O GaugeWatch.com http://ogaugewatch.com O Gauge Model Railroading News and Information Now Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:58:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 en hourly 1 RMT by Aristo-Craft http://ogaugewatch.com/2010/03/rmt-by-aristo-craft.html http://ogaugewatch.com/2010/03/rmt-by-aristo-craft.html#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:49:32 +0000 dhartmann http://ogaugewatch.com/?p=1563 A press release from Ready Made Trains/RMT….

March 8, 2010
Irvington, NJ. and Bloomsbury, NJ.
ANNOUNCING…. ‘RMT BY ARISTO-CRAFT’
Lewis M. Polk, president of Aristo-Craft Trains (a manufacturer of G-Gauge Electric Toy Trains) and Walter M. Matuch, president of Ready Made Trains/RMT (a manufacturer of 3-rail 0-27/O-Gauge Electric Toy Trains today announced a joint marketing effort called ‘RMT by ARISTO-CRAFT’ , whereby RMT products will now also be offered to model railroad and toy train enthusiasts through ARISTO-CRAFT’s worldwide distribution channels. RMT will continue to develop new toy train products says Matuch.

The well known RMT trademark has also been licensed to ARISTO-CRAFT and will be used to identify this brand of ‘RMT by ARISTO-CRAFT’ 0-27/O-gauge toy trains and accessories says Polk.
The original RMT product line has expanded greatly since inception and by joining with ARISTO-CRAFT, product availability, shipping and distribution will be streamlined to benefit the toy train hobbyist, retail stores and the distributor network in both the U.S.A. and European market with the same terms for trade customers already purchasing ARISTO-CRAFT TRAINS says Matuch.

In 2010 we celebrate the 75th Anniversary of ARISTO-CRAFT and I welcome RMT to our extensive line of model railroad and R/C products says Polk. In the coming weeks, ‘RMT by ARISTO-CRAFT’ will be issuing a brand new full color train catalog that will showcase many new-for-2010 RMT products and accessories says Matuch.

Prior to starting RMT in 2003, Walter M. Matuch was Product Manager at ARISTO-CRAFT…developing many of the G-gauge products offered today and was later Vice-President Operations/Licensing at Taylor Made Trucks…a manufacturer of quality promotional toy vehicles for major oil companies. Walter has over 40 years experience in both the model railroad/toy train, hobby and prototype railroad industry says Polk.

In keeping with the railroading theme, the ‘RMT by ARISTO-CRAFT’ agreement was signed on a ‘full-size’ Jersey Central Railroad caboose owned by Matuch, a former passenger and freight train conductor.
]]> http://ogaugewatch.com/2010/03/rmt-by-aristo-craft.html/feed In case you missed it… http://ogaugewatch.com/2010/03/in-case-you-missed-it-3.html http://ogaugewatch.com/2010/03/in-case-you-missed-it-3.html#comments Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:00:00 +0000 dhartmann http://ogaugewatch.com/?p=1561
  • Did you read about the “inadvertent inaccuracy” made by Lionel?  Read it here.
  • You can check out the 2010 MTH Ready To Run catalog on-line here.
  • Rumors that Lionel’s 2010 catalog is due mid March.
  • Black Diamond Railway Part II DVD available here.  Part I was fantastic and I’m reading that Part II is just as good.
  • Check out the new signs from Miller Engineering.
  • Toy train show to benefit food pantry.
    • ]]>     http://ogaugewatch.com/2010/03/in-case-you-missed-it-3.html/feed     Liven Up The Walls of Your Train Room with a Pixel Poster http://ogaugewatch.com/2010/02/liven-up-the-walls-of-your-train-room-with-a-pixel-poster.html http://ogaugewatch.com/2010/02/liven-up-the-walls-of-your-train-room-with-a-pixel-poster.html#comments Sat, 27 Feb 2010 12:15:48 +0000 dhartmann http://ogaugewatch.com/?p=1555 How cool would it be to have a wall size poster of your favorite locomotive hanging in your train room or anywhere else in your house?   Since Fathead doesn’t offer train locomotive Fatheads you’ll need to get creative and make your own using a service called Block Posters.

    Block Posters is a website that allows you to upload any image up to 1 Mb in size then enlarge it by choosing how many ’slices’ of paper wide it will be.  The slices can be A4 or Letter sized pieces of paper in portrait or landscape.  Once you size it, download the slices in the form of a PDF and print them.  Assemble the slices on the wall and, voila, you have a wall poster of your favorite locomotive.  The best part is the service is FREE.  Now the resulting poster won’t be photo quality, it will be pixelated and you may need to trim the border of the slices depending on your printer but the results are great.  Visit the Block Posters Image Gallery for some examples.  Oh, be sure your ink cartridges are topped off because you’ll burn a lot of ink.

    ]]>     http://ogaugewatch.com/2010/02/liven-up-the-walls-of-your-train-room-with-a-pixel-poster.html/feed     Bachmann All Scales Catalog Available…..for $8 http://ogaugewatch.com/2010/02/bachmann-all-scales-catalog-availablefor-8.html http://ogaugewatch.com/2010/02/bachmann-all-scales-catalog-availablefor-8.html#comments Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:50:14 +0000 dhartmann http://ogaugewatch.com/?p=1552 Bachmann’s new 2010 catalog which includes its Williams by Bachmann O gauge products is available for purchase for $8 and free shipping.  Charging for a catalog is a great way to keep it out of the hands of potential new customers.  Oh, and not posting it online makes a lot of sense too.  If you have $8 burning a hole in your pocket you can order the 2010 catalog from Bachman here.

    ]]>     http://ogaugewatch.com/2010/02/bachmann-all-scales-catalog-availablefor-8.html/feed     Lionel showing interest in Märklin http://ogaugewatch.com/2010/01/lionel-eyeing-marklin.html http://ogaugewatch.com/2010/01/lionel-eyeing-marklin.html#comments Sat, 16 Jan 2010 12:28:24 +0000 dhartmann http://ogaugewatch.com/?p=1542 Model Retailer Magazine is reporting that a German newspaper Südwest Presse reported…

    a delegation from U.S. toy train manufacturer Lionel has visited Märklin’s production facilities in Göppingen in Germany and Györ in Hungary, presumably with interest in purchasing the company.

    Märklin, a German toy and model train manufacturer that was founded in 1891, is about to emerge from an early 2009 bankruptcy.  The company is turning a profit and apparently Lionel is showing interest in purchasing the company.  Märklin’s trains are unique because they are powered by a hidden 3rd rail in the middle of the track.

    Read the entire Model Retailer article here.

    ]]>     http://ogaugewatch.com/2010/01/lionel-eyeing-marklin.html/feed     In case you missed it… http://ogaugewatch.com/2010/01/in-case-you-missed-it-2.html http://ogaugewatch.com/2010/01/in-case-you-missed-it-2.html#comments Sat, 09 Jan 2010 11:52:56 +0000 dhartmann http://ogaugewatch.com/?p=1536
  • Model Retailer Magazine’s top stories of 2009 includes a story about the World Greatest Hobby Show held in Philadelphia in January 2009.  The article indicate that the show “drew possibly the largest crowd ever to attend a model train show in the U.S.: just over 40,000 in two days”.  Read the “Top Stories” article here.
  • This next tidbit is very old news but I just discovered it and it was news to me.  The host of the DIY network series Workin’ on the Railroad, Chris Chianelli, died in January of 2009 of natural causes at age 55.
  • Atlas is offering a free look at their Golden Spike Club newsletter.  You can download it here (pdf).
    • ]]>     http://ogaugewatch.com/2010/01/in-case-you-missed-it-2.html/feed     Merry Christmas http://ogaugewatch.com/2009/12/merry-christmas-2.html http://ogaugewatch.com/2009/12/merry-christmas-2.html#comments Fri, 25 Dec 2009 11:00:27 +0000 dhartmann http://ogaugewatch.com/?p=1533 Merry Christmas everyone!

    ]]>     http://ogaugewatch.com/2009/12/merry-christmas-2.html/feed     An OGW Reader’s Figure 8 Plus Christmas Layout http://ogaugewatch.com/2009/12/an-ogw-readers-figure-8-plus-christmas-layout.html http://ogaugewatch.com/2009/12/an-ogw-readers-figure-8-plus-christmas-layout.html#comments Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:51:37 +0000 dhartmann http://ogaugewatch.com/?p=1522 I was happy to receive word from an OGaugeWatch.com reader that the Figure 8 Plus plan is under his family’s Christmas layout this year.  Here is the email with a link to a video of the layout.

    Dave,

    I wanted to extend a much deserved thanks. A week ago we bought the O scale Polar Express from our local hobby shop. I set it up around the tree and after a couple days my wife was bored with the standard oval track.

    I searched around online, in addition to the other great information on your site, I downloaded the plans for the figure 8 plus which includes a shopping list with part numbers. I traded up to the remote switches, but other than that it’s exactly as is.

    I built my train platform, ran all the wires and now we’re up and running. I can’t imagine figuring out all the parts and pieces myself. I’m not a train hobbyist (yet) so I probably wouldn’t have done anything.

    Thanks again. Here’s a link to a video (I shot on my phone) of the train set up.
    http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1306515183017

    Merry Christmas,
    Sean

    In a subsequent email Sean told me it took him about 6.5 hours one night to build his platform and convert the oval to the Figure 8 Plus plan.  He used a green felt fabric to cover the platform because it was faster and easier than painting.

    Nice work Sean!  I hope O Gauge trains under the Christmas tree will become a tradition you and your family will enjoy for years to come.  Thanks for sharing your layout.

    ]]>     http://ogaugewatch.com/2009/12/an-ogw-readers-figure-8-plus-christmas-layout.html/feed     Digital Edition of OGR Magazine Available http://ogaugewatch.com/2009/12/digital-edition-of-ogr-magazine-available.html http://ogaugewatch.com/2009/12/digital-edition-of-ogr-magazine-available.html#comments Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:30:40 +0000 dhartmann http://ogaugewatch.com/?p=1514 OGR Magazine’s December 2009 issue is available on-line here.  The December issue is offered for FREE and the digital issue subscription price for 7 issues is only $19.95.  Subscribe here.  You can buy individual issues for $3.95.  OGR will be posting a digital preview of each issue, view the January preview here.

    ]]>     http://ogaugewatch.com/2009/12/digital-edition-of-ogr-magazine-available.html/feed     In case you missed it…. http://ogaugewatch.com/2009/12/in-case-you-missed-it.html http://ogaugewatch.com/2009/12/in-case-you-missed-it.html#comments Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:00:02 +0000 dhartmann http://ogaugewatch.com/?p=1503
  • On December 7th, NBC’s Today show featured a Lionel layout during a spot on model trains.  Click here to view the video.
  • MTH posted a video of their new Premier Line SD-35 locomotive here.
  • Weaver Models posted information about their new PRR BP-20 A & B units here.
  • The New Jersey Hi Railers in conjunction with O Gauge Railroading Magazine are holding an open house on January 16th, 2010.  Get more information here.  Check out the NJ Hi-Railers site for a complete list of all open house dates.
  • On December 11th Atlas O announced new paint schemes for several products here.
  • Get a video preview of the January 2010 issue of Classic Toy Trains Magazine here.
    • ]]>     http://ogaugewatch.com/2009/12/in-case-you-missed-it.html/feed