AZL would be more than happy to support a future Z scale convention. Found memories of Medford and Denver in particular.
My favorite was actually the Columbus/Cincinnati in 2005 because it was both a Convention AND a Train Show. To this day I never seen a larger Z Scale layout at a train show in any scale. Medford was fun too, but I Denver due to a new day job. I am starting to feel a Z Scale Renaissance in the works too, as lately I have started seeing many finescale Z layouts posted and published. People are taking Z Scale seriously again.
To your point I agree. I feel like there is a spark in Z that feels similar to those good old days in early 2000s Im seeing better modeling…heck what used to pass as good back in day for me isn’t good enough. 3D printing…more product. More details…. So when I look at what these guys were doing in 90s….so impressed!!
Joe, I agree. That was the sentiment I had while reading this article. There are so many of you I'd like to meet. Share ideas in person and see things up close. At a minimum, it might be nice for any of us in the east to meet. I think that is MA, CT, NH, NY, NJ, MD, and VA.? Scott
That’s why Mr. Dave, myself, wife and others have been going to Altenbeken (happens every other year). This year was 1/2 the participants due to government rules and others not wanting or able to be there. (Normally, there is another aisle and ~2x the attendees).
I too would really like an East Coast convention. I have never been to a convention East of Ohio, and I would really like to tour some Pennsy, B&O, and NYC museums and prototype equipment.
More interesting finds while sorting thru my dad's train collection. At this point I am focused on Z scale. My dad had created a name for his Z scale locomotive and rolling stock building, George's Steam Supreme. Some of these locos I posted on page 1. My dad was looking to create US steam for Z scale, and one approach was to kit-bash Marklin shells. He also tried to help create something for RLW, but there are so many iterations of even one class of USRA locos, that it is hard to have a one size fits all approach. So other approaches my dad took were to create parts so a modeler can modify Marklin shells. He also tried to create locomotive shells to fit over stock Marklin chassis. My dad worked with several machinists who also did casting. One of the was London Bridge, and the other worked with In Service Miniatures. In Service Miniatures put out a 0-6-0T switcher to fit over the Marklin 0-6-0 chassis. He created others as well, the NYC 4-6-4 Hudson, PRR 4-6-0 G5, USRA 2-8-2 Mikado, and the 4-6-0 Harriman. The Harriman almost made it out into a item. To be continued.
It would be nice to build your own locomotive so to say. I went back to the first pictures and particularly like that 2-8-0.
Next up, more cast shells to fit over Marklin chassis. NYC 4-6-4 Hudson. The shell in the foreground is the master, made by my dad. The shell in the background is a casting. A pilot and trailing truck specific for the Hudson were to be included. A tender was also created along with Commonwealth trucks. PRR 4-6-0 G5 Sells come with G5 type pilots. USRA 2-8-2 Mikado Mikado shells come with a Mikado pilot, Two types of trailing trucks, Bissel-Cole and Bissel Delta, valve details, a tender and Commonwealth trucks. The shell in the foreground is a master, then a metal casting, a brass casting and several other configurations of a Mikado. To be continued.
Trailing trucks.... My dad had three types cast: Bissel-Cole two-wheel used by Alco. Bissel Delta two-wheel. Delta four wheel truck Four-wheel truck. Cast metal trailing trucks. How to mount the Bissel-Cole trucks. Drill a hole in the Marklin truck and into the trailing truck, screw together. Scott More to come.
My dad was trying to create some different types of tenders. These are all trials and are of different qualities. He and the machinists tried casting different locomotives, like this F-7 and a B unit. Stay tuned, Scott
My question is why did your dad stop developing Z? I figure he must have stopped around Y2K, since all that you posted has nothing newer, so what has he been up to the past 20 years?