i bought a f7 a+B set and an rs-2 and a sw7 switcher and a gp7 any help and info? thanks in advance bill
Hobbytown of Boston was bought by Bear Locomotive Works and the power units were upgraded(including n/s wheels). They currently appear to be not available as the web site has been down for some time. I suspect there is no production, maybe someone will buy the line. They originally had a plastic RS3 and a power chassis kit back in the 50’s. They later has cast metal RS3, RSD5, and PA1 bodies and chassis kits. They also produced ‘universal’ chassis for repowering other manufacturers diesels. The SW chassis was very popular in the late 60’s for repowering Athearn switchers. They offered ‘multi-drive’ power units where one could put a large DC91? motor in the booster and it would drive all of the units with a drive shaft arrangement through the trucks.
Jim Bernier
The current owner of hobbytown of Boston and Bear has decided to retire and move and sell the business. His website was active until early this year and was wonderfully complete and offered parts and helpful suggestions to new customers and vintage restorers as well; he revived the line and upgraded where necessary. Howard is one of the good guys in the hobby and I hope he now can enjoy it as one of his hobbies again as well.
In the meantime, keep watching the on line auctions for parts and kits. Be advised though that the two RS-3 and RSD-5 power chassis made in the late 1950’s for the plastic RS body are completely different (with a very narrow cross section) from the cast metal RS-3 and RSD-5 power chassis made for the cats metal RS body. The website noted that those chassis made to power the plastic Alco RS kits are fairly rare too, being only manufactured for a few years.
Properly assembled there is nothing like them. I have plenty of the new stuff, but love running the “heavy metal,” hobbytown of Boston fleet on DC once in a while. Some of their early cab untis even used giant DC-91, O scale motors and with all those gears, oh yeah! proverbial pulling the wallpaper off the walls type of tractive effort, too!