You probably haven't seen one of these in a while... if ever. It's a Kadee Micro-Trains kit (!) originally released September 1984, old enough to have ribbed wheels. Pristine new in box kit no longer! I assembled it right after taking this photo. I had four kits to build and I have one assembled one to fix, all the same paint scheme with different road numbers. They'd been sitting in the my files for something over five years... (And no, they have no real "collector" value.) Anyone else still have any of these unopened... ? I know there are a couple more in my stash.
I remember seeing some of the kits hanging around the LHS a few decades ago. Apparently they weren't very popular. IMO, a jewel case and nest should have been included with the kit, but that would have reduced the DIY cost savings. For most anyone who ever imagined themselves as having a job at Kadee/Micro-Trains, assembling one of those kits was as close as it would get.
I have a M-T NKP boxcar kit around here somewhere, my last remaining unbuilt. Back in the '70s, Atlas too briefly offered N Scale kits, but in cardstock boxes.
I had lots of those kits. It was the best way to get the Cadillac of N Gauge at an affordable price. Remember they also used to sell 5 packs of assembled cars for a discount price too. The first time I ever seen those Kadee kits, was at Caboose Hobbies in Denver. They had a whole wall of them on peghooks. Remember the backside of the wheels for some of the cars had spiral ribs too!
I have assembled several of them and still have 15 to 20 that I still need to assemble, they were way easier than the Blue box HO kits of the 50's when I was in to HO. They were a great cost saving compared to todays prices for MT cars.
I've always seen a few of these available every year at the Amherst Show. Either they are not selling or people are finding new old ones every year!
Wayback machine. I had about 50 of these back when I first got back into N scale. I set up a little assembly line and they made a great train.
I still have several unassembled undecorated hopper and wood box car kits, but I actually do know where they are. I do have two or three cars that were painted and lettered for something. I did assemble those. Kadee did not use too high quality a glue back then, as one or two of the plastic blisters have come off the card due to age. I have had that happen on a couple of truck, coupler or conversion kit packages, as well.
Found my stash. My memory was incorrect. The undecs were assembled and no longer Kayee. However I do have one old Kaydee kit.
As I remember, for the longest time you could only get undecs in kit form. Most of my undecs have been freed and painted/decaled. I still have several other kits (8-10) sealed in the package. I know I have some from 'my' railroad...1st run NWP Overnight boxcar and P&SR caboose. I have so many of these cars that I don't need to open them and I like seeing them still in the package sitting in the library next to all of my train books.
Here's a my few remaining KADEE freight car kits even though two have a MT Paper Insert they're were originally KADEE . The WABASH Hopper Car has original Yellow KADEE Paper Label. The other two will receive the Yellow Paper Label shortly , ass soon as I can get to them. Tom
I still call all of M-T's cars "Kadee" cars, just out of habit. I get puzzled looks at train shows from Sellers not aware of the line's history.
The term "Micro Trains" has been used from the beginning, as seen on the early packages of couplers, but Kadee was the parent company so everybody just said "Kadee" I still call them that, too. I saw a lot of the kits in shops but never bought any. I did buy several Atlas kits, however. They initially had really terrible rolling qualities with plastic wheelsets but later put their regular, metal-wheeled trucks in the boxes, too. Doug
I still do call them that if the the sellers at the Train Shows beg to differ about them.. only then I will remind those who have them , I will remind them of the History of MICRO TRAINS. Tom