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Posted - September 29 2014 : 7:55:25 PM
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I just got my Walthers flyer this morning, and I was surprised to see some familiar structures sold as "Walthers Trainline Structure Kits" These kits are the Arlee Station, Trackside Maintenance Accessories, Water Tower, Aunt Millie's House, and Trackside Sand House. The Arlee station is now called the "Iron Ridge Station", and is pretty much the same as the TYCO version minus some details. The Trackside Accessories are now called the "Trackside Tool Buildings" and are pretty much the same as well, although also lacking some detail parts. The Water Tower returns in two kits, the "Water Tower and Shanty" kit on new wooden supports accompanied by a small shack, and in the "Sand and Water Facility" kit, on a new brick building attached to a version of the trackside sand house that has a roof over the sand bin. Aunt Millie's House is now simply called "Two Story House", and comes in a cream color with gray trim. These kits are also accompanied by the "Scoop's Ice Cream" kit, which I don't recognize as a TYCO and looks to be of European origin.
It's nice to see these kits live on, and Walthers must be the third or fourth manufacturer of these buildings, which is a testament to the longevity of the simple TYCO designs.
https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/931-904 The station. https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/931-901 The house. https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/931-906 The Water Tower https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/931-907 The Sand Facility https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/931-909 The Maintenance Depot https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/931-900 The Ice Cream Store
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Posted - September 29 2014 : 8:07:19 PM
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That's pretty cool that they're still making buildings that Tyco used to make. For one thing, it makes it easier to find replacement parts for broken Tyco buildings that are on this list.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - September 30 2014 : 11:46:36 PM
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I believe Pola has still been making these buildings for a long time. Perhaps Walthers decided to bring them back to the American HO train market? Besides that, it's a good thing they did!
The shed accompanying the water tower appears to be one of Life-Like's "trackside shanties."
I also remember Walthers also offering the old signs and poles TYCO used to have...
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Posted - October 01 2014 : 11:27:59 PM
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Ah, some good things never die :) The ol' Arlee Station is looking a little soft around the edges, but that Pola classic is timeless. IIRC, many of "Tyco's" buildings actually appeared first in the AHM line. That little water tower shanty is indeed a refugee from the Life-Like line - no surprise as Walthers acquired Life Like about a decade ago.
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Posted - December 31 2014 : 12:47:46 PM
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Walthers is bringing back a few more Pola building kits in the Trainline series...
https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/931-905 The Freight Station, only it's now called the Iron Ridge Freight Station.
https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/931-908 The Gantry Crane.
https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/931-910 The Coaling Station, now referred to as a Coaling Tower.
They're all due for a February 2015 delivery.
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Posted - December 31 2014 : 12:54:29 PM
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quote:
There it is, Rob Corriston's freight warehouse, back again. And with that and the coaling tower it is once again possible to kitbash Frenda Mine from hobby-shop stock. :)
I'm glad Walthers is keeping these and the simple Cox and Life-like products available. When they were first acquired, I was afraid WKW was going to keep Proto and ditch the low-cost stuff, but they've maintained some options for the beginners and small-budget modelers. Kudos to them for that!
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Posted - December 31 2014 : 6:14:56 PM
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Yes good to see! I have the depot and the coaling tower, need to get that gantry crane
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - December 31 2014 : 10:08:46 PM
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I thought Model Power was making these. Did Walther acquire Model Power?
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Posted - January 01 2015 : 12:37:41 AM
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quote:I thought Model Power was making these. Did Walther acquire Model Power?
Originally posted by tkruger - December 31 2014 : 10:08:46 PM
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Model Power's building kits are typically made by Pola in Germany. I don't think these ones are sold by them currently. (BTW, MRC has acquired Model Power last summer.) The Pola kits were sold by quite a few companies: A.H.M., TYCO, Con-Cor, I.H.C., even Lionel. I guess Walthers probably saw them in an old A.H.M. or TYCO catalog, checked with Pola to see if they still had the molds, so that Pola could start making them again for Walthers! (And yes, when I got the trackside maintenance accessories for Christmas, the box did say "Made in Germany" on it.)
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Posted - January 02 2015 : 7:38:04 PM
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Possible Model Power gave up some rights during the bankruptcy, too.
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Posted - January 02 2015 : 8:12:01 PM
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yeah & I wanted the coal mine kit & shrimp shack too Luckily I kept a old Model Power catalog top sees what I wants but can't get no more
Edited by - microbusss on January 02 2015 8:13:05 PM
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Posted - April 01 2015 : 10:32:07 AM
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My favorite HM building from the 70's was the Gruesome Casket Company. My boyhood layout had nothing but AHM and Revell buildings - inexpensive and good looking.
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/348-7784
rich p
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Posted - April 06 2015 : 05:13:07 AM
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E. L Moore and the folks at Pola got a lot of mileage out of some of those designs. The same walls and back in the 2-story portion of Gruesome are also the Ramsey Journal Building, a fire station, and a Railroad Hotel - this sometimes offered as an Old West kit with saloon doors, with a big wooden porch on the front and side of it. And the one-story portion was sold as a Machine Shop or electric substation, in fact the 2-story base of Gruesome is made to fit the single-use base of the single story portion.
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Posted - October 02 2015 : 11:33:41 AM
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I got the latest Walthers flyer this morning, and saw that Walthers is bringing back some more Pola building kits for the Trainline series...
https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/931-912 The truck terminal, though now it's called the truck repair shop.
https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/931-915 The hardware store is back, too. The photo of it in the flyer shows the signs applied, which it will come with.
https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/931-916 The machine shop has also returned.
https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/931-917 The pickle plant is also back, though it's now just called a factory.
https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/931-914 Here's what seems like a combination of Aunt Millie's House and the Railroad Hotel, but called a Rooming House.
https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/931-918 A brick version of the fright station is also being made.
So far it's great that Walthers is still bringing them back into mainstream production.
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Posted - October 02 2015 : 12:36:05 PM
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quote:I got the latest Walthers flyer this morning, and saw that Walthers is bringing back some more Pola building kits for the Trainline series... ............................
So far it's great that Walthers is still bringing them back into mainstream production.
Originally posted by wiley209Â -Â October 02 2015Â :Â 11:33:41 AM
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Glad to see them keeping these kits alive too.
But dang...maybe I am living in the past but those prices! Was just looking at the buildings at the LHS this past week, at similar prices.
I wonder what is better for Walthers - selling a few kits at high prices or a lot more kits at lower prices? Because if the price point was dropped to under $20, I might pick up a few here and there. On the other hand, pricing the Cornerstone kits and the like makes these seem reasonable
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - October 05 2015 : 09:40:51 AM
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quote:
Glad to see them keeping these kits alive too.
But dang...maybe I am living in the past but those prices! Was just looking at the buildings at the LHS this past week, at similar prices.
I wonder what is better for Walthers - selling a few kits at high prices or a lot more kits at lower prices? Because if the price point was dropped to under $20, I might pick up a few here and there. On the other hand, pricing the Cornerstone kits and the like makes these seem reasonable
Originally posted by JNXT 7707Â -Â October 02 2015Â :Â 12:36:05 PM
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Hate to say it but NOS kits are going for $15 and up at shows. Same on EBay. Granted they are $10 less NOS on average but you have to find them. If it is open old stock you are taking a chance the pieces are all still there. Sadly everything has gone up in price. My layout would not have grown to the size it is now had it not been for used bargins that I found and a long period of planing and collecting parts on the cheep.
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Posted - October 05 2015 : 12:17:40 PM
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quote: quote:
Glad to see them keeping these kits alive too.
But dang...maybe I am living in the past but those prices! Was just looking at the buildings at the LHS this past week, at similar prices.
I wonder what is better for Walthers - selling a few kits at high prices or a lot more kits at lower prices? Because if the price point was dropped to under $20, I might pick up a few here and there. On the other hand, pricing the Cornerstone kits and the like makes these seem reasonable
Originally posted by JNXT 7707Â -Â October 02 2015Â :Â 12:36:05 PM
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Hate to say it but NOS kits are going for $15 and up at shows. Same on EBay. Granted they are $10 less NOS on average but you have to find them. If it is open old stock you are taking a chance the pieces are all still there. Sadly everything has gone up in price. My layout would not have grown to the size it is now had it not been for used bargins that I found and a long period of planing and collecting parts on the cheep.
Originally posted by tkruger - October 05 2015 : 09:40:51 AM
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Oh yeah, I have seen the very same prices you speak of at local shows around here. Like you, I look for the rare bargain here and there and strike when I have the opportunity. Fortunately at this point I really don't have the space for much more buildings so I can afford to be patient and picky.
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - August 03 2016 : 11:36:13 PM
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Walthers is bringing back the old Pola gas station building kit, but now instead of an Exxon, it's a Petro! (I already have the Exxon version on my layout, from IHC.)
https://www.walthers.com/gas-station-kit
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