Whatever happened to Tenshodo - Model Railroader Magazine

Tenshodo was / is a train store in Tokyo that made models for the Japanese market. US servicemen stationed in Japan, plus inexpensive labor in post-war japan, created a market for US style engines.

One particular serviceman started up an importing business called 'Pacific Fast Mail when he returned home, using Tenshodo's products and those supplied by Atlas Trading Co of Japan which were sold under the brand name 'United'. With hand crafted brass products selling for $39 - $79 US retail, brass was very popular with the HO crowd. Then as now, some modelers gripe'd about the ''high prices''.

The Japanese recovery, cost of labor, and decline of the dollar priced the Japanese out of the US market. PFM's ATSF 4-8-4 went from $79 to $700. They also went to can motors and more detail. The US post-war dollar was worth $52 per oz of gold. Today it's dropped by almost 15 times . The $39 2-8-0 would cost almost $600 today - without the can motor. It's called INFLATION.

If you feel strongly about the dollars decline, just remember to turn down your next pay raise.

Don Gibson .............. ________ _______ I I__()____||__| ||||| I / I ((|__|----------| | |||||||||| I ______ I // o--O O O O-----o o OO-------OO ###########################