WEAVER MODELS is CLOSING

I have talked with the folks at Weaver a couple of times regarding an order of Scalecoat paint. They were very courteous and went out of their way to check on my order. They are still very customer service focused despite what has to be a very difficult time for them. A first class operation.

 

I read somewhere that there have been attempts to find a buyer for the company but nothing materialized. However, the closing is so sudden you have think there is more to this that has been made public. Just speculating, but maybe Joe found a buyer for the company assets and needed to close the deal right away. Hopefully we will see Weaver products under another company's name in the future.

 

Ken

I just ordered the remaining two numbers for each of these bargains!:

 

.... also, its got to be hard to compete in a market that now includes a major market retailer that has begun to sell China-made O scale gauge rolling stock for $19.99. 

While I will not say that had no affect on Weaver......doubt it really is the reason, or even ONE of the reasons they are closing. 

It's two different markets.

I may get deleted and/or blasted here......but it may have more to do with the THOUSANDS of regulations for small business that have been added in the last 6 years. More new regulations in the last 6 than in the last 40 years.....it is strangulating small business but really impacts ANY biz that manufactures and paints products in the USA. Don't take my word...search for yourself.

Google 'flower grower jailed' to start.....

 

Thanks for what you did for the hobby Weaver!!!!! Miss ya for sure.... 

quote:

While I will not say that had no affect on Weaver......doubt it really is the reason, or even ONE of the reasons they are closing.

 

Maybe the fellow just wants to retire.
How many people participating on this site are retired?

When a business closes down, and there's a buyer. Very rarely is there an announcement that the business is closing, rather a new owner or C.O. is taking over. The new buyer doesn't want to lose long time customers, nor the standing the business had.

From what I see, having started and sold several businesses, it looks like the only thing we can hope for is that someone will purchase their dies and equipment for our hobby.

I remember collectors years ago digging at the site were Marx had buried dies, etc. for their playsets. Some recovered and reused. Same for Stromberg Model, dies found and cleaned up.

Very true. I personally know several business that have, and several the will close within the coming months. Plus one manufacturer of parts, with 6 employees, shutting down next week.

As of the receipt of my most recent e mail from Joe, there are no buyers. If anyone knows anyone, let Joe know, that's what he he wrote to me.

Don

Sounds like a grand opportunity for a group of OGR forum members to pool their resources and get into the exciting world of O Scale manufacturing.

 

Rusty

I am really saddened by this news.  Over the years I have bought over 200 Weaver cars,  I have at least 80 of their 50ft flat cars.  VBG.   I have a huge fleet of PS2 CD covered hoppers also  ( BN, BNSF and ATSF ).   I also have 3 SD40's and 2 GP38's from Weaver.  The Sd40's I run and run and they keep going.    I appreciated the help they gave me when I called for buying parts, paints and technical questions.  All are really nice people.  I enjoyed chatting at York when I would look to see what was being released in coming months.     Weaver will be missed by all of us as they made a great product here in USA.

Joe had mentioned retiring a few times in the last two years, most recently at April York.

Don

Gentlemen,

     As Dave says a sad day for our hobby no doubt about it.

PCRR/Dave

 

The Weaver Masonic Train on a Christmas run!  Weaver thanks again for the years of wonderful Trains, especially this one.

Here are two of my trains: one train with all my Weaver freight cars and the other with my Weaver passsenger set.

 

-Locomotives by Lionel Legacy

-765 announcements by your cruise director

 

 

 

Well is really sad news to hear.I don,t have any of their locomotives.But i have some of their boxcars.I have a cream white new york central ref boxcar 2 swifts ref one red and one yellow.A B&O boxcar a penn boxcar a cain suger covered hopper car.A L&N hopper RF&P boxcar their may be a few more.At first I had trouble with them being to light.I fixed that by puting pennies at each end of the car.I want to say thanks weaver we in the model trains we will miss you.

I'm not just sad but shocked to see that Weaver is closing. Over the years I have added at least five Weaver steam engines (among others) to my collection. I have a brass NYC 0-6-0, a brass RDG G1 4-6-2, a die cast C&NW 2-8-0 a brass MILW 4-4-2 and a brass MILW 4-6-4.  All beautiful and all good runners.  Also I have an all metal extruded MILW set of five streamlined 1935 era Hiawatha passenger cars.  As for customer service....Those MILW passenger literally fell apart.  Gary had me return the whole set for refurbishing for free.  And believe me those cars were long out of warrantee.  I guess in view of the pride in their products that their products were never really out of warrantee.  Gosh I'll miss them.   ODD-D

Weaver had a knack for coming out with neat rolling stock and locos that no one else had done. I really liked the B&O rounded roof boxcars, the B&O headend express boxcars, the Milwawkee Road LRD boxcars, the TOFC's, BP-20, the Pennsy horizontal striped boxcars, the curve beer car, Maple donuts, obscure cabeese: items that you saw, and had to buy.

 

I have 2 E8s and the Milwaukee 261. I am dismayed. Will someone buy the company?

 

Thanks for all your good work.

 

Dick Donaway

Read all the posts about this.  I have a couple of Weaver cars and like them.  I am shocked and sad that it will not be in business for the sake of owners, employees and customers.

Ouch! Another one going by the wayside, really! This does not bode well for the future of the hobby and the ever changing demographics. I have many weaver cars that are true to scale and run great and are usually affordable. Made in America I am thinking made it difficult to be be competitive. I wish Weaver all the best, hopefully someone will purchase their dies and equipment, and not One of the Big 2. 

FYI for those who are thinking to collect Weaver freight cars-esp the special run cars, one might want to go onto the Weaver website and save to your computer the Weaver models "special run" spreadsheet!

Such sad news.

Another icon leaves the playing field...

 

I've been wanting to buy Weaver products for a while now to add to our rolling stock operation here in OZ.

I've been keeping an eye on some of their products for some time now But due to the Aussie exchange rate I've held back.

Today I bit the bullet.

And bought these beauties.

 

Toot Toot 

Cheers

 

 

From my experience WEAVER had the best customer service by far of the major O gauge manufacturers. I had a lot of WEAVER rolling stock including about four dozen of their hopper cars and lot of their TRAILER TRUCK cars- my personal favorite freight car. 

Back in the late eighties,  early nineties bought a few PRR brass engines "new" including two K4s, one L1s, one M1a and One G5.

 

MY favorite Passenger diesel was the WEAVER E8's had three sets of those.

They could pull a lot of cars.

 

Always liked Weaver equipment and always wanted a Santa Fe Valley Flyer. Sorry to see them close.

 

I agree with CTA about customer service.  Weaver people most helpful.

Very sad to hear the news about Weaver going out of business. Joe Hayter and his staff were good people and I liked the quality of their trains. Sorry to lose Weaver but wish Joe the best in retirement.

Same here. We always liked the look of Weaver stuff. Happy retirement!

For Milwaukee Road collectors like myself, Weaver was the greatest.  I am sorry to see them close.  They will be missed.

 

Bob Nelson

I've always enjoyed Weaver products; most recently the LV Black Diamond. Also,  those few minutes talking with Joe at every York for 13 years were among my favorite memories. God speed to you all at Weaver.

       
       

I wonder what the price tag would be? Fairly$$steep as this is a good sized manufacturing company. I would be interested if others were too. Good idea Rusty.

Wouldn't it be great if somehow Ross Custom could swing taking over. American made track, switches and rolling stock!

I have been in the model railroading hobby for quite some time now, but I never really got into Weaver. It is, however, a great loss for the hobby.

 

We will all miss you Weaver Models       

Some how not surprising to me it seems like some months ago there main repair man left to take on another job he like and that kinda told me it probably was something else that pushed him.

They were the best company for road names and custom runs.

Plus they have a variety of cars.

Weaver has rolling stock that no one else has so not to worry, someone will buy the molds.

I think so, too.

 

It will be disheartening to see "Made in China" on the box, though. For me, anyway.

Already did that the other day before that resource vanishes! It is very handy for looking up what Weaver produced over the years. Hopefully in time the tooling will find new owners and be put to use again.

 

Like others here I am sorry to hear they are closing up shop but do wish Joe a happy retirement!

SIRT,

I sure hope you are right.

It's not just because of labor costs or material cost they will be moved to China. 

The climate in this country is so anti-manufacturing and anti-smaller business it makes it difficult to do so in the USA. It is balancing out in some areas....but if you want to manufacture models (of any kind) and use plastic and then paint them....be ready to be regulated to death. The EPA  has thousands of regulations on commercial painting....some so obscure and off the wall you may not know you are breaking the law until you are in jail. Until things change.... 

How can I save this weavermodels page on a flash drive?

 

http://www.weavermodels.com/Ul...%20Production%20.htm

 

 

Thanks

 

Andrew

Maybe they can read your post on painting with the rattle can and maybe they will then be ok on regulations!



       

We can only hope and pray you are correct....thanks for being on my side!!!!

One option would be to Select, Copy and Paste into Excel. This is what I did. Then you save your Excel file to your flash drive.