Sara a local TV reporter, from Northumberland, PA - Talks with Joe the owner of Weaver Models, and Joe gives the viewers a first class tour of how they manufacture Weaver Models.

Thanks Gary

I feel like a death occurred in the family.

That was great!

 

Man!!! ..... I hope someone continues Weaver. Someone who cares.

Thanks for posting, that really clears things up.

You know, if Lionel was so interested in making trains in America, why didn't they purchase Weaver models instead of making the parts in China and assembling them here? Huh?

Oh yeah right, money!

No doubt Weaver shopped around to Lionel and MTH to purchase their production facility, but it was cheaper for them to do the work in China.

Actually, watching the video, I was surprised how archaic and labor intensive the process was to make a simple boxcar. 

No wonder the Chinese at a few bucks an hour are hired to do it.

So, more unemployed Americans due to overseas labor. I wish all of the former Weaver workers well.

 

 

 

 

Very good video. I appreciated seeing some of the steps that are necessary to produce a fine model.

 

Bob 

Quite a stretch to assume Weaver would have been available for sale to Lionel back when Lionel tried to begin their most recent partial return to USA production, HUH! This was something like at least 2-3 years ago now. 

 

When are you exactly thinking Weaver was "shopped around" (and with "no doubt" - what do you think you know that we all do not?) to MTH and Lionel (and who is to say it hasn't been or won't be?  All we know officially is that Weaver as we know it today is closing).

 

Unnecessary angst/bashing of Lionel in this Weaver thread. 

 

While I'm not a huge Weaver customer, I'm very sorry to see them go (I've got I think 2 engines and maybe a dozen Weaver branded cars from various club offerings - but probably tons of other club items where Weaver did the painting for special issue Lionel cars). 

 

Joe is one of the nicest guys I have ever met while touring the dealer halls at York, and I very much enjoyed participating in the Weaver tour the couple times I went on it with OGR during York week.

 

Best of luck to the employees and wonderful wishes for Joe on his retirement!

 

Thanks for posting the video, trainroomgary!

 

-Dave

Thanks Gary. The video was both informative and educational. To see how many steps it takes to produce a Weaver model, especially the painting process, I can appreciate the shelf price. And it's all done by American labor.

I sure would like to see someone buy and continue to run this company.

Thanks for posting this Gary. More people need to watch this to get an idea of just how involved the production of trains really is.

 

There have been threads here by experts who claim it should be "easy" and "not too much trouble" for the train makers to "simply" change one model to another - as if requesting train models was akin to getting a customized burger at the drive thru window.

 

 

NO, it's not easy, nor inexpensive. And this is just the painting process... not altering the tooling and dies, which is even more complicated and costly!

 

The article in the OGR magazine years ago, A Visit to Sanda Kan, explained how cumbersome and expensive just the painting process is. This video illustrates the process in a way the magazine article could only leave readers imagining.

 

And again, this video addresses the painting and decorating processes ONLY.

 

Engineering a new model (or a minor change to an existing model) tooling and die making is another entirely different and far more involved and costly procedure.

 

Good find Gary and excellent video posting. The processes shown here are not just limited to Weaver. It's similar with the other train makers regardless of location.

Great video share, thanks! I've been happy with my few weaver products sad to see them go. One bit I found very interesting from the video was that they make only 5k to 8k models per year (is that cars)? Selling at $60 a car that only gets you about $500k per year. With eight employees and material costs its easy to see that margins aren't that high, it's not easy being a small niche mfg.

Not anymore!  It's all Chinese, now!

Thanks for the enjoyable video!

After viewing the process, I have to wonder how they would even make a profit.

Lots of non-automated handling and steps involved.

 

I can only hope someone like RMT could own this Co.

My concern is that one of the big 3 will purchase and jack up the prices making this product line unaffordable to most in the future.

RMT has all their stuff made in China, too!!

Interesting video!  I always enjoy visiting Weaver booth at York and hope someone will take over the business.  Have a couple dozen Weaver cars including several special ones from Canadian train group in B.C.  Weaver's ability to do small special runs was a real bonus!  

 

Interesting and informative video.  Enjoyed that very much.

 

Thanks Gary for posting this.

Like to point out this video for the Weekend Folks, who may have missed it.

This is a Detailed Tour of the Weaver Model Plant.

It is a professionally made video. As a model railroader I learned a lot about the process for making model trains.

Gary

Cheers from Michigan

 

I only have a few weaver models I always like there price and what you get for the price. I too wish someone would keep it going.

 

i my self would love to take over that business if i could.....

Very interesting video. Thanks Gary. 

I did the same mental math, and it can't be right.  There's no way they could support the business on $500k gross.  The number of units must include locomotives.  That said, it's still hard to imagine how they kept it going.

Very interesting video and informative on how the production goes about.

Wish Joe and his wife a happy retirement. One of the real nice gentleman you get to talk to at York. 

Years ago, there was a tour video of Weaver on PCN Tours, a PA documentary filmaking company through the state. I wonder if it is still available to view. It was very detailed, giving a step by step tutorial from design to finished product. 

I'll watch this video tomorrow, but that will be after my last visit to Northumberland, to bid farewell to everyone. Joe and his staff are first class!

Don

Really sorry that I did not visit when I was in the area in April.  

 

Great video. Thanks for digging it up.

Thanks trainroomgary  for this great video!!!  Most informative and sad to see Weaver leave the train world.  Thanks to Joe for a job well done!!!