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NP2626
Guest
Model Railroading from the 50s onward.
Along with my posts about: How many articles John Allen wrote in Model Railroader, Did you build a layout when you were a kid, Sentimental Journey: DC power Packs, Upgrading old freight Equipment, etc... I think I have shown that I enjoy taking looks back to what was available, how things where done and who was doing them, when I started in this hobby. This thread will be simple observations about the hobby back in those times, from the use of Model Railroader's Digital Archives. I am looking through all the issues published since April of 1950, the year and month I was born. As of today's date, January 28th, 2017, I am through March of 1959. It is slow going, as I'm finding so much interesting stuff. I'm doing this, not because I feel that these where better times than today; but, because doing so is giving me a deeper sense of the history of the hobby! It is very enjoyable to me, to see things as they came about, who were the big players back when, what was available and mostly just appreciating the fact that people would simply make things that were not available at the time!
By all means if you have comments to make, chime right in!
First of all, the hobby of HO model Railroading wasn't dominated by companies such as Athearn and Roundhouse yet; however, Roundhouse's 0-6-0 switcher had been on the market for quite a few years already and certainly was available in April of 1950. Surprisingly, Ulrich was producing die cast metal kits, ther kits were not cast resin as they are today. Lionel advertised O-27 equipment in Model Railroader back then. One of the largest manufacturers at this time was Tru-Scale! They made milled basswood track/road bed and had many other model railroad items. Silver Streak was a division of Tru-Scale back then. It was just as likely you would see cover shots with Al Kalmbach; or, Lynn Westcott along with other notable Model Railroading folks. O gauge was more prevalent than HO back in this era and advertisements for TT equipment were fairly regular. What surprises me most is modelers would determine that they needed a 4-6-0 for their "Busted Flatts RR" and get busy making one from what ever material was available (mostly brass). That modeler railroaders where innovative and resourceful far beyond how we are today is demonstrated on almost every page of the magazine! Varney, along with Tru-Scale maybe would have been considered "Big Players". Bowser and John English where around and producing locomotives as was Penn Line.
Along with my posts about: How many articles John Allen wrote in Model Railroader, Did you build a layout when you were a kid, Sentimental Journey: DC power Packs, Upgrading old freight Equipment, etc... I think I have shown that I enjoy taking looks back to what was available, how things where done and who was doing them, when I started in this hobby. This thread will be simple observations about the hobby back in those times, from the use of Model Railroader's Digital Archives. I am looking through all the issues published since April of 1950, the year and month I was born. As of today's date, January 28th, 2017, I am through March of 1959. It is slow going, as I'm finding so much interesting stuff. I'm doing this, not because I feel that these where better times than today; but, because doing so is giving me a deeper sense of the history of the hobby! It is very enjoyable to me, to see things as they came about, who were the big players back when, what was available and mostly just appreciating the fact that people would simply make things that were not available at the time!
By all means if you have comments to make, chime right in!
First of all, the hobby of HO model Railroading wasn't dominated by companies such as Athearn and Roundhouse yet; however, Roundhouse's 0-6-0 switcher had been on the market for quite a few years already and certainly was available in April of 1950. Surprisingly, Ulrich was producing die cast metal kits, ther kits were not cast resin as they are today. Lionel advertised O-27 equipment in Model Railroader back then. One of the largest manufacturers at this time was Tru-Scale! They made milled basswood track/road bed and had many other model railroad items. Silver Streak was a division of Tru-Scale back then. It was just as likely you would see cover shots with Al Kalmbach; or, Lynn Westcott along with other notable Model Railroading folks. O gauge was more prevalent than HO back in this era and advertisements for TT equipment were fairly regular. What surprises me most is modelers would determine that they needed a 4-6-0 for their "Busted Flatts RR" and get busy making one from what ever material was available (mostly brass). That modeler railroaders where innovative and resourceful far beyond how we are today is demonstrated on almost every page of the magazine! Varney, along with Tru-Scale maybe would have been considered "Big Players". Bowser and John English where around and producing locomotives as was Penn Line.
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