Development of model railroading in US

[highpeak]

I am not by any means a collector of old models, but a lot of the topics on here are very interesting, as is Bertiedog's work on the US sub-forum. I came across this interview with Nat Polk yesterday which I thought gave a fascinating glimpse of how the hobby developed in this country. http://www.aristocraft.com/articles/nat/nattca1.html There are a few references to familiar UK enterprises.

[bertiedog]

Very interesting views, Polk was heavily involved with US developments in retail, perhaps less so with model makers than the toy trade, which influenced the whole trade more than the toy trade in the UK.

 

 

Gordon Varney summed it up, the UK led the US in railway modelling well into the 1950's, but rather lost the plot after that. English suppliers and builders were considered the worlds best, but the commercial backup was poor, especially after the war. Six to seven years of limited or no production ruined the model industry over here, at a time when the US industry stormed ahead, albeit on Japanese made items and European made items!

 

Stephen.

[signalmaintainer]

Gordon Varney summed it up, the UK led the US in railway modelling well into the 1950's, but rather lost the plot after that. English suppliers and builders were considered the worlds best, but the commercial backup was poor, especially after the war. Six to seven years of limited or no production ruined the model industry over here, at a time when the US industry stormed ahead, albeit on Japanese made items and European made items!

You Brits, after all, bore the brunt of defending the free world for more than two years before the US actively entered World War II. Then you faced four more years of war, with the enemy just across the Channel.

 

True, our key manufacturers, such as Mantua and Athearn, steamed ahead in the post-war years, to the benefit of HO scale particularly and the hobby here as a whole. My country didn't face the magnitude of rebuilding an economy and infrastructure to the degree which confronted Britain.

 

Yes, your hobby took a beating for many years after the war as a result, but the rest of the free world had a hobby to enjoy. Not to sound maudlin, but I for one am grateful for Britain.