SS Limited?

[Dave K.]

You've set me up for a challenge, Bill. It'll be a bit, though. Today it's a firehouse from Twin Whistle and Garner Hardware from KC. 👍🏻

[Vilius]

I built it from card stock several years ago and I didn't use any bracing at all. It hasn't warped yet despite quite humid climate here in Georgia.

Vilius

[donatode]

Vilius.....you are an ARTIST .....!!!

[Mike Engler]

Slim and others have commented on the high quality of the SSLtd. kits.   His white metal castings were the most advanced of anybody including George for a while in the seventies. A ton of castings in some of the kits, like the beautiful Sterling, CO roundhouse. The kits were also distinctive because they included actual miniature blueprints in black and white that were done on thin paper and rolled up like the real thing.


The ownership chronology that Slim mentions could be easily traced by "Googling" John Coots the owner. This man was a great "character" of the early MR industry. Google "John Coots SS Ltd. model railroad and you will find many interesting links.

I have a 1970's version of his "Country Store" with complete interior detailing I will have to dust-off and reassemble as someone may want it.



Here is John's obit:
John F. Coots   Sept. 8, 1929 - Aug. 27, 2008

John F. Coots Jr., 78, a Reno resident for the past 35 years John was born to J. Fred Coots (Songwriters Hall of Fame) and Marjorie Coots, devoted wife and mother of four children in New Rochelle, New York. Outgoing in public John was a truly private man, and wanted no funeral or services; he passed away peacefully in his sleep on August 27, 2008, at home, as was his wish.

John served with the United States Army Airborne during the Korean War. After his tour of duty he headed west and landed in Hollywood and worked for many years in the television and movie industry. In the 70's John left California and moved to Reno, NV to actively pursue his true passion, model railroading. First with Scale Structures LTD., and later with N Scale of Nevada. His designs were known worldwide and his expertise and knowledge was greatly appreciated by everyone involved in the industry, hobbyist and manufacturers alike.

John's other great passion was American Iron, Harley Davidson Motorcycles to be more precise. He was a life member of H.O.G. (Harley Owners Group) He rode up until the day he fell ill due to complications from cancer.

He was preceded in death by his father and mother, his sister, Patti and his brother, Clayton. John is survived by his four children; daughter, Robin of Los Angeles, CA., sons, Jeremy and Jonathan of Reno and Sean of Dayton: his three grandchildren, Devon, Jamie and David and his sister, Gloria of Florida.

Good-bye Pop and God bless, You will be missed. In his passing I can only give you one of his most used and poignant quotes

"It has been one hell of a ride" - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/rgj/obituary.aspx?n=john-f-coots&pid=117768488#sthash.DZhTsE20.dpuf

[Oldguy]

Here's some more info on the chronology (from Walthers page):
  "Scale Structures LTD (SS LTD) and Alloy Forms (AF) has had a very complex history that has been interwoven into the fabric of the miniature modeling world's history since the 1960's.
SS LTD was created by John Coots as a side business in his busy world of miniature modeling for the movie industry in Hollywood Calif. back in 1968.  He soon incorporated the talents of John Herrmann and several other fine modeling artists to help build the large inventory of small cast metal super detail parts that were soon used extensively within the modeling community and outward into the worlds of museums and architetural modeling.
Walthers Inc. of Milwaukee Wisc. aquired SS LTD in 1977, merging the company into it's own vast lineup of fine hobby products.
JAKS Industries of Erie Colo. purchased almost the entire SS LTD line along with many building kits and cast detail parts of Magnuson from Walthers Inc. in the mid 1990's.  JAKS purchased some of the Chooch, Period Minatures, Triangle Scale Models, Mile Post Model Works, Finest Kind Models, & Arkansas Valley Models' lines of buildings and cast detail parts also in the 1990's.
Alloy Forms (started in the 1980's in Calif.) created small detail parts and kits along with cast car and smalll truck kits. Purchased by JAKS Industries in the 1990's as well, the HO scale truck line from Lee Town Models was merged into the lineup to offer both automobile and truck kits and detail parts.
Ad Infinitum, LLC of Inman Kans. purchased the entire HO scale divisions of both SS LTD & Alloy Forms from JAKS Industries Inc. in 2009, and moved the company to it's current location in central Kansas, USA. 
Since the purchase of the lines by Ad Infinitum LLC, new kits and details have been introduced, and many upgrades have occured. We have improved the formerly white/lead metal in the detail parts to genuine pewter (with extremely little to no lead content within the metal).  Other improvements have included adding new Super Kits to several of our most popular structure kits, revision of instructions for many kits, & upgrading to extra high quality resins and mold release agents for casting the many resin buildings and detail parts SS LTD & Alloy Forms resin kits are made with. 
SS LTD & Alloy Forms are now reintroducing many of their older kits that have been discontinued throughout the years as requests for them increase."


The main correction is that JAKS (Jon And Karla Stetz) lived in Lenexa KS when they were buying up companies, not Colorado.  I visited their operation many times and was amazed just how much manual labor was involved.  The Sterling Roundhouse kit must weigh at least 10 pounds since it is mostly metal parts.  Their divorce, pretty much ended their kit building adventures and Jon moved to Colorado.

[Dave K.]

Fascinating stuff, guys. Thanks so much for sharing.

[S&S RR]

This has turned into a great thread.  Lots of good information - thanks to all that posted!

[deemery]

One more note to SS Ltd history.  "Paige Enterprises" was a notorious attempt to pirate SS Ltd and other vendor's castings (protected by copyright.)  The Paige products, as knock-offs, generally weren't as good quality as the SS Ltd originals.  There was a lawsuit and Paige was forced out of business.


As an aside, it's worth mentioning Colonial Castings.  This company was located in Mass, and might have produced the castings for FSM kits (I'm not quite sure about that.)  The casting quality was mixed, some were very good, others (probably as the molds wore out) were less so.  The owner of that enterprise now makes license plates for the state of NH (not related to the casting business.)


dave

[jankirkwood]

I have asked Peter of SS ltd. if they have any plans to laser cut wood for their old kits, I have not gotten a response from him.  That being said they are so good about replacing parts lost or ruined I am reluctant to bug him about it.

Jan

[tom.boyd.125]

 How can we not forget the early 1970's when the SS LTD Victorian Station and their Drugstore kits  were only $35.00 each for those heavy red boxes. Yes that was a lot of money back then. When I visited Dick Elwell's Hoosac Valley RR 6 years ago, I asked him how he assembled his SS LTD Victorian Station in his town of Adams since the embossed stone wall material from my kit separated and came off the kit furnished cardboard walls after many years of service, I even used the 3M spray glue to attach the stone sheets, but it dried out over time ...... Dick's humble response was something like this , had the same issue, so had to rebuild my station with plastic stone walls ! 

[NEMMRRC]

Anyone out there built the Jennings Lumber kit?

Jaime

[S&S RR]

One more note to SS Ltd history.  "Paige Enterprises" was a notorious attempt to pirate SS Ltd and other vendor's castings (protected by copyright.)  The Paige products, as knock-offs, generally weren't as good quality as the SS Ltd originals.  There was a lawsuit and Paige was forced out of business.


As an aside, it's worth mentioning Colonial Castings.  This company was located in Mass, and might have produced the castings for FSM kits (I'm not quite sure about that.)  The casting quality was mixed, some were very good, others (probably as the molds wore out) were less so.  The owner of that enterprise now makes license plates for the state of NH (not related to the casting business.)


dave

Dave


I believe that George has produced all the castings for FSM kits himself. His spin casting equipment is in the same room as the F&SM layout.  Most people never know that it's there - he has it covered up in the corner.

[ACL1504]

I read or heard somewhere that George at one time did have someone do a few of his casting. Or there was a company somewhere that made casting and sold them with George's permission. I may be wrong but I think on one of the Allen Keller tapes George states he does all his own casting.

Of course, my disclaimer is that all the above may be a figment of my own imagination. Just saying.


Tom

[ACL1504]

Anyone out there built the Jennings Lumber kit?

Jaime

Jaime,

I haven't built the kit but do have it somewhere. Not sure I'll ever build it but I have built the Drug Store kit. Howard Zane has three or four of the Drug Store kits on his layout.

Tom

[sdrees]

Has anyone built the SS Limited  roundhouse kit?  I was wondering how the stone walls look when the kit is completed.

Steve