Walthers Decals

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Greetings.

As I posted in the DCC forum I have been away from HO model railroading for about eight years. I am now back trying to make up for lost time. But I am a little concerned, has Walthers stopped making decals or have they moved them somewhere else other than their website? This would be a little problematic for someone modeling the MKT in the early fifties.

Also it seems my favorite magazine other than MR, Mainline Modeler has also stopped publishing. Does anuone know whe this happened and is it permanent.

Thanks

Steve

2

Hi Steve;

Walthers has not made decals is years - they may have stopped before you started your sabbatical from model railroading, and were just selling off old stock. Other decal makers have changed considerably also.

Your best bet for finding who makes suitable decals for you is the MKT Historical Society.

http://www.katyrailroad.org/

Mainline Modeler is long gone, as is Model Railroading and Railroad Model Jornal. Railroad Model Craftsman is still around, and has honored MRG and RMJ subscriptions.

3

C-D-S has several dry transfer lettering sets for M-K-T, but only for boxcars (more modern than the one pictured below). While they’re no longer producing lettering, they still have thousands of various sets in stock and continue to offer them for sale while supplies last. If you want more info, send me a PM.

Wayne

4

Hi, Steve.

Walthers decals show up on ebay fairly frequently and I see them at shows whenever I go.

You might give ODDBALLS decals site a look-see. They tend to do alot of decals for roads in that area. They make some very nice stuff.

Roger Huber

5

Don’t forget Microscale (formerly Kraesel Inustries) at www.microscale.com which is still producing lots of decals. Champ has also quit production and are still selling remaining stock

Mainline’s passing about a year ago realy is going to be missed a lot of us model builders.

6

Walthers still sells a limited number of decals, but I don’t know whether they’re still making them or just selling off old stock. They print decals that are used with their buildings for example, and have some generic alphabet and numbers and such. But not like years ago when they rivalled Champ in decal production.

BTW as mentioned Champ is no longer producing decals, but still has many decals in stock.

7

A major drawback to purchasing old decals, at least here in the desert, is that they become brittle and useless when they are dried out from long periods of storage.

8

You might consider joining the NMRA if you aren’t a member already in order to receive Scale Rails. The monthly magazine is quite good IMHO.

9

Note also that, as a member of the NMRA, you can purchase surplus back-issues of many magazines, including MM, from the Kalmbach Memorial Library (no direct relationship, other than the name, to our host).