Chicago Model & Hobby Show

Rich Weyand's Incomplete, Rambling Report of MRIA

I don't claim this to be a complete report or anything.  I spent
five hours looking at what I wanted to see, plus some things
others in rec.models.railroad asked me to look at.  This is
just my report of what I did notice, in no particular order.  I am
entering this in a hurry, as I leave for a week-long consulting 
assignment in Europe tomorrow and did not want this info to
wait until I got back.  I also don't vouch for the accuracy of this
report.  It is as accurate as it is, period.  I have tried to cram
a lot into my five hours, and into this post.  I have tried to be
as accurate as possible.

When reading through this, it may sound as if I liked everything
I saw - looked very nice, is real well-done, etc - but that's
because I haven't spent any time or bandwidth on this sucks,
that's old, this is poorly done.  I have covered the highlights,
things that caught my attention or impressed me.  IMO, OC!

Also, several prominent manufacturers were no shows.  Bowser
and Tichy, among others, were missing.  The owner of DPM, 
incensed last year about the way the show is now being handled,
did not come himself this year, and their booth was smaller and
without their normal display.  The dealer days (Thursday and
Friday) were reported to be very quiet, like last year when they
changed the show admission for dealers, and unlike the years
preceding.

HUMOROUS HIGHLIGHT

I went with Bill Pistello, my co-author for the Mainline Modeler
article series on electronics, and my 8-1/2 year old son, Peter.
After 3-4 hours of hitting the model railroad manufacturer booths,
we got to DPM, and one of the ladies manning the booth asked
Peter, "So what do you think of all this."  Peter responded, with
a tired, melancholy voice, "Death by trains."

ELECTRONICS

Lots more electronics this year, plus a lot of stuff from before.
DCC is everywhere.  By manufacturer, what stood out to me:

Digitrax - They have their DCC base station running 128 steps
this year; their encoders always did.  We tried a bunch of the
DCC systems (Lenz, Digitrax, Selectrix, and others)  for good 
slow speed control, and think Digitrax was probably the best.
We talked with A.J. Ireland about using the Twin-T, Chubb, or
TracTronics detectors with Digitrax and other DCC systems.
There is a problem in that most do not use bipolar drive of one
rail against a common ground rail, which is what these detectors
prefer.  We do have a way to do this which A.J. will test for us.
Sounds like another article in Mainline Modeler to me.

Selectrix - Their teensy decoder is the smallest one we saw.
Absolutely incredible.

Lenz - They had their DCC system there.  This has been featured 
in one of the mags recently.

System One - They had their DCC unit there.  The hand unit is big,
but has a real time clock display built in for operating sessions,
programmable from real-time up to 24:1.  Slick.

Jocatec Railistic - They had a computer controlled system there.
This allows your PC to control the train speeds.  This controls
the trains in a block wired layout with computer software running
the controls.

Keithco - They were there with their RF system again this year.  
Timothy Miller ran a Bachmann diesel back and forth across the
floor.  Look, ma, no rails!  Lights, horn, bell all controlled from
the hand unit.

Aristo-Craft - They had their Train-Engineer battery powered radio
control equipment there as well.  Didn't take a long look.

Illinois Remote Control - They had their RC throttle for block
wired layouts there again this year.  Didn't take a long look.

Lionel had a pre-production proto of their Train-Master radio 
control throttle there.  The guy first described it as a radio control
ZW, but on further conversation it sounds more like the chopped
twin-SCR setup used to dim incandescent lights.  The hand unit
is really solid, looks and feels bullet-proof like you could pound
nails with it, and the control layout is pretty good.  You hold it in
your hand and push the buttons or turn the speed control with
your thumb.  You can run the horn, the bell, and the couplers of
equipped locos.  The speed control is a 1-1/2" diameter Lionel
logo which turns easily and gives a very good level of control.
Lowest speed is not low enough to reset the E-unit; there is a
separate button to cycle the E-unit.  You can therefore stop the 
train and restart it in the same direction without reversing unless
you want to.  Nice.  This will work with any AC loco, even your S-1
from the fifties, and a DC version will be out next year.

Circuitron - Steve Worack says the Tortoises are in stock in
thousands and problems getting Tortoises will no longer occur.  
They have reworked the dies for the gears to reduce the noise,
and further noise reduction is planned.  Their new HO signals
look very nice.  All single head, but the detail and scale size is
great.

Oregon Rail Supply - They had their signals there too, and the 
detail and scale size is as good as the Circuitron ones.  They 
also have two head in color lights and search lights, including
the offset head searchlight unit, and a three head searchlight
unit.  You can now do those home signals with the absolute
marker lamp.

N-J - Nothing new to my eye, but their signals are still in the top
of the cut.  These three suppliers (N-J, Oregon, Circuitron) all have 
equivalent quality and scale size/detail in their HO lines now, so
which to go with depends on the configuration you need/want.
All would look at home together mixed and matched on one layout.

Rix - Rick is bringing out a CTC control which will mount on the 
fascia and run a turnout mechanically.  Now for the good news:
Rick Rideout says he will offer the knob and the backplate assembly, 
which includes the screw for the blocking devices, separately.  The 
knob will fit any rotary switch, and the backplate will be etched 
plastic with SWITCH on one side and SIGNAL on the other, you flip 
it over to get the right one, and then number it with dry transfers.
This looks very very good, very much like the prototype tower
panels, and meets a big need for us electronickers.

ROLLING STOCK

The quality of rolling stock in the hobby continues to increase, and
the show this year is proof positive.  In N scale, we used to think
of Micro-Trains as the absolute standard of quality in detail and
lettering, but much of the rolling stock coming out now is of the
same or _better_ quality than Micro-Trains, including new offerings
from Intermountain, MDC, Deluxe, etc.  What stood out to me:

Intermountain - The new PFE reefers, in all three sizes N, HO, and
O, are as good as anything I've seen.  Lettering, detail, size of
detail, overall look, fidelity to prototype, all are a very, very, nice
job.  Talked to Ron Angstead about the translucent car sides prob-
lem reported in rec.models.railroad.  He said that the pre-production
units were not as opaque as he wanted them, and that 35% more
colorizer was added for production.  The r.m.rr's that reported the
problem probably saw pre-production models.  The production ones
looked very good to me.  Next: a 1937 AAR boxcar.

Deluxe - (All N scale) They had the BN, UP, Sou, and CN wood chip
cars there (Sept 94 MR).  They also had pre-production units of the
twin tub aluminum gondolas (NS, BN, CR, CSX) (avail Nov 94), & the
five car articulated Twin Stack with containers (Undec, Undec refr, 
Genstar, Hyundai, Sealand refr, Evergreen, APL refr) (avail Jan 95).
They will have a 1944 AAR 40" avail during 95.  All look very nice, 
good fine detail and very nice lettering.

CB&T - They are alive and well.  They had a hundred or two cars on
display.  The Santa Fe reefers were on display, looked like produc-
tion units.  These look very nice too, although I have a hard time
judging HO detail as it always looks big to me and I am not up on
what is considered good in HO,  But they looked very good.

Key Imports - They had a four truck Shay in O scale that must be 
seen to be believed.  It is very pretty just to sit and watch.  They 
have several otherwise unavailable cabooses available in N scale
brass, and a nifty milk car, but they are pricey.  Lots of other nice
brass, too, but I didn't look long at the rest.

Kato - The U30-7s were on display in all the road names.  What
can I say, Kato has exceeded their own standard.  V-e-r-y nice!!
Order yours now, they will go quickly.

MDC - Don't know if their new HO Autobox is based on a specific
prototype or not, but it does look very good.  They had their N scale
containers there, and they looked very good.  The double stack
well car was there, and this car is a beauty.  Detail, walkways, 
paint, lettering are all top-notch.

Atlas - Atlas had one new loco there, the HO U33/36C.  This unit
comes with the DCC decoder plug installed.  In N scale, they were
still displaying the RS-3 like it was new.

Bachmann - (N scale report) They had the F-7s and the SD40-2s
there.  Both look good except for monster handrails.  They had a
UP DD-40 there in N, available in the winter of 95.  Didn't pay
attention to the other scales much.

Aristo-Craft - If you have been wondering about the quality of the
RS-3 and NW1500 (G gauge, for scale ask Stan), wonder no more.  
Just go buy one.  I almost bought one, despite obvious scale 
problem for my N scale layout.  They _look_ like locomotives,
heavy, powerful - very nice job.  They also had an extruded
aluminum car body with metal roller bearing trucks which looked
incredible.

Micro-Trains - The only thing that struck me at Micro-Trains is that
they have two 1994 Christmas cars new for $20 apiece.  Puh-leeze.

Con-Cor - They had the Hudson on display.  First time I had ever
seen one.  These are reported to be great runners, but they weren't
running them at the booth.

TRACK

All the standard offerings.  What stood out to me:

Aristo-Craft - They were not showing the new wide radius switches,
but said these will be a 20' radius, available in the fall, with the
Euro track (wider spaced ties) available first.

Micro-Engineering - Their new code 55 N scale #6 switches look
very nice.  The points, point rails, and frog are one electrical
unit to just past the frog, then there is an insulated gap between
the two inside rails and the frog.  The inside rails are jumpered
around the frog to simplify wiring.

STRUCTURES

All the standard offerings.  What stood out to me:

Railway Design Associates - Their injection molded buildings
looked really good, and are available in both N and HO.  Freight
house, station, warehouse, way station, interlocking tower, and
a big mill building are available in both scales.  

Walthers - Their N scale Milling Company looks very good, and
they finally got their moldmaker to skinny up the window mullions.
They look pretty good on this model.  Not so on the Power 
Company building.  The window mullions are wider than the open-
ings between them.  Expect to replace the windows if you buy
this kit.

SCENERY

Some of the neatest new stuff was in scenery.  The standouts to me:

Accurate Dimensionals - These people make trees for architects
who build models of their building proposals.  Their trees are
incredible.  They have the 'see-through' look of real trees, will not
shed, and are almost indestructible - literally.  I crumpled one up
in my hand and when I let it go, it just went back to its shape!!
They have deciduous and conifers, and the deciduous are avail-
able in green and fall colors as well.  While these are too expensive
to plant forests with, for foreground trees and for stand-alone
trees, these are perfect.  You have to see these trees to believe them.

Plastruct - They had their architectural model products on display 
also.  Also very nice.  In particular, their better grade palm trees and 
their saguaro cactus look very _very_ good.  They are available in
a variety of sizes to fit different scales and maturity of plant.

Chooch - Chooch is alive and well.  They sold off the buildings, but
have retained the walls and tunnel portals.  They also have wood
flat car loads for both N and HO which looked very good, and a wood
crate for HO.  These were very very accurate looking, with labels
and such.

Scale Scenics (Circuitron) - While we were at Circuitron, Steve Worack
showed us the E-Z stripes HO road striping system.  Highway stripes
on a roll of carrier tape - white & yellow solid, and white & yellow
broken - which you just sticky down, press as with a dry transfer to
ensure they stick, and then peel back the translucent carrier tape.
You can probably stripe about 2 scale miles of highway in ten 
minutes with this system.

Mainline Hobby Supply - They had their new concrete and asphalt
modeling compounds there.  These create very realistic looking
highways of two of the hardest to model satisfactorily surfaces.
This is a very nice product that fills a big gap.

WELL THAT'S IT.  My incomplete, rambling report
of what I saw at MRIA this year.  If any other netters went,
and have things to add, mail me your report and I'll append
it to the sites.

Rich Weyand      |                  ~~~~*****MMMMMM)   |Rich Weyand
Weyand Associates|  _______   ___,---. ---+_______:_   |TracTronics
Comm Consultants | |_N_&_W_| |_N_&_W_| |__|________|_  |Model RR Electronics
weyand@mcs.com   |  ooo ooo ~ ooo ooo ~ oOOOO- OOOO=o\ |weyand@mcs.com

Appended Post:

From: William_D_Hirt@cup.portal.com

My dealer went to the Chicago hobby show on Thursday. He let me page
through some of the stuff he brought back last night at his store. Some
of the stuff he had:

- He had a sample of the Intermountain N reefer kit. He had some offer
to buy it as soon as it he put in on the counter for display. As has been
related by others, it is extremely nice kit. My dealer said that the
Micro-Trains folks were more than little stirred up due to the quality of
the kit and it being only $12.95. Intermountain plans the first run of kits
to be 1600 units followed by 1600 more units 2 weeks later. They will then
change the numbers like they did on the HO kits. All the road names already
done in HO will be done in N also. There is no Ho release this much probably
because they are tied up on the N scale kits.

- Like-Like announced the fourth run on Proto 2000 E-8 units. They will be
re-running several of the previous road name offerings in new numbers. The
Life-Like rep was a CB&Q fan and said the 4th run will offer two new
numbers (9942A and 9943A) in red striping and will be done "right" this
time. Apparently Life-Like is making some changes to pilot and
grillwork to better match the Q E's. They've even been trying to come up
with a way to simulate the stainless steel sides. Other road names
mentioned in the 4th Proto run are Santa Fe and B&O. They are about 4 others
but I can't remember them right now.

- Atlas will be coming out with a new PS-2 hopper in HO before the end of
the year. It looks like the MDC kit, but appears to be much better detailed.
They will also be producing a third run of their tank cars. These will be
the original road names in new numbers. The PS-2 hopper is supposed to be
out next month. Atlas also has a new full color catalog. Dealers will get
25 free to sell for $1. The next bunch of 25 cost the dealer $25. So the
idea is the $25 the dealer gets from selling the first 25 pays for the
next 25, etc. They are also coming out with HO track kits that include
all the track, switch, nails and electrical hook-ups to built several
lay-outs in their track book. 

That's all I remember at the moment.