Branchline EZ Kits
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Jeff Aley - GCD PE <jaley@...>
Does anyone have any details on the Branchline EZ Kits? Is this based on
their Blueprint tooling, but with cast-on details? And what about their "Yardmaster" series? What's the difference between Yardmaster and EZ Kits? (References: http://www.branchline-trains.com/ezkits/40ezkits.htm http://www.branchline-trains.com/ ). Regards, -Jeff -- Jeff Aley, Development Engineer jaley@... Graphics Components Division Intel Corporation, Folsom, CA (916) 356-3533
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byronrose@...
On Wed, 17 Jan 2001 13:56:26 -0800 (PST) Jeff Aley - GCD PE
<jaley@...> writes: Does anyone have any details on the Branchline EZ Kits? Is this ATTENTION ALL. Coming soon to this list will be Mr. Bill "we-haven't-shipped-that-yet" Schneider, chief honcho and bottle washer of that part of BLT dedicated to destroying the balance of styrene and ABS in the universe. I'm sure he will be glad to answer any and all of your questions about their new kits in complete detail. Honesty is optional at extra cost. BSR PS In case Bill doesn't get to it soon, the answers to your above questions are: yes, no, what about it, much. Don't thank me, that's what I'm here for. ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.
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Bill Schneider <branch@...>
Jeez, with an intro like that how can I resist.... :>)
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The Branchline "Yardmaster" series kits ("E-Z" has already been taken...) are a new series of kits aimed at the "mass market". They will have cast on details but the details will be as fine as we can make them and include things like underbody brake gear (ala Central Valley/McKean). The hope is to reach some of the market who thinks "all those parts" make a kit too difficult to assemble but still want a well-detailed good looking car. Think of them as our Proto 1000.... The first car out in this series will be the pre war (1937?) AAR 10-0 IH boxcar. If response to this car is decent there will be others. The tooling for this car is complete and has been test shot, but I have no scheduled release dates. (Of course, MR Rose will tell you that even if I did it wouldn't mean anything...) This series will NOT replace the Blueprint Series kits we produce (occasionally...). It is aimed at the quick-build segment of the market. If you're looking for a highly detailed kit of this car with all the extra goodies, buy one from my friends at Red Caboose. If you want something to slap on the layout fast, this is your baby! Bill Schneider Branchline Trains http://www.branchline-trains.com byronrose@... wrote:
ATTENTION ALL. Coming soon to this list will be Mr. Bill
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John Nehrich <nehrij@...>
AAAAhhhh - The King is dead - Long live the King!
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Finally a replacement for the standard Athearn box car, in terms of similar prototype (the Athearn prototype is still questionable, but in the ballpark of the 1937/1942 AAR car) and ease of construction. Thank you Bill! (But don't let this get in the way of the passenger cars!) - John
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Schneider" <branch@...> To: <STMFC@...> Cc: <byronrose@...> Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2001 7:11 AM Subject: Re: [STMFC] Branchline EZ Kits Jeez, with an intro like that how can I resist.... :>)
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Tim O'Connor <timoconnor@...>
The 1937 AAR box car has been available from MDC/Roundhouse
for about a hundred years... Athearn's kit is an accurate (and as yet, unavailable in any other form including resin) rendition of the 1940 AAR box car with S-corner ends built exclusively for Illinois Central. If you replace the ladders with 8-rung style, then the car is accurate for SOO and DSS&A. Finally a replacement for the standard Athearn box carTimothy O'Connor <timoconnor@...>The first car out in this series will be the pre war (1937?) Marlborough, Massachusetts
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John Nehrich <nehrij@...>
Ever since Dennis Storzek said in effect the emperor had no clothes back in
April '82 RMC regarding the mainstay of the hobby, the Athearn car with its undersized doors and CLAWS, I can't see past this feature. Every time I see a model photo and there is a box car door with claws (at least clip the claws, if nothing else), I can't see past this feature. I have this image of the Kilroy was here sketch, only with door claws instead of hands and the slogan "Irv was here!" Of course, the whole point of Dennis's article was how to change this and even salavage the paint scheme, but still, it's a lot of work. In my opinion I would rather accept the Accurail steel box car with its post '49 roof and post '54 ends as a stand-in for the '37 car than either the MDC or Athearn. At least the Accurail car looks like a box car, even if the wrong one, than either these two kits. And I know the MDC is closer in details to the '37 car, but the end is pretty shallow relief - my feeling is that if you are close enough to count ribs, you are too close, and if you aren't that close, the Athearn is better. So I will still hold my breath for the Branchline car. (And I trust them to do appropriate schemes for the car, too, so we don't get an accurate kit with the wrong schemes. - John
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Richard Hendrickson
Jeez, with an intro like that how can I resist.... :>)Bill, I'm devastated! You've sold out! To the toy train bozos! Arrgh. Seriously, there's obviously a very sizeable market for such kits, and it's about time that market was better served than by Athearn and MDC kits from forty year old tooling. Proto 1000 and Accurail products, aimed at the same market, seem to be selling very well. Also, FWIW (though it may not be not good news to most subscribers to this list), Life-Like's Proto 2000 freight car kits aren't setting sales records, though they have a loyal following; it's the RTR assembled models that are going out the front door as fast as they come in the back door. Like it or not, model railroading in North America is becoming more like European modeling all the time, with many buyers who have more disposable income than time opting for high quality RTR locos, rolling stock, and structures. What both L-L and InterMountain have found is that if you build it, they will come. Richard H. Hendrickson Ashland, Oregon 97520
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Jeff Aley - GCD PE <jaley@...>
On Jan 18, 7:11am, Bill Schneider wrote:
Subject: Re: [STMFC] Branchline EZ Kits The Branchline "Yardmaster" series kits ("E-Z" has already beenBill, Thanks for clarifying what the Yardmaster series is. But I infer from your comments that there is no such thing as a Branchline "E-Z" kit. Does this mean that your website is in need of updating? I refer to http://www.branchline-trains.com/productindex.htm , wherin there is a table listing "Yardmaster Series Details Coming Soon E- Z KITS 40' Easy-Build Boxcar Kits" What you described as "Yardmaster" seems to be what your website calls "E- Z KITS". Suffice it to say that I'm confused. Regards, -Jeff -- Jeff Aley, Development Engineer jaley@... Graphics Components Division Intel Corporation, Folsom, CA (916) 356-3533
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Dave & Libby Nelson <muskoka@...>
From: Richard Hendrickson [mailto:rhendrickson@...] Also, FWIW (though it may notI've seen this at my local hobby shop. IMO, kits are an essential element of the hobby - aside from developing skills, it has to be keeping people in the hobby who, if faced with only RTR prices, would not be buying. What both L-L and InterMountain have found is that if youDon't you mean "if they build it you (the consumer) will come"? Dave Nelson
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Bill Schneider <branch@...>
Look Jeff, do you want me to make cars or update the @#%$@# website? :>)
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Yes, it needs a fix. They should be the same thing, "Yardmaster". The person working on our web site (no, not me anymore) must also be confused! Thanks for pointing this out, I really hadn't noticed. Bill Jeff Aley - GCD PE wrote:
Bill,
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John Nehrich <nehrij@...>
Bill sent me a couple of views of the test shots of the Yardmaster 1937 AAR
box car, which have been posted on our (just getting started) guide to Branchline kits: http://www.union.rpi.edu/railroad/images/rolling-stock/Kits/Branchline-kits. html - John Nehrich
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Richard Hendrickson
Yes, that is what I meant. Apologies for the ambiguity.What both L-L and InterMountain have found is that if youDon't you mean "if they build it you (the consumer) will come"? Richard H. Hendrickson Ashland, Oregon 97520
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Dave & Libby Nelson <muskoka@...>
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-----Original Message----- Great! I'll show up for any assembled 46' D&RGW GS gondolas from P2k. Will that do? 8-) Dave Nelson
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