The Big Train show had vendors selling Aristo-Craft, Bachmann, USA’s rolling stock.
My guess PIKO hasn’t been in “G” long enough for a series of box (product) changes.
What are the color differences in the product boxes that indicate the most “improved” products.
I was tempted with Aristo-Craft’s FA – is a yellow box the indicator of the most recent production? What of the other manufacturers?
Thanks,
Wendell
Anyone with the knowledge to identify and report manufacturer’s box color as an indicator of most recent production?
Presumption is the most recent product is the one with factory improvements.
In short, was I reasonably hesitant to purchase an Aristo FA in the yellow box vs. black?
Black box is old. Yellow is newer, and then newest usually has the red “Star-burst” sticker saying that its new and improved with whatever the improvements are.
Don’t forget the silver-blue box!
Yea Greg, I did. The silver blue box was between the black box and the yellow box I think. But I could be wrong, that was before I joined this gauge.
Somewhere I found this and saved from 2005:
A NOTE ON ARISTO PACKAGING:
Looking at the cars I’ve owned, I’ve come up with this list of six versions of REA/Aristocraft packaging, listed from oldest to most recent.
The oldest box I’ve found is gray with REA logos, says “Joint Venture” on the back, has “Made in Korea”, and has the Milwaukee REA address on the end panel. It is a boxcar box and lists four boxcars on the end, with a box checked to indicate which car is inside. The car inside has old style couplers (with spring visible from the top), has the old style door latch without a spring, and has gold rectangular QC stickers. A long white styrofoam piece is used to keep the trucks straight.
The next oldest is a gray box with REA logos, “Joint Venture” on the back, and “Made in Korea.” It still has the Milwaukee REA address on the end panel, and the cars available are all listed and a box is marked to indicated which car is inside. The car inside will have the improved couplers, improved door latch, and round white QC stickers. It will still have the styrofoam piece to keep the trucks straight.
Around 1990 came the next version, which is a gray box with REA logos, says “Polks” on the back without the “Joint Venture,” and is “Made in China.” The paperwork inside is sometimes dated 0590 or 0690. The trucks on these cars are a medium gray rather than black or dark gray. The white styrofoam strip is now done away with.
The newest gray box design switched to the Aristo logo and dropped the REA logo. Polks is mentioned on the back without “Joint Venture” and is “Made in China.” Trucks may or may not be the medium gray.
The black box. I have seen paperwork inside dated 1992 or 1993. I think this was used through about 1995.
The yellow box. This packaging was announced in the Aristocraft Club newsletter in December of 1995. Still used for current production
That’s the way I remember it Lou, although the “gray” looks a “blue-gray-silver” to me…
Regards, Greg
And the newest newest, as for as boxcars was concerned, was the clear plastic sleeve with the yellow ends. Thats how the double door boxcars came there at the end.
The plastic box idea was not a success and Aristo reverted to the yellow boxes. It was said at the time of the the plastic box introduction that it was in response to dealers who wanted to display cars without removing them from the boxes.
I had a couple of boxcars and a few two bay offset coal hoppers on these plastic boxes. I did not like them; they were not as durable as the card boxes.
Good info guys. I’ve only been around long enough to know that Yellow was newer than Black and REA was early. Didn’t know about the three versions of REA packaging.
Alan, I didn’t like the plastic sleeve thing neither. I thought it was another attempt, by Aristo, to cheapen up. But the plastic sleeve thing was at the end, I did not know that they had dropped the idea before they dried up and blew away.
Yes, as stated by Alan, they stopped the plastic packaging… it was rougher on paint, a pain in the butt for people who store their cars in the boxes.
Greg
Many thanks for the input!
Is the concern I have had for packaging indicating quality, as noted with Aristo, the same concern for USA and Bachmann? I have found Hartland to be consistent over the years and my purchases have not been concerned with date of production. I have a prejudice for the earlier LGB German products - with origin identified on the products packaging is not essential.
As to USA and Bachman - any cautions per packaging identification showing quality improvements?
The usat Ultimate series used to come with a free piece of track, and it said so on the box.
After a while, the track was no longer there, but the box still said so, and later I believe the box was updated to not mention the track.
But none of these indications were directly tied to quality.
Greg
And do not forget that on the end of many Aristo cars there was an Aristo logo and date. Caboose was on the side near the rear step.
Did not see the date on my SD-45.
Dan, its not on the underside of the fuel tank?
But, to see the date, one would have to take the item out of the box. That may not be acceptable at some dealers.
I myself prefer the older Alco FA-1’s, the 3 point suspension in the trucks is far superior IMHO, with one axle being able to rock side to side and the whole truck riding on suspension springs, it tracks better on rough track than anything else I have owned. Watching the sprung trucks work is also a fun activity. My black box era Alco is high milage and I keep adding to it. I restretched the truck springs as they had compressed and bottomed out the trucks. My Alco is now converted to battery power so any issues with wheels gunking up from picking up track power is gone. The only down side to the sprung trucks it the need to keep the journel boxes lubricated. But this is an easy task and should not pose a big issue to those that properly maintain thier engines. Mike
I don’t know the exact reason, but the impression I have is that the Yellow Box FAs are the best. It has to do with the gearing I think.
The late yellow box units have ball bearings on the axles, mounted inboard in the trucks. They are also lower in height, where as my older version sits high on its trucks, maybe to better match the coaches made during the same era, which also sit high on their trucks. I suppose if I mix and matched the FA-1’s, I would want either all high or all lowered units as it would look weird to have a mix of heights. My unit runs fine and I am happy with it. The Alco FA-1, in any of its variations is a highly recomended unit in most large scale circles. It will handle LGB R1 curves with ease and not pull the cars off the track behind it. I was able to put battery, RC and sound inside mine and retain the faux prime mover detail, interior engine room lights and even the “cooling fan” driven smoke unit if I choose to run it. I am very pleased with the units performance. Mike
Yes Dan, you are right about Aristo marking the cars/locos.
But the title of the thread is “Determining latest product by box”.
If we went over all the ways to determine the date of manufacture, we could fill a book.
Greg
Dan Pierce said:
And do not forget that on the end of many Aristo cars there was an Aristo logo and date. Caboose was on the side near the rear step.
Did not see the date on my SD-45.