Does anyone know where to get 1925-1955 cars, trucks for HO scale layout? I found a bunch of late model cars at Wal-Mart for $1.67. Bought all they had, but I really want to add some older vintage vehichles. I know they will not be selling for anything close to Wal-Mart prices, but the search goes on. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks guys,
Jordan Products has made a variety of Ford Model Ts, of various kinds, for years. They build up into a very nice looking car. They also have old Mack Trucks from the 20s
Woodland Scenics has Diamond T trucks from pre WWI era but trucks are durable and I am sure plenty were still running in the mid 1920s.
On-Trak has, or had, a 1924 Mack truck
Dave Nelson
Check out this site they carry alot of vehicles all years.
http://www.truckstopmodels.com/catalog.php
Jordan products has a nice selection of 1920s to 1950s vehicles. Woodland Scenics vehicles fit the bill nicely for 40s and 50s vehicles. As for the Wal-Mart vehicles those are actually Model Power’s vehicles. While they’re not $1.67 they’re about 3 or 4 dollars.
The vehichles at Wal-Mart are actually made by Malibu International Ltd. They had a booth at the SEMA show last year in Las Vegas. However the box says they are manufactured by a company known as High Speed. I have tried to go to their web to no avail. It’s a shame because they are very nicely detailed, with rolling wheels, etc. I too purchased about 40 of them at $1.67 at Wal-Mart just last week. I cleaned them out, but like you said they are mostly if not all late models.
Bill,
Here’s a few:
Jordan Highway Miniatures
- Styrene kit
- Quite a bit of fla***o clean off
- Needs assembly and painting
- Overall quality: okay
Sylvan Scale Models
- Resin kit
- Nice detailing
- Nneeds assembly and painting
- Real rubber tires
- Overall quality: very good
The Wheel Works
- No experience with them but they look nice though from the Walthers catalog
Woodland Scenics
- Metal chassis
- Already assembled and painted
- Overall quality: very good
I like the Sylvan cars. There’s quite a bit of selection or cars and trucks in the 30’s.
Tom
Thanks guys for the info on 1/87 cars, etc. I knew I could count on you. I did find some at Go Hobbies, still looking for those 30’s-40’s. I am interested in the die cast versions.
Try this, http://www.87thscale.info/greg’s_garage.htm Nice cars from the 30s on up! Cast resin kits, very easy to build.[:D]
Since the transition era is so popular among model railroaders, you would think there would be a better selection of cars. WS has some nice models but they are pricey.
Die cast in those eras are few and far between. Woodland Scenics has a '37 sedan that’s nice looking. I haven’t seen anything else in die cast, it’s usually late '40s, '50s, and later.
Tom
REAL cars were scarce in the 40s. After all, the WPB banned the production
of civilian vehicles not needed for the war effort between 1942-1945. They are
there, but not so many as other years.
Available now:
Ricko 38809 1935 Horch 851 Pullman (great gangster car) - available now
Available March-April timeframe:
Ricko 38810 1927 Mercedes-Benz 630K Touring Car
Ricko 38849 1936 Wanderer W25K Roadster
Ricko 38852 1938 Horch 930V Convertible
Ricko 38860 1934 Cadillac Aerodynamic Coupe
Ricko 38863 1931 Lincoln Model K Phaeton
They’re about $16.00 but the detail is fantastic. Even the interiors are detailed.
There are a couple of other oldtimers coming out this year.
The Sylvan Scale models are very nice. Wasn’t as impressed with the Woodlands Scenics Auto Scenes vehicles. If you’re patient and very careful, the Jordan kits built a nice model.
If your layout is set in 1955, about the oldest vehicle you would want would be from the 1930s. Cars from much before that were no longer legal on the roads because of issues with brakes, lights, safety glass and other safety issues. A lot of old cars didn’t even have four-wheel brakes.
Plus a lot of cars were gone. Between 1927 and 1930, Chevrolet bought and destroyed 650,000 old cars to boost sales of new ones and cut down the used-car market.
At the end of WWII, over half the cars registered in the U.S. were 10 years old or older, meaning pre-1935. People spent the next ten years snapping up new cars. Between 1945 and 1950, U.S. automakers built 8 million new cars and the pace didn’t slow down. In 1955 alone, there were 7.2 million new cars sold. If you figure there were about 25 million cars registered in 1945, only a very small fraction of those old pre-war cars would have still in daily use.
Some Model As and Bs were still around but Model Ts were long gone except as museum pieces and antiques. Not only would most of them have been 30 years old or older by 1955 (Model T production ended in 1927), but their owners would likely be old enough to appreciate having a heater, something that wasn’t even an option on a Model T.