wooden car kits


WT fan

WT fan

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Who is building those kits?

So far, I've nearly finished my LaBelle HOn3-129 D&RGW Caboose kit:



It's fun!

Wolfgang
 
Yes, it is fun. It is extremely satisfying but requires patience and more than a little dexterity and fine motor skills. Familiarity with hand tools and a creative eye are likewise required. As I get older I really ascribe to the 'fewer but finer' advice of the more mature model railroaders out there. My favorite is over here, it is by Ambroid.
 
Wolfgang,Looks great!

I didn't know if anybody was still building those old kits or not..Brings back a lot of memories.

Thanks for sharing..
 
WT fan said:
Who is building those kits?

So far, I've nearly finished my LaBelle HOn3-129 D&RGW Caboose kit:



It's fun!

Wolfgang
Click to expand...

That's a beautifully detailed caboose, Wolfgang... :) I like the sunshades on the windows.

I won't be be doing any wood kits, but I am going to try my hand at building some small simple wooden rolling stock. Got a really neat wood clippy type hand tool that cuts wood clean, precise, and quick, a stick pile of various sizes of tiny "lumber" from the hardware store, some bags of popsicle sticks, and am going to see what I can come up with. This is my very first wooden car...
IMG_3962.png


...you can see I'm starting with zero skills!;) It always takes time to develop an ability, and the real fun is the process of learning... even when you're over 60. :)

Greg
 
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Wolfgang, outstanding job on that Rio Grande NG caboose. I haven't built a wood kit in a bout 35 years. I still have one of my wood cabooses, mainly because the NKP ran these right up until the merger with the N&W in 1964. It's an old Ambroid kit, with lots of extra detail.

NKPCabooseSideMedium.jpg
 
I've built quite a few of the wooden craftsmen kits and still have many left to build. I still have my first one that I built when I was 8. I guess that I've built over 200 of these over the years.

These ranged from original Bev-bels, Ambroid, Labelle, Silver Streak, Quality Craft and now Ye Old Huff & Puff. I still have about 20 left to build.

Attached are just 4 of mine, including my first the SRR 40' Auto box.

The Auto box has just been recently rebuilt. The pickle car is a YOHP, and the last two are Ambroid.
 
10-08-05_IMG_0578_250.jpg


I especially like the pic with the boxcar... really communicates a nostalgic impression of a bygone time.

Greg
 
I still build these cars and have about 35 or so to build. There are still a few companies around that make the wood kits, such as Labelle and Juneco. For a guy like me that likes a challenging kit, these are the way to go. I am not a RTR kind of guy and 99% of what I build is wood.
 
When I restarted my hobby in 1969 (age 23) the first car I bought was a Labelle 1880s coach wood kit. After a few of kits like that I figured it was easier to buy wood and a few castings and make specific cars that I wanted. My guess-work seemed less confusing than following the printed directions. But building those kits got my skills going.

Is there another company older than Labelle still in business? I can't think of one. Walthers used to offer some great wood passenger car kits. They must be worth a lot now if any are left.
 
Charles Smiley said:
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Is there another company older than Labelle still in business? I can't think of one. Walthers used to offer some great wood passenger car kits. They must be worth a lot now if any are left.
Click to expand...

The Ambroid kits are still available from Northeastern Wood Products, which made the kits and originally sold them under the Ambroid name. Now they're just selling them under there own label.

They've been around about as long as Labelle.
 
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