Model Railroading in American OO, 1930-68 by John Ericson is available worldwide, in print and Kindle versions. At 347 pages, it covers it all! For USA purchasers, the link to purchase or look at sample pages is below, and if not in the USA search in Amazon for your country.

Link to print version on Amazon

From the author

In 2008 I began posting in this website (begun as a free blog and updated into a standalone site in 2021) about the history and operation of models in American OO. My initial desire with the book (largely put together in the long pandemic summer of 2020) was to present the history content of the site more formally, and in a more permanent format, to the model train collecting community. The actual publication became much more — it goes well beyond the original site content, making many new connections — with a clear index, so you can find any model produced commercially as well.

This is actually not my first attempt at creating a publication on American OO models. As early as 1982 I had begun work on a series of Xeroxed checklists of OO production, which I expanded in 1997 into a more formal unpublished draft, that being updated substantially in 2004. In addition, over the years I have published five articles on the topic in the Train Collectors Quarterly, two of those written with the late Dr. Edward Morlok, founding editor of The OO Road.

As was Morlok, in real life I am a professor at a Research One university, and I often work with students on scholarly research. However, I very much did not want this publication to read like a dissertation or scholarly paper. Instead, it is my hope that this volume reads easily, telling the interesting story of American OO gauge with a focus on the people behind the gauge. In a way, this book is also my own story of discovery. Over a period of more than 40 years I have read virtually every issue of every period magazine in my research process, taking physical notes on all things OO. As I continue to discover more elements of the history of this model railroad gauge, there will be even more to tell in the story.

Those familiar with the American OO Today website know that I love quotes, I love old advertising, and I love old magazines! In the site I quoted these freely, as there is a lot of freedom with what you can put on the internet, and I additionally was graciously given permission to quote by the editors of Model Railroader and Railroad Model Craftsman. However, with the exception of just a few brief quotations, in the new book I am not quoting any content that is copyrighted text or photos from a magazine or book, which would be anything published (as of its writing) after 1926. Rather than limiting me, I think this decision has enhanced the publication, as it forced me to focus in more tightly on the subject and, at the same time, you the reader can always explore as far as you wish into the sources I reference.

Model Railroading in American OO, 1930-68 is organized around chapters focused on key timeframes, with manufacturers examined in the order that they began making models for the American OO market. The overall title refers to the first and the last magazine advertising for American OO products, 1930 and 1968. Sample pages (including the full table of contents) may be found with the Amazon listings.

I should say a word on the price. I wish it could be cheaper, but the plain fact is a 347-page book in color — even done as soft cover — can only be so cheap. I set the price point as low as I could (print $49.95, Kindle $13.95), and I hope that those looking only to explore the scale might opt for the Kindle version, which works well on any device. But believe me when I say I could not possibly price this any lower.

If you like the book give it some good reviews (and tell a friend!), and thank you again for keeping interest going in American OO.