trucks, couplers and rails of non- strategic metal, though inferior in quality to pre-war types. Model Rail- road Equipment and Supplies appar- ently was not in any position to provide them, nor was it tied in with a larger company which could. It proves this was still an age for hobbyists wanting to build low cost freight and passenger cars, lay track and save money doing so. At the other economic end, Lobaugh and others were supplying far more expensive so- phisticated freight cars with litho- graphed metal sides, and heavyweight passenger consists of varying con- struction techniques.


Then, every-


thing shut down for the war. As for Standard gauge scale layouts, they were passing from the scene, with O, OO and HO being the preferred sizes. “Scale”


Standard gauge was a


stepchild of tinplate. The latter be- came highly collectible in the booming 1950’s rather than seriously run–ex- cept for collectors with as many highly desirable tinplate accessories possible to decorate their layouts. This catalog represents the end of an innocent pre- war era. Tinplate Standard gauge man- ufacture had effectively ended in the mid-1930’s to 1939, and it was only left to diehard devotees wanting to keep it alive. This catalog couldn’t prolong its inevitable demise as a functioning “scale.” The war sealed its doom.


Among the models once advertised by the Model Lumber Company were a 50-foot ex- press reefer (top), and a New York Central caboose (above). The catalog shows them being offered in both O and Standard gauge, along with a 40-foot reefer, a 40-foot boxcar and a stock car.


sills and air tanks. The seats came as a wood length to be cut to size, and there were two blocks to represent toilets. Dif- ferences


in price between the two


gauges were $2.50 for O and $2.95 for Standard. Two 62-foot, open platform, scribed-side passenger cars could be made with truss rods or fishbelly sills and air tanks to modernize them. Scribed sides could then be turned in- ward to represent modern steel panel- ing. Available as coach and combine, they were the only cars listed for three gauges; all others were O or Standard. Seats and toilets were as above. Prices for the three were $1.50 for OO, $2.50 for O, and $2.95 for Standard gauge. Fifty-foot express reefers,


40-foot


reefers, 40-foot boxcars and a stock car made up the line, with an NYC ca- boose. Freight cars were priced at $1.00 for O and $1.75 for Standard. Three unseen cabooses were listed, in- cluding a MoPac drovers caboose. Prices were $2.00 for O and $2.95 for Standard gauge. The year 1941 was a time when the


RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN


economy was recovering from the Great Depression before defense jobs raised salaries even further. However, with kits no longer available, only stained ties for O and Standard tinplate were offered, none for OO. This was Model Lumber Company after all, and it of- fered simple 36″ long structural shapes in sizes from ¹/₁₆″×¹/₁₆″ to 1″×1″. Others ran from ¹/₄″ thick with widths up to 5″, and ¹/₂″ thick up to 6″ widths to “build trestles ... buildings, bridges, station platforms, or even car bodies” following plans in hobby magazines. Machine scribing could be ordered for


larger


widths. There were single and double- tracked plate girder bridges in OO, O and standard. Without knowing exactly when this catalog was issued, the lack of metal trucks and couplers on the market precluded producing cars in suf- ficient numbers “for the duration.” Would this small company have sur- vived supplying only wood ties and structural materials when giant Walthers managed to continue with car kits of all sorts during the war with


SUSQUEHANNA NEW YORK


SUSQUEHANNA & WESTERN RR by John Krause & Ed Crist


The New York, Susquehanna & West- ern from Erie steam and railcars through RS1’s to GP18’s. Picturesque railroading in rural New Jersey is cap- tured by a variety of skilled railfan photographers.


Carstens having a long association with the Susquehanna furnished both photos and encouragement to this project. 98pp. (C00080).15.95 plus S&H.


TO ORDER CALL:


or Fax us at: 973-383-4064 PUBLICATIONS, INC.


1-888-526-5365 108 Phil Hardin Rd., Newton, N.J. 07860 91 Publisher Hal


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100