On30 IMA

End of year Kits

2011-12-23T09:45:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are at the end of 2011 with a solid year under our belts and no blog posts for 6 months.
I have been busy though, updating the website and adding a new kit and finally getting the stock car kit back on line.
I've spent a lot of time deciding on and getting enough detail parts from Grandt and Tichy to make these kits look finished. The builder can add more details if he chooses but there's enough in the kit to make the car look finished for the average modeler. The object is to keep cost down but still make a decent kit.

The gondola is based on the Bridgton & Saco River RR (Maine) coal cars and is a real nice kit for under $20.

This is the car that started it all....the stock car which put the impetus into me purchasing the entire stock and line of On30 kits. It is back and available on the web site.

I am also planning to have the kits at the Springfield show.......Amherst Railway Society at the Big E fairgrounds in January.

Overseas Shipping

2011-07-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

After spending the past week getting shipments out to New Zealand and Holland, I had a chance to figure some pretty standard shipping costs for the kits.

I ship for free to all the US states and using the US Post Office figures I was able to determine additional costs for out of country shipments and have added PayPal buttons to the website for customers to add their own shipping.

No need for e-mails or other exchanges unless additional service is required. Hopefully this will spur some additional orders.

These kits are a bargain.
Just compare them to the others being offered.

more Summer activity

2011-07-06T12:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I received my latest laser cut parts and have orders for 14 cars already.

I have also added Boulder Valley T-2 trucks and Kadee #148 couplers and gearboxes to the web site for purchase with a kit.

I also have a new car design in the works. It's a matter of time and money now.

This is our old stock car which we hope to have more available soon.

Summer update

2011-06-08T16:23:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a few months since I've been able to write about the line of cars being offered. The website is up and running and sales are happening. New photos from modelers and even a new car in the works.
I finished a lot of the CAD drawings for laser cutting which has been an experience and I'm afraid not yet done as I now need to group them on a cut sheet.
So what about pictures? Here's some from Bill Andersen, "Geezer" on the Railroad Line forum.

These are 3 of the cars available, the boxcar with vertical siding or horizontal outside braced or the reefer. I also have a flatcar in stock which is a scale 6' wide and will work also for an On2 layout.
The stockcar is being redrawn for laser cutting as well as a new car.

The coach can also be purchased on the website. And most of the kit instructions are on the website also.

Kit Release for the New Year

2011-01-09T09:40:00.000-08:00

I've been busy making CAD drawings to get the parts I need cut on the laser. The passenger coach sides, ends and window/door parts are in and I'm packing kits now.
The web site is up and kits can be purchased there at On30IMA.

I also have Flat Car kits available on the web site. This is a narrow car and very well suited for all sorts of different modifications.

I have also finished most of the instructions for each kit and posted these on the web site. If you think you might want to try one of these kits, look at the instructions to see if they will work on your railroad. On30 Tips

Passenger Cars

2010-11-26T14:21:00.000-08:00

I've been working on the Freight Cars but a recent post on the On30 Conspiracy prompted me to get out the passenger car kits I had in stock. As it turns out, there were only 3 complete kits so I packaged these up and made an announcement on the Conspiracy.
Within 3 hours the three were spoken for. Looks like I need to get these up to speed and start laser cutting the needed pieces.

You can contact me at: On30IMA@comcast.net

Preparing Kits

2010-10-26T08:02:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm still working on re-opening the website to offer direct sales. I still have some stock car kits on hand and have received orders by phone.
Plans are to get this setup completed in November after CSS 2010. I had hoped to have it all done for the Mid-Hudson meet but that didn't happen.
I still have my contracting business to tend to ( have to keep money coming in) so time has been limited. With colder weather I should have more time to put into the kits. I'll also be able to finish up the parts for the passenger cars.
Keep in tune here for more information.

New Owner

2010-06-10T13:59:00.000-07:00

Well, after spending some months trying to get the kits back off the ground, the original owner has decided to sell the name and entire stock to me.
So I am busy trying to get everything back up on-line and re-listed. Working a full 1:1 job leaves little time right now but I will soon have the kits posted.
In the meantime, if anyone is interested in buying a kit, contact me directly. I do know there are those out there who are building or have finished kits lately.

Additional Photos

2010-03-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

Finally got the brake wheel and name board on the car. Sun was out and took an outside photo.

And another in the light box.

Stock Car

2010-03-12T13:36:00.000-08:00

I finished the stock car kit that started this all. A complete write up of the build can be read HERE.

This laser cut car with all parts except trucks and couplers is $19 on the website On30IMA.

On30 IMA Origin

2010-03-08T11:46:00.000-08:00

The line of On30 cars was begun by Bill Orlando while he lived in New Jersey during 2004. Bill designed a series of cars in On30 scale (1:48) including a box car, stock car, flat car and reefer. Passenger cars were added later on as well as other items.

There are a number of other fine makers of On30 rolling stock but Bill's goal was to make them affordable and allow the builder to customize if desired. These were all laser cut wood kits but they required some skill to assemble. The customer could also buy the trucks and couplers he preferred to finish the kit. Bill sold these kits for a couple of years and then made a move to upper New York state where the kits became dormant. A large quantity of parts were stored until late 2009.

It was in early 2010 that Dave Mason from Halifax, MA, contacted Bill and together they have embarked on a marketing campaign to get these kits back on the market. The kits remain pretty much the same and customers are able to add their own touch to them.

The cars follow NO particular line and are generic in style. Length in On30 is 22' and these can also be used with Sn42 and would be 27'. Trucks and couplers are not included, this way the modeler can choose what matches his existing equipment.

Construction methods and tips are contained on the website, thereby eliminating the costs of producing an assembly manual. Any scratchbuilder will be able to assemble these cars using his expertise and readily available resources.

All kits are available on line and payment is through PayPal. Additionally, it is planned to bring these kits to various shows throughout the year. We hope everyone enjoys these kits and will follow along as we grow.

Your comments, positive or negative are welcome.

Dave Mason