In this post on Brass HO Trains we go to South Korea! Overland models, Inc. imports fine scale brass model railroad equipment from South Korea, including Brass HO trains, N and O scale models. The company specializes in diesels, steam locomotives, cabooses and rolling stock from these scales. With over 30 years of importing, the company has captured a good range of models, both new and old. These models are built to inspire and are highly precision crafted. The company houses a library of its own with a great collection for reference and the team is involved in activities like taking on-site measurements, photos and interact with railroad and other employees.

The Brass HO trains are available in various types. Boxed Set, Caboose, steam, Diesel, Electric and passenger car. In each category of the HO model trains, one can find a lot of variety. These models are handcrafted by some of the world’s foremost manufacturers using our specifications. They are then finished at our state-of-the-art factory to represent their prototypes to perfection. The HO scale detailed parts for the HO brass model trains are also available like E-bell, Exhaust system accessories, fuel retension system, gerenal maintenance, headlight accessories, coupler lift bars, trucks and sideframe accessories, cooling coils, door handles, and so on.

Other scales available are 3 rail scales, O and N. The 3-rail locomotives and Ferdinand Megalan Presidential Car, the O scale Diesel, electric and structures and the N scale caboose, diesel, electric and passenger car are the commonly available models. The company also offers a limited repair service at the office, if the dealer is not able to do it. However, replacement parts belonging to older models are limited.

The latest models are BNSF isolated cab and KCS standard & isolated cab locomotives, which vary in terms of paint scheme and details and other features. The BHP SD70ACe Isolated unit has items such as nose and tail marker lights, additional piping on the pilot, additional roof detail applications, fire suppression system, and the addition of a 2nd row of railing for safety. The Richard ‘Toad’ Montgomery has an appliance applied to the cab roof to test clearance throughout the system prior to all modifications being made. As for the modified SD70ACe from the former BNSF series, the have features like marker lights, step wall protection, additional railing, cab window protection and fire protection system installed.

Brass HO Trains

The products from Greenways includes Brass HO trains and other brass models from leading importers like Overland, Key, Coach Yard, Rail classics, MTS, Glacier Park, etc. Models required can be booked in advance or choose from the available stock. The other products include locomotives, rolling stock, parts and accessories for all scale model trains. If pictures of your train sets are sent, the company can send you the required or matching accessories or parts.

We have all scales of brass model trains including HO, O, S, LG, N and Z. Parts and accessories can be found in HO scale and multi-scale. Various accessories and parts are categorized under different topics for the ease of search and online purchase. The new products from the various companies are listed in a separate section. Another website of the same company has metal and steel cars, structures and accessories like trucks and wheelsets, freight car loads, lineside items, construction equipment and model automobiles.

The parts for HO model trains are listed separately. Parts and accessories like Sill with Steps, underbody tank assembly, boiler shell, center beam, tender signal hose, fanning house, tender ladders and numerous others are present in the stock to be ordered readily. The various track side parts like bells, frame components, pipes and fittings, stacks, steps, gears and motors, drawbars, etc are available and one can see the pictures before ordering them. On the whole, the company deals with Brass locomotives, Brass cars, Brass details, brass drivers, brass structures for Brass HO trains and other scales of Brass trains.

Brass HO Trains

This post on Brass HO Trains is about the Lionel Trains Company.  Joshua Lionel Cowen, born in 1877, grew up with real trains. He saw all those changes in the trains and the innovations and modifications that resulted to the modern era engines and wagons. During the time that he founded Lionel in 1900, the trend was passenger lines like the peerless Twentieth Century Limited that represented the technology and sophistication of America.

Cowen brought in the interest of the Americans by the electricity used, which was still a rarity, and the complex railroads. The first trains were powered with acid-filled batteries, which were then replaced by the 110-volt electric transformer. Pre-assembled track and a set of engines and cars were in the market and a lot of homes, too. Influenced by the bustling economy and the growth of electric power, a lot of products like the World War defense production, war train with cannons, Racing Automobiles and a passenger train with internal lighting.

Cowen created his toy trains and was well-known among his peers. He not only created the trains, but brought in ideas like Lionels would prepare boys for their adulthood, involving their fathers created a great father-son bonding, etc and got people involved in this new hobby. Christmas saw many layouts from the Lionels, and also various trains that would be the envy of the neighbours. However, this trend did not keep up after the 1960s, during the destruction of New York’s Pennsylvania Station, and also the passing away of Joshua Lionel Cowen.

The trend is back now and America is getting back to the railroads and model trains hobby. It is now a fusion of old traditions and new technologies. The high-speed passenger lines are back with the historical landmarks to rekindle the memories of the Penn station incident. The highlight of the 1970s was the Mickey Mouse Express, which was an instant hit and envied possession. By 1980s, the so-called hundredth birthday of Joshua Lionel Cowen saw the invention of seven commemorative boxcars, recreation of the greatest steam locomotive and the company itself rolling off into the hands of a Detroit-based railroad enthusiast, Richard Kughn.

The latest trend is the Lionel VISION line products that are realistic prototypes with the mechanical and operational realism. The Scale diesels, operating rolling stock and the interactive accessories. The Steam locomotive has a model fireman who opens the firebox door and shovels coal into the furnace. The Santa 3000 and Pennsylvannia steam locomotives come with the realistic features like shuddering of wheels, steam blowing, rumbling of the locomotive are all the special effects. The various technical and interior detailing are the most awaited models of all times.

Brass HO Trains

The Brass HO trains are available in the form of Steam locomotives and are imported by the American companies from Korea. Each importer may get products from two or more manufacturers or each manufacturer may also supply to more than one importer. On the whole, the HO brass model trains have to be chosen very carefully.

A number of factors determine the quality, as well as the price of the HO train set. While getting model HO trains for you collection, ensure that the following features are checked.

A brass locomotive contains a wire for piping purposes and small brass detail parts that are soldered on. The recent ones have better detailing than the older models. So, if you want antique pieces, the finer details may not be appealing. The Sprung drivers have to be checked for quality as they are essential for smooth running of the trains, in spite of any slight variations in the trackwork.

The gears have to be closed. Open gearing on the drive axles are a thing of the past. Although the closed geared models come at a higher price, they are better when it comes to smooth running. Painted brass trains are not as popular as the unpainted ones. Custom painted or factory painted ones can give it a realistic look, especially if the painting is done to give it a weathered look. However, individualistic preferences are different.

A can motor can make the train run if AC is converted to DC and the current is supplied. But if the collector knows to re-motor the locomotive, it is not an important determinant in selecting the model. Combinations such as open-frame motor, can motor and flywheel can do wonders for the trains to run well on the tracks. The presence of the can motor makes it easy to add a flywheel.

Of all the accessories to store, the box in which the locomotive came will increase the value of the Brass HO trains. This may be surprising to some, but the real antique train collector values the piece and believes the originality only with the box.

Model HO trains can be bought at hobby shops, model railroad flea markets or eBay. Many importers have online websites where the collectors can browse through the various models online and order them. Lionel HO trains, Bachmann HO Trains, Marklin HO Trains, Athearn HO Trains are the different types popularly available in the market.

The eBay lists various companies that supply the Brass HO trains and other model trains in all scales. Accessories, tracks, scenery, buildings and other such items are also available, in various scales such as N, O, G and others. A collector may get all his trains in the same scale or have a diverse collection of trains of various scales.

Brass HO Trains

The Brass HO trains are considered to be the “Gold” standard of trains among the toy train collectors. Being made of brass gives it an artistic appearance and the material is the choice of the craftsman when it comes to sculpting intricate designs. The golden luster and the overall appearance makes it look like it was made of gold. This, in fact, keeps the resale value very high.

Owing to the nature of the material, detailing and designing can be uniquely done by the craftsman. This would make each product unique and different from others of the same category and the HO train set could have an accurate representation of the prototype.

Brass being a non-magnetic metal, can be ideal to encase the motor and other electrical fittings and make it run smoothly. Older brass models are known to have had open-frame motors and poor gearing, but they have improved in time.

On the downside, the HO brass model trains can be very expensive. The niche for these trains is small, but the passionate collectors would go to any extent to get their favorite models. Vintage models stand out higher in terms of the price as they are very rare in the market. While they stand out when it comes to resale value, the collectors take pride in guarding their prized possession. The prices for these brass trains are always $2000 upwards and one starts to think if they are worth collecting.

Another major disadvantage of collecting Brass HO trains are that they have to be taken care of and need to be maintained properly. Time and weather cause blackening of the surface and if they are not properly cleaned and protected, they would require polishing. Too much polishing is harmful to the models. Investing money is not the key to owning a beautiful collection investing time and effort as well is required to maintain them.

The collectors vary in terms of the purpose with which they collect. Some consider it to be an investment and would plan to sell them when the price has doubled or tripled, or in auctions, while most of them collect them out of pure passion.

However, it is up to the collector to decide what is important to him. Whether the appearance, resale value, the cost of the collection, the cost of the layout and accessories, maintaining the power supply and the related expenditure or the effort they put in to build the layout and scenery or the cleaning process involved in maintaining the luster of the brass, it all comes back when the Brass HO trains collector displays his collection and makes heads turn.

Brass HO Trains

When a person incorporates a hobby into their life they are creating an ideal focus that can help them find more pleasure from their life experience.   A unique hobby opportunity is found with the chance to collect HO brass model trains.   HO brass model trains are replica trains that are 1:87 scale of regular trains with an incredible amount of detail which helps to bring character to the model.   An even better feature of HO brass model trains is that these small collectibles are fully functional, allowing the train or collecting enthusiast  the opportunity to develop their own train environment uniquely designed around their creative ideas.

When you look at these HO brass model trains, the best advantage for most collectors is found with the size of the train.   In the past most train model collectors were stuck with the model train collecting option of OO brass model trains.   While the older OO brass model trains have the same detail and clarity there exists a large issue with the size.   OO brass model trains are twice the size of HO brass model trains which can quickly increase the size of any collection.  

When you incorporate the demand placed on the size of your created environment required to run your OO brass model trains you can easily see how HO brass model trains are a greater opportunity for collectors.   In the past many collectors of OO brass model trains would have to dedicate entire rooms or basements to the creation of their environmental models.

The second feature related to the benefits of HO brass model trains are found with the large amount of availability found with this collection.   The older OO brass model trains are often outdated and not as appealing as the HO brass model trains which limit their distribution and manufacturing companies.  

When you look at HO brass model trains two premier model train making companies rise above the rest and are Broadway limited HO trains and Marklin HO trains.   With Broadway limited HO trains and Marklin HO trains a collector will be able to select from an incredible variety of HO brass model trains that incorporate older train styles and the more modern models.   Although, the greatest advantage of buying Broadway limited HO trains and Marklin HO trains is found with their wide distribution and availability in regards to parts and accessories.

The opportunities that are available with HO brass model trains create a great chance to create your own unique hobby interests.   When you focus your HO brass model trains collection around brands such as Broadway limited HO trains and Marklin HO trains you gain access to a wide variety of purchasing options and repair opportunities.   To learn more on the hobby of HO brass model trains collections visit www.brasshotrains.com.