August Trolleyville Times

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HOBBY SHOP?

Supporting your local hobby shop has long been a long standing tradition in the model railroading community. We were always told that if we didn't support the shops, they would not be there when we needed them. Competition was increasing from discount houses, discount stores, the Great American Train Show, the Internet and finally eBay. Modelers began to shift their purchases to these sources, as they were in some cases faster and cheaper. Service at some stores, especially to new hobbyists, was less than optimum. Many model train stores closed and the position of model trains in the hobby chain began to decline as trains became less important to the average citizen. As the average model railroader continued to get older, most remaining model train stores came to realize that model railroad clubs and their members spend considerable sums of money on both the club and their personal modeling activities. To support and help preserve these clubs, progressive model train stores have usually offered some sort of incentive program for the clubs. These programs offered different types of economic incentives to encourage club members to purchase items for club use at their particular stores rather than the other sources available.

The Southern California Traction Club (SCTC) was formed in 1995 in a Torrance, CA hobby shop. This store generously supported local model railroad clubs. Late last year, the club decided to embrace Digital Command Control Technology for the subway train module that the club was developing. It did not take very long to discover that to do this correctly and get all the special effects that the club wanted, would result in expenditures of over $1,000.00. The club had expended over $800.00 of this amount at another shop, which terminated their "club" program on August 1st, so the club went shopping for the "best" local deal available. It did not take very long to find such a model train store, the Original Whistle Stop, Inc. in Pasadena, CA. This store supported the clubs with their own "Club" program. This program offered incentives and favorable pricing on some of the basic items that the club needed. The club found that their program was very beneficial to the current needs of the club. On Monday, July 17th, the club enrolled in their "Club" program and made their first purchases. Shown below is Brian Brooks, one of the owners of The Original Whistle Stop and George Huckaby, one of the founders of the club, just after the agreement was completed.

While the benefits of the program are being evaluated by the club membership, estimates are that it will stretch the model railroad dollars of the club by double-digit percentages. The program at this store is particularly attractive since one club member lives within a few blocks of the Original Whistle Stop and the program has been tailored to the peculiar needs of an HO scale traction club.

So, the answer to the headline question in the majority of cases should be yes, but we now recommend that model railroad clubs add five words...... Support Your Local Hobby Shop - Especially When They Support You!
___________________________________________

MORE TRACTION ITEMS FROM HOLLYWOOD FOUNDRY

***

In our February 2006 edition, we mentioned the BullAnt integrated power truck. In such an integrated truck, the motor is mounted on and swivels with the truck itself. We reviewed the truck itself in the edition. At that time, we anticipated that there would eventually be a power truck that could be used with centrally mounted motors. Well, the 'BullAnt In-Line Power Bogie" is now here. Shown in the next photograph is an HO scale truck. It can be made with various wheel sizes, wheelbases and gauges (HO, HOn3 etc).

Another power truck being offered is the Gozunder 800 shown in the next photo. This truck may have applications for the many Soho Los Angeles Railway streetcars, Suydam 000, 00150, 414, 1300 models. These cars all were imported over twenty years ago using blue plastic gears, most of which have deteriorated by now. Although replacement brass gears are available from NorthWest Short Line, they are difficult to install and the drive tends to be noisy in service.

Shown below are some of the possible applications with Mashima motors.

Trolleyville has obtained one of these new trucks equipped with 8mm (27") wheels and an 18mm (5' 2") wheelbase. We will be attempting to place one of these into a Ken Kidder Double Truck Birney and will report on this in our September edition. For more information about these products, please view the Hollywood Foundry web site.


August 2006

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HOBBY SHOP? Does this still benefit model railroad clubs?
MORE PCC CARS FOR SAN FRANCISCO ******* San Francisco keeps adding to its operational streetcar collection. On June 19th, two more cars were tested on the system. The first car, car 1080, is an ex-Minneapolis, ex-Newark PCC car that has had the exterior painted as a Los Angeles Transit Lines (LATL) car. This car is one of the series, 1070-1080 reported in the May Trolleyville Times. The other car tested is the former Brussels car, 737 renumbered from 7037 to avoid conflict with trolley coaches. This car is essentially a PCC car but has had some solid-state upgrades in its control system, which posed a challenge for the Muni maintenance forces. Car 737 is a first-generation European PCC built in 1951 originally for Brussels. In 2005, the city of Zurich and the Swiss embassy "gave" San Francisco a similar looking car from Zurich. Zurich is meter gauge, and MUNI wasn't convinced that the car could be successfully re-gauged and operate without problems in an operational environment. So the Brussels car was painted to look like a Zurich car. When the car arrived at Geneva, it sported the all-too-familiar Faivley pantograph and appeared as shown in the next photo. Because of the large windows, the car feels somewhat like a modern LRV (without tinted windows) from the inside. The ride is unmistakably PCC with the smooth almost silent operation. For the modelers, we have included a drawing of the car! On Sunday, July 30th, Muni took delivery of the second of the ex-Newark cars. This car has had both the exterior and interiors completed by Brookville Mining Equipment Company. Shown below are photos taken on that day:	SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HOBBY SHOP? Supporting your local hobby shop has long been a long standing tradition in the model railroading community. We were always told that if we didn't support the shops, they would not be there when we needed them. Competition was increasing from discount houses, discount stores, the Great American Train Show, the Internet and finally eBay. Modelers began to shift their purchases to these sources, as they were in some cases faster and cheaper. Service at some stores, especially to new hobbyists, was less than optimum. Many model train stores closed and the position of model trains in the hobby chain began to decline as trains became less important to the average citizen. As the average model railroader continued to get older, most remaining model train stores came to realize that model railroad clubs and their members spend considerable sums of money on both the club and their personal modeling activities. To support and help preserve these clubs, progressive model train stores have usually offered some sort of incentive program for the clubs. These programs offered different types of economic incentives to encourage club members to purchase items for club use at their particular stores rather than the other sources available. The Southern California Traction Club (SCTC) was formed in 1995 in a Torrance, CA hobby shop. This store generously supported local model railroad clubs. Late last year, the club decided to embrace Digital Command Control Technology for the subway train module that the club was developing. It did not take very long to discover that to do this correctly and get all the special effects that the club wanted, would result in expenditures of over $1,000.00. The club had expended over $800.00 of this amount at another shop, which terminated their "club" program on August 1st, so the club went shopping for the "best" local deal available. It did not take very long to find such a model train store, the Original Whistle Stop, Inc. in Pasadena, CA. This store supported the clubs with their own "Club" program. This program offered incentives and favorable pricing on some of the basic items that the club needed. The club found that their program was very beneficial to the current needs of the club. On Monday, July 17th, the club enrolled in their "Club" program and made their first purchases. Shown below is Brian Brooks, one of the owners of The Original Whistle Stop and George Huckaby, one of the founders of the club, just after the agreement was completed. While the benefits of the program are being evaluated by the club membership, estimates are that it will stretch the model railroad dollars of the club by double-digit percentages. The program at this store is particularly attractive since one club member lives within a few blocks of the Original Whistle Stop and the program has been tailored to the peculiar needs of an HO scale traction club. So, the answer to the headline question in the majority of cases should be yes, but we now recommend that model railroad clubs add five words...... Support Your Local Hobby Shop - Especially When They Support You! ___________________________________________ MORE TRACTION ITEMS FROM HOLLYWOOD FOUNDRY ******* In our February 2006 edition, we mentioned the BullAnt integrated power truck. In such an integrated truck, the motor is mounted on and swivels with the truck itself. We reviewed the truck itself in the edition. At that time, we anticipated that there would eventually be a power truck that could be used with centrally mounted motors. Well, the 'BullAnt In-Line Power Bogie" is now here. Shown in the next photograph is an HO scale truck. It can be made with various wheel sizes, wheelbases and gauges (HO, HOn3 etc). Another power truck being offered is the Gozunder 800 shown in the next photo. This truck may have applications for the many Soho Los Angeles Railway streetcars, Suydam 000, 00150, 414, 1300 models. These cars all were imported over twenty years ago using blue plastic gears, most of which have deteriorated by now. Although replacement brass gears are available from NorthWest Short Line, they are difficult to install and the drive tends to be noisy in service. Shown below are some of the possible applications with Mashima motors. Trolleyville has obtained one of these new trucks equipped with 8mm (27") wheels and an 18mm (5' 2") wheelbase. We will be attempting to place one of these into a Ken Kidder Double Truck Birney and will report on this in our September edition. For more information about these products, please view the Hollywood Foundry web site.