Custom Traxx to appear this month at two Great American Train Shows

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Trolleyville - Custom Traxx, the premier HO scale traction decal manufacturer from West Los Angeles, CA, will have their entire decal stock available to modelers at the August 10-11 Great American Train Show (GATS) at the Cow Palace in Daly City. They will also display at the Ventura Great American Train Show on August 24-25.

            Their latest release, CN-014, for the Lehigh Valley Transit Express Motors along with CN-025, CTA Bicentennial Elevated Cars, will be available. This latter set produces a very striking car.

            Custom Traxx has been in business since 1992 and has produced mostly HO scale traction decals. Recently they issued destination sign sets for both the Corgi 1:50 scale Philadelphia and Los Angeles PCC cars.

            They make complete decal sets for Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh PCC cars, along with conventional (pre-PCC) cars in some of the same cities. Destination signs are even available for the Kawasaki LRTs as operated in West Philadelphia since 1981.

            What we found interesting from Custom Traxx is the line of specialty decals made for HO scale streetcars and interurbans. One is set CT-992, which contains a set of wings for the various post-war Pacific Electric steel cars with the "butterfly" wings. This decal set has the correct size silver striping which enhances the appearance of any HO scale PERy model. For PCC car models, there is set CT-995, which contains headlight wings that can be adjusted for any size headlight, tail light lenses in both red and yellow orange and some destination signs from about 20 operators. But the unique item are the wheel decals. Almost every PCC modeler knows that PCC cars have wheels with one of two unusual bolt patterns. Custom Traxx replicated both of these with a decal that can be applied over the flat-faced Bowser wheel after painting weathered black or other suitable color. This really enhances the effect of the model shown below.

            For all those traction systems for which there are no decals, Custom Traxx provided generic markings in set CT-996. There are also dash signs, roof destination signs and banners available. And Custom Traxx offers parts to help the modeler convert his streetcar or interurban to overhead wire operation and/or upgrade those old open frame motors with new state-of-the-art can motors.

            Very soon, Custom Traxx will be releasing CTA (Chicago) heralds and a set of decals for Chicago conventional streetcars. Also in the works is a complete set for the Third Avenue Railway  and Steinway Lines cars (New York City and Long Island) from the 1920's up to the final days. A considerable number of the red dash signs will also be available. Technical difficulties still are delaying the Phase III SEPTA paint scheme decals but work continues.         Additionally for you G-scale traction fans, Custom Traxx will be collaborating with Light Rail Products of Northern California to produce a line of decals for a new 9 window 'box' trolley. Check their complete web site at www.customtraxx.com or access them from the home page of Trolleyville. Just click on the DECALS via CUSTOM TRAXX destination sign.

"Fun with Miniature Trains"- A new GATS Program

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George Huckaby - A new program was unveiled at the National Train show in Fort Lauderdale last month by the Great American Train Shows, LTD called "Fun with Miniature Trains". Both marquee miniature train manufacturers and hobby shops can participate for their own benefit. Under certain conditions, hobby shops and manufacturers may get free space and electrical power at Great American Train Shows to display their products.  A feature of the program is that GATS will include in the show pre-advertising that the hobby shop or manufacturer will be at the show.

                This program stresses the fun of miniature trains. We do not distinguish between scale, tinplate, gauge, steam, diesel or electric power. The program encourages the use of a simple train around the Christmas tree to start and grow into a hobby later.

                Great American Train Shows, LTD has been under new dynamic leadership since November 2001.  There are 46 shows scheduled for the first half of 2003.  Over half of these shows are combined with computer shows. 500,000 people have patronized great American Train Shows each year but when some of these shows are combined with computer shows, attendance at a single two-day show can be over 30,000. GATS may be visited by 3/4 million in just the first half of 2003.

                So if you are a manufacturer with any interest in reaching new customers for your products, give the Fun with Miniature Trains folks a call at 310-990-5422. Ask for George.

New Large Scale Traction Products To Also Be Shown in San Francisco

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                For you Large Scale aficionados, who have everything they want, we told you in our April 2002 edition that an entire new line of large scale traction items were displayed at the March 2002 San Francisco Great American Train Show by Karl Johnson. Nothing is more colorful on any indoor or outdoor railroad than a streetcar with the colorful striping and lettering used up until the mid-1920s.

                He has continued to develop his products and to reflect the direction that his venture is heading, the name of the company has been changed to Light Rail Products, in order to encompass all of his proposed products and services.

                Some of his products will be available for viewing at the Custom Traxx booth at the Cow Palace Great American Train Show on August 10-11, 2002 so stop by and get a good look.