kEIL LINE PARTS

Maybe try posting a WTB over on the O Scale Yardsale Yahoo group?

I am given to understanding that Keil-line is supposedly going to be at the March meet in Chicago; maybe you can recruit someone to shop for you?

I went to the forum scenery page and at the top they have a list of vendors. Would this by chance be what you are looking for. No website  KEIL PRODUCTS, inc details.                                                oscaler@aol.com for info/catalog.

I ordered some grain doors from him and I  have a catalog with a lots of parts. The telephone/fax number is 815-728-0595. He does not do credit cards........... Paul

Sorry I wrote in haste without looking. The catalog I have is from 2013. On the back it says check, money order, cash or discover, Visa/MC. Credit card orders are a minimum of 35 dollars.......Paul

I am sorry to hear that, I did not know. I ordered from him a year or more ago.........Paul

I am aware of John Keil's passing, which is why I posted this blog.  I will try Walthers and see if they can help. 

mikeg

try P&D hobbies. IF no, then Des Plains Hobbies otherwise write to Keil line themselves and see what is up with that business?

May have some of the bridge shoes, will look.

You can expect items to be at the March Meet if you are attending

I think you may have gotten lucky.  Last I looked there, Walthers had just about everything listed as Back Ordered.

As for the future of that line, I suspect that it will get sold, and hopefully continued.

AFAIK, no one has assumed the Keil line business since the owner past away last year.

Honestly who can squeeze out a living today supplying O scale parts for the diminishing audience of scratch builders and modelers?

If someone goes into business today they go with a business with a product that has wide appeal and open up a pizzeria. 

Food & restaurant business is barely any better.  The margin on them after all the bills are paid is minimal.  Again, something that people do because they want to do it.

I was thinking there is only one pizza, old national chain, maybe the first, that I get

pizza from, for the stuffed crust...the rest of them put tomato sauce (too much) on

cardboard.  I was also thinking, closer to the subject, that I have heard of no one

jumping in to carry on All Nation kits....seems like these two, Keil-line and All Nation, would go well together, and would allow somebody to eek out a few shillings of income.

FWIW I scanned the internet and on page 5 found a shop that actually had my last Keil Line missing part in stock.

The moral is there are stocks of it out there, but not always easy to find.

mikeg

My expectations, too. 

I believe the Keil-Line was better utilized by the O-2Railers than the O3R crowd.

FWIW, I would hope that the new owners of Berkshire Valley, now located in the St.Louis, MO area, would tender an offer.  I remember John Keil mentioning in an email exchange years ago that his was truly a 'mom & pop' business.  That was borne out in another thread several months ago that talked about his passing, and the fond memories of the participation of John and his wife at the O-2railers meets.  That said, it seems to me there is no next of kin (siblings) to carry on the business.

Wonder Lake, IL, home of Keil-Line is only one state away from St. Louis, MO.  Seems like a good match to me!  Since Walthers was the sole distributor...besides direct sales...of Keil-Line products, and much of Walthers old line of O scale castings/kits ended up with John, I might even suspect that they, the Walthers folks, might offer some support/encouragement in the transition/continuation of this product line.

I'm reasonably sure it will not be lost forever.  That would, indeed, be a sad day!

Meanwhile, we wait patiently...

KD

I would have agreed with you a year ago, but the new owners of Berkshire Valley have discontinued all of the parts for building freight and passenger cars - I'd really hate to see BK pick up this line and then discontinue what would be a very large percentage of the line that a good number of folks actually look forward to using.

I was not.  What a shame.

I purchased some really great parts for telephone poles, transformers and other associated parts from them in early 2014.

I hope the company does find a way to re-open.

George

I placed an order last week with John Keil's wife, Martha, and received it very promptly.

She explained that she is selling remaining inventory.  When we spoke, she was considering attending the March Meet in Chicago.

I had been planning to place an order for the past three years but never got around to it.  So when I heard John had passed away, I wanted to wait a respectable amount of time to allow the family to mourn before contacting them.

Mrs. Keil is a very nice lady and was very helpful.  Her contact information is given below if anyone would like to place an order:

Office - 815-728-0595

Home - 815-653-9513