Bennett Locomotive Works planned to produce a B&O 4-6-0 kit. They struggled for years, periodically advertising that they had finished this part or that toward the whole project.
My father had paid for one, and got tired of waiting after 3-4 years and wrote for a refund. I think he got one, but the exchange grew a bit "warm" first. At least some models were produced, I recall Frank Titman reviewed the finished model in S Gaugian. I don't recall seeing many around, considering the availability of S steam one would think they would be on a fair number of layouts if they had reached full production. Anybody have one and care to comment? Pieter E. Roos --- On Fri, 2/24/12, Bob Werre <[email protected]> wrote: There was also a builder who ripped off my good departed friend Leonard Giovannoli. Len took them to court and got a judgment in his favor, but I'm not certain of a cash settlement. I think it was a Bennett Locomotive works from someplace in the East (not our departed friend Jess Bennett in Idaho). I recall seeing small ads in the Herald back in the late 60's and their list of products pretty much followed the SSL&S kits. I've never heard of anyone else (good or bad) who dealt with that company. I will mention, that I've had two customers order my custom made trees by mail. One approached me at last week's train show and shook my hand thanking me for the good product and service. We debated whether to sell via mail order because of the nature of scenery items and the potential damage. And like the custom brass builders of the past, we've discovered that the few dollars received after expenses really isn't worth it in the long run. So who knows I'll probably read about myself ripping somebody off for $36.00 worth of trees (2012 dollars) and living the good life in the Caribbean! LOL Bob Werre (aka that little old tree man quietly making trees from hemp and smoking none of it!) PhotoTraxx Dear Bob, Boy, I have not thought of George for years. If I remember correctly, he was in construction and our country was in a lull at the time. I jumped on that bandwagon quickly and got a brass CNJ Mike with a custom long distance tender. Once my engine arrived I showed it to everyone. And, I mean everyone is S that I knew. He got lots of orders. I think my order, yours and one for Josh Seltzer were the only one delivered. As the building boom returned, he quit making engines. I felt like a real shill over that one... Don On Feb 24, 2012, at 10:53 AM, Bob Werre wrote: Jim and all, The Hill Country Train Shop was before my returning to railroading and Texas, but the local group visited him at some open house he held. Apparently he held some lofty plans. I understand he was going to use high school kids as part of some training program. My bad experience was with Mid America Scale models run by a George Sills, I think. He published a catalogue of engines most using SSL&S parts. Because of past experiences you would send your money to Claude Wade at SSL&S. He would then send the kit to be built to George. When the engine was finished he then would receive the money from Claude. I started out dealing that way and after several months was told the engine had been shipped--would I release the money ($310.)--so I did. No engine--he said "it must be lost in the mail, so I'll build another"--sure! However, many months later it did arrive and I can say it was state of the art at that time appearance wise--mechanically--not so much! Anyway we were able to make mechanical improvements to where it ran nicely. At that point three of us bellied up to the bar and ordered another round. We sent the money directly to George and the world went quiet. I think all this happened about 1979 or 80. Of course, in all reality having an engine custom made with all the filing, fitting and tuning for about $100 in labor just didn't make sense after the first one. But just like zillions of internet scams, hope does spring eternal! At least I received a nice engine, just had to pay twice the money in the end. Bob Werre PhotoTraxx Anyone remember Melvin Frankel, YUK, who ran a scam in the early 70's--supposedly tried it in O-scale also. He advertised all sorts of steam engines but it was obviously no way he could do anything. Bernie Thomas was instrumental in handling recovery actions. DJE ----- Original Message ----- From: raisinone To: [email protected] Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2012 9:23 PM Subject: Re: {S-Scale List} Status of Kaslo Budd Passenger car kits Ever hear of Hill Country Train Shop, New Braunfels, TX? That one cost me $300 in 1976 dollars! At least that debacle made the pages of MR! I think Jan Lorenzen (Locomotive Workshop) went to the bankruptcy auction to buy nickel silver bar stock... You're right George - there is a real feeling of family with the charlatans' of our past!! <G> Jim --- In [email protected], "gsc3" <gsc3@...> wrote: > > One good thing about these kind of posts is I don't feel alone. (8-) > > George Courtne > > --- In [email protected], "John" <armstong5717@> wrote: > > > > Where is my $865.00 that Omnicon still owes me for a Pennsy J. ? > > Heard they skipped to Mexico! > > John Armstrong > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Alex Binkley > > To: [email protected] > > Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2012 4:43 PM > > Subject: Re: {S-Scale List} Status of Kaslo Budd Passenger car kits > > > > > > > >  > > > > Good point John, but thinking about things like that just speeds up insanity. I've made worse investments. > > cheers > >
