1960 Model Trains Magazine.

[Santa Fe buff]

As we visited the local model railroad muesum, as always, I ran through the pile of old model railroading related magazines they have on sale that are at no use. All are from 2000 to the year 1985. I found one I liked, and my father bought it for me, after I had some fun driving their O scale Alaska Railroad passenger run with Thomas the Tank Engine for the kid there. I read a New York Central fireman checklist book for a time, then we left with our newly obtained magazine. On the trip home, I found out it was dated:
January, 1960. Also, a funny discovery was made, the cover price is 35 cents, we purhased the magazine for only 25 cents. Probably the only thing old that isn't worth more, but less. I included a scanned picture of the cover, the scanner's rays brought out the dotted pigment, but you can still mostly make it out.

But due to the size being more then allowed for attachments, and me not allowed to have a Photobucket account lacks us the picture. Any ideas?

[SteamGene]

Let's see - in 1960 35 cents would be worth something like $3.35 or more today.  In perspective, in September 1959 I bought my cadet sword, brand new, for $25.  A new cadet sword today costs something like $350.  In ca 1962, the minimum wage was $0.50 an hour.
Gene

[Woody Elmore]

Hey Gene: in 1963, the year I finished HS, the minimum wage in NYC was $1.15 an hour. MR was fifty cents and Craftsman was 35 cents. An Athearn 40 foot boxcar kit was $1.29 and little jars of Pactra paint were ten cents each.

I used to stop for pizza once a week and it cost 15 cents a slice. A hot dog and papaya drink were 35 cents from Papaya King and Orange Julius was 25 cents.

The day I  finished college I bought my first HO engine kit - a Penn Line mikado. It was on sale for $29.95. You can still get one close to that price on Ebay.

I once had every issue of MR from 1959 and Craftsman from 1963. I happily gave them away (I didn't have the room to keep them.) I wish I had them now!

[Santa Fe buff]

Later after inspecting the book, I found out the issue, although meant for January, 1960-was printed and released early on December 17th, 1959. Given the math being clear, next year, it turns 50 year of age. Drastic changes in pricing was noted by me also. A TYCO train set including:

• 2 Baltimore & Ohio F9 A units
• 1 Chesapeake & Ohio gondola
• 1 Set of cylinder containers for stock on gondola
• 1 Small one outlet tanker car
  
  
  • 1 Stock car
  • 1Great Northern boxcar
  • 1 Refrigerator car
  • 1 End caboose
  All this is at a manufacturer price of $24.95. Much different then it's newer counterpart.

[Woody Elmore]

Model Trains was a great magazine. Lots of basic stuff; not nearly as formal or preachy as it's big brother: Model Railroader.

[john tricarico]

wow 1960

nothing wrong with giving our age away

use to go to polks on 32nd street
and madison hardware on 23rd st

woody i remeber the paints for a dime

a frankfurter for 15 cents

and the subway and bus for 15 cents

H.O. was starting to boom

also saw john kennedy pass on the lower east side
during his 1960 campaign

damm this forum is bringing back great memories


good luck  john t  brooklyn ny

[Santa Fe buff]

You know I could always e-mail it to you guys. But only if your okay with it.
I found an Atlas ad in it, full page, and I scanned it.
Also a Fleischmann ad, back cover, and was scanned, it shows a electronic switch that is pretty bulky compared to our flat ones.
Speaking of prices for books, the new 60' catalog was only 50c for them. The Fleischmann Super Track Book is 20c, the Faller Illustrated Houses, Mills, Etc. book is only 15c, finally we have the vollmer Catenary & Willke roadbed book for 10c. According to the send out form on the back cover.

[Conrail Quality]

Ah,1960: generally accepted as the birth of N-scale, with the introduction of Lone Star's "F7" and Arnold-Rapido's "Baldwin Switcher" (not that either could be considered more than semi-scale models ). A lot has happened in 48 years!

Timothy

[SteamGene]

John T - bet you didn't know one of my roommates, senior year in military school.  You live close to 33rd Street? 
Gene

[Joe Satnik]

Dear All,

The Kalmbach Magazine Index list this magazine as HO Monthly/Model Trains, abbreviated HOMT. 

Earliest issue in index Sept. 1948, latest Jan. 1964 (that I can find).   

Hope this helps.

Joe Satnik

[Santa Fe buff]

Dear All,

The Kalmbach Magazine Index list this magazine as HO Monthly/Model Trains, abbreviated HOMT. 

Earliest issue in index Sept. 1948, latest Jan. 1964 (that I can find).   

Hope this helps.

Joe Satnik

HO listed, but covers S, O, and O-27 too. So I would go to Trains.com correct?

[Joe Satnik]

Dear Santa Fe,

You are correct. 

Sorry, old habits die hard. 

It used to be known as the Kalmbach Magazine Index.  About 4 or 5 years ago it was put under the Trains.com website.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik 
   

[Woody Elmore]

John T - I never saw JFK but was present for the parade they gave John Glenn for the first sub-orbital Mercury flight. We got out of HS classes that morning to go over to Broadway and stand along the parade route.

The ten cent Pactra paints were great when building Revell models. They even had railroad colors which were hard to find. Polk's on 32nd street carried Floquil and 310M (supplied by Roundhouse) which was made for styrene. The real serious modelers used either floquil or All Nation Lacquer.

I was telling a friend that the Athearn kits contained trucks that had to be assembled. Instead of springs they had these rubber things that you had to force into the space between bolster and side frame. I used to go to America's Hobby Center and buy sprung trucks, assembled, three pair for a dollar. They came in little white boxes.

For what you would pay for an HO Kadee box car today you could buy an HO diesel and a couple of cars.

[Santa Fe buff]

Dear Santa Fe,

You are correct. 

Sorry, old habits die hard. 

It used to be known as the Kalmbach Magazine Index.  About 4 or 5 years ago it was put under the Trains.com website.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik 
   

Hey, it's okay, most of it is HO, only S, O, and O-27 in some things like products, tips, and whatnot.
Ah, I was right, Trains.com- I always knew something nice would come out off that site, but I rather send a mail subscribstion out, so I'm not all the known about what they have. But knowing this, sure, I'll check it out.

Ah,1960: generally accepted as the birth of N-scale, with the introduction of Lone Star's "F7" and Arnold-Rapido's "Baldwin Switcher" (not that either could be considered more than semi-scale models ). A lot has happened in 48 years!

Timothy

Your right, this is saying it covers every scale/gauge (the book says gauge, but HO is scale- I know some are gauges), no N scale! Or Z scale.

[ebtnut]

The first issue of MR I ever bought was April, 1956, when I was just a tad.  Through my childhood I hit most of the craft hobbies-- model trains, model airplanes, model ships, model autos.  Trains, though were sort of the bedrock.  Back about 1960, during the Christmas break, I was looking for something to do and rediscovered that old MR.  In it is an article on scratch-building a Jone & Laughlin 20,000 gallon tank car.  Well, I tackled that, and eventually got it built.  Made a lot of mistakes, but learned a lot in the process.  I kept it over the years, sort of as my "humility piece"-- a reminder of where it began, and the progess that can be made. Have been doing trains ever since.