For once, I do agree with Willie about the club producing some items that will benefit it's members. How about a reproduction set of track wear gauges? Seems pretty easy to stamp out and could be lettered with the ACMOC logo for added advertising mileage. I also think that a limited production model is needed, available to paid members. I am still honked off about the Brooks D9 model not being available to the rest of the ACMOC members. Seems kinda like the select few were able to get one. Not everyone can jump on a plane and fly to a show for the chance to buy a model. GWH, let me know if I can help.

Actually Bruce, I'm going to send a copy of this thread to the board members, perhaps in a day or two after it has further developed.

With reference to the D9D model logging Cat at Brooks, I think maybe there is some misunderstanding about the matter. The people at Brooks who run the Antique Caterpillar Machinery Museum approached ACMOC about selling the museum 200 (I think it was) D9D models, so that the museum could make some money. So ACMOC sold the models to the museum, and the museum decided that it would have the manufacturer modify the models by putting logging equipment on them. It was ACMM that decided on the sales strategy. They decided that they would not ship any of them.

While I thought the models were beautiful, I did not buy one. I did fly there, but was frankly too darn busy with ACMOC business to have the time to pay attention to the models or any other merchandise, for that matter.

So, if people don't like how the D9D was handled at Brooks, perhaps it would be better to discuss the matter with the leaders of ACMM.

GWH

ACMOC is only aloud to make 1/16 scale models of pre 1960 machines and then only by specail permission from Cat Corp.
As GWH said the Brookd models were absolutly no part of ACMOC they were purchased from ACMOC by ACM just like you and I still can buy them but paid to have the winch designed and mounted for the sole purpose on luring people to the international show in Brooks. No shipping, no pre sales and limited to 4 per person. with a waiting line with first come first serve basis. It turned out perfect without a hitch and made good money for ACM just as it was supose to do. I guess you just had to be there.
As for making money from cheap models the jury is still out because I have seen no profit lose on the 22 model yet and what prfit if any will be slim I'm sure maybe GWH can inlighten us as to how much the 22 has made in PROFIT so far.It also take another tractor from our pool so it can't be made by Spec Cast or Firstgear where we can make good money from it.
I am at present and have been for awhile trying to get permission from Syphlon to allow us to reproduce the bezel gauges , if I get the permission I plan on bringing the package to BoD and give them a few months to figure out if they think they want to tackle it and If they do and I am happy with how and who they want to carry it out then we go from there, if not I'll have them made for my profit because I have no desire to turn it over to a Committee that dosnt have time to do it correct or dont care cause they don't get paid to do it as happend to the 22 model

I agree that both a set of track gauges and repro bezel gauges would be a very good idea. It seems to me that this is the kind of thing that the club should live for.

Willie, I talked to a US Gauge Ametec saleperson or engineer 12-13yrs ago about gauges and he said gauges could be made but the cost of the tooling for the needles was in the $10.000's. I thought that was abit high so gave up on the persuit. Since the market was so small! I can't remember if the beveled glass was a problem or not. I think he did say one time someone wanted an old gauge rebuilt and one of the old time retired employees took on the task. I don't know if it was a Cat gauge or not.

I think part of the problem with Norscot (and probably Cat too) is that they are more interested in making models that support the current product line of their clients. There was a line of "classic" models announced ealy in 2006 or late 2005, including a 1/50 977E and a 1/87 #12 blade, both of which are supposed to be out by now and to the best of my knowledge, neither one is.
Norscot's overly optimistic new model release dates are a frequent subject on some of the modelling bulletin boards I frequent. As are the quality of thier replicas. I think First Gear ought to get the nod, as for the price you pay, they beat Norscot for detail and quality all to h*ll. My new 1/50 IH 175C loader proves that to me. The D9D did also.
CatKen, there is at least one place you can get a towed scraper in 1/50. Buffalo Road Imports. They sell a Cat 90, a Bucyrus Erie and a Garwood towed cable scraper all of which are scaled to a D8-D9 sized tractor.
These are EMD products, white metal and resin models, and the quality is pretty good. They are a bit pricey, but they are also done in low volume which also drives the price up.
Here are a couple of links for you
www.toyline.com/bri
#90
www.toyline.com/bri/pictures/EMDN054.JPG
With D8 www.toyline.com/bri/pictures/EMDN058.JPG
Bucyrus Erie scraper
www.toyline.com/bri/pictures/EMDN027.JPG
Garwood scraper
www.toyline.com/bri/pictures/EMDN062G.JPG
Hope this helps,
alan627b

If anyone is looking for the Stewart Warner "Wings" styled guages like my D2 has, they have re-released some of them. NOT Cat branded.
www.stewartwarner.com/
Wings guages
www.sw-performance.com/products/Wings

Listening to some of the people here I do not mind if the club decides to reproduce some of the spares mentioned BUT not at the cost of dropping the models. Yes,there have been some bad decisions with the models with allegations concerning Speccast so I do not welcome the proposal for Speccast only to produce models. I have to stress here I have only a small interest in the older Cat stuff,I am more interested in the Cat machines from the forties on so I am not interested in stuff from the earlier period only. There has to be a balence I am not interested in subsidising a limited few parts for Cat machines I am not interested in, anyway I think Cat could produce this stuff which would not only make it genuiene but to a better quality!!
Last of all any further models should be 1/50 as that is the universal scale for plant models and also 1/24-1/25 for the larger models-it seems ironic to me some are complaining the club is not generating profit from the models yet all the plant manufacturers view the models not only as good promotion but also generate good profit.
Alan 627b please contact me at <a href="This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." target="_blank">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Neil

&quot;CatKen&quot; wrote:

First Gear seems to have the best detailed toy. No one has made a rubber tired scraper or Caterpillar pull scraper. Just wanted to add that for the board members to consider. Tks Ken

I would also like to see, (and purchase) a scraper. Perhaps a D7 and a #70 scraper? These were the machines of choice when the county used to build their own roads. (Downside would be the amount of shelf space a 1/25th model would take).
Another machine I would like to see would be another version of a D9, with the inside mounted blade with single, center mounted blade cylinder.
My only other experiences with club edition toys is with The TWO CYLINDER Club, and their choice always seems to sell out.
Stephan also produced some otherwise unavailable JD tractors and they have become extremely desirable, so I do not think that ACMOC would have a problem selling any highly detailed model that they choose to produce.

Hey Art, you mean something like this?
D9G 9c Cushion Blade.
www.toyline.com/bri/pictures/EMDN108.JPG
Available from BRI $275 US. I have one of these and it's one of my favorite models. It's a combination of resin cast and white metal, and you can also get in in kit form and build it yourself. I'm not sure how hard it would be though. Looks great behind my 627's and 631E's! Makes my NZG D9G look like crap, too.
alan627b
Buffalo Road Imports
www.toyline.com/bri/
Go to the site, go to Departments, then Construction 1/40 to 1/60 scale, wait until the page loads, then scroll down to EMD products. Lot's of neat models.
here's the fast way to 1/50....
www.toyline.com/bri/scripts2/stores/brid...c?dept=CONSTRUCTION2