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| RMC's Mar '73 review of AHM's 'Railroad Hotel' |
I've been re-reading the Hayden & Frary Elk River and Thatcher's Inlet series published in Railroad Model Craftsman in the early '70s, and was enjoying that early '70s vibe so much I thought I'd once again page through all of the '70s RMCs.
In the March '73 issue I found a review by Dave Frary of an AHM 'Railroad Hotel' kit. He had this to say about its DNA:
This newest model from AHM is a variation on a theme (and on a set of dies) that they have used successfully in the past couple of years. The original use of the tooling was the attractive Ramsey Journal Building, a model of the former Railroad Model Craftsman offices based on an E. L. Moore article. The hotel kit has many new parts such as a porch and sidewalk parts.
Maybe AHM didn't provide RMC with a final boxing of the kit because after scratching my head wondering what kit was the 'Railroad Hotel', I realized it's actually AHM #5834, Rooming House, with the included Railroad Hotel signs applied.
Frary ends the review by noting the kit's price as $3.98 US, which translates to about $25.50 US in today's money.
Model Power reworked the packaging as #452 - Two Story Western Union Office.
ReplyDeleteThe Ramsey/Grusom tooling spawned various spin offs:
AHM changed/added a few parts to get The Firehouse #5835 Also in Tyco and Model Power boxings.
Pola Quick used it as a basis for a Pharmacy #815, also sold in a Playcraft box as #815
No doubt there are other derivatives/re-brandings that I have missed or forgotten.
I can see I need to update my lists. Thanks for this great information!
DeleteYou know, no doubt ELM knew about this variation, and I wonder if it in any way inspired him to build his own hotel, The Clarabel Hotel?
DeleteI appreciate that the railings go far to conceal the brick structure's origins. That corner detail is the giveaway every time.
ReplyDeleteGalen
Yeah, once that and the side wall comes into view, it's Ramsey Journal all the way down.
DeleteA new one on me, yet another Model Power rework of the Ramsey Journal as #448 'Meadowbrook Bank', just a single offering on ebay, been on a long time, somewhat overpriced . Not seen it before in any catalogues etc.
ReplyDeleteI can sent some images if you wish.
Yes! I would like to see photos of the Meadowbrook Bank and the others.
Delete