I don't recall anyone mentioning Mantua gear splitting, but maybe I missed
is.
Memory says Mantua used nylon.
They don't seem to split.
If you have Athearn steam (late) and haven't split an axle gear.....just
add the word "yet" to that statement.

Hi Denis,

I know this response is late, I have been out of town for over 3 weeks.
I
have several Mantua 4-6-2 and 2-8-2's with plastic gears. So far, none
has split. I have about 30 of Mantua's and not one has split. I did
ware
one out on a display layout when I did not get enough oil on it.

Joel Holmes

DM, & Everyone,

This problem is really a pain in the butt. Since the gradual
curing/shrinkage must be known by EVERY manufacturer, the continued

use

is
unconscionable.

The manufacturers have responded to the market with all sorts of
additional
goodies added to our models, and added to the price, what is the

reason

for
continued used of plastic gears????



I recently sold a P2K FA & B set that had not been used, but had read

so

much about the inevitable split gear problem, I decided that an old
modeler,
such as myself, didn't need to hang on to them. I do not recall split
gears
on Mantuas, Penn Lines, and Bowsers. Maybe it happened, but I have

had a

number of them, and that was not the problems I experienced to get

them

running, or built.



I have a Genesis Milwaukee Road Mike that hasn't been out of its box,
except
for some upgrades. Should I expect this thing not to run because of a

10

cent gear? All the bells & whistles added to a model such as this,

makes

it
all the more frustrating when the thing won't run because of this

curable

problem.



I remember fixing the cracked axle parts of Bachmann's Hong Kong

Northern.

It was a real pain to fix the OEM axles, but these were good looking,
cheap
models. This is not the case with a Genesis having a similar

problem, it

is not a cheap loco, and shouldn't require the buyer the effort of

fixing

it.

Denis

Hi Denis,

I know this response is late, I have been out of town for over 3 weeks. I
have several Mantua 4-6-2 and 2-8-2's with plastic gears. So far, none
has split. I have about 30 of Mantua's and not one has split. I did ware
one out on a display layout when I did not get enough oil on it.

Joel Holmes

DM, & Everyone,

This problem is really a pain in the butt. Since the gradual
curing/shrinkage must be known by EVERY manufacturer, the continued use
is
unconscionable.

The manufacturers have responded to the market with all sorts of
additional
goodies added to our models, and added to the price, what is the reason
for
continued used of plastic gears????



I recently sold a P2K FA & B set that had not been used, but had read so
much about the inevitable split gear problem, I decided that an old
modeler,
such as myself, didn't need to hang on to them. I do not recall split
gears
on Mantuas, Penn Lines, and Bowsers. Maybe it happened, but I have had a
number of them, and that was not the problems I experienced to get them
running, or built.



I have a Genesis Milwaukee Road Mike that hasn't been out of its box,
except
for some upgrades. Should I expect this thing not to run because of a 10
cent gear? All the bells & whistles added to a model such as this, makes
it
all the more frustrating when the thing won't run because of this curable
problem.



I remember fixing the cracked axle parts of Bachmann's Hong Kong Northern.
It was a real pain to fix the OEM axles, but these were good looking,
cheap
models. This is not the case with a Genesis having a similar problem, it
is not a cheap loco, and shouldn't require the buyer the effort of fixing
it.

Denis

DM, & Everyone,

This problem is really a pain in the butt. Since the gradual
curing/shrinkage must be known by EVERY manufacturer, the continued use
is
unconscionable.

The manufacturers have responded to the market with all sorts of
additional
goodies added to our models, and added to the price, what is the reason
for
continued used of plastic gears????



I recently sold a P2K FA & B set that had not been used, but had read so
much about the inevitable split gear problem, I decided that an old
modeler,
such as myself, didn't need to hang on to them. I do not recall split
gears
on Mantuas, Penn Lines, and Bowsers. Maybe it happened, but I have had a
number of them, and that was not the problems I experienced to get them
running, or built.



I have a Genesis Milwaukee Road Mike that hasn't been out of its box,
except
for some upgrades. Should I expect this thing not to run because of a 10
cent gear? All the bells & whistles added to a model such as this, makes
it
all the more frustrating when the thing won't run because of this curable
problem.



I remember fixing the cracked axle parts of Bachmann's Hong Kong Northern.
It was a real pain to fix the OEM axles, but these were good looking,
cheap
models. This is not the case with a Genesis having a similar problem, it
is not a cheap loco, and shouldn't require the buyer the effort of fixing
it.

Denis

One might keep in mind that the A1 Tornado folks put out the boiler
job to a German shop (Meinigen sp?) but have had a terrible lot
of trouble with it. It seems that taking plans for a riveted boiler
and building it as a welded boiler caused new problems. Mostly
with broken staybolts. Appears that it is too rigid in the wrong
places, or so I have read.
Chuck Peck

--- In yardbirdtrains@..., Jeff Pellas <jppellas@> wrote:

Ray,
> By the way, with the Belpaire boiler and it's English design heritage, I bet the Brits could do a bang up job building a K-4 boiler. I remember reading about some New York Central fans who were tossing around the idea of building a Hudson from scratch. Anyone else hear anything about that?


Jeff
jppellas@




an engineering problem that the Pennsy created over 70 years ago, and not just age.
At this point, it?€?d probably be simpler if someone built an all-new K-4 from scratch. That IS possible (the Brits have done it); it just takes a certain number of bags of money.
Regards,
Ray Breyer
Elgin, IL

From: lnnrr
Subject: [yardbirdtrains] 1401 (was) K4 Altoona ?
To: yardbirdtrains@...
Date: Friday, May 31, 2013, 1:41 AM

?

I seem to remember that the Smithsonian ran the John Bull a few
years ago. The late Bill Purdy told me that the 1401 was fully
shopped with new everything that was available before being
presented to the Smithsonian. To my mind, that restoration is
doable. The big problems will be tools, lubricants, and know-how.
Most especially the know-how just 25 or 50 years from now.
I was the machine shop foreman when Jeffboat built the Steamboat
Mississippi Queen. The designers and lubrication experts said
the main paddlewheel bearings needed 0.015" clearance. Having
worked on sternwheelers myself, I told them it should be at least
1/16th inch or about 0.060 as a starting point. But of course
we got to do it the experts way. Then when those bearings ran hot,
they lifted the paddlewheel out and sent the bearings back up
to the shop to take out another 0.010". And again. And again.
Until she ran well at 0.075' clearance.
As the old trades die away, those are the experts that will be
running steam locomotives. Making running old locomotives ever
more expensive. When the right reason comes along, I believe
1401 COULD run again. The John Bull did. The General did.
Chuck Peck

--- In , "Ray Breyer" wrote:
>
> >>What about the other K4 that is still at the Pennsy Museum at Stratburg?
> Has there ever been any thought to restoring this one?
> >>Richard in Vermont
>
>
> There's about as much chance of that as of Southern 1401 running again.
> Remember that the RR Museum of PA is an actual government-owned museum, not
> a tourist train business or a non-profit hobby collection.
>
> Ray Breyer
> Elgin, IL
>

What about the other K4 that is still at the Pennsy Museum at Stratburg?

Has there ever been any thought to restoring this one?

Richard in Vermont

There's about as much chance of that as of Southern 1401 running again.
Remember that the RR Museum of PA is an actual government-owned museum, not
a tourist train business or a non-profit hobby collection.

Ray Breyer
Elgin, IL

Ray,
> By the way, with the Belpaire boiler and it's English design heritage, I bet the Brits could do a bang up job building a K-4 boiler. I remember reading about some New York Central fans who were tossing around the idea of building a Hudson from scratch. Anyone else hear anything about that?


Jeff
jppellas@...




an engineering problem that the Pennsy created over 70 years ago, and not just age.
At this point, it?€?d probably be simpler if someone built an all-new K-4 from scratch. That IS possible (the Brits have done it); it just takes a certain number of bags of money.
Regards,
Ray Breyer
Elgin, IL

A whole new boiler? The staybolts are all in the firebox. The problem is confined to the roof sheet of the firebox. Check with the Strasburg shop to see how they are dealing with the G5s. No total boiler replacement.


-----Original Message-----
From: Ray Breyer <rbreyer@...>
To: yardbirdtrains <yardbirdtrains@...>
Sent: Tue, May 28, 2013 9:33 am
Subject: RE: [yardbirdtrains] Re: K4 Altoona ?


Hi Henry,

Jeff left out one important piece of information: the boiler of 1361 is
unusable. The Pennsy designed her with long flexible staybolts and a certain
thickness to the firebox steel. At some point in the late 1930s/early 1940s,
the Pennsy decided to economize, and changed the staybolt design by
eliminating washers, instead peening over the ends to create in integral
washer. They also eliminated a few of them. That design change, coupled with
a near 100 year old boiler that's been exposed to the elements for a LONG
time, makes it 100% not usable. Something like a million dollars of taxpayer
money got sunk into the second rebuild until an engineer (on the third group
of people attempting the second rebuild) actually crunched some numbers and
discovered that the boiler was dangerous. VERY dangerous.

As-is, 1361 will never run again, even if they do reassemble her. Someone
will have to come up with another $2 million or so to build a new K-4 boiler
from scratch to get her to run again. That's JUST the boiler cost.

Altoona is keeping mum about all of this simply because $2M of PA taxpayer
money right now has been 100% wasted by them on schlock rebuild attempts.
They're keeping their head low because of public backlash, political
backlash, and possible criminal charges of fraud. The problems with the
engine are completely known among the restoration crowd. There's LOTS of
threads about all of this at the RYPN website.

The problem with the restoration isn't the engine itself, nor where to run
her. A LIRR Ten Wheeler that's just as old just got sent to Strasburg for a
rebuild, and that engine will be running in five years so long as the
fundraising effort goes well. Older engines have been restored recently,
larger engines have been restored in open fields, the Brits regularly take
junkyard scrap and get them to run, and Klocke Loco Works is cranking out
brand new Americans at a rate of one every three years. The problem is with
WHO did the restoration: get good people with a clear plan, good funding,
and professionals to direct traffic, and everything goes smoothly. Get fools
on the job taking shortcuts, playing politics, and generally not knowing
what the hell they're doing, and you ends up with a mess like this (or sort
of similarly, like North Freedom, which hasn't run a steam engine since
1998, and which has wasted about the same amount of money on THREE
restoration attempts).

Regards,
Ray Breyer
Elgin, IL



-----Original Message-----
From: yardbirdtrains@... [mailto:yardbirdtrains@...]
On Behalf Of Henry
Sent: Saturday, May 25, 2013 2:03 PM
To: yardbirdtrains@...
Subject: [yardbirdtrains] Re: K4 Altoona ?

So, somebody has to build a fire under the proper people ? Henry

--- In yardbirdtrains@..., Jeff Pellas <jppellas@> wrote:

Henry,
The saga of the 1361 is a very long and complicated. Several entities

and organizations have had a crack at it; Sometimes this was for funding
reasons and sometimes just because the project has taken so long, people
have come and gone.

Some of the problems of the K-4 stem from the selection process when

it was originally preserved. Basically the locomotive was the easiest one on
the dead line to get to. So it is by chance that the 1361 is one of the very
oldest K-4s they could have chosen, having been built in 1917. It was 10
years old when the last K-4s began their service lives in 1927. Also the
1361 was one of the very last K-4s in service (retired in 1957) so that
locomotive was as beaten down and worn out a machine as you could imagine.
Those who set aside the 1361 were not thinking about a 2nd life for the
locomotive pulling excursions.

Never the less, the loco was taken down from Horseshoe Curve in the

spring of 1987 (I was there as an 18 year old) and, after receiving a
cleaning, new coat of paint and a few safety upgrades, she began that 2nd
life hauling excursions over Conrail. The new career was cut short when she
broke the axle on the main driver after only a few months.

I lost track of the K-4 saga for a few years after that because I

entered college but at some point the decision was made to completely
restore it. A group started the restoration at Steam Town in Scranton but,
after some time and work and because of the influx of Government funds, the
restoration had to be scuttled and begun all over again, this time using a
very protracted and methodical process which would eventually completely
restore/renew practically every piece of the locomotive. Each piece was
systematically removed, measured, tested for soundness and remade if
necessary (and it was almost always necessary). I believe most, if not all
of the major restoration work was actually completed using this method.
During that time, the 130P75 tender was modified by removing the retractable
water scoop. There are no track pans existing so the machinery was removed
to create more space to hold water.

Here's where my knowledge is hazy but what I gather happened next is

that the government funding dried up and the various parts of the K-4 simply
languished in storage. Meanwhile the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum
went through at least a one reorganization upsetting and disenfranchising
various folks along the way (which is inevitable, I suppose). During this
time the K-4 was reacquired from Steamtown but the Altoona Museum did not
have a place to store all the parts, let alone a fully assembled locomotive.
Some of the pieces are definitely in Altoona but I'm told other parts are
being stored at the East Broad Top RR and possibly other places.

The current regime in Altoona pledged to finish the K-4 restoration

once they had a structure in place to house the loco. To this end they have,
within the past year, erected a partial roundhouse on the museum grounds. If
the previous work on the K-4 really was mostly completed, there really
shouldn't be much more restoration that has to be done. Most of the
remaining work consists of putting the bleeding thing back together! I am
cautiously optimistic the locomotive will be ready for it's centennial in
2017.

By the way, if you are planning to model the 1361, the Penn

Line/Bowser locomotive is not the greatest place to start. The early K-4s
were constructed with fabricated frames. The last run of K-4s in 1927 had
cast steel frames which were about 2 1/2 ft shorter than the fabricated
frame of earlier locos (like 1361). The Penn Line model loco is based on
drawings of the 1927 K-4s. I once compared the lengths of a Penn Line K-4
with a Key Brass K-4 and the PL loco matched the cast frame loco length
perfectly while the Key matched the fabricated frame length.

Jeff

jppellas@




-----Original Message-----
From: Henry <long95209@>
To: yardbirdtrains <yardbirdtrains@...>
Sent: Thu, May 23, 2013 11:36 am
Subject: [yardbirdtrains] K4 Altoona ?






OK what's the story with that Jeff ? Big Bucks ? Sell it to the Ohio

Central ? Tarp that tender ? Henry

--- In yardbirdtrains@..., Jeff Pellas <jppellas@> wrote:

Was in Altoona today to see the 765. Sadly, just a little ways away from

the Altoona station platform is the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum
where the rusting tender for the K-4 is parked. Seeing the 765 makes me long
for the K-4 to run again ...but will it ever?

Jeff
jppellas@




-----Original Message-----
From: Henry <long95209@>
To: yardbirdtrains <yardbirdtrains@...>
Sent: Sun, May 19, 2013 10:58 am
Subject: [yardbirdtrains] NS rr steam train ?






I punched up Railpicturea.net this AM . Lo' and behold , there was NKP

765 Berkshire type on Horseshoe Curve . Those that can , go look ? Thanks NS
. Henry

------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links





------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links

That's pretty slick!
??
Sean


"If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!" - Mario Andretti!


________________________________
From: jjleeds40 <jjleeds@...>
To: yardbirdtrains@...
Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2013 10:10 AM
Subject: [yardbirdtrains] Paint web site



??
Sorry i didn't enclose the address.. scalemodeldb.com/paint

Hi Henry,

Jeff left out one important piece of information: the boiler of 1361 is
unusable. The Pennsy designed her with long flexible staybolts and a certain
thickness to the firebox steel. At some point in the late 1930s/early 1940s,
the Pennsy decided to economize, and changed the staybolt design by
eliminating washers, instead peening over the ends to create in integral
washer. They also eliminated a few of them. That design change, coupled with
a near 100 year old boiler that's been exposed to the elements for a LONG
time, makes it 100% not usable. Something like a million dollars of taxpayer
money got sunk into the second rebuild until an engineer (on the third group
of people attempting the second rebuild) actually crunched some numbers and
discovered that the boiler was dangerous. VERY dangerous.

As-is, 1361 will never run again, even if they do reassemble her. Someone
will have to come up with another $2 million or so to build a new K-4 boiler
from scratch to get her to run again. That's JUST the boiler cost.

Altoona is keeping mum about all of this simply because $2M of PA taxpayer
money right now has been 100% wasted by them on schlock rebuild attempts.
They're keeping their head low because of public backlash, political
backlash, and possible criminal charges of fraud. The problems with the
engine are completely known among the restoration crowd. There's LOTS of
threads about all of this at the RYPN website.

The problem with the restoration isn't the engine itself, nor where to run
her. A LIRR Ten Wheeler that's just as old just got sent to Strasburg for a
rebuild, and that engine will be running in five years so long as the
fundraising effort goes well. Older engines have been restored recently,
larger engines have been restored in open fields, the Brits regularly take
junkyard scrap and get them to run, and Klocke Loco Works is cranking out
brand new Americans at a rate of one every three years. The problem is with
WHO did the restoration: get good people with a clear plan, good funding,
and professionals to direct traffic, and everything goes smoothly. Get fools
on the job taking shortcuts, playing politics, and generally not knowing
what the hell they're doing, and you ends up with a mess like this (or sort
of similarly, like North Freedom, which hasn't run a steam engine since
1998, and which has wasted about the same amount of money on THREE
restoration attempts).

Regards,
Ray Breyer
Elgin, IL



-----Original Message-----
From: yardbirdtrains@... [mailto:yardbirdtrains@...]
On Behalf Of Henry
Sent: Saturday, May 25, 2013 2:03 PM
To: yardbirdtrains@...
Subject: [yardbirdtrains] Re: K4 Altoona ?

So, somebody has to build a fire under the proper people ? Henry

--- In yardbirdtrains@..., Jeff Pellas <jppellas@> wrote:

Henry,
The saga of the 1361 is a very long and complicated. Several entities

and organizations have had a crack at it; Sometimes this was for funding
reasons and sometimes just because the project has taken so long, people
have come and gone.

Some of the problems of the K-4 stem from the selection process when

it was originally preserved. Basically the locomotive was the easiest one on
the dead line to get to. So it is by chance that the 1361 is one of the very
oldest K-4s they could have chosen, having been built in 1917. It was 10
years old when the last K-4s began their service lives in 1927. Also the
1361 was one of the very last K-4s in service (retired in 1957) so that
locomotive was as beaten down and worn out a machine as you could imagine.
Those who set aside the 1361 were not thinking about a 2nd life for the
locomotive pulling excursions.

Never the less, the loco was taken down from Horseshoe Curve in the

spring of 1987 (I was there as an 18 year old) and, after receiving a
cleaning, new coat of paint and a few safety upgrades, she began that 2nd
life hauling excursions over Conrail. The new career was cut short when she
broke the axle on the main driver after only a few months.

I lost track of the K-4 saga for a few years after that because I

entered college but at some point the decision was made to completely
restore it. A group started the restoration at Steam Town in Scranton but,
after some time and work and because of the influx of Government funds, the
restoration had to be scuttled and begun all over again, this time using a
very protracted and methodical process which would eventually completely
restore/renew practically every piece of the locomotive. Each piece was
systematically removed, measured, tested for soundness and remade if
necessary (and it was almost always necessary). I believe most, if not all
of the major restoration work was actually completed using this method.
During that time, the 130P75 tender was modified by removing the retractable
water scoop. There are no track pans existing so the machinery was removed
to create more space to hold water.

Here's where my knowledge is hazy but what I gather happened next is

that the government funding dried up and the various parts of the K-4 simply
languished in storage. Meanwhile the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum
went through at least a one reorganization upsetting and disenfranchising
various folks along the way (which is inevitable, I suppose). During this
time the K-4 was reacquired from Steamtown but the Altoona Museum did not
have a place to store all the parts, let alone a fully assembled locomotive.
Some of the pieces are definitely in Altoona but I'm told other parts are
being stored at the East Broad Top RR and possibly other places.

The current regime in Altoona pledged to finish the K-4 restoration

once they had a structure in place to house the loco. To this end they have,
within the past year, erected a partial roundhouse on the museum grounds. If
the previous work on the K-4 really was mostly completed, there really
shouldn't be much more restoration that has to be done. Most of the
remaining work consists of putting the bleeding thing back together! I am
cautiously optimistic the locomotive will be ready for it's centennial in
2017.

By the way, if you are planning to model the 1361, the Penn

Line/Bowser locomotive is not the greatest place to start. The early K-4s
were constructed with fabricated frames. The last run of K-4s in 1927 had
cast steel frames which were about 2 1/2 ft shorter than the fabricated
frame of earlier locos (like 1361). The Penn Line model loco is based on
drawings of the 1927 K-4s. I once compared the lengths of a Penn Line K-4
with a Key Brass K-4 and the PL loco matched the cast frame loco length
perfectly while the Key matched the fabricated frame length.

Jeff

jppellas@




-----Original Message-----
From: Henry <long95209@>
To: yardbirdtrains <yardbirdtrains@...>
Sent: Thu, May 23, 2013 11:36 am
Subject: [yardbirdtrains] K4 Altoona ?






OK what's the story with that Jeff ? Big Bucks ? Sell it to the Ohio

Central ? Tarp that tender ? Henry

--- In yardbirdtrains@..., Jeff Pellas <jppellas@> wrote:

Was in Altoona today to see the 765. Sadly, just a little ways away from

the Altoona station platform is the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum
where the rusting tender for the K-4 is parked. Seeing the 765 makes me long
for the K-4 to run again ...but will it ever?

Jeff
jppellas@




-----Original Message-----
From: Henry <long95209@>
To: yardbirdtrains <yardbirdtrains@...>
Sent: Sun, May 19, 2013 10:58 am
Subject: [yardbirdtrains] NS rr steam train ?






I punched up Railpicturea.net this AM . Lo' and behold , there was NKP

765 Berkshire type on Horseshoe Curve . Those that can , go look ? Thanks NS
. Henry

------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links

Go to NSWL and look up their Stanton Drive, it comes in a few different wheelbase and wheel dimension sizes and should do nicely to power you car. Just glue on the side frames, install a decoder of your preference (if you are so inclined) and away you go.

Nathan Rich

On May 28, 2013 5:04 PM, "twilight022765" <twilight022765@...> wrote:
Many moons ago, Walther's produced an MP-54 kit, it was a wood and metal kit. It shows a drive unit for these in the instructions but it does not mention where it comes from(drive wasn't included with kit). Any suggestions what kind of drive could be used on these kits?

Mark

en lieu of this unhappy news, what are the alternatives, if any? Guess we'll looking at Testor's military colors???

--- In yardbirdtrains@..., Nathan Rich <thaddeusthudpucker@> wrote:

It's toast either way... Scalpers selling it for $10 a bottle by fall or
Walthers starting to sell it for $10 next year.

Nathan Rich
On May 24, 2013 2:18 PM, "kbkchooch" <kbkchooch@> wrote:

If Walthers buys them, look for Floquil to cost about 10 bucks a bottle!
:-O


--- In yardbirdtrains@..., "Rob" <rrdeffinger@> wrote:

Wow! Never realized that Testor was the manufacturer of all those

brands. Have to stock up. Have you ever figured up what a gallon of their
paint costs when you have to buy it at a half ounce at a time?

And you think gas is expensive!
Maybe Walthers will buy them. They make everything else.
BobD.

--- In yardbirdtrains@..., "Henry" <long95209@> wrote:

Oh my , well there's another speed bump up ahead ? Rapidly escalating

regulations ? Diminishing returns ? Socialised programs ? No surprise sadly
! Rats ! Henry

--- In yardbirdtrains@..., Walter Bayer II <bayerw2@>

wrote:

With apologies to Rich, I thought this important enough to forward to
several more Model RR communities.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Rich Zellich <rich@>
Date: Tue, May 21, 2013 at 2:35 AM
Subject: [traintools] FWD: Floquil, Polly Scale, Pactra, ColorArtz

paints

being discontinued
To: traintools@...


**


----- Forwarded Message -----
Subject: Floquil and Polly scale to cease production...

Hello to all...

It appears that we will be loosing Floquil, Polly Scale, Pactra and
ColorArtz paints and that they will no longer be produced. It

doesn't look

as if anyone is going to pick up the brands either from what was

being

stated on the other list. My hobby painting and custom painting

business is

going to take a hit. Looks like I will be buying up big whilst they

are

still around......

The below is a direct quote and response from Testors Consumer

Affairs

Department...

"Dear Mr. ________

There are many changes taking place at The Testor Corporation. For

over 80

years, we have provided premium paints and finishing systems to the

craft

and hobby industry. Recently we announced that we are transforming

our

business in order to more effectively address the changing needs of

our

consumers and their interests.

We ve made the decision to exit the following businesses within the

Testor

Brand family - Pactra , Floquil , PollyScale , and ColorArtz .
This will enable The Testor Corporation to return to our foundation

of

success providing premium, innovative product that inspires

creativity.

We will continue to accept orders and ship product for a limited

time based

on available quantities.

Going forward, the following brands will be critical to our success

and

development - Testor , Model Master , and Aztek. These brands will be
infused with marketing support, innovation and operational

efficiencies.

In support of this, we have announced a consolidation of operations

at our

Rockford facilities. Our commitment to the Testor brand has never

been

stronger. By implementing these changes, and the ability to leverage

all

of Rust-Oleum s world class services, we are more strongly poised to

take

our business to the next level through product and merchandising
innovations, and increased customer understanding.

If you have further questions, please feel free to let us know.

We appreciate your business!!

Sincerely,
Beth

The Testor Corporation
Consumer Affairs Department
1-800-837-8677 (1-800-testors)
M-F 8:00 A.M - 4:00 PM CST"





--
Regards,
Walter

------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links