Large Scale Central

Aristocraft flat car

So I just recieved my aristo flat car in the mail. Paid $50.00 bucks for it including shipping and the thing is brand new in the box. I didn’t know that I just bought it for bashing. So I am pleased with that deal.

At any rate in looking at it a few things jumped out. One is that the deck is not molded to the frames it is screwed on. So will be able to remove it. Second it has bentendorff (sp) trucks which are correct for the prototype. They are also equalized and not bad looking.

So the question is do I use this car as a basis for molding my own kits or do I just buy these and convert them? Looking at it I think I can bash these pretty easy. But making molds and producing kits would be nice from a numbers stand point. Ideally a nice consist of log flats would be like ten of these, the protype often had 30 or more. If I were to make them I could see having 10 or so. Bashing them five would be a stretch.

And none of this should even be on my radar but alas the squirrel has been loosed

Well, as long as you don’t sell them, there should be no copyright issues with copying them. I would think that more is better, so…

So I lied. There is a deck insert that is glued and screwed in but the underside of the deck is molded to the frame. The outside rails and end beams are removable and the brake rods. The bolster, frame, brake actuator, and deck under side are one molded piece. So as a bash project it would take some doing to remove all the underside decking. Strike two on the kit bash idea. It’s looking more and more like a scratch built affair using this for a starting point.

Now as David mentions what about copyright issues? First I doubt I would sell them but let’s say these turn out nice and someone else would want one? What constitutes a copyright infringement when I am basically tearing the hole thing apart and the finished product will look nothing like the original? I don’t want to get in any trouble, but I would think that by the time I get done canabilizing it there won’t be much left that anyone could claim as theirs. But I am no copyright lawyer.

I should clarify that these will be the log cars I have mentioned elsewhere. That won’t be a flat car.

Don’t worry about Aristo coming after you…

Basic rule of thumb is a copy must be 10% or so different.

In jewelry we could copy rings by molding and casting. Each step included shrinkage and the copy ended up 10% lighter…

Cutting off the deck and adding your log bunks covers the improvements.

Selling 1 to a dozen is small potatoes.

John

That’s kinda what I was thinking John. Not to mention the assmbly would be different as I would like cast the side frames and end pieces together with the inner frame making it one piece instead of screwed together. Then there is the bunks and the small deck ends would be solid not planking.

And yes I am not worried about Aristo or its patent holders chasing me down and taking me to task over this if i do do it and sell a few.

With Aristo gone, how could anyone bother you? A guy up in Canada is making some parts for Aristo cars/locomotives.

Yes as people mentioned, as long as there is at least a 10%+ difference in the final look and you are not trying to advertise as being Aristo Craft or use their name, you should be in the clear. Its when you start to infringe on their actual intellectual property or mark with the Aristo Craft logo and claim them as your own, that’s when the lawyers can get spun up, but again with the actual company dissolved, it might be tough for them to fight you.

Such a shame they are gone. Great products and great service every time I bought/had to contact them.

Jerry,

While I am of not concern to anyone and yes Aristo is gone but somewhere, someone hold the copyrights and patents (intellectual rights) to their stuff. So while I am not worried in the slightest because my stuff won’t look the same, likely wont be for sale other than a good buddy cover my cost sort of affair (and that’s if anyone would want one) and finally sales wouldn’t amount to a hill of beans.

I will make them for me and if they turn out nice for anyone that wants one.