Modern tinplate manufacturers

I would consider ETS & Darstaed 4 wheel cars in the tin plate family. Also Joe's Trains has been selling some made from the New Marx/Ameritrains dies. Not much so far. Hope he does some more. http://www.joestrains.com/index.html

Steve

Sunset Trains and Toys?  Were they in the Orange Hall this April?

When I got back into O gauge around 1981 (I was involved with N scale prior to that), the primary U.S. tinplate manufacturers, as I recall, were McCoy, Pride Lines, and Williams (soon thereafter Mike's Train House).  RichArt may have been around then, too, but I'm not certain about that.  I had little interest in tinplate at the time, but each of these manufacturers appeared to have developed a respectable following given that we're talking about a small niche within a small niche where most of the significant activity involved collecting original tinplate.

Later, we had New Marx, Lionel, and a few others get involved.

Today, as far as U.S. firms are concerned, MTH is obviously the sole driving force, thanks largely to Mike Wolf's long-time personal fondness for tinplate and Lionel's willingness to license the Lionel name for Lionel Corporation Tinplate items.  And there's ETS, Darstaed, ACE, and others from makers across the pond.

Given the state of the overall hobby today, I doubt you'll see others become involved in tinplate production.  My recommendation would be to take full advantage of what is already available today and what has already been announced for the near future.  It's not likely to get much better than it already is.

As for current tinplate manufacturers, one would certainly have to include USA Track on that list as the sole American producer of very high quality Standard Gauge and O gauge tinplate track!

Bob Nelson

The TCA Quaterly has had some excellent articles on modern era Tinplate. There is much more than listed here.

Kirk Lindvig is the owner of USA Track and is a regular commentor on this forum.  He also is the founder and now President of the Standard Gauge Module Association (SGMA).  His firm makes very high quality tinplate track in both Standard Gauge and O gauge.  Not surprizingly, all USA Track is completely "American Made".  Furthermore, USA Track fabricates and sells several unique custom pieces of tinplate track including what I know as "SGMA track".  What make this track special is that the ties are attached to the rails so that the tie spacing remains constant across track joints producing a much more professional appearance.  

In addition, USA Track manufacturers and sells all related tinplate track components separately as well as tie and rail sets to fabricate Std/O 5-rail track, made-to-order insulated-outer-rail track for use with track-activated accessories, 42/57/72/84/87 Standard Gauge curved track, extra long straight track, precut siding track sets, etc.  Their tinplate track is really a superior product to foreign made.  Unfortunately, I believe the USA Track website is currently down until a new host is found.  

Bob Nelson

Thank you, I am very interested in this, both for myself and my store.

As a Milwaukee Road fan I asked Dick Mayer to custom paint one of his solid cast brass 1134 Ives steamers for me.   I sent him photos of the Pacific locomotive that Milwaukee Road used to power its CHIPPEWA passenger train and from these he did a great job copying the CHIPPEWA's livery.  To go with this engine, I also asked him to make me a special Milwaukee Road set of his reproduction Ives passenger cars.  These cars are identical to his reproduction Ives Olympian cars but have "THE MILWAUKEE ROAD" brass plates installed above the windows instead of the Ives ones.  I think you would agree, Dick's artistry will be greatly missed!

Bob Nelson

PS.  See Dick's CHIPPEWA passenger train in action in Milwaukee this coming November at the Trainfest 2012 show where SGMA will erect and operate one of our famous Standard Gauge modular layouts.

Now THAT is cool!

Darstaed is very much a tinplate manufacturer. In the current range of locos is a 2-6-2 and a 0-6-0 tender loco, all passenger coaches, all owner's vans, brake vans and tankers are tinplate, lithographed. We have begun making detailed, diecast locos too, but rolling stock in the main will remain tinplate. The only exceptions in present manufacturing, are a diecast mineral wagon and a real wooden top flat wagon.

People already told you about ACE, Darstead, ETS. There was also an Hungarian factory, Déak, who doesn't prodfuce anymore but some models ( Märklin replica), and spare parts, are still in stock.

For the people in the US a bit unknown is MERKUR the CZ firm who produces a wide range of models, even tinplate buildings as a construction kit, and even they sell tinplate tracks. These tracks are compatible with the old Märklin and Hornby. And I have to be honest I own a webshop where you are able to purchase them. I delivers worldwide.

And not to be forgooten is LEHNHARDT a German producer who built very nice tinplate streetcars! Their mdoels are based on the European streecars but are very beautifull.

Rob Giskes