American HO

Martin Shaw

Western Thunderer
Is there anyone actively modelling this type of thing? I have a very few bits and pieces sitting in a box to dispose of and since it is a relatively minority interest I thought I'd ask first.
Regards
Martin
 

steve1

Western Thunderer
I number US (& German) HO amongst my interests. I stick to the period 1958-1965 though, so anything out of those times wouldn't be of interest.

Happy to have look though. I have friends who are not on this board who have wider US interests though.

steve
 

Martin Shaw

Western Thunderer
This is what I have, if anyone might be interested best PM me or give them my contact details. As far as I can remember I probably bought these in early 97 when I had an idea which ultimately came to nought.

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A Kato EMD NW2, which I took out of the box and gave it a run up and down. Went first time as sweet as you would like, probably hasn't turned a wheel in ten years or more. All of the detailing parts are in the box, never been fitted.

IMG_0822.JPG
Half a dozen wagons basically unused.

Regards
Martin
 

Scale7JB

Western Thunderer
What prices are you looking at Martin?

Also are the couplings easily replaceable for Kadee's?

JB.
 

Martin Shaw

Western Thunderer
Hi JB

I would think, judging by what they are selling for on ebay and the like, that £80 for the lot sounds about right. As for Kadees I cant imagine it would be difficult since it is the defacto aftermarket coupler in the states but I have no experience of them to make a qualified judgement.
Regards
Martin
 

Focalplane

Western Thunderer
I was searching for threads that include "American HO modelling" and this one came up.

I do have a small collection, all boxed away, but they are nice models and at least one, the Southern Pacific GS4, is on display. Many were bought in the mid 1980s and really don't have the detail of more recent offerings, such as Athearn Genesis. These older models include the Proto 2000 series, of which the SD7 is a surprisingly good model that also ran well (I say ran because mine have been in their boxes for about 10 years)

Here are some photos:

The Proto 2000s

DSC_7012.jpg DSC_7011.jpg DSC_7015.jpg DSC_7014.jpg

Next the GS4 (Right now I can't remember the brand), complete with DCC sound. This is a very nice model.

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Athearn Genesis UP freight, complete with DCC sound, also a good model

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A trio of cheap rolling stock items from the 1980s

Athearn caboose in a box

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Walther's oil tank wagon, made up from a kit (I worked for Cities for 6 years)

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Was this Accurail? I can't remember but easy to put together rakes of UP and SP trains

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Note they have Kadees, most stock had to be converted. The coach rakes I left with the original couplers except at each end.

I am not offering these for sale, just showing them as examples of what can be bought today in the UK for very little money.

I can show more stuff if there is an interest.
 

Focalplane

Western Thunderer
This is a Kadee box car I bought in Calgary about ten years ago. Compared to an Accurail it is both more detailed and, naturally, more expensive:

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Cotton Belt was one of my favourites in the Houston area, subsequently SP, now UP! The car sits on soldered HO track.
 

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
Cotton Belt

Now you're talking - this is my preferred road in O (P48) scale.

Red Caboose GP9E (with loads of extra detail parts).
Pic 01.jpg

Atlas O Trainman Insulated boxcar repainted, re-lettered, detailed (yet to be finished).
SSW insulated 19.jpg

However, I still have some HO scale stuff kicking around... including a SP C9 and SSW/SP Kadee, Athearn and Intermountain boxcars.

Among my other HO stock are:

SOO SW1500 switcher (detailed Athearn model).
SOO SW1500 1401 17.jpg

SOO insulated boxcar (cannot remember the provenance but I detailed, re-trucked and weathered the model from a photo).
SOO reefer 2.jpg

SOO caboose - detailed and modified Atlas model (Athearn cupola with Atlas roof etched walkways, steps, etc).
Caboose 02.jpg

Canadian National GP9 GR-17g (detailed and repainted modified Proto 2K model i.e. louvers cut out and moved around to match CN prototype.
GP9 01.jpg

VIA Rail RDC 2 - this was a modified Proto 1K model using Athearn cab ends and well before Rapido produced their HO model. Finished with Alclad steel lacquer.
VIA 6215 b.jpg
 

Focalplane

Western Thunderer
My near local model shop in southern France, FB Systems, has an owner who loves North American HO. If I wasn’t dedicated to Moor Street I could have done some great things with his sources. The temptation with HO is to go big, in my case Cab Forwards, GS4s and long rakes of coaches and wagons. But I have admit that I am now tempted by a shunting plank with an o-6-0 switcher moving gondolas, box cars and tank wagons in and out of a short spur. Probably in a larger scale. It would have to be SP and the loco would be smarter than those I remember in the Phil Anschutz days (he ran the SP down and then sold to UP at a wicked profit).
 

Jordan

Mid-Western Thunderer
This is a Kadee box car I bought in Calgary about ten years ago. Compared to an Accurail it is both more detailed and, naturally, more expensive:
Over 20 years ago there was a shop in Ross-on-Wye, "Totally Trains", who had lots of US & Continental HO. I was in there once buying a couple of Walthers Trainline locos, about £30 each IIRC, and they'd just had a delivery of these new Kadee superdetailed boxcars - £25 each!! Seemed extravagantly expensive at the time!!

Yorkshire Dave; love your Soo Line stuff!! I'm always a bit reluctant to go to the extremely ratty rustbucket phase that much of their stuff ended up like, but I really ought to, for some of my stuff at least.

Only HO I still have is my Athearn CF7 painted for the Minnesota Commercial, 4 locos painted for Progressive Rail (2 Kato SDs and 2 Athearn SW1500s) and an Athearn CSX GP40. Haven't run them for years, now.
 

Focalplane

Western Thunderer
My GS4 Daylight is a product from Broadway Limited and came with DCC and sound. Before I bought the GS4 I bought an AC-4 (I think that's correct) also from Broadway Limited. This is one of the earlier cab forwards (or, to be correct, cab-in-front) and also has dcc plus sound. What is really neat about the sound is that the two engines have separate chuff rates, sometimes in sync, sometimes not, which is authentic. Sadly the sound chips do not allow wheel slip when starting which would be in character (sadly, I never saw one running though).

The cab-in-front detail is superb on this model. Bodies of both locos (GS4 and AC4), by the way are plastic.

DSC_7032.jpg

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Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
I scared myself recently by going through my US stock boxes and seeing just how much I had got; regular business trips near to Model Junction in Slough didn't help

Is this the same Model Junction which was in Model Motors at Bourne End? I certainly remember the shop at Bourne End as it was en-route between Luton and Bristol.
 

ceejaydee

Western Thunderer
Is this the same Model Junction which was in Model Motors at Bourne End? I certainly remember the shop at Bourne End as it was en-route between Luton and Bristol.
I only ever knew them from the Yeovil Road, Slough location.
It was (is) run by Stuart and Farah... and from a quick search on t'internet looks like it is the same shop as the Bourne End one.
I enjoyed my visits and there was always a warm Welcome and a cuppa and biscuits too :)
 

allegheny1600

Western Thunderer
Hi All,
Martin, that seems like a decent price but no interest from me, sorry.
I had a recent visit back to the UK and while I was there, I saw Hattons* were joining in the “Black Friday” thing.
This C&NW GP50 by Athearn Genesis with Tsunami sound was going for a decent reduction off it’s previous price and it’s a loco I’ve long coveted so it’s now with me.
B33C4A95-E9D8-4648-A0E3-28E86C467F23.jpeg
Coming back to Greece with it in my luggage meant no import duty or extra shipping too!
I have been “into” German outline H0 for such a long time now, a break back to my main US love, the Chicago and North Western is a refreshing change.
Cheers,
John

* I find being able to select the scale I am interested in, very helpful. I’m pretty sure all their H0 is second hand but usually in fair condition unless explicitly stated. This loco was as new.
 
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