TBT August 11th 2016

 Bet you never thought I had a paper plant on the layout?  Well here's proof.  The industry turned out too large for the layout and eventually was removed.  Klotz and Patriot Industries are now in this spot.  As for the loco, definitely a odd ball with the Horst air filter on a GP38.

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FPA 4 Friday VIA 6793 at Toronto ON in August 1986

VIA Rail FPA-4 #6793 trails on an equipment move from Toronto Union Station to the VIA servicing facility at Mimico on August 4, 1986. Uncredited slide from my collection, but I believe photographer is either Reg Button or Bill McArthur.

A busy day for me yesterday didn’t leave any time for a Throwback Thursday, but to make up for it, here instead is FPA-4 Friday - a look back to the summer of 1986. It’s August 4^th of that year and we are at Bathurst street in Toronto, Ontario, on a bright and sunny morning. Through the viewfinder we observe this rather odd, “everything but the kitchen sink” consist that includes VIA FPA-4 #6793, three RDC’s, and FP9 and even an Ontario Northland coach. The oddball collection of equipment is in fact an equipment move from Toronto Union Station to VIA’s Mimico servicing facility, located a few miles down CN’s Oakville subdivision, west of Toronto. It appears that three separate trains have been combined to ferry the consists to Mimico for servicing before heading out on other trains later in the day. We can guess that the FP9 and three cars on the west end of the move are from a westbound train, perhaps from up north judging by the ONT coach in the consist (perhaps VIA equipment had been used on that day’s Northlander?). The RDC’s are likely off of an eastbound train in from Niagara Falls, as they were common on VIA trains in the area until LRC/HEP-II cars took over and the RDC’s were retired. And the 6793 and two east-end cars are also likely off of an eastbound, perhaps the morning Sarnia train (#84) that came down the Guelph sub by way of Stratford, Kitchener, and Guelph. Any way you slice and dice it, there’s a lot to look at in this photo!

What has happened in the intervening 29 years? A lot, as it turns out. The most obvious change in the photo is the equipment – the “Blueline” coaches, the FPA-4, the FP9, and almost certainly the RDC’s were phased out and replaced by VIA’s current roster of GE P42DC’s, GMD F40PH-2’s, LRC coaches, and Budd-built HEP-II cars. A handful of RDC’s are retained for the Sudbury-White River operation, in a modified paint scheme with silver ends instead of yellow. Another major change is that the tracks in the background diverging to the right, the CN Weston subdivision has been greatly modified to incorporate a major grade-separation project, and the tracks have been lowered significantly in this area. The area in general now is considered the Union Station Rail Corridor, and operated by provincial transit authority Metrolinx (operator of GO Transit as well). In fact, Metrolinx now owns the Oakville subdivision all the way from Union Station to Burlington West, about 32 miles (though CN still serves local customers on the line, primarily at night). Some tracks at left have been removed (as has the freight yard in the distance at right), and the building in the centre has been demolished; high-priced glass-exterior condos now dominate the area. One thing that hasn’t changed? – the signal bridges. All three signal bridges that the train is passing under still stand, though plans to replace them with the modern aluminum structure, LED-lit “Darth Vader” signal bridges probably aren’t far off.

What about VIA 6793? – well, the engine not only dodged the scrapper’s torch, but evidently earned a vacation, now enjoying the Arizona sunshine as Grand Canyon Railway 6793. Painted in a bright silver and gold paint scheme, the engine now hauls trainloads of tourists in and around Williams, AZ. I bet it doesn’t miss the cold Canadian winters! A number of ex-VIA FPA-4’s survive in the US, on shortlines/tourist operations such as Grand Canyon Railway, Napa Valley Wine Train, New York & Lake Erie and Cuyahoga Valley to name a few.

‘Til next time,

Cheers,

Peter.

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HBS 701 at Bethlehem Shipyard 27 August 1960

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HBS 701 27 August 1960 14th Street Yard

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Throwback Thursday August 13th 2015

Favorite railfanning places:
In the last TBT post, I had railfanning pics from the Sandpatch/Mance area, Ex- B&O.  In this segment we will look at another section of the B&O that is in the remote area of West Virginia and Maryland.  This area is along the Potomac River between Cumberland, MD and Hancock, WV and some of the more tranquil and beautiful areas you will ever go.   Here are some shots from October 2005/Spring 2006.

One of the older CSX paint schemes leads an autorack westbound through Hansrote, WV.

A veteran SD40-2 leads a manifest westbound through a foggy Hansrote.

Another westbound in the sun this time coming out of Randolph tunnel.  There are  4 tunnels on the Magnolia Cutoff, all within a about 4 miles of each other.  Notice my 4-wheeler on the bottom left.  The best way to get around! 

Another westbound manifest splits the signals at Doe Gully.  Believe all the B&O CPL's are gone now.

An eastbound coal train crosses Kessler bridge into the Kessler tunnel.  This is the Potomac River.  The train will go from WV, into MD then back into MD in this spot. 

Remember your in the middle of nowhere.  Lots of river retreats are along the tracks.

The westbound Capital Limited crosses Kessler bridge back into WV.  This photo show the Kessler bridge, Graham tunnel through MD, the Magnolia bridge and the signals in WV at Magnolia.

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Throwback Thursday August 4th 2016

Old school meets new school, catfish vs. high hood or GE vs. EMD.  Exactly 10 years ago I find myself in Vardo Yard in Hagerstown, MD.  Then, high hoods were the norm, but are very rare these days.  My main appeal to NS is the high hoods.  Man do they standout versus the widecabs!

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Throwback Thursday 8 Amtrak E8A 284 at St Thomas ON in August 1975

Amtrak E8A #284 pauses at St. Thomas, Ontario with eastbound train #64, the Empire State Express. Three locomotives for five cars seems a bit excessive! Date is approximately August 20, 1975. Uncredited Ektachrome, author's collection. 

Our Throwback Thursday today takes us back to August 1975 on a sunny morning at St. Thomas, Ontario. Amtrak E8A #284 is piloting train #64, the eastbound Empire State Express, and has stopped in front of the massive Michigan Central (or CASO to die-hard fans) station to entrain passengers heading to the Big Apple. Today’s train is unusual for a couple of reasons: first, the second E8A (the train typically ran with only one locomotive), but far more interestingly, the Delaware & Hudson PA1 sandwiched between the two Amtrak engines. What was the classy ALCo doing in southern Ontario? Delaware & Hudson, long a proponent of Schenectady-built locomotives, had contracted with Boise, Idaho-located Morrison-Knudsen to rebuild a number of 244-powered locomotives with 251 engines. Included in the program were the four ex-Santa Fe “blue-bonnet” painted PA1’s. Somehow, after their overhaul, the PA1’s took the scenic route back to home rails, part of which included a stretch across southern Ontario by way of the CASO. As the PA1's were completed one at a time, the locomotives were sent back east in the consist of various Amtrak trains, though I believe one PA actually lead #64 from Detroit to Buffalo. Naturally, it was in the dead of winter, in a snow storm, though there are a few shots of the train out there. Suspiciously, a number of railfans were purported to call in "sick" to work that day, or perhaps blamed the snowstorm instead...

Running from Detroit, Michigan, to New York City, the Empire State Express was initiated in 1974 (renamed the Niagara Rainbow in 1976) and provided a connection between two major business centers in the American northeast, via a shortcut through the southern Ontario countryside. Prior to Amtrak’s formation in 1971, the route had previously been served by New York Central/Penn Central trains The Wolverineand the Motor City Special; under Amtrak operations, the former train had been truncated to Detroit and the latter abolished altogether. The train ran seven days a week and featured a snack car as well as baggage car. Despite the name, until 1978, the train did not actually go through Niagara Falls but instead crossed the border at Fort Erie/Buffalo. In 1979, however, both Michigan and New York states withdrew their funding contribution to the operation of the train and the route was truncated from New York City to Niagara Falls, New York.

What about the lead unit, Amtrak 284? It began life as Pennsylvania #4276 in September 1952. No doubt enjoying its’ share of time in the lead of the railroad’s premier passenger trains, the engine eventually became the property of Amtrak upon formation of the American national passenger carrier in 1971. After surviving the early Amtrak years as engine #284, it was renumbered to Amtrak #495 and subsequently rebuilt with an HEP system, a move that likely extended its’ life considerably. Following its’ stint on Amtrak – apparently, primarily in the US northeast – the engine began a new life as BMRG (Blue Mountain & Reading)/“PRR” 5706 – no, not the original Pennsy 5706, but a reasonably-convincing throwback to its’ former appearance. Not only in its’ former colors, the engine continued to operate in and around Pennsylvania, hauling excursions under ownership by Andy Muller. The details of the engine’s next few years are a little fuzzy, but somehow the engine came to live in Sumiton, Alabama, functioning – of all things – as a wedding chapel! Current photos show the locomotive (with most mechanical components removed) on a small piece of track in front of a shopping complex in Irondale, Alabama, wearing a shiny new coat of Southern green and white paint. Like a cat with nine lives, it’s incredible that the unit somehow managed to dodge the scrapper’s torch! A long, long way from the southern Ontario rails it once frequented, hopefully the engine will enjoy its’ retirement in the Alabama sunshine for many years to come!

Incredibly, the trailing unit D&H #18 is also still around and in fact is probably much more famous than poor old 284 ever was; the engine survives today as “NKP” 190, the PA-1 that Doyle McCormack is lovingly restoring back to operating condition. Acquired from Santa Fe in 1967, the engine served D&H’s passenger needs until it was sold in 1979 to a broker; a resale to Mexican interests took the engine south of the border where it evidently ran for a number of years before being parted out. One of only two semi-complete (cosmetically, anyhow) PA-1’s in existence, the locomotive is indeed a rare bird. In the summer of 2014, the engine moved for the first time in 14 years (not yet under its’ own power) to the large gathering of carbody units at the North Carolina Transportation Museum, in Spencer, NC. It’s original 244 engine and the 251 that was used to repower it are long gone, and instead a 12-251 salvaged from a BC Rail M420B has been installed. Though the engine has been started, much of the electrical gear to power the traction motors still needs to be repaired or replaced. Though neither unit is likely to ever visit Canada again, we can look at the above photo and think of what it must have sounded and felt like to stand next to this rather unusual train…

‘Til next time,

Cheers,

Peter.

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Toy Collectors Club Newsletter August 2012

Hello Collectors Club Member;

It’s been about a month since our last email and we wanted to share some things with you.

What’s in this month’s email blast?

• Restock arrivals 
• What’s happening in and around Calgary?
• Tip of the Month
• Fun Video (building a life-size Airfix model kit)
• News 

  

Restock Arrived:

-12" figure collection many different from Civil War, Knights, Vikings, Military and more

    check out www.facebook.com/ChinookAndHobbyWest for pictures

-12" figure accesories many new hands, bodies, and clothing.

-Balsa and foam gliders for all ages!

-3 3/4" Star Wars Vintage figures, playsets and vehicles from a collection; most complete (loose boxed)

-4WD Miniracer kits and accessories to customize a mini R/C racer

-Diecast collection with Mopar and Nascar in 1:18 and 1:24

-various sized display cases. For 1:87, 1:64, 1:24, 1:18 and more. Most are

stackable.

-items available at both stores in Calgary

What’s Happening?

We hear about clubs, events and other things that may interest you. As we can we post

them on the events page of our website.

-         Please let us know if you hear of any so we can post them!

Tip of the Month

-When aging clothing for 12" figures use fine grit sandpaper to rough up tears or

to create a 'worn' look (take the clothing off the figure first). Then put the clothing back on and

'dry brush' chalk or paint to create highlights (lighter colours where the light 'hits' the fabric)

and 'lowlights' (where the recesses of the fabric are). For blood stains use burgandy or

mahogany colours for added realism.

Fun Video

James May wanted to get big and small kids imagination going by building a life size Lego house!

Check it out and share what you think! 

http://youtu.be/qR2YqMrS_pM

 News

 Classes

Our next Airbrushing for Beginners class will be in October 2012. Please check out the

 events calendar on our website for more information. You can either email or call Valerie

to pre-book your space.

Do You Want To Share Your Knowledge With Others?

We are looking for people that would like to share their model railroading tips with others.

It can be in written form or a short video. You would get full credit and if your contribution

gets positive response and you become a repeat blogger for us we would like to share the reward.

Why Does Our Stock Level Look Thin?

We are making changes to both of our stores. We have a new logo, new look and we are

changing how we do things. Those of you that know Rob have experienced how Rob tends

to take things in a new direction from time to time.

Over the summer we are renovating our upstairs of our South store to have something new and

different. So please check out our Facebook page and watch our website for updates.

Late August and Early September you can expect to see new and restock in our plastic and

diecast sections.

We have been purchasing various Action Figure and other collectibles collections. From Barbie, GI Joe to Star Wars. So come by and watch the shelves as they fill out with New to Us Product and the NEW stock arriving starting in September!

Help Us Improve

We would love for you to share your comments and ideas (even the not so nice ones).

What do you want to see in upcoming emails and newsletters? What would you like to see

on our website, blog and/or our Facebook page? If we’ve done something you love let us

know so we can keep it up.

We want to become the Hobby Store that you want to visit so please share with us!

Please email this to a friend; they can join our Collectors Club too!

http://www.chinookandhobbywest.com/collectors-club.html

Thanks so much and we hope to see you really soon.

From Rob, Val and all the guys at Chinook & Hobby West

North Store: 2604 – 4^th St. NW    Ph# 403-984-3438

South Store: 5011 Macleod Tr. SW    Ph# 403-243-1997

 

 

Blog: http://chinookhobbytalk.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://facebook.com/ChinookAndHobb

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/HobbyandToy

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/hobbymum

Tumblr: http://chinookhobby.tumblr.com

website: http://www.chinookandhobbywest

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TBT August 6th 2015

More Railfanning:
  My absolute favorite place to railfan, Mance, PA on the former B&O "horseshoe" and Sandpatch Grade.  Spent many days camping along the ROW and taking all the trains that ran over the hill.Few things you were guaranteed in October: cold nights/mornings, unusual power, and lulls in the action!

These are from October 2004. Always hard to get a sunny day up there anything of the year.

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Awesome pics video from yesterday and TBT August 25th 2016

Yesterday, My two sons and I headed due north up to my favorite hobby shop:
Mainline Hobby

It's a long drive but always worth it.  As usual, we do some railfanning along the way.  The Maryland Midland interchanges in the area of the hobby shop which is located in Blue Ridge Summit, PA.  The name is where I got my name for my HO empire.  I've been coming up here for 15 years and one of the first time I did, I stumbled upon the Maryland Midland.  The paint has changed recently but they represented what I wanted in a railroad.  I railfanned them alot over the years and knew the line like the palm of my hand. We lucked out as we found them in Thurmont, MD as we were heading up.  The chase was on once I saw this lashup!:

FIVE Emds on the head end?  Must have a big train.  Turns out that it had 54 loaded cement cars and 2 boxcars for the run up the Catoctin Mountains.

2006 lashup

2016 lashup

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HBS 701 27 August 1960

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End of August update You Tube video

Here's an update video on my progress on the layout this summer:

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Model Collectors Club Newsletter August 2012

Hello Collectors Club Member;

It’s been about a month since our last email and we wanted to share some things with you.

What’s in this month’s email blast?

• Restock arrivals 
• What’s happening in and around Calgary?
• Tip of the Month
• Fun Video (building a life-size Airfix model kit)
• News 

  

Restock Arrived:

-4WD Miniracer kits and accessories to customize a mini R/C racer

-Diecast collection with Mopar and Nascar in 1:18 and 1:24

-Model Technologies Detail sets for aircraft

-Indoor Spray Booth: includes a baffle to contain fumes & fold up easily

-various sized display cases. For 1:87, 1:64, 1:24, 1:18 and more. Most are

stackable.

What’s Happening?

We hear about clubs, events and other things that may interest you. As we can we post

them on the events page of our website.

-         Every Tuesday night (weather permitting) Oakridge A & W has a mini show and shine, bring

        by your car/truck or just visit. 

-    2012 Alberta Military Modellers Show: Sept. 15/12 at the Military Museum of Calgary

        http://www.albertamilmodshow.ca for more info on how to enter, time & cost

Tip of the Month

Scales

The term 'scale' refers to the proportion of actual size the replica or model represents. Scale is usually expressed as a ratio (e.g. '1:35') or as a fraction (e.g. '1/35'). In either case it conveys the notion that the replica or model is accurately scaled in all visible proportions from a full-size prototype object. Thus a 1:35th scale model tank is 1' to 35' the size of the actual vehicle upon which the model is based. Models generally make no attempt to replicate scale weight, only size.
Scales for commercially produced kits include 1:9, 1:16, 1:24, 1:35, 1:48, 1:72, 1:87 (railroad HO scale), 1:144, 1:250, 1:285 and 1:300. However, 1:35 and 1:72 are by far the most popular. A relatively new trend led by Tamiya is military vehicle kits in 1:48 scale — a popular scale for military aircraft models. The scale was formerly introduced by companies such as Aurora, and Bandai in the 1970's. However, the scale did not gain popularity mostly because of the accuracy and detail of the scale. Scratch built models may be in any scale, but tend to follow the most popular kit scales due to the ease of finding kit components which may be used in the scratch built model.
Larger-scale models tend to incorporate higher levels of detail, but even smaller-scale models may be quite intricate.

Subjects

Military vehicle modellers build a wide variety of models. Tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles are the most popular subjects at model contests. Modellers also build ordnance, military trucks and half-tracks, and lighter vehicles such as jeeps and motorcycles. Models may be displayed in stand-alone mode, that is, with no base, or on a decorative base, often with a label of some kind. More elaborate bases may include scale scenery, intended to depict the setting in which the vehicle served. This trends towards the closely related hobby of diorama building.
Taken from http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alberta-Military-Modellers-Show/121278451295545#!/pages/Model-military-vehicle/111020152253485?rf=115006585177613

Fun Video

James May wanted to get kids interested in model building by having them put together, paint and

display a 1:1 Airfix model Spitfire airplane kit.

http://youtu.be/zID8rnZcshs

 News

 Classes

Our next Airbrushing for Beginners class will be in October 2012. Please check out the

 events calendar on our website for more information. You can either email or call Valerie

to pre-book your space.

Do You Want To Share Your Knowledge With Others?

We are looking for people that would like to share their model railroading tips with others.

It can be in written form or a short video. You would get full credit and if your contribution

gets positive response and you become a repeat blogger for us we would like to share the reward.

Why Does Our Stock Level Look Thin?

We are making changes to both of our stores. We have a new logo, new look and we are

changing how we do things. Those of you that know Rob have experienced how Rob tends

to take things in a new direction from time to time.

Over the summer we are renovating our upstairs of our South store to have something new and

different. So please check out our Facebook page and watch our website for updates.

Late August and Early September you can expect to see new and restock in our plastic and

diecast sections.

Help Us Improve

We would love for you to share your comments and ideas (even the not so nice ones).

What do you want to see in upcoming emails and newsletters? What would you like to see

on our website, blog and/or our Facebook page? If we’ve done something you love let us

know so we can keep it up.

We want to become the Hobby Store that you want to visit so please share with us!

Please email this to a friend; they can join our Collectors Club too!

http://www.chinookandhobbywest.com/collectors-club.html

Thanks so much and we hope to see you really soon.

From Rob, Val and all the guys at Chinook & Hobby West

North Store: 2604 – 4^th St. NW    Ph# 403-984-3438

South Store: 5011 Macleod Tr. SW    Ph# 403-243-1997

 

 

Blog: http://chinookhobbytalk.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://facebook.com/ChinookAndHobb

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/HobbyandToy

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/hobbymum

Tumblr: http://chinookhobby.tumblr.com

website: http://www.chinookandhobbywest.com

Continue reading →

F Unit Friday 2 CPR 1432 at Banff Alberta August 1963

CP 1432 and 8129 spend a few minutes together on a pleasant afternoon in Banff, AB in August 1963. Uncredited slide, author's collection.

Well, I didn’t plan to do this as an F-unit Friday but once again Throwback Thursday was running late. We’re at Banff, Alberta, in August 1963 where we find CP 1432 leading the westbound Canadian in the late afternoon sunshine. There are a number of things in the photo that struck me as “really interesting” and help turn it into a mini time capsule of sorts.

First, the keen observer will note that the trailing unit on the train is in fact a Fairbanks-Morse engine. While CP did tend to keep the FM’s in the west, it is probable that not often they could be found on passenger trains (note the FM style of truck as well as radiators/exhaust stack). Likewise, the use of an SW1200RS in the west seems somewhat unusual. Typically associated with use on the DAR or Ontario branchlines, a switcher was maintained at Banff for a number of years to switch cars on and off the passenger trains stopping at Banff. Then, as now, the town remains a popular tourist destination, though the town’s connection to the railway is not what it once was. On top of CP 1432 is an interesting feature unique to the Canadian (not the icicle breakers) – the high-powered light aimed toward the sky used to illuminate the mountains as the train passed through them in the night. The idea was to light up the scenery for passengers riding in the dome cars, and even if it did not work too well, is an example of the blue-sky thinking that has largely disappeared from today’s railroading, and in particular Canadian passenger travel.

Additionally, it appears that the summer popularity of the train has exceeded what capacity the classy stainless Budd cars could provide, thus requiring that a number of older heavyweight cars be added to the train. A number, including some on this train, where painted with aluminum paint in an effort to blend them in with the rest of the consist, however it appears that a plain-jane maroon car has also been pressed into service. A lightweight CC&F baggage car has also been added and disturbs the streamlined stainless motif of the train.

While a Google street-view of the scene today shows that it is much the same (but with taller trees), the train in the photo above has indeed come and gone. CP 1432, built as #4041 in 1951 at GMDD London, was renumbered to 1432 in 1955, only to be renumbered back to 4041 in 1966 before again becoming 1432 in 1969. It was sold to VIA Rail upon formation of the crown carrier in 1978 but was later returned to CP and subsequently scrapped (despite a full repaint into VIA colors). CP 8129 served CP for many years before ultimately meeting its’ demise in a wreck at Laval, Quebec; it was subsequently sold to Andrew Merrilees in 1998. Many of the Budd stainless cars ended up being rebuilt by VIA Rail in their HEP refurbishment program and continue in service although the heavyweight coaches, baggage car and the FM unit likely have all long since been turned into razor blades.

But for at least a few minutes back in August 1963 CP offered the photographer a rather interesting scene to photograph. I wonder if the photographer found the slide as interesting as I do? Uncredited slide, author’s collection.

Cheers,

Peter.

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Model Railroading Collectors Club Newsletter August 2012

Hello Collectors Club Member;

It’s been about a month since our last email and we wanted to share some

things with you.

What’s in this month’s email blast?

• Restock and NEW stock arrivals 
• What’s happening in and around Calgary?
• Tip of the Month
• Fun Video (World's Largest Model Railroad)
• News (includes Industry Update)

  

Restock Arrived:

-'HO' handmade, pre-built buildings and building kits by Campbell, Highway Miniatures,

Sylvan Scale Models, Timberline, Tichy and many more...

-Railway DVD's: Canadian Rails, Scarlet & Gray Memories, Great Shortlines West and

more titles available: Check out our Features of the week page for pictures.

-'O' scale only available at our North location

-Woodlands Scenics

-more items available at both stores in Calgary

NEW Arrived:

-KATO 'N' ES44AC, SD90/43MAC,  MIKADO

-'N' Proto 2000 USRA 2-8-8-2

-'N' Atlas, Micro-Trains, Lifelike and more...

-and a new scenery/diorama line DMS

-'HO' Rapido VIA FP9A locomotives

-'HO' Rapido passenger cars CP & CN

-'HO' Intermountain Sultran Cars

-Come check out Both stores for all the neat items arriving weekly!

What’s Happening?

We hear about clubs, events and other things that may interest you. As we can we post

them on the events page of our website.

-         Alberta FREE-MO 2012. Aug. 18 & Aug. 19 Big Valley Agriplex; Big Valley, AB. www.calgaryfreemo.ca for more info.

-    Great Edmonton Model Train Show. Sept. 15 & 16; Edmonton, AB. www.mmrf.ab.ca for more info.

-    have you checked out our redesigned website? www.chinookandhobbywest.com please let us know what you think.

Tip of the Month

• When weathering railcars and locos always go from the top to the bottom, so the streaks taper off.
• Seal your piece with matte finish so you can use chalks or acrylic and you can wipe off any 'mistakes' easily.
• Use a 300 grit or finer sandpaper with a light touch to 'wear away' decals, do this a little bit at a time as its easier to take off more than to figure out how to put it back.
• Make sure to seal your project once its done, with a matte finish so all your hard work doesn't get rubbed off.

Fun Video

James May has to be one of the most imaginative big kid I've seen in a while. As a model railroder he had to build the World's Largest HO train layout in the UK. Check out The Great Train Race today! We just love how all ages got involved with this project.

Check it out and share what you think! 

http://youtu.be/Zh5d8nx738E

 News

 Classes

Our next Airbrushing for Beginners class will be in October 2012. Please check out the

 events calendar on our website for more information. You can either email or call Valerie

to pre-book your space.

Help Wanted!

We are looking for a part time person knowledgeable in Model Railroading. Please go to

our website and check out our Job Opportunity page.

Do You Want To Share Your Knowledge With Others?

We are looking for people that would like to share their model railroading tips with others.

It can be in written form or a short video. You would get full credit and if your contribution

gets positive response and you become a repeat blogger for us we would like to share the reward.

Industry Update- So you don't get upset with your Hobby Store

The hobby is in a manufacturing turmoil, due to a lack of production capacity now.
There is no question; you have seen the delays from virtually all manufacturers. Pick any manufacturer’s

name and their products are delayed. Why you ask? There are several reasons.
The primary one is that the largest factory which produced models for a wide variety of manufacturers

 has shut its doors to those manufacturers. After it had been bought and sold several times, it was

bought out by the Bachmann group and now produces models solely for Bachmann.  This was a huge

 production facility, about 10 times the normal size of a typical Chinese factory.  Or think of it as 10

factories operating under one name.

There is no other "big" factory, equivalent in size.  As a result, many manufacturers have been forced

to scramble and find another factory that can produce their models. However, there is no other "A"

size factory, the next size is "B" size, 1/10th of the "A" size. 
If you can imagine the size of China’s manufacturing sector, you might well say to yourself there should

be lots of factories. There is, they produce lots of electronics, such as games, toys, appliances,

telecommunications, etc. However, model trains are way down at the bottom of the list, as it is

such a small market.
Believe it or not, there are very few companies capable of model train production. There are about

three "B" size main factories and some smaller "C" size factories. 

Then you have the issue of complexity.  Our hobby products involve tool and die making,

electronics, motors, plastic extrusion, assembly, and painting. All of this has to be done with fine

tolerances. All of these areas require dedicated areas and skilled employees. Compare all of that

to an example, a “Barbie doll”, with much greater tolerance for error.

The result to you the modeler is that your promised future models have been delayed.
As dealers (your local hobby shop), we and all other dealers are the recipient of modelers’

frustrations, as we are their direct contact. I can certainly understand and empathize with

modelers’ frustrations. We have the same frustration, except it is multiplied a hundred times

or more. We, as dealers and distributors, plan on models delivered in future months for our

cash flow planning, staffing and other commitments. Every store, distributor and manufacturer

is experiencing the same problems. There is no immediate fix or date when “normalcy” will

return to the hobby.

Another issue affecting production is working capital, or more specifically, the lack of working capital,

both in North America and in Asia.  The financial crisis of 2008 has hammered businesses around the

globe. Working capital has dried up for many manufacturers. In foreign countries, a number of

manufacturers may be taking funds from one customer and applying them to another, they are “robbing

Peter to pay Paul” to stay in business.
I know of a number of our North American importers, with manufacturers overseas, who are in this

position of waiting, and waiting, and waiting. They have supplied funds to their overseas manufacturers

for research and development, tooling, raw materials and production costs, and are waiting on receiving

a pre-production sample. They may even have approved the sample and are waiting for production to

occur, but they are still waiting. It is out of their control.

Now is not the time to berate manufacturers for not delivering products to you. It is a global issue.
The only thing we can say to you is to be patient.  Take care.

From Tom Tomblin, President,Canadian Model Trains Inc.

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http://www.chinookandhobbywest.com/collectors-club.html

Thanks so much and we hope to see you really soon.

From Rob, Val and all the guys at Chinook & Hobby West

North Store: 2604 – 4^th St. NW    Ph# 403-984-3438

South Store: 5011 Macleod Tr. SW    Ph# 403-243-1997

 

 

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