Nick Reiss and Jack LaRusa.

NJ is NOT New Jersey but Nick and Jack !!

In fact the business was run out of Long Island

i also believe they are still in business selling signals.

KTM stands for Katsumi Models and they sold there products through various IMPORTERS in all scales.

The GP-35 may be a US Hobbies IMPORT

whose builder was Katsumi Models.

I am not aware of the NJI/Custom Brass builder as they dealt with 4 different builders in Japan and later Korea.

I have found the KTM drives to be OK if well maintained.

The NJI / Custom Brass drive units are a bit of a crap shoot.

Brass train collecting is great and books have been written by the various collectors and welcome !!!!

John P Dunn Sr. President CVMRR

I have 2 KTM GP35s,    Mine both have brass built up gearboxes.    I got the first one and it needed a mate so I sought a second that had the same gearboxes.    I think they are probably Max Grey imports, but may be USH.    later ones have diecast gearboxes.

Mine are excellent runners.    the drives are very well built and once run in a little are very smooth.     I like them a lot.

As mentioned above mine are early ones and they ran a little slow for my taste when I got them.   I replaced the motors with Pittman motors like the ones in weaver single motor drives.    There was nothing wrong with the original motors, just too slow for my taste.    Max Grey locos have a reputation for this.

AS for NJCB, I have an S1 Alco Switcher and I had an RS1.    Both of these has All Nation drives.   For a period when these were imported, NJ was importing the shells and installing All Nation drives.    Those drives are rock solid.     The shells were pretty well built and decently detailed.    NJ imported the S1-S4 series, RS1, RS3, and Baldwin freight sharks and put all nation drives in them, that I know of.

I cannot say about the E8 AB.    I don't remember seeing these.    I have seen some large passenger diesel imports with motors on each truck like 3 rail locos.    I don't car for these.     Also, I had an NJCB Gas-Electric, and it ran OK, but it had many cold solder joints.    It was painted and hard to repair without messing up the paint.   It seemed every time I ran it, some detail part fell off.     I have parted ways with it.    

@jdunn  Thanks for some of the history behind NJ Custom Brass.  Nick and Jack...NJ.  Makes perfect sense!

@prrjim  Thanks for the info...I should have jumped on the GP-35.  It sold before I could do any research.  The saying is true...the time to buy is when you see it.  I really like the E8's from NJCB, but they are so big and I don't/won't have the space to really stretch their legs when I build my layout.  Not sure I want to spend the money for a shelf queen yet.  All good info to know though, when I see one at a great price, I can jump on it.

I think I was hesitant to buy anything since the March meet is so close now.  I want to see what is there and what kind of pricing things will be.

Max Gray/US Hobbies/KTM also did a nice SD7, SD45 and FP45 loco.  Some have 4 axles powered some have all 6.  But like the E units, need very large curves due to be a 6 axle diesel.  The GP35 is about perfect for smaller layouts, same for the diecast All Nation NW2 or any other diesel switcher.  I wouldnt mind a brass NW2 to paint up in the IHB's dark green lightning stripe paint scheme.    AD

I think MG also did a GP7,   I have an old catlogue to check.     I had one of their SD9s.   It ran around 48 inch radius with only a little noise.     It was a good runner.     I have a buddy who really likes brasss and traded me a new Sunset SD9 for it.  

I also had a USH SD45,    It would go around 52 inch radius on my main line as I remember.    I traded it off when I decided to focus on nothing newer than about 1963.      It did not fit my plans.     It was a good runner too.

@artfull dodger posted:

Max Gray/US Hobbies/KTM also did a nice SD7, SD45 and FP45 loco.  Some have 4 axles powered some have all 6.  But like the E units, need very large curves due to be a 6 axle diesel.  The GP35 is about perfect for smaller layouts, same for the diecast All Nation NW2 or any other diesel switcher.  I wouldnt mind a brass NW2 to paint up in the IHB's dark green lightning stripe paint scheme.    AD

I saw an SD45 & FP45 on ebay this weekend for sale, but they have since sold.  Good looking engines.

I am hoping to find a GP35 in Chicago next month...and other brass goodies!

I found my MG catalogue.    MG did import a GP7 built by KTM.    I think I saw a couple of these at the March Meet a few  years ago.