Model Traction Manufactures Guild catalog mid 1949

[Carey Williams]

Hello O scale world

Seems the O scale traction folks felt combining forces would benefit all so a Model Traction Manufactures Guild was formed ....producing this catalog mid 1949 (end of 1949 R & T introduced their PCC ..not shown in this catalog) .... Charles Lang ( Whistle Stop & O gauge Modeler fame) may have been the guiding light for the guild ..as it is based out of Cincinnati. Great forward that would really get the masses making tracks towards the world of traction . "Paint you car red, green , yellow ...... chances are there was a prototype running at one time .." add 10 % climb over your heater and through the coal bin ... what marketing ..

Catalog is about 50% Walthers ...but the other team players were hawking their wares ... Pittman only advertises motors ...in 1950 / or later 49 slightly after this issue of the catalog they offer trolleys.

So did the guild produce other catalogs ?

Cheers Carey

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[Rufus T. Firefly]

The ICC stuff still floats about and I've had a few of those early kits in my shop and sold them off - those pre-date the styrene components that many are familiar with and are still available from East Gary Car Co. Those early kits were of some sort of pressed embossed cardstock impregnated with plastic of some sort. I've seen some very nice assembled kits but I imagine that took serious effort and care to get to that end point.

R&T I know for the PCC cars but I'm not sure that I've seen any of those other offerings.

Wagner is a venerable name and about 1/2 of the parts and maybe 1/4 of the drives in my shop are Wagner; see that stuff for sale regularly. Line ended up under the Current Line banner and seems lost for the foreseeable future.

Walthers kits and parts abound......

Pittman came along with cast kits for that little 4-wheel work car and the LVT express car in Zamac.....

[J. S. Bach]

I have two and a half of those WB&A articulators shown in the third photo, one built and running and one complete kit with an extra set of sides in the box. The imp in me wants to build a three-section articulator, but I guess that I am too lazy and my building skills are shot anyway.

[Carey Williams]

Hello all ...

here is a copy of the Pittman flyer post 1952 ... little 4 wheel trolley was introduced in 1952 , 8 wheel freight late in 50

Cheers Carey

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[Rufus T. Firefly]

Hello all ...

here is a copy of the Pittman flyer post 1952 ... little 4 wheel trolley was introduced in 1952 , 8 wheel freight late in 50

You see the 4 wheel trolley fairly frequently and the 8 wheel freight as well. I've made resin ends for the 4 wheel trolley and maybe 4 -5 variations on the sides in resin as well, along with a resin roof casting. I have at least 1 of the 8 wheel freight bodies in my shop waiting for a good idea on its use. Ends for it are more available. I'll cudgel together a roof for it when I figure out what I want to do with it. 8 wheel passenger went on to fame churned out as a Bowser product until those were discontinued. Bowser also made a drive that worked for the 4 wheel trolley

[2railjon]

Seeing as I’m installing a catenary system it would be nice to share it with my first kit built trolley! The first consideration will be the trolley pole height. My cat wire will be 5 1/2” above the track:

Also my overhead wires will be non-powered as it will be through the rails.
Would this be a good recommended beginners kit?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-BOWSER ... ect=mobile
Are power trucks available for it?
Thanks for any input!!

[J. S. Bach]

I have two and a half of those WB&A articulators shown in the third photo, one built and running ...snip...

The car was built by Don Wertz around 1952 or so and the Wagner truck has a "47" or "48" stamped on the frame. The photos (640x480 resolution) were taken at the 2005 East Penn Trolley Meet:

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[Carey Williams]

Hello O scale world ...found out a bit more about the Model Traction Manufactures Guild .... Al Pittman was the force behind the Guild ...as mentioned in Trolley Talk by Richard Wagner found in #59 June 1966 .
Cheers Carey

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[De Bruin]

Cool stuff Carey, I was unaware of this consortium/guild of traction manufacturers.

Dave, those photos of the East Penn are really cool, I wish we had individual mug shots of all those cars, really eye popping for traction fans, transit and third rail devotees. I was completely unaware that ICC produced a complete car body line, I only recalled the sectional sides Rufus describes. That WB&A articulated is a really interesting looking model. Also noticed that "Bluebird" peaking out of the far left door of the car barn- WOW!

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I was completely unaware that ICC produced a complete car body line,

Pretty extensive line of offerings including non-traction passenger car kits. Don't see the traction kits about very often and I've only ever seen 1 of the traction freight trailer kits.

I only recalled the sectional sides Rufus describes.

And those are sort of available from East Gary Car Co. still......

That WB&A articulated is a really interesting looking model.

I've seen the kit for that several times - maybe the same kit being sold over and over. From what I know of these kits, not for the faint of heart or novice to assemble and complete.

[J. S. Bach]

That WB&A articulated is a really interesting looking model. I've seen the kit for that several times - maybe the same kit being sold over and over. From what I know of these kits, not for the faint of heart or novice to assemble and complete.

How true. each side was a solid embossed sheet of something (reminds me of highly compressed Homasote) that one had to cut each window out, one-at-a time; there are 64+ to do!!

[J. S. Bach]

Dave, those photos of the East Penn are really cool, I wish we had individual mug shots of all those cars, really eye popping for traction fans, transit and third rail devotees. I was completely unaware that ICC produced a complete car body line, I only recalled the sectional sides Rufus describes. That WB&A articulated is a really interesting looking model. Also noticed that "Bluebird" peaking out of the far left door of the car barn- WOW!

I do not know what ICC produced back then other than the WB&A articulator. Most of the EL cars in the photo were built by Vern Gilman from scratch; the Bluebird is a St. Petersburg model. Note that the third rail is live.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

That WB&A articulated is a really interesting looking model. I've seen the kit for that several times - maybe the same kit being sold over and over. From what I know of these kits, not for the faint of heart or novice to assemble and complete.

How true. each side was a solid embossed sheet of something (reminds me of highly compressed Homasote) that one had to cut each window out, one-at-a time; there are 64+ to do!!

It's some sort of paper product that's impregnated with some sort of plastic; embossing was not particularly deep on the ones that I have seen. After pondering it a bit weighing desire vs. potential personal pain, I decided to sell the one I had off. It departed.

[J. S. Bach]

It's some sort of paper product that's impregnated with some sort of plastic

PRESTO-PLAST I just remembered as I read your response; a hyphen or space may or may not have been part of the name.

After pondering it a bit weighing desire vs. potential personal pain, I decided to sell the one I had off. It departed.

Smart move. I may still have a kit with an extra set of sides for one section. I had contemplated a what-if three section articulator, but decided against it after considering all those windows. One set would have had to have been completely rebuilt as someone really butchered the window cutouts.

[stephen neill]

Did it look like this?

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Steve