It's very nice to hear the back story about BLMA. I recently noticed their high detail/high quality bridges for HO and N. And then I saw that Atlas bought them and threw out the cool bridges.
Sorry, I was mistaken in the above post. Atlas sells a select variety of the BLMA HO and N brass bridges now. For example, there's a Youtube video from Oct, 2009, from BLMA that shows one of their cool brass bridges in HO. At least that's still available in N now from Atlas. That video is here:
I didn't know they still had them, it looks like they did a rerun in 2014. They had quickly sold out of the first run. Even for $325, you are getting 30 hours worth of labor, as well as a good full sheet of etched brass, and lost wax castings. If they gave you all the materials for free, you still only paid a guy under $11 an hour to do the work. N Scalers got it made, they don't even have to learn how to model anymore, it's all done for them for free, just purchase and place on your layout, superdetailing alread done. Not bad when you consider that for half that price you could have purchased a Micron Art Z Scale brige kit, and have to do all the assembly yourself. Too late! Micron Art is gone, you should have jumped when you had the chance. You know... It might be worth it to buy an Atlas BLMA N Scale bridge, and chop it to Z Scale height, to make a 275' brass bridge?
Miller Engineering Micro-Structures update ... The release date is targeting June 2020, but that's not set in stone. Still a bit of work in progress as per conversation with Chris Miller. Below are the releases that Miller is rolling out in limited numbers ... full announcement will come in an upcoming issue of Ztrack Magazine. Victorian Houses * Z-V101 The Empire https://zscalehobo.com/website/microstru/Z-V101.html * Z-V202 Eastlake https://zscalehobo.com/website/microstru/Z-V202.html * Z-V303 Queen Anne https://zscalehobo.com/website/microstru/Z-V303.html * Z-V404 Seattle House https://zscalehobo.com/website/microstru/Z-V404.html * Z-V505 Gothic Revival https://zscalehobo.com/website/microstru/Z-V505.html * Z-V606 Victoria House https://zscalehobo.com/website/microstru/Z-V606.html * Z-V701 Marlet House https://zscalehobo.com/website/microstru/Z-V701.html * Z-V801 Seaside Cottage https://zscalehobo.com/website/microstru/Z-V801.html Downtown: * Z-101 Gilmor Hotel https://zscalehobo.com/website/microstru/Z-101.html * Z-202 Mid State Bank https://zscalehobo.com/website/microstru/Z-202.html * Z-303 KC's Hardware https://zscalehobo.com/website/microstru/Z-303.html * Z-404 Triangle Hotel & Bar https://zscalehobo.com/website/microstru/Z-404.html * Z-505 Crestline Theater (unclear if the lighting will be available - but let's hope so!) https://zscalehobo.com/website/microstru/Z-505.html * Z-606 Pitman's Deli https://zscalehobo.com/website/microstru/Z-606.html * Z-701 Brown Stone Townhouse #1 https://zscalehobo.com/website/microstru/Z-701.html * Z-801 Red Brick Townhouse #2 https://zscalehobo.com/website/microstru/Z-801.html * Z-901 Fire Engine Co #2 - (some old stock is still available) - https://zscalehobo.com/website/microstru/z901.html * Z-1010 Train Station https://zscalehobo.com/website/microstru/Z-1010.html Accessories: * Z-F-101 Single Fire Escape * Z-F-202 Double Fire Escape * re-release starting in June 2020 (estimated) Kits not returning: CS-100 City Scoop Ice Cream Parlor - limited stock remains at select dealers Z-100D Parkway Diner - limited stock remains at select dealers Z-920 Mile Stone Gravel - long sold out Z-930 Gulf Gas Station - long sold out Z-960 Pink Elephant Car Wash - long sold out Z-970 St. Mary's Church - recently sold out Z-980 Adam's Dairy Farm - sold out Z-Gar-100 Victorian Garage - sold out Z-G-100 Gazebo - sold out Frank Daniels z.scale.hobo www.zscalehobo.com Micro-Structures dealer since 2000
Thanks, Frank. This is excellent news. Too bad about the Gulf Gas station. No word on the drive-in theater kit? Jim
Yeah, I have been saving my shekels too! I want the first 8 downtown structures, and all of the victorians.
I'm so glad that they decided to produce the Z-F-202 Double Fire Escape, which are much needed on my urban layout. I wish they would decide to produce their MS-985 Chain Link Security Fence because it was by far the best out there and so easy to weather because it was photo etched stainless steel and not brass. John
Yeah, me too. I'm going to try the Nansen Street tall brass security fence and see how that works out.
The Archistories fence is a decent alternative, but not as nice as the stainless by Miller. Really wish we could get them to rerun those in quantities.
Interesting that you bring up quantities... Paul Graf (Atlas CEO) today mentioned to me that given BLMAs original market estimates it would take 10 years to burn the inventory on a single minimum quantity production run of the BLMA Z scale details line! This was thus put waaaay lower on their priority list. All: copy and paste the BLMA list I provided a few posts above and send a message to Paul Graf of Atlas. It will take a bunch of us writing to get the BLMA add-on details ratcheted up on the priority list for Atlas.
I tried the Archistories security fence but I didn’t like it, it’s paper which I found too difficult to work with. John
... I heard the same "hard to work with" complaint from buyers of Miller's fence. Check Sven / Kuhlmanns dioramas ... They use the "paper" (cardboard) kits & fences all over.
If the minimum orders for etched parts from Atlas are really that large, should we encourage another vendor to support this need? NKay Designs and The Z Maker have been able to support smaller volume orders.
Atlas Paul posted this today on another forum. "We are planning another group of etched products, they should be in the next catalog. A lot of the BLMA stuff came from the factory that shut down in the summer of 2018 and is caught in the backlog of getting regular production back up and running."
So it looks like for Z Scale to flourish, we need and count on small mom and pop operations to specialize on products. Let the big guys produce track, engines, and rolling stock, and we as modelers need to step up and produce everything else, like Z Maker does. I'm getting setup to offer laser cut stuff for the model railroading season next fall, as I still need some warm weather to finish setting up my garage and train room, and I suspect Hobo Tim is going to bring out some new goodies too. Duino is bringing his lasers online soon, so we should see some stuff from him. Showcase Miniatures has been steadily releasing finescale cast metal, etched, and laser cut models. AZL is committed to the game as their release schedule has proven. Things are looking good for Z. There are some really great 3D printer designers out there, and if we can get them interested in making more stuff like Z Maker is doing, that would be awesome. I would so much like to see Shapeways brass shells in kit form like the Showcase Miniatures Nn3 format but in Z for fitting over Marklin steam locos mechanisms. Imagine an affordable USRA 0-8-0 switcher shell that fits over the Marklin 8898X mechanism, or USRA 0-6-0 switchers for the 8800's, or other prototypes that fit over the Rokuhan and Tenshodo steam mechanisms, with seperately applied domes, bells, steam generators, etc. These are the kinds of offerings that increase the diversity of Z Scale models available, yet have virtually no huge investment of money because they are produced on demand. Metal parts are king!
Hi, John Nice collection of buildings. I like what you're doing. I have many of them too. I did miss out on some because you've got some I haven't seen. I like your streets and sidewalks. Since Miller Engineering is looking like they ARE re-issuing some of their "downtown" series I can finish the rest of a 4 foot module called, "Columbus Avenue."