Misc. news items

[Christian]

Some miscellaneous bits that don't fit elsewhere.


Fulda '21 is cancelled due to the uncertainties of the pandemic. Next up will be Fulda '22 on 10/15/22. They'll take reservations starting April 2022.


After the MCW takeover, Brekina has moved some production from China to Bangladesh. Among others (including some the Starline Models range), the new Do 56 bus now comes fom South Asia.


It seems it went unnoticed at the time: Otto Duve passed away on September 4th, 2020. Otto was a self-made man, quite atypical for a German. He founded Model International in the 1970s and Praliné a few years later. There's some in-depth information about his early business ventures at hobbydb.


Two veteran manufacturers, both from Berlin, have closed up shop for good: Fröwis, who dabbled in injection molding in the 1970s, but turned to decals and trolley cars later on, and Woytnik, who was not widely known, but made very nice small series models over the decades.


Another range of models is in new hands, with Daryle Toney having taken over the Auto Replicas line from the late Adrian Swain. Read about it at Model Auto Review (also this).


More significantly, ownership of Busch GmbH & Co. KG has now been transferred from the Vallen family to MEG Modelleisenbahn GmbH. Press release.

[Christian]

Maz Wooley reports that Oxford Diecast has been bought by Hornby's parent. No immediate changes and it remains to be seen what happens down the road.

After many years in business, Kleinbahn of Austria has closed down in July. They were more well known among model railroaders, but their (few) vehicles were laudable efforts, if quite outdated now. The Steyr truck mold has apparently been picked up by VK Modelle.

Jason Shron of Rapido Trains had a column in the July issue of Railroad Model Craftsman about the business model of model train manufacturers, and more specifically about their cash flow issues when dealing with new molds/products. It's been published in their (always enjoyable) newsletter (no. 141).

And let's not forget that there are always new manufacturers as well, in this case with a military focus: Micro-Trains is entering the market with a Hummer, while Finmilmodels is expanding into 1/87 with a kit of a Sisu truck. Both will be injection molded plastic.

[Christian]

The above mentioned Hummer by Micro-Trains has meanwhile been cancelled due to a lack of pre-orders.

Back in February Ron at River Point Station announced that he was looking to sell RPS's assets. As far as I can see no updates on that at the moment.

Alclad 2 products are widely used among modellers and their European distribution has apparently changed, so that they are now only (?) available under the HR Hobbies label over here.

Micro Engineering, parent company of the Wheel Works brand, has been sold to new owners. Ron Rands, son of the original owner, had been in business since 1972.

Wiking, obviously in a move to economize, has shut down their tooling division at their headquarters in Lüdenscheid, Germany in August and transferred it to their Polish subsidiary. Source in German.

Finally, I am looking forward to Fulda 2022 next month. After two Covid-related cancellations in a row, it's a much needed return to modelling normality. Though painfully, without Marc Schmidt.

[Christian]

There are discussions (but no official confirmation by Schuco that I am aware of) that there will be no more new models in 1/87 by Schuco, and that indeed the Schuco brand/or rather production might be completely effaced by Spark.

Hot Wheels are kind of the quintessential no go for serious 1/87 scale modellers, but I found this article interesting. It doesn't quite live up to its headline, although the mere fact that Hot Wheels are one of the most inflation-proof toys in American history sure is revealing and lets one wonder how that relates to the manufacturing of our models.

Of special interest for German collectors perhaps, MAZ magazine has switched from a monthly publication to bimonthly. It's (one of?) the last print magazines exclusively about 1/87 scale vehicles.

[Christian]

Philippe Narboni reports that the AWM assets have been sold. My French is not good enough to understand what he seems to be insinuating about the buyer.