[HampshireCountyNarrowGage]

I don't know when this message went up on their site but as of this morning at 9:30 AM their home page has this as part of their message.

"You will notice that there are some links missing from our "Nav" bar. As of now, we are discontinuing all Rolling Stock kits. This includes all CC Passenger cars and logging equiptment."

 

[Jerry Barnes]

It just points out if some individual small outfit has something you want you better get it as soon as you can. Since it is a sideline of one individual and depends on their being able/willing to keep making it. I've seen lots of neat things come and go in this hobby. It's a real shame, since they were done so well, as Bronson-Tate's was.

 

[Pete Thornton]

being able/willing to keep making it
More likely they were getting one order a year for each item and it just isn't worth keeping them on the website.

I'm sure if there was a demand Doug would run a batch of kits - just not one at a time?

 

[Kovacjr]

The main issue as noted on the website some time ago what the availability of the castings for the kits. The supplier has some personal issues he is going through and is not supplying the parts needed to complete the kits. As Doug prides himself in a complete kit, he put all them on hold as noted on the site.

 

[scottemcdonald]

So let me see if I have this straight. Hartford Products is producing "short kits" (i.e. no wood) and Bronson-Tate have stopped producing wood parts and kits because they can't get the castings they want? If there really is a need (X number of kits wanted) then these two working together could be beneficial to the hobbyist and their bottom-line. What am I missing here in this equation?

Scott

 

[HampshireCountyNarrowGage]

I think one of the reasons for B-T to pull their kits is the fact that Carter equipment isn't very high on any ones list to buy. With so much Col. equipment on the market and with so many modelers modeling Col. lines they don't see the beauty in the Carter cars. Right now as I write, I'm working with Deerfield River Laser on an Fn3 Carter 8 ton 24' boxcar kit that he produced in On3 for Boone Morison some years back. I've got the first burn here and will be starting to build it shortly. This is a wood ONLY kit. NO details. Now Hartford sells their short kit, a.k.a. no wood, for a 28' boxcar which can also be used for the 24' car by changing the 10 ton trucks for 8 ton. I guess some people can't see the benefit of working with some body else to meet the final out come.

So to answer your question Scott, I think it's called fore sight.

 

[HampshireCountyNarrowGage]

And to add to the confusion, I just ordered two of the Westinghouse air brake kits to the Carter Passenger cars and they have been shipped. This kit, which I already have one kit for their caboose kit, is all castings.

 

[Kovacjr]

Posted By scottemcdonald on 10 Apr 2013 06:10 AM
So let me see if I have this straight. Hartford Products is producing "short kits" (i.e. no wood) and Bronson-Tate have stopped producing wood parts and kits because they can't get the castings they want? If there really is a need (X number of kits wanted) then these two working together could be beneficial to the hobbyist and their bottom-line. What am I missing here in this equation?

Scott

Scott, its more the cost to remake all the patterns again not to find a caster. Its possible Doug is going to start to produce his own castings so future products will be ok and I have another person that is capable of producing master and castings , just don't see the need to rebuild the old kits again. While some parts can be swapped with Hartford ones, other cant. For the few the few that may be sold in the future it is not cost effective.