Just out of curiosity:
How many of the OGR's who have said in this thread that they'd like diesel kits have purchased Atlas' "undecorated" locos ?
Anybody else who has purchased these "kits" ? Your thoughts ?
Best, SZ
Here ya go:
http://www.mthtrains.com/content/11-6951-0
And it's O gauge, too!
Coming soon to a dealer near you. Have at it!
http://www.mthtrains.com/content/11-6951-0
And it's O gauge, too!
Coming soon to a dealer near you. Have at it!
Oh, sure. I dis-assemble ready-made locos and modify them, so absolutely. I've scratch-built one steamer (above
the waist, at least; running chassis from something else).
"Kit" can mean anything from a box containing plans, a block of balsa and a knife, to a complete loco or car
that is ready to assemble and paint (or maybe already painted). These assembly kits can be the best of
both worlds - everything fits, all is drilled and tapped and shaped, and what you are essentially doing is
taking the place of final-assembly workers. A "screwdriver" kit, as I think Varney called them.
But you get the satisfaction of not only knowing that your hands put it together, but that you know the
thing from soup to nuts, and will never find it intimidating to fix or modify. You OWN it, baby.
It will be cheaper, apples to apples, also. If it's not, well, shame on you.
I think that they call that being a "model railroader".
the waist, at least; running chassis from something else).
"Kit" can mean anything from a box containing plans, a block of balsa and a knife, to a complete loco or car
that is ready to assemble and paint (or maybe already painted). These assembly kits can be the best of
both worlds - everything fits, all is drilled and tapped and shaped, and what you are essentially doing is
taking the place of final-assembly workers. A "screwdriver" kit, as I think Varney called them.
But you get the satisfaction of not only knowing that your hands put it together, but that you know the
thing from soup to nuts, and will never find it intimidating to fix or modify. You OWN it, baby.
It will be cheaper, apples to apples, also. If it's not, well, shame on you.
I think that they call that being a "model railroader".
quote:Originally posted by Allan Miller:
Here ya go:
http://www.mthtrains.com/content/11-6951-0
And it's O gauge, too!
Coming soon to a dealer near you. Have at it!
Allan, this is pretty neat. It would even be cooler if it brought "Armature, field, brushes, and other parts were assembled into the famous "Build-a-Loco" motor using tools supplied in the kit."
If one had the chance to assemble the motor and then the rest of the locomotive, this would make for a great primer for someone (like me) who would like to learn to restore pre-war engines!
Jim
After enjoying putting together a pair of die cast HO scale locomotive kits recently, I would say that I'd be very interested in seeing an affordable (inexpensive) O gauge kit. A die cast 0-4-0 would make for a terrific starter kit if priced in the $75 - $100 range. Can or open frame motor makes no difference to me.
I'm for it. It would cut out the step of tearing it down and rebuilding it anyway. Not to mention it would be great to be able to customize from various options.
I love building kits. Most of my experience in HO scale, but I built and super detailed a Bowser K4 and built an Alco models P70 from a flat of several hundred parts at age 16 and still enjoy a good kit.
I fully understand that this is simply a personal preference, but there is a satisfaction to having the work come from your own hands over the same factory version everyone else has.
Now ... the number of un-built O kits in my collection is not something we'll talk about at the moment ......
They do take time!
However that Walthers Doodelbug is calling to me from the train room.
I fully understand that this is simply a personal preference, but there is a satisfaction to having the work come from your own hands over the same factory version everyone else has.
Now ... the number of un-built O kits in my collection is not something we'll talk about at the moment ......
They do take time!However that Walthers Doodelbug is calling to me from the train room.
You bet I would. It would have to be 100% Tinplate.
God Bless,
God Bless,
quote:N&W and USRA locos would be perfect for a build-the-era-you-want type of model kit.
So true!
There's just something special about building with your own hands, even if the end product doesn't look like it came off a factory floor.
Better yet, if a SINGLE company had the parts available, wouldn't it be great if you could order from a list of parts to make ANY steam engine you desired, even one of your own design? Steam engine boilers could be made with a standard straight core, then slide tapered sections over the core as required to make it look like a particular boiler. Sure the "built-in or cast-on" detail wouldn't necessarily be there, but it could also be yet another piece of the parts ordering a person would have to go thru so that steam lines, piping, rivets, etc could be bought and applied by the builder.
Well, I learned on here what happened to the Babbitt kits
I was about to suggest. I have one around here somewhere, when I find a
round tuit. In my transition from tinplate childhood to
HO models, and before backsliding to tinplate and high rail
modeling, desperately trying to hold on to that childhood, I
built HO engine kits, and kitbashed a 2-4-4-2 Little River
logging Mallet, in HO using a couple of 0-4-0 tank engine kits, that I keep hoping somebody will build in 3 rail. I guess I am going to have to hack up a couple of 2-4-2's to get one. (several years ago I overheard a dealer
complaining that everything had been built in three rail and
he had too much stock...I almost burst out laughing for I still
have the old 1940-1960 MR's and RMC's full of branchline and
other rolling stock that still has been ignored in O 3r,and that once
was available in HO) The list of stuff I WOULD buy goes on and on...I
just hope MTH actually does produce the McKeen car..not sure how many
different variations of that exist in HO brass, and I think I recently
saw an HO kit on eBay. (sometimes I feel like I am in an orphan guage
with so little variety) I have a fleet of combine, side door, and drover
cabooses, s few old O scale brass on 3R trucks, one new from 3rd Rail,
but some built from old O scale kits and many scratch built. In
addtion to a McKeen car, I want a Baldwin and a Unit-Stanley steam
coach, and accurate models of Brill and other gas electrics (without
having to repower expensive brass O scale models). In the RR station at
the museum in Shelburne, Vt. there is a photo of a boiler fronted steam
coach (similar to but different from an inspection engine), and I want one.
If I had to, I would kit build all of these.
I was about to suggest. I have one around here somewhere, when I find a
round tuit. In my transition from tinplate childhood to
HO models, and before backsliding to tinplate and high rail
modeling, desperately trying to hold on to that childhood, I
built HO engine kits, and kitbashed a 2-4-4-2 Little River
logging Mallet, in HO using a couple of 0-4-0 tank engine kits, that I keep hoping somebody will build in 3 rail. I guess I am going to have to hack up a couple of 2-4-2's to get one. (several years ago I overheard a dealer
complaining that everything had been built in three rail and
he had too much stock...I almost burst out laughing for I still
have the old 1940-1960 MR's and RMC's full of branchline and
other rolling stock that still has been ignored in O 3r,and that once
was available in HO) The list of stuff I WOULD buy goes on and on...I
just hope MTH actually does produce the McKeen car..not sure how many
different variations of that exist in HO brass, and I think I recently
saw an HO kit on eBay. (sometimes I feel like I am in an orphan guage
with so little variety) I have a fleet of combine, side door, and drover
cabooses, s few old O scale brass on 3R trucks, one new from 3rd Rail,
but some built from old O scale kits and many scratch built. In
addtion to a McKeen car, I want a Baldwin and a Unit-Stanley steam
coach, and accurate models of Brill and other gas electrics (without
having to repower expensive brass O scale models). In the RR station at
the museum in Shelburne, Vt. there is a photo of a boiler fronted steam
coach (similar to but different from an inspection engine), and I want one.
If I had to, I would kit build all of these.
No I would not buy a kit as it would not have LIONEL Legacy. 
I have built the All Nation 10 wheeler, Atlantic, and Mountain. All are 3 rail and have TMCC installed. As stated above the English have 100s of steam kits available but very few in US prototypes. I'd love to see a new steam kit of a standard Baldwin 2-8-0 or 2-8-2.
I've been building RC car kits since I was 12 (1988), and I can tell you this. The RC kits are light-years above & beyond the ready-to-run stuff. That being said, they also cost 2 to 3 times as much. I wouldn't expect to save much money by having Locomotives come in kit form (unless you could pick & choose features).
As for the assembly itself, it all really depends on the company producing the kit. One major factor is the quality of the instructions. With good enough instructions, even a 12 year old can assemble a fully functional kit in only a few hours.
Here is an example of one of my high-end 4WD touring car kits after a complete rebuild for an upcoming season of racing:
As for the assembly itself, it all really depends on the company producing the kit. One major factor is the quality of the instructions. With good enough instructions, even a 12 year old can assemble a fully functional kit in only a few hours.
Here is an example of one of my high-end 4WD touring car kits after a complete rebuild for an upcoming season of racing:
It would depend on the skill and resources required to put it together.
Probably NOT.
Probably NOT.
I bought a kit at a recent train show and had a great time with it. Pullmor motor, magnetraction, and operating couplers. I assembled the motor, e-unit and all parts and ran and had the aroma of postwar. All I had to do was disassemble, clean, rewire and paint this old runner. VERY low cost. Lots of fun. It is now one of my favorites. Made and re-made in the USA.
Before the days of all the high tech items and gizmos people had the time to build things and assemble hobby kits of all types. In todays cluttered world most people just don't have the time nor the incentive to build a kit. In the 1940's before I was born, locomotive kits were available and had superb detail. A company by the name of Scalecraft made some very nice kits.
Curently all of my winter spare time is being spent working on the layout. The trains in the basement already fall between "too darn many" and a level of insanity. At the present time, I buy select model RR items but I need to refrain from buying any new engines, let alone a kit.
Curently all of my winter spare time is being spent working on the layout. The trains in the basement already fall between "too darn many" and a level of insanity. At the present time, I buy select model RR items but I need to refrain from buying any new engines, let alone a kit.
