A trip down memory lane

[Trainman203]

Here are some companies and products out of the past that should bring back some memories to the old timers.

Revell HO trains and structures
Tru-Scale milled wood roadbed including the crossties.
Brass rail track
Varney Casey Jones and Old Lady engines
Athearn "Hi-F" drive engines
Brass engines from Pacific Fast Mail, Akane, Gem, Kemtron and others
Aristo-Craft die cast HO steam engines
Die cast steam engine kits from Mantua, Roundhouse, Bowser, and others
Block control DC layouts

I know there's more but that's more than enough to start.

[Terry Toenges]

It looks like the only thing train related that Revell has now is an HO Big Boy kit and that is Revell of Germany.
https://www.revell.com/germany/other/80-2165.html

[Trainman203]

Revell and Lionel probably got into the HO train set market too late, right before slot cars came out.  Revell's structures in particular were exceptionally well done and finely detailed even by today's standards.

Tyco lasted longer but by 1970 or so the golden age of train sets, especially as an entry vehicle into scale model railroading, was done.

[Terry Toenges]

I built quite a few Revell model cars way back in my teenage years. Just the mention of Revell took me down memory lane. I never built any of their train stuff.

[WoundedBear]

I too built many a Revell car model. They had some of the most detailed kits for the day.

They just went out of business earlier this spring when they got sold off to Blitz in Germany. No more Revell USA, it will all be marketed under Revell Germany's label. Monogram models is another casualty of this storm.

Read here...........

http://www.scaleautomag.com/articles/2018/04/revell-has-been-sold

Sid

[dutchbuilder]

I have a Revell Big boy in my display cabinet next to a model of the first Dutch steam locomotive.
The biggest and the smallest next to each other.
I also had a H0n3 Roundhouse model of a outside frame steam loco.
It doesn't live here any more.
I gave it to a friend and it lives in his display case these days.
I don't know how it was in the US but here we had 00 Airfix kits of steam locomotives and rolling stock.

Ton

[WoundedBear]

I haven't seen their Big Boy model, but I do have a couple of NYC Hudson's from Revell. I figured they would be good for detail parts scattered about the enginehouse.

Sid

[bbmiroku]

I had one of the early versions of the Hi-F Hustler, with two rubber bands.  I didn't realize what I had and practically gave it away when I decided to focus on the steam era... Oh well.

[ebtnut]

My first HO loco was a PRR Hi-F F-7, bought at a Washington's Birthday sale when I was maybe 12.  I really didn't get seriously into scale trains until late high school.  I helped my grandfather build a garage one summer and that got me enough to buy a Mantua Pacific kit.  Still hate all those valve gear rivets.  Then came a sale on some brass Gem models and I got a Ma and Pa Ten-wheeler for $29.50. 

[Len]

Who can forget those 'old reliable' Mantua hook-and-loop couplers? Or the pile of wood in a Walthers yellow box passenger car kit?

Len

[Trainman203]

I have a pile of wood in a Northeastern passenger car kit.  Where you have to carve the rounded ends!🤭😮🤬

Ebtnut, what year did you buy the Gem Ma and Pa 4-6-0 for $29.95?  I bet I got mine at the same sale.  In 1965.

[ebtnut]

1965 sounds about right.  There was an ad in RMC for a summer sale special.  The sale also featured the Reading I-5 Camelback and one other loco I can't recall any more.

[Trainman203]

I later got a brass wabash mogul at the same sale price from the same place.  About 5 years later they were both destroyed in a household accident.

[Len]

I have a pile of wood in a Northeastern passenger car kit.  Where you have to carve the rounded ends!🤭😮🤬

I think those kits are why combo disk/belt sanders were invented.

Len

[jward]

I found the reference to Tru Scale roadbed interesting.

My Dad's layout is built entirely on Tru Scale. We bought the plain roadbed, and laid our own ties and rail on it. 40 years later, it's still in regular use with few if any problems.

I haven't found any roadbed  out there that is as good for handlaid track. But it's almost impossible to find now. I am wondering if i'll have to make my own out of pine moulding.