Celebrate Thanksgiving with a Strike!
Hi Modelers:
Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American Modeling friends.
Like many of you Full Steam Ahead has provided myself and a few close modelling friends a lot of pleasure and great memories this fall. Greg Shinnie, Jim Gardner and I recently travelled to the 3rd annual Craftsman Structure Show in Mansfield, Mass. It was a great opportunity for us to meet a lot of you and see top level craftsman and their work. We displayed 2 new kits at this years’ show; Troels Kirk Cannery and The Bowling Alley.
Troels Kirk Cannery has sold almost 60 of the 100 limited kits to date. The cannery is named after and partly designed by an extraordinary modeler from Scandanavia by Troels Kirk. The kit received rave reviews because of its design and the number of detailed parts. It won’t last long at $124.99.
The Bowling Alley received a pile of comments and lots of photos from the conventioners. Because it is such a unique structure and may not appeal to everyone I am only going to produce 50 kits. I just listed the kit on my website for $69.99. Judging by the reaction at the show I don’t expect this retro kit to last long.
Looking Ahead:
I am already planning new kits as I write this newsletter. I have started a special kit for a show I am planning to attend in Calgary, Alberta. I can’t say much about this project because I want to surprise all the attendees at this show when they stop by to see Full Steam Ahead. I will post pictures of the buildings once the show is over in April. (Note: I am still trying to figure out the logistics of flying out to this show and transporting my kits so it is still not 100% yet!)
My next limited run kit will be based on a Northern Ontario prototype that my good friend and modeler extraordinare (Greg Shinnie) found in his travels. It will be a kit that will appeal to the water front modeler and is sure to be a big hit like all of Full Steam Ahead’s other kits.
I am debating on making my first railroad industry structure kit. Let me know if there is a railroad structure that specifically services your trains that is lacking. Eg. a roundhouse, a sand tower, water tower, etc.
Lastly, on a trip to Toronto this weekend with my high school students I saw a building complex that would make an incredible diorama. It is the type of structure/complex I have never seen in a craftsman kit before and I think it would be an instant classic. There is only one problem … it will have to be in the form of a super kit … you know the $300 range type. I am going to spend the next 2 years working on this design and consulting with a few modelers to get their input and help. I am very excited about this project but I am also sobered by the fact that it will be the toughest project I will have tackled to date.
Happy Modeling and Thanksgiving,
Joe
Full Steam Ahead