I am not a train expert, or a collector. I don’t even have a layout as of yet. I would like to though, recent events have caused me to thing in that vernacular. One day at work, the person who is in charge of the parts room, stopped me during one of my jaunts in there for parts to repair a trailer I was working on. I had told him of my model building hobby and he told me that he had something that might pique my interest. On this day, he handed me a small box, an old ambroid kit of a model train. It was a B&M snow plow, model number #K-10. It used to belong to his wife’s grandfather, who had died recently. They were going through his effects and his wife was going to throw it away. Thinking of me, he pulled it from the pile. I originally was going to finish it and give it back to them, but they have since split up, so it changed my plans a bit.
it is a wooden kit, something that I haven’t dabbled in since my balsa days, but I like a challenge and decided that I would keep it. Seeing that it is an old kit, I started to do some research on it. It was first introduced in 1950, as a prototype kit, kit number #K-1. A rival company, Northeastern Scale Models came out with their version, #HM-1, a couple of months later.
The kit that I have is the #K-10, an HO scale put out in 1955. It was preceded by an S scale earlier that year. Northeastern also put out a second version, model number #HM-2. There is also the Russel snow plow out there, model number #1302….sorry, but I forgot to jot down the manufacturer of this particular kit. I managed to find a couple of pictures of this kit. they had a really cool yellow one, I think it was a Union Pacific affiliation. As I said, I am a bit rusty on my trains.
Here are some shots of the kit that I have. I haven’t done much to it, except for straightening out the foil that is used for the plow blade. The kit does not come with the trucks or the couplers. That led me to subscribe to Walther’s to receive their fliers. This also fuels my thoughts about starting a setup of my own, after seeing all the different types that are out there. If I do, at least I’ll have a plow to clear my tracks after a heavy winter storm.
In my research, I found that Northeastern had bought out Ambroid’s rights for their model kits. All Ambroid sells now is their famous glues and scale structures for layouts, as well as raw stock for building scratch-built structures. In the early days, scratch built was the mode in which modelers plied their hobby and talent. But they found that each other’s trains weren’t compatible with each other’s tracks. soon the concept of models came into being and different sizes and scales were born. the train hobby was perhaps the last medium to undergo scale classification and with these new guidelines, anyone was able to jump in and purchase their own train sets, according to their space and needs.
*amendment*
I wrote this article some time last year. since then, this kit has been stuffed in the closet, waiting for the day it can grace my table. I think the day has come......the other day, a gentleman inquires about the plans for this kit on the website in which it was written. I have sent him the plans and I hope he succeeds in his endeavors....I'm sure he will. it also made cause for me to look at the kit again. look turned to touch....and touch turned to tinker....and before I knew it, I was building it. small steps, but building it, none the less.
Perhaps it's because I have been working with wooden ship kits that I have actually laid an ex-actor knife to it. working with plastic kits for so long kind of made me forget what glues worked best for wood.......I don't know.......perhaps the "fear of the unknown", dabbling in an area where I am the least proficient. this kit intrigues me to try and find others.....I'm sure they are out there. I have found some Varney kits......and I'm tempted to order a couple of them. I guess you can consider this the beginning build log for the snow plow, I will update this as I work to assemble it. if I have spare time, I will put it to good use, and bring this kit to fruition......I think it's hung around long enough.
it is a wooden kit, something that I haven’t dabbled in since my balsa days, but I like a challenge and decided that I would keep it. Seeing that it is an old kit, I started to do some research on it. It was first introduced in 1950, as a prototype kit, kit number #K-1. A rival company, Northeastern Scale Models came out with their version, #HM-1, a couple of months later.
The kit that I have is the #K-10, an HO scale put out in 1955. It was preceded by an S scale earlier that year. Northeastern also put out a second version, model number #HM-2. There is also the Russel snow plow out there, model number #1302….sorry, but I forgot to jot down the manufacturer of this particular kit. I managed to find a couple of pictures of this kit. they had a really cool yellow one, I think it was a Union Pacific affiliation. As I said, I am a bit rusty on my trains.
Here are some shots of the kit that I have. I haven’t done much to it, except for straightening out the foil that is used for the plow blade. The kit does not come with the trucks or the couplers. That led me to subscribe to Walther’s to receive their fliers. This also fuels my thoughts about starting a setup of my own, after seeing all the different types that are out there. If I do, at least I’ll have a plow to clear my tracks after a heavy winter storm.
In my research, I found that Northeastern had bought out Ambroid’s rights for their model kits. All Ambroid sells now is their famous glues and scale structures for layouts, as well as raw stock for building scratch-built structures. In the early days, scratch built was the mode in which modelers plied their hobby and talent. But they found that each other’s trains weren’t compatible with each other’s tracks. soon the concept of models came into being and different sizes and scales were born. the train hobby was perhaps the last medium to undergo scale classification and with these new guidelines, anyone was able to jump in and purchase their own train sets, according to their space and needs.
*amendment*
I wrote this article some time last year. since then, this kit has been stuffed in the closet, waiting for the day it can grace my table. I think the day has come......the other day, a gentleman inquires about the plans for this kit on the website in which it was written. I have sent him the plans and I hope he succeeds in his endeavors....I'm sure he will. it also made cause for me to look at the kit again. look turned to touch....and touch turned to tinker....and before I knew it, I was building it. small steps, but building it, none the less.
Perhaps it's because I have been working with wooden ship kits that I have actually laid an ex-actor knife to it. working with plastic kits for so long kind of made me forget what glues worked best for wood.......I don't know.......perhaps the "fear of the unknown", dabbling in an area where I am the least proficient. this kit intrigues me to try and find others.....I'm sure they are out there. I have found some Varney kits......and I'm tempted to order a couple of them. I guess you can consider this the beginning build log for the snow plow, I will update this as I work to assemble it. if I have spare time, I will put it to good use, and bring this kit to fruition......I think it's hung around long enough.
