As a former model railroader, I loved Athearn's steam era freight car kits. They could be weathered and made took like much more expensive kits. My dad was a bush pilot and a crop duster. I grew up around Stearman biplanes and as a result, developed an interest in vintage aircraft - Ford Tri Motors, Curtis Jennies, Wacos, and WWI fighters. But steam railroading was always my first love so I really appreciate getting to know Athearn's early history. Thanks!!
In the 70's I had a Cox P40 Kittyhawk. Never could get the engine to work let alone tether fly the model. Spent a lot of time "flying" the model holding it out on the end of my arm....vroom vroom.
My dad had a bunch of Athearn engines and other things. He treasured those. We didn't have a big layout but he had slot cars on one side of a piece of plywood, and track on the other. I'd love to get my hands on them and build a nice little layout in his honor, he passed away last year. He also has an old old OLD Lionel O gauge too.
Every time I think of Athearn I always remember visiting one of the company's offices with my parents as a kid. My parents used to be sales people and one of the offices by Athearn was one of the places they would drop off samples to so sometimes I would go with my parents into the Athearn office and look at the train models sitting in a show case in the waiting room. Later when that Athearn office was moving, the company decided to sell some of the trains sets that were at that office so my dad bought a few sets and those were my first model trains. Athearn will always feel special to me as it reminds me of being a kid wanting to play with toy trains
Thanks for this and the other vids. As a kid, I once had the opportunity to Mr. Athearn at his 'plant' as is was called back then. My Father was Leo Campbell, of Campbell Scale Models. We had some kind of agreement to assemble the 'trucks' for the rolling stock for him. We did it as a family at our kitchen table, until our fingers bled. Then Dad invented a machine to do it. Good times.
Love what you doing ! And you’re doing a great job at it too ! It was approximately late 1976 when I started working for Jeans model shop in Sharpstown mall, Houston, Texas ! During the time that I work for Jean, we found that we sold in “large amounts”, of (radio control airplanes) and we had just started selling helicopters around 1977 ! I worked for Jean until very late in 1978 when I join the United States Army ! One thing I can tell you is that the amount of different plastic model companies that were around as well as company’s that had radio control cars, planes, helicopters, boats, had sold was in steady flow ! And from the time I entered until the time I left “model trains” sold year round ! Unfortunately we did not sell O gauge ! Instead of Jean sold HO and N ! Which is pretty sad considering Lionel started back in 1899 ! And in itself not only a great company, but manufacture of the best model trains and (“longest lasting”) in the world ! If you did a series on Lionel online now, you have to make it at least four, to five hours long because of the amount of information is overwhelming ! Now Jean did sell HO and N gauge and she sold Atlas A.H.M. Athene and Bachmann as well as the buildings and accessory’s !! On a similar subject and I don’t know about you, but “history” was a subject that a lot of (“students”), did not like !!!! I on the other hand was a little different and wiser ! I was the only kid in Havana,Cuba with a Lionel train set ! But because of no electricity, I had to push it around by hand, and that was when I was three years old ! Yes, I still Remembered ! Because of the fact that (“I learned about all types of vehicles”), cars, trains, boats, ships, Rockets, and Armor and last but not least weapons of all kinds ! I learned ‘names’ and what ‘year’ they were made who made them and from this information I gathered the information they were asking for as far as like who was president at the time ? Using that information to cross reference so I can use it in history class ! Is their even ‘someone’ nowadays who knew who the Dodge brothers were ? Bet they have no idea, unless you’re into muscle cars ! And the percentage on that is so very low ! Bet they don’t know what a heavy Chevy is either !!!All thanks to the millenniums ! 🌊🐺
Hi Max, I received an Athearn train set as a Christmas present from Santa in 1967, I still have that set. For the first couple of years after receiving the train set, it only came out at Christmas time. But after a few years of being put away after Christmas, my Dad decided it was time to build a 4' x 8' layout in the basement. So I started off as a model railroader, but I believe it was for my birthday in 1970, I received the AMT Chevy Titan 90 kit. From that point forward I'd receive stuff for the model railroad and AMT and ERTL truck kits for my birthday and Christmas presents. Yes, I still have model trains today, but I've switched to N scale, my current layout size is only 24" x 80". I'm also currently working on a Round 2 AMT Reissue Freightliner Cab over build. I don't have a "He Shed" just a spare bedroom in our condo, that the wife says still has to be available as a bedroom, when family is in town. My wife supports my hobbies usually with a nice gift card from the local hobby shop for Birthday and Christmas presents, although she really doesn't understand the hobbies. Cheers, Rich S.
In the late 1960s, my brother got a Cox Model Rocket of a scale Russian Vostok launch vehicle. It blew up on launch. I remember watching it come down on a mangled tangled parachute. That forever colored my impression of Cox.
Athearn was so significant in the growth of model railroading. The main market for Athearn were the Blue Box kits of rolling stock. The locomotives were also well ahead of the opposition in terms of value for money by clever use of standardised drive train components that were pretty much bullet proof. This was at the time they went from strength to strength from around1965 to 1995 with the Blue Box kits. While sold as kits to keep the price at a high value point, they were described as "Shake the Box" kits. They were so well thought out that they took just a few minutes of glue free, decal free and paint free assembly. Nearly as easy a shaking the box. Even in Australia in the 1990s the blue box kits were so much cheaper and better value than alternatives. While a few were to be avoided as having too many compromises most were very good representations of the rolling stock they portrayed. On model railroad forums there is still a lot of fond recollection of the Athearn Blue Box value for money "kits" compared to newer much more detailed and much more expensive current ready to run boxed models. Now common to have so much detail that is fragile and hard to see anyway when operating on a large layout but prices have risen so much. The 1975 geared diesel drivetrain of Athearn was so good that nearly every quality current diesel locomotive brand is a refinement of it. A big talking point currently is how the cost of current model trains discourage many young new entrants to model railroading. A bad thing with the new high detail products. Much agreement that Irv Athearn was the most significant person in the growth of model railroading in the last century.
Thanks. Wow I didn't know athern made trains for Cox. I had some athern HO stuff handed down. Worked for a little while. Unreal, no more Cox motors or airplanes. I flew a lot of those. I saved 4 or 5 motors.
My brother was huge into model trains and built countless Athearns and Globe kits. As the youngest, I built many of the Cox u-control planes and the slot cars. Great memories.
I had the Chaparral cox car and a few others , my 3 brothers and I along with my father raced them at our local hobby store. ...In the back they had a 4 lane slot car track where we could race 2 on 2 against other families. Wow; I miss those days. My favorite car was the Shelby Cobra.
I worked at a toy & hobby shop from '81 to '88. Sold a LOT of Athearn stuff, wish I'd tried their truck kits myself. I guess I was too busy with the other thing at that time. ;)
Back in the seventies I had the Cox P39 Airacobra with the tiny Cox glow plug engine. I still remember the smell of that glow plug fuel and wish someone would release that product again in the original packaging. The PT was the plane to have but it was always sold out or too expensive.
I got started flying with the Cox sopwith camel, then balsa kits with Cox engines, I collect/build Athern blue box kits, along with pretty much any kind of "kit" lol, Thank you for the great videos history and memories Rick B aka Plastic butcher
I have plenty of athearn trains, and some cox ones too. I was a model railroader longbefore i got into model kits, but i try to balnce both hobbies now. Also, i hear "City of New Orleans" playing in the bckground. One of the best train songs ever.
Love this channel. I had a Cox chaparral tether car, with I believe a .049 baby bee engine, was just the coolest thing on earth back in the 60's. Bet the school loved me hammering nails in there parking lot to anchor the line
I had absolutely no idea that Cox sold non flying plastic model kits although I have been with Cox since 1965 when I opened my hobby shop in Bogotá and sold their products very well. I had always thought they only made plastic ready to fly control line models, accessories and the best glow engines for model airplanes EVER made let alone model trains!! I know they made rockets and slot cars which incidentally almost broke the company when that fad was suddenly dropped in the late 60s. Perhaps you could make a video of Roy Cox's company but concentrating on their flying model business? I remember his beautiful Piper Comanche with a .15 engine and 32 inches wingspan. It flew soooo well.
My dad had a Cox car that ran on a wire, not in a circle, but a straight line. It had 2 lugs under the centerline you passed the wire or line thru. I never saw any other cars that did that. It looked like an open wheel lotus race car. It had the cox 049 glow engine. I would guess it was 1960 or so. My dad and his friends did control line planes too. Made from balsa and tissue.
@@butchs.4239 I googled some pics and found a cox car with the box, someone took a pic on the back and it had 2 cars drag racing on 2 lines. Ah the days when RC was insanely expensive.
A former neighbor of mine said he used to have such cars, along with other Cox products. He even worked at Cox back in the 70's. Before he moved, he gave me a few artifacts like slot car boxes, airplane accessories, and even the binder to a Cox employee handbook, although the text is missing.
Interesting to see that "Covered Wagon" art on box. I had that kit at one time, built it and its companion model of a "Wells Fargo" stage coach. Cannot recall the maker of them. Both of these models were available from Borax Soap, when you bought the soap there was an advert referring to their historical "20 Mule Team Wagon Train" as a kit, the box art or a coupon inside led you to the first kits mentioned. My father helped me build some of it, I painted all those mules harness and wagon wheels and he did up a base and dust cover. I still have the water wagon. I also have a complete "20 Mule Team Wagon Train" kit stashed away.
I always wanted a slot car set when I was young. Never got one. I did get a Train set and I'd set up all the straight track and shoot the Train down the track as fast as possible into my Wild West town. I don't know the company that made the buildings. The walls slid into each other and had a flat roof that allowed you to put another on top as far as you wanted to go. They had a pair of swinging doors in the front wall and windows. With a porch on the front with a sign with Saloon, Sheriff, Bank and others I can't remember. I eventually bought my first slot car set in 2003 and now I have the sets that once belonged to many young boys
In the mid 70's I had a Cox plastic flying Saturn 5 plastic kit rocket. It was supposed to use two Cox C6-3 rocket motors, but none were available where I lived. So I used two C6-5s, 2 second longer delay, the parachutes opened at about 50' up, and it did live to fly several more times. The one time one motor didn't ignite, the one motor that did, was enough to get it to do a 30' arc into the ground.
I SO wanted one of those PT 109 trainers, so so so badly when I was a kid. My parents picked up a stuka control line plane at a garage sale. I got to fly it once for 5 minutes. My brother got his hands on it and proceeded to smash it into the ground. We made the mistake of flying it in the huge parking lot down the street from my house and found out right away that pavement and plastic don't play well together. I wasn't able to get back into the air until my mid 40's lol....thank god for chinese foamies!
I had an uncle, when I was 7 or 8, would come home every few months with a Cox u control plane, it would take him forever to get it started, then he would make it about 2 full circles, then lose his balance, and smash it in the ground. But he never gave up, month or so later, new plane, same results
Not all those Cox trains were Athearn. After a time, they began to make some on their own. The silver Athearn Beach Bonanza airplane (as well as a boat) were built to go on their 40-foot flatcar--what you show is a recent re-release--you can tell by the blue label. Cox might have begun production of tethered airplanes in the early 1960s, but WenMac planes were available in the late 1950s. I had one.
I was 11 when I got a COX control-line P-51 Mustang with the .049 motor for Christmas. It took me forever to get it started. I finally tied the wings down to the basement staircase and followed the instructions. (It was cold outside.) When I did get it started it scared the hell out of me, echoing off the concrete walls. (And, years on, I recall a number of T-shirts going missing.)
Most of my engines are Athearn as well as my rolling stock, but my pride and joy is my Cox Military train set. The big gun is always a big conversation piece. My wife does not mind my hobbies. In fact she takes a small part in them.
I built Cox 1/24 models of the 1964 Ferrari and BRM Formula 1 cars that came in clear-top plastic boxes that became display cases when you finished the models. I also had the Ferrari as a slot car, and you could tell which parts were common to both versions. The static-display versions lacked the driver figures that came in the slot cars.
I've really been enjoying these videos about the histories of various plastic model kit manufacturers.Thank You! One of my most prized toys was the Design-a-car kit by Pyro Plastics. I'd love to some info about this company.
Great short video on the two companies! I never knew that Athearn made any plastic models. Also as an aside why is it you think that model railroading and other modeling hobbies seem to be relatively segregated from each other? The model military (armor and aviation) and car guys seem to have some contact and overlap but model railroading seems to usually be separated from all other modeling communities in terms of tools and scales. For instance I'm a model railroader who dabbles in model aircraft from the golden age of aviation through WW2 but never heard of Tamiya tools (and more importantly extra thin cement!) until I started watching RUclips videos of military modelers. Many of the tools are applicable to all genres of modeling, but in all my years I never saw a single add for Tamiya tools, paints, or glues in magazines like Model Railroader. For instance I'd love a B17 or any litany of barnstorming biplanes for a 1:87/HO scale layout but none seem to exist, however for some reason 1:48 seems to be a standard for both planes, armor, and O scale model trains. Just an observation I thought fit with the video.
I never knew about the connection between Athearn and Cox, and I've been in model railroading since my father bought our first Athearn train set back in the fall of 1960 (I still have it). I knew about the Beech Bonanza kit; it was shipped on one of Irv's flatcars.
Well that was some interesting trivia on COX, I remember I had their gas powered STUKA and Dune buggy.. But I didn't know they where involved in trains... Once again love these videos
Athearn at one point made HO trains sold under the Lionel label. Most of the Cox trains I remember seeing were not Athearn, or at least not from the standard Athearn line. The Lionel HO was mostly identical to Athearn regular line, but sold assembled, A number of other companies modeled equipment after Athearn’s to the point of duplicating errors. Nearly all plastic boxcar models from the 1960s-80s have the brake parts on the underbody in mirror image, because Athearn designers missed that the drawings used show the setup looking down from above, not from the bottom looking up.
I've mentioned before, dad was a flying model builder from his teen years, partners in a hobby shop, etc. He couldnt wait until my lil' bro and I were old enough and for Xmas 68, we each received a PT-19. The associated home movies are hysterical (dad put many more flying time on those than we did). In 69, my brother got the Gurney Eagle tether car for his birthday, and for my birthday I got the Dune Buggy. Around the same time, we got into slot cars...Any one else remember the Cox La Cucaracha cars? We kept our slot car stuff in a re-purposed GI Joe footlocker*. I loved the smell of gear oil, tire "glue", and ozone. Funny thing, the flying models never did "take off" with us...we preferred plastics. I built a u-control and a two channel glider, but did not enjoy the learning curve =P * the footlocker was later re-purposed into a case for cassette tapes and it survived as a keepsake until just a few years ago when it was accidentally thrown away (along with my entire collection of automotive and aviation art dating back to the 60s. But that's a WHOLE other story...)
Amazing, wonderful...thank you. Off topic.. some of the arguments between the toy train hobby and Adult Friends of Lego are epic. Adults claiming one is better than the other, how someone needs to grow up.
I used to put Cox engines in just about everything, including some plastic model kits. My large model of the Missouri moved at an impressive, not exactly scale clip.
The Athearn models interest me if only because they'd be a source of kit model building covering subjects not covered by the dwindling range of subjects available today. Cars and trucks and commercial vehicles and general everyday stuff. The level of detail is quite good and the HO scale is great for someone who, like me, doesn't have a lot of display room.
I know it is before your time but model history is your thing. What where model shops and displays like in the hay days of the 50's and 60's? Seems they were very busy building the product.
I’m glad your doing some of the companies that did limited model production. There are quite a few. I hope you do ToyBiz someday. They also had a short run of Marvel characters. And were involved in overseas trading that led to lawsuits and pricing of today. Also having a famous artist involved with them. And I have some info you won’t find on the net also. And how about Eldon models. Don’t leave out their “3D Scenics” framed kit run. Short but sweet. “Just for the fun of it” slogan.
Funny, just before I read your comment I was researching them and I cannot find diddly-squat! I know they were around in the 50s and did some missiles and artillery pieces.
Ditto! I recently built the vintage Johan kit of the 1969 AMC AMX. Not as well engineered as the AMT, Revell and MPC car kits, but I owned a 1968 AMX in the early 1980s, and had been looking for this model kit. Have built a couple Johan aircraft kits over the years too.
The covered wagon kit was one of the Miniature Masterpieces model kits in the early Revell range. It was also reissued by Adams and a number of other companies, and has been reissued as recently as 2019. This time it was Glencoe who reissued the kits. Scalemates provides a timeline, but interestingly enough the Athearn version has escaped their notice. You might want to share that image and information with them to add to their timeline. www.scalemates.com/kits/miniature-masterpieces-k-505-98-covered-wagon--1051281
I caught that a few hours after the video. I did not know Revell's kits were 1/48 which is O scale but it explains the artwork. I guess I was thinking HO scale, that was my layout
@@maxsmodels Some of the Miniature Masterpiece kits (or reissues) turn up in some of the terrific dioramas' in Miniature World in Victoria British Columbia. I imagine that some of the other displays, such as the WWII diorama's or the Battle of Britain display use some more model kits, and the museum uses a massive amount of HO scale miniatures and railways. Well worth visiting. You can find other videos of the place, but here's one link. ruclips.net/video/b4ufc5JiBOo/видео.html
I do hope you did not meant to imply that kits designed for model railroad use are not legitimate models, although that was the impression I got. I hope I'm mistaken there. Ever built one of the old Branchline Trains Blueprint series boxcar kits? Those will make your eyeballs cross! Or one of Central Valley Models truss bridge kits? Not for the faint of heart! (I have one I plan to start on today). I hope I don't come across as too sensitive, I just get annoyed when scale model builders look down on us 'trainiacs' as not being real modelers. Off the soap box now.
Not at all. I have done enough HO modeling to know it takes as much skill as I can muster. There is much overlap and trains have to be rugged enough to work, not just sit on a shelf. To paraphrase a currently popular mantra, All Models Matter.
As a former model railroader, I loved Athearn's steam era freight car kits. They could be weathered and made took like much more expensive kits. My dad was a bush pilot and a crop duster. I grew up around Stearman biplanes and as a result, developed an interest in vintage aircraft - Ford Tri Motors, Curtis Jennies, Wacos, and WWI fighters. But steam railroading was always my first love so I really appreciate getting to know Athearn's early history. Thanks!!
In the 70's I had a Cox P40 Kittyhawk. Never could get the engine to work let alone tether fly the model. Spent a lot of time "flying" the model holding it out on the end of my arm....vroom vroom.
My dad had a bunch of Athearn engines and other things. He treasured those. We didn't have a big layout but he had slot cars on one side of a piece of plywood, and track on the other. I'd love to get my hands on them and build a nice little layout in his honor, he passed away last year.
He also has an old old OLD Lionel O gauge too.
Every time I think of Athearn I always remember visiting one of the company's offices with my parents as a kid. My parents used to be sales people and one of the offices by Athearn was one of the places they would drop off samples to so sometimes I would go with my parents into the Athearn office and look at the train models sitting in a show case in the waiting room. Later when that Athearn office was moving, the company decided to sell some of the trains sets that were at that office so my dad bought a few sets and those were my first model trains. Athearn will always feel special to me as it reminds me of being a kid wanting to play with toy trains
Thanks for this and the other vids. As a kid, I once had the opportunity to Mr. Athearn at his 'plant' as is was called back then. My Father was Leo Campbell, of Campbell Scale Models. We had some kind of agreement to assemble the 'trucks' for the rolling stock for him. We did it as a family at our kitchen table, until our fingers bled. Then Dad invented a machine to do it. Good times.
Sweet
I built a lot of kits that came across your kitchen table! Canpbell was a staple in the HO world.
Love what you doing ! And you’re doing a great job at it too ! It was approximately late 1976 when I started working for Jeans model shop in Sharpstown mall, Houston, Texas ! During the time that I work for Jean, we found that we sold in “large amounts”, of (radio control airplanes) and we had just started selling helicopters around 1977 ! I worked for Jean until very late in 1978 when I join the United States Army ! One thing I can tell you is that the amount of different plastic model companies that were around as well as company’s that had radio control cars, planes, helicopters, boats, had sold was in steady flow ! And from the time I entered until the time I left “model trains” sold year round ! Unfortunately we did not sell O gauge ! Instead of Jean sold HO and N ! Which is pretty sad considering Lionel started back in 1899 ! And in itself not only a great company, but manufacture of the best model trains and (“longest lasting”) in the world ! If you did a series on Lionel online now, you have to make it at least four, to five hours long because of the amount of information is overwhelming ! Now Jean did sell HO and N gauge and she sold Atlas A.H.M. Athene and Bachmann as well as the buildings and accessory’s !! On a similar subject and I don’t know about you, but “history” was a subject that a lot of (“students”), did not like !!!! I on the other hand was a little different and wiser ! I was the only kid in Havana,Cuba with a Lionel train set ! But because of no electricity, I had to push it around by hand, and that was when I was three years old ! Yes, I still Remembered ! Because of the fact that (“I learned about all types of vehicles”), cars, trains, boats, ships, Rockets, and Armor and last but not least weapons of all kinds ! I learned ‘names’ and what ‘year’ they were made who made them and from this information I gathered the information they were asking for as far as like who was president at the time ? Using that information to cross reference so I can use it in history class ! Is their even ‘someone’ nowadays who knew who the Dodge brothers were ? Bet they have no idea, unless you’re into muscle cars ! And the percentage on that is so very low ! Bet they don’t know what a heavy Chevy is either !!!All thanks to the millenniums ! 🌊🐺
Hi Max, I received an Athearn train set as a Christmas present from Santa in 1967, I still have that set. For the first couple of years after receiving the train set, it only came out at Christmas time. But after a few years of being put away after Christmas, my Dad decided it was time to build a 4' x 8' layout in the basement. So I started off as a model railroader, but I believe it was for my birthday in 1970, I received the AMT Chevy Titan 90 kit. From that point forward I'd receive stuff for the model railroad and AMT and ERTL truck kits for my birthday and Christmas presents. Yes, I still have model trains today, but I've switched to N scale, my current layout size is only 24" x 80". I'm also currently working on a Round 2 AMT Reissue Freightliner Cab over build. I don't have a "He Shed" just a spare bedroom in our condo, that the wife says still has to be available as a bedroom, when family is in town. My wife supports my hobbies usually with a nice gift card from the local hobby shop for Birthday and Christmas presents, although she really doesn't understand the hobbies. Cheers, Rich S.
In the late 1960s, my brother got a Cox Model Rocket of a scale Russian Vostok launch vehicle.
It blew up on launch. I remember watching it come down on a mangled tangled parachute.
That forever colored my impression of Cox.
Athearn was so significant in the growth of model railroading. The main market for Athearn were the Blue Box kits of rolling stock. The locomotives were also well ahead of the opposition in terms of value for money by clever use of standardised drive train components that were pretty much bullet proof.
This was at the time they went from strength to strength from around1965 to 1995 with the Blue Box kits.
While sold as kits to keep the price at a high value point, they were described as "Shake the Box" kits. They were so well thought out that they took just a few minutes of glue free, decal free and paint free assembly. Nearly as easy a shaking the box.
Even in Australia in the 1990s the blue box kits were so much cheaper and better value than alternatives. While a few were to be avoided as having too many compromises most were very good representations of the rolling stock they portrayed.
On model railroad forums there is still a lot of fond recollection of the Athearn Blue Box value for money "kits" compared to newer much more detailed and much more expensive current ready to run boxed models. Now common to have so much detail that is fragile and hard to see anyway when operating on a large layout but prices have risen so much.
The 1975 geared diesel drivetrain of Athearn was so good that nearly every quality current diesel locomotive brand is a refinement of it.
A big talking point currently is how the cost of current model trains discourage many young new entrants to model railroading. A bad thing with the new high detail products.
Much agreement that Irv Athearn was the most significant person in the growth of model railroading in the last century.
Thanks. Wow I didn't know athern made trains for Cox. I had some athern HO stuff handed down. Worked for a little while. Unreal, no more Cox motors or airplanes. I flew a lot of those. I saved 4 or 5 motors.
My brother was huge into model trains and built countless Athearns and Globe kits. As the youngest, I built many of the Cox u-control planes and the slot cars. Great memories.
My 13 year old son just bought an old new stock Athearn HO train engine. Too cool!
I had the Chaparral cox car and a few others , my 3 brothers and I along with my father raced them at our local hobby store. ...In the back they had a 4 lane slot car track where we could race 2 on 2 against other families. Wow; I miss those days. My favorite car was the Shelby Cobra.
Brilliant! Thanks for the slot car inclusion! Really enjoyed this!
Cool bit of history. Nevee knew Cox did plastic kits. In my youth I had a couple Cox control line planes with their classic .049 gas engines.
I just bought the Glencoe re-issue of the covered wagon.. Revisiting a memory of helping to build it with my dad well over half a century ago.
Never new Cox was into anything but those gasoline powered airplanes. Thanks for the update.
I worked at a toy & hobby shop from '81 to '88. Sold a LOT of Athearn stuff, wish I'd tried their truck kits myself. I guess I was too busy with the other thing at that time. ;)
Back in the seventies I had the Cox P39 Airacobra with the tiny Cox glow plug engine. I still remember the smell of that glow plug fuel and wish someone would release that product again in the original packaging. The PT was the plane to have but it was always sold out or too expensive.
I got started flying with the Cox sopwith camel, then balsa kits with Cox engines, I collect/build Athern blue box kits, along with pretty much any kind of "kit" lol,
Thank you for the great videos history and memories
Rick B aka Plastic butcher
Cool info thanks for sharing
I have plenty of athearn trains, and some cox ones too. I was a model railroader longbefore i got into model kits, but i try to balnce both hobbies now. Also, i hear "City of New Orleans" playing in the bckground. One of the best train songs ever.
Love this channel. I had a Cox chaparral tether car, with I believe a .049 baby bee engine, was just the coolest thing on earth back in the 60's. Bet the school loved me hammering nails in there parking lot to anchor the line
I had absolutely no idea that Cox sold non flying plastic model kits although I have been with Cox since 1965 when I opened my hobby shop in Bogotá and sold their products very well. I had always thought they only made plastic ready to fly control line models, accessories and the best glow engines for model airplanes EVER made let alone model trains!! I know they made rockets and slot cars which incidentally almost broke the company when that fad was suddenly dropped in the late 60s. Perhaps you could make a video of Roy Cox's company but concentrating on their flying model business? I remember his beautiful Piper Comanche with a .15 engine and 32 inches wingspan. It flew soooo well.
My dad had a Cox car that ran on a wire, not in a circle, but a straight line. It had 2 lugs under the centerline you passed the wire or line thru. I never saw any other cars that did that. It looked like an open wheel lotus race car. It had the cox 049 glow engine. I would guess it was 1960 or so. My dad and his friends did control line planes too. Made from balsa and tissue.
Cox did a slingshot dragster that also ran down a wire, I had one in the early 70's.
@@butchs.4239 I googled some pics and found a cox car with the box, someone took a pic on the back and it had 2 cars drag racing on 2 lines. Ah the days when RC was insanely expensive.
A former neighbor of mine said he used to have such cars, along with other Cox products. He even worked at Cox back in the 70's. Before he moved, he gave me a few artifacts like slot car boxes, airplane accessories, and even the binder to a Cox employee handbook, although the text is missing.
My dad had a bunch of the Adams military models.. I remember they were finely detailed.
Interesting to see that "Covered Wagon" art on box. I had that kit at one time, built it and its companion model of a "Wells Fargo" stage coach. Cannot recall the maker of them. Both of these models were available from Borax Soap, when you bought the soap there was an advert referring to their historical "20 Mule Team Wagon Train" as a kit, the box art or a coupon inside led you to the first kits mentioned. My father helped me build some of it, I painted all those mules harness and wagon wheels and he did up a base and dust cover. I still have the water wagon. I also have a complete "20 Mule Team Wagon Train" kit stashed away.
I always wanted a slot car set when I was young.
Never got one.
I did get a Train set and I'd set up all the straight track and shoot the Train down the track as fast as possible into my Wild West town.
I don't know the company that made the buildings. The walls slid into each other and had a flat roof that allowed you to put another on top as far as you wanted to go.
They had a pair of swinging doors in the front wall and windows.
With a porch on the front with a sign with Saloon, Sheriff, Bank and others I can't remember.
I eventually bought my first slot car set in 2003 and now I have the sets that once belonged to many young boys
In the mid 70's I had a Cox plastic flying Saturn 5 plastic kit rocket. It was supposed to use two Cox C6-3 rocket motors, but none were available where I lived. So I used two C6-5s, 2 second longer delay, the parachutes opened at about 50' up, and it did live to fly several more times. The one time one motor didn't ignite, the one motor that did, was enough to get it to do a 30' arc into the ground.
I SO wanted one of those PT 109 trainers, so so so badly when I was a kid.
My parents picked up a stuka control line plane at a garage sale. I got to fly it once for 5 minutes. My brother got his hands on it and proceeded to smash it into the ground. We made the mistake of flying it in the huge parking lot down the street from my house and found out right away that pavement and plastic don't play well together.
I wasn't able to get back into the air until my mid 40's lol....thank god for chinese foamies!
I had it. I Never flew it but my older brother did. Squirrely. Kept crashing.
I had an uncle, when I was 7 or 8, would come home every few months with a Cox u control plane, it would take him forever to get it started, then he would make it about 2 full circles, then lose his balance, and smash it in the ground. But he never gave up, month or so later, new plane, same results
Not all those Cox trains were Athearn. After a time, they began to make some on their own. The silver Athearn Beach Bonanza airplane (as well as a boat) were built to go on their 40-foot flatcar--what you show is a recent re-release--you can tell by the blue label.
Cox might have begun production of tethered airplanes in the early 1960s, but WenMac planes were available in the late 1950s. I had one.
I was 11 when I got a COX control-line P-51 Mustang with the .049 motor for Christmas. It took me forever to get it started. I finally tied the wings down to the basement staircase and followed the instructions. (It was cold outside.) When I did get it started it scared the hell out of me, echoing off the concrete walls. (And, years on, I recall a number of T-shirts going missing.)
moths? ;)
I managed to hold on to my 1972 John Players Special World Champions t-shirt. Still have it, though it looks as if it wouldn't fit a toddler.
@@maxsmodels Must have been!
Most of my engines are Athearn as well as my rolling stock, but my pride and joy is my Cox Military train set. The big gun is always a big conversation piece. My wife does not mind my hobbies. In fact she takes a small part in them.
I built Cox 1/24 models of the 1964 Ferrari and BRM Formula 1 cars that came in clear-top plastic boxes that became display cases when you finished the models. I also had the Ferrari as a slot car, and you could tell which parts were common to both versions. The static-display versions lacked the driver figures that came in the slot cars.
I've really been enjoying these videos about the histories of various plastic model kit manufacturers.Thank You! One of my most prized toys was the Design-a-car kit by Pyro Plastics. I'd love to some info about this company.
Wow! Athearn actually made war kits @1:59 thats something I didn't know. Wonder if it is 1/76 like Airfix?
Good stuff brother
Great short video on the two companies! I never knew that Athearn made any plastic models. Also as an aside why is it you think that model railroading and other modeling hobbies seem to be relatively segregated from each other? The model military (armor and aviation) and car guys seem to have some contact and overlap but model railroading seems to usually be separated from all other modeling communities in terms of tools and scales. For instance I'm a model railroader who dabbles in model aircraft from the golden age of aviation through WW2 but never heard of Tamiya tools (and more importantly extra thin cement!) until I started watching RUclips videos of military modelers. Many of the tools are applicable to all genres of modeling, but in all my years I never saw a single add for Tamiya tools, paints, or glues in magazines like Model Railroader. For instance I'd love a B17 or any litany of barnstorming biplanes for a 1:87/HO scale layout but none seem to exist, however for some reason 1:48 seems to be a standard for both planes, armor, and O scale model trains. Just an observation I thought fit with the video.
I had a friend who had a slotted race set on a big table and a train set on the same table and the worked independent of each other
I never knew about the connection between Athearn and Cox, and I've been in model railroading since my father bought our first Athearn train set back in the fall of 1960 (I still have it). I knew about the Beech Bonanza kit; it was shipped on one of Irv's flatcars.
Well that was some interesting trivia on COX, I remember I had their gas powered STUKA and Dune buggy.. But I didn't know they where involved in trains... Once again love these videos
Athearn at one point made HO trains sold under the Lionel label. Most of the Cox trains I remember seeing were not Athearn, or at least not from the standard Athearn line. The Lionel HO was mostly identical to Athearn regular line, but sold assembled,
A number of other companies modeled equipment after Athearn’s to the point of duplicating errors. Nearly all plastic boxcar models from the 1960s-80s have the brake parts on the underbody in mirror image, because Athearn designers missed that the drawings used show the setup looking down from above, not from the bottom looking up.
Thanks again max.for another preview of Cox.I do have a bunch of old slot cars.that I have collected.would it have it on the chassis .on the bottom.
As a model railroader/kit builder this is great
I've mentioned before, dad was a flying model builder from his teen years, partners in a hobby shop, etc. He couldnt wait until my lil' bro and I were old enough and for Xmas 68, we each received a PT-19. The associated home movies are hysterical (dad put many more flying time on those than we did). In 69, my brother got the Gurney Eagle tether car for his birthday, and for my birthday I got the Dune Buggy. Around the same time, we got into slot cars...Any one else remember the Cox La Cucaracha cars? We kept our slot car stuff in a re-purposed GI Joe footlocker*. I loved the smell of gear oil, tire "glue", and ozone.
Funny thing, the flying models never did "take off" with us...we preferred plastics. I built a u-control and a two channel glider, but did not enjoy the learning curve =P
* the footlocker was later re-purposed into a case for cassette tapes and it survived as a keepsake until just a few years ago when it was accidentally thrown away (along with my entire collection of automotive and aviation art dating back to the 60s. But that's a WHOLE other story...)
Amazing, wonderful...thank you.
Off topic.. some of the arguments between the toy train hobby and Adult Friends of Lego are epic.
Adults claiming one is better than the other, how someone needs to grow up.
Good info. Thanks for posting.
I used to put Cox engines in just about everything, including some plastic model kits. My large model of the Missouri moved at an impressive, not exactly scale clip.
The Athearn models interest me if only because they'd be a source of kit model building covering subjects not covered by the dwindling range of subjects available today. Cars and trucks and commercial vehicles and general everyday stuff. The level of detail is quite good and the HO scale is great for someone who, like me, doesn't have a lot of display room.
I know it is before your time but model history is your thing. What where model shops and displays like in the hay days of the 50's and 60's? Seems they were very busy building the product.
Awesome channel love the historical information! I looked on your channel are you going to to JoHan? They are a favorite of mine!
at some point
@@maxsmodels great!
It's your thing; do what you want to do with it.
I’m glad your doing some of the companies that did limited model production. There are quite a few. I hope you do ToyBiz someday. They also had a short run of Marvel characters. And were involved in overseas trading that led to lawsuits and pricing of today. Also having a famous artist involved with them. And I have some info you won’t find on the net also.
And how about Eldon models. Don’t leave out their “3D Scenics” framed kit run. Short but sweet. “Just for the fun of it” slogan.
Adams would also be an interesting model history...
Funny, just before I read your comment I was researching them and I cannot find diddly-squat! I know they were around in the 50s and did some missiles and artillery pieces.
LOL, I had one of those Cox PT-19 circle flyers with the .049 engine.
Uncle Irv!!!
Thanky thanky.
welcome, welcome
Can you do a history of the Johan model kits they were the only ones that put out ambulance and hearse.
Ditto! I recently built the vintage Johan kit of the 1969 AMC AMX. Not as well engineered as the AMT, Revell and MPC car kits, but I owned a 1968 AMX in the early 1980s, and had been looking for this model kit. Have built a couple Johan aircraft kits over the years too.
The covered wagon kit was one of the Miniature Masterpieces model kits in the early Revell range. It was also reissued by Adams and a number of other companies, and has been reissued as recently as 2019. This time it was Glencoe who reissued the kits. Scalemates provides a timeline, but interestingly enough the Athearn version has escaped their notice. You might want to share that image and information with them to add to their timeline. www.scalemates.com/kits/miniature-masterpieces-k-505-98-covered-wagon--1051281
I caught that a few hours after the video. I did not know Revell's kits were 1/48 which is O scale but it explains the artwork. I guess I was thinking HO scale, that was my layout
@@maxsmodels Some of the Miniature Masterpiece kits (or reissues) turn up in some of the terrific dioramas' in Miniature World in Victoria British Columbia. I imagine that some of the other displays, such as the WWII diorama's or the Battle of Britain display use some more model kits, and the museum uses a massive amount of HO scale miniatures and railways. Well worth visiting. You can find other videos of the place, but here's one link. ruclips.net/video/b4ufc5JiBOo/видео.html
Are you going to do a video on Academy? or can you even find any info on them?
I know they are in Korea
I do hope you did not meant to imply that kits designed for model railroad use are not legitimate models, although that was the impression I got. I hope I'm mistaken there. Ever built one of the old Branchline Trains Blueprint series boxcar kits? Those will make your eyeballs cross! Or one of Central Valley Models truss bridge kits? Not for the faint of heart! (I have one I plan to start on today).
I hope I don't come across as too sensitive, I just get annoyed when scale model builders look down on us 'trainiacs' as not being real modelers. Off the soap box now.
Not at all. I have done enough HO modeling to know it takes as much skill as I can muster. There is much overlap and trains have to be rugged enough to work, not just sit on a shelf. To paraphrase a currently popular mantra, All Models Matter.
Yes, those things do tend on happening upon marriage. At leaatvyou got a shed out if it! LOL