Rare Bird Model Works, CA

darrene · Post by **darrene** » Mon Sep 05, 2022 3:16 pm

I'm curious, has anyone come across Rare Bird Model Works out of California before?

I have a 5" gauge (I think that's 1.5" scale?) Class A Shay which is said to be built from the drawings of Rare Bird. I was interested to research the history of the build and the builder - I've Googled but haven't turned up anything about the company.

Grateful if anyone can shed any light at all!

All the best
Darren

Bill Shields · Post by **Bill Shields** » Mon Sep 05, 2022 7:02 pm

5" gauge is non-usa standard for a 1/12 scale model..we call it 1"

VO4454 · Post by **VO4454** » Tue Sep 06, 2022 7:55 pm

The only possible light I’m able to shed for you is, that in the Mid-1980s there was a start up hobby shop in Martinez California called Rara Avis trains. They originally started out as a garden railway hobby shop specializing in G gauge. The owners were Bill and Joan, their last name escapes me. They were developing their own line of ModelWorks under the name Rare Bird , if I remember right. I have a G scale stamped steel windmill kit that was branded Rare Bird models that I purchased from them. I do not remember any live steam development or castings, but that was 35 years ago. The Hobby shop moved to another location, Concord Ca. They changed names several years later to Just Trains, which still exist today, and now serves all scales. Joan no longer owns the the hobby shop, it was sold to a gentleman by the name of Jim Anthony at least 10 years ago. He is still the current owner.

Vic

Dick_Morris · Post by **Dick_Morris** » Tue Sep 06, 2022 8:32 pm

A Google search didn't turn up very much beyond verifying that they were a model train shop and that the name was Joan Bradford.

mattmason · Post by **mattmason** » Wed Sep 07, 2022 10:57 am

Vic, you are correct.

All the Rare Bird products were for garden railways. they did a few items, including a neat little station and the windmill that Vic is talking bout (I still have mine). They stopped producing anything, well, gotta be 25 or more years now at the least.

They also were a Maxitrak dealer in the US and sold a few of them and also were a dealer for the Sessums track and tie setup. They did not produce anything in 1" scale that I ever saw.

darrene · Post by **darrene** » Wed Sep 07, 2022 11:43 am

Bill Shields wrote: ↑Mon Sep 05, 2022 7:02 pm 5" gauge is non-usa standard for a 1/12 scale model..we call it 1"

Ah! Thanks for putting me straight Bill

darrene · Post by **darrene** » Wed Sep 07, 2022 11:45 am

VO4454 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 06, 2022 7:55 pm The only possible light I’m able to shed for you is, that in the Mid-1980s there was a start up hobby shop in Martinez California called Rara Avis trains. They originally started out as a garden railway hobby shop specializing in G gauge. The owners were Bill and Joan, their last name escapes me. They were developing their own line of ModelWorks under the name Rare Bird , if I remember right. I have a G scale stamped steel windmill kit that was branded Rare Bird models that I purchased from them. I do not remember any live steam development or castings, but that was 35 years ago. The Hobby shop moved to another location, Concord Ca. They changed names several years later to Just Trains, which still exist today, and now serves all scales. Joan no longer owns the the hobby shop, it was sold to a gentleman by the name of Jim Anthony at least 10 years ago. He is still the current owner.

Vic

Thank you very much Vic. You're a mine of information! I really appreciate it

Darren

darrene · Post by **darrene** » Wed Sep 07, 2022 11:48 am

Dick_Morris wrote: ↑Tue Sep 06, 2022 8:32 pm A Google search didn't turn up very much beyond verifying that they were a model train shop and that the name was Joan Bradford.

Thanks for taking time to look Dick, I appreciate it. You did better than I managed to!

Kind regards
Darren

darrene · Post by **darrene** » Wed Sep 07, 2022 11:50 am

mattmason wrote: ↑Wed Sep 07, 2022 10:57 am Vic, you are correct.

All the Rare Bird products were for garden railways. they did a few items, including a neat little station and the windmill that Vic is talking bout (I still have mine). They stopped producing anything, well, gotta be 25 or more years now at the least.

They also were a Maxitrak dealer in the US and sold a few of them and also were a dealer for the Sessums track and tie setup. They did not produce anything in 1" scale that I ever saw.

Thanks for the confirmation Matt.

I'm picking up the loco on soon, so I'll do some more digging around what comes with the loco and report back. It's entirely possible that whatever notes have been scribbled down, have been mis-remembered. If there are any plans with Rare Bird on them, I'll have a bit more certainty!

Kind regads,
Darren

Benjamin Maggi · Post by **Benjamin Maggi** » Wed Sep 07, 2022 1:20 pm

Wow, if no one here can help that locomotive of yours must really be a rare bird...

mattmason · Post by **mattmason** » Wed Sep 07, 2022 3:01 pm

I bought my fist live steam train kits from them, by the way. That was in 1987.

A Maxitrak Congress and pair of 1" Railroad Supply (old Nelson Gray trucks). Taught me a lot about prepping and putting castings together as well as electrical work because back then you got a bag of parts nd had to solder everything together.

Still got it and fly around the US with it from time-to-time.

Dick_Morris · Post by **Dick_Morris** » Wed Sep 07, 2022 4:58 pm

I remember the ads in Live Steam advertising the former Nelson Gray items, but don't think they were from
Railroad Supply.

The Home Machinist!

Rare Bird Model Works, CA

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