Laupahoehoe, Hawaii, Train Museum Visit

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Laupahoehoe, Hawaii, Train Museum Visit July, 2008 My family and I visited the Big Island of Hawaii over the July 4th weekend in 2008 and drove over to check out the Laupahoehoe Train Museum. Unfortunately, the museum was closed due to the Independence Day holiday weekend, but I was able to wander around the property and get some reference photos. Signs on the entrance door let the visitor know that the museum is staffed entirely by volunteers, and that they encourage visitors to explore the grounds.	View Larger Map

The Laupahoehoe Train Museum is housed in the former station master's building for the Hawaii Consolidated Railway, which originally sat behind the Laupahoehoe Station on the mainline to Paauhilo (end of the line from Hilo). The Hawaii Consolidated Railway was the only standard-gauge railroad in the Hawaiian Islands, and its primary purpose was to support the sugar cane industry flourishing on the Big Island's eastern coast. Initial construction was initiated in 1909 by B.F. Dillingham to service his Ola'a sugar mill (Dillingham being the same entreprenuer who built the Oahu Railway out of Honolulu). However, the astronomical cost of construction forced the sale of the Hilo Railroad to bondholders in 1916, and the railroad was reorganized as the Hawaii Consolidated Railroad. The end came in 1946 when it was severely damaged by a tsunami.

Most of the rail lying around the museum grounds were 50-pound & 60-pound pieces, with scatterings of 12-pound and 25-pound rail. The 50- & 60-pound pieces were remnants of the HCR, with some date markings of 1908. The lighter rails were obviously from sugar cane railways

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Silver State Specialties was created in 1999 to offer quality resin accessories, replacement parts and conversion kits, suitable for many 1/25-scale plastic model kits. SSS specializes in accessories and parts for plastic model pickup, SUV, 4x4, and heavy truck & trailer kits. 1/32-scale and 1/35-scale parts and accessories will be available in the future for model truck kits, such as the 1/32 Monogram Snap-Tite and ERTL snap-together kits, as well as 1/35-scale Revell, Italeri, AFV Club, Trumpeter, Airfix, Heller, Tamiya, and other military model truck kits. Some of these smaller scale model kits are quite well detailed, and a wide

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variety of photo-etched, resin, and other accessories are widely available for most of these military truck model kits. What's even more exciting is the line of 1/24th & 1/25th-scale military model kits and conversions we are in the early stages of developing, to nicely compliment your ERTL, AMT, Italeri, Revell, and other brands of truck models.

Silver State Specialties is working on resin accessories and complete kits for G- gauge outdoor garden railway trains ("Large Scale") in 1/24th-scale. Some patterns have been completed, and many more are under construction. These kits and accessories will include complete Beyer-Garratt style of locomotives and Narrow Gauge ore hopper cars, as well as 24-inch & 30-inch gauge industrial equipment in this same scale.

SSS also has master patterns partially completed for many 1/16-scale model truck accessories and conversion kits, mainly for the Monogram-Revell 1/16-scale model truck kits. Some projected accessories for these 1/16-scale kits are front drive axles, different wheels and tires, air cleaner accessories, pusher and tag axles, oil filters and engine accessories, and possibly different engines. Cab & hood conversion kits remain a possibility for these monsters as well, but are still years away from being offered as there are more pressing projects to push forward with first. But someday they should be available!

Thank you for your continued support, your loyal business, and your patience with us!

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Laupahoehoe, Hawaii, Train Museum Visit July, 2008

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REPLICA HAWAI'I CONSOLIDATED RAILWAY CABOOSE (STANDARD GAUGE)

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Laupahoehoe, Hawaii, Train Museum Visit
July, 2008