Grandt Line, a manufacturer of architectural details, structure kits, and freight cars in several popular modeling scales, will close in June after more than 60 years in business.
The company was founded by the late Cliff Grandt in the San Francisco bay area. His children Dave, Liz, and Phyllis operated the business after Cliff’s passing in 2002. Cliff’s other son, Robert, who passed in 2014, ran R/Robb Ltd. with Russ Simpson. Their company manufactured of HO scale craftsman kits and published photographic reference books.
I heard some good news about Grandt Line. Here is a post from Facebook:
“We happy to announce the acquisition and merger of Grandt Line Products, The San Juan Car Co., San Juan Decals, American Limited Models and The Leadville Shops. The new company is called The San Juan Model Co.
At the request of the Grandt family the “Grandt Line” name has been retired. The extensive catalog of former Grandt Line products is being merged with the On3, O Scale and P:48 products offered by The San Juan Car Co.
This new combined catalog of products will be available this fall directly from The San Juan Model Co. web site as well as from our current distributors.
The extensive line of high quality screen printed water slide decals produced in house by San Juan Decals will be augmented by the dozens of decal sets offered by The Leadville Shops. This growing catalog of decals will also available directly from The San Juan Model Co. web site. In addition, San Juan Decals will continue to offer custom design and screen printing of the highest quality water slide decals.
American Limited Models will continue to offer high quality imported HO scale RTR models as well as other new RTR models in other scales.
Best Regards,
Doug Junda and Bob Stears”
I saw this on Grandt Line’s website today. It states: “We are negotiating the sale of our tooling to a reputable company, so will keep you posted as this is finalized.”
Sad news indeed. I have used many of their doors & windows in my HO scratch-building over the years…and the lady on the phone was always so helpful and nice. Best wishes to the family and all employees.
A great damage for the Hobby!!
Hope someone will take over this line. It has over the years been outstanding, both for its kits and detail parts for structures.
Seemd the logical buyer would be Tichy Train Group, since they also produce windows and doors and other detail parts. Wonder if they would consider producing the Grandt Line.
Seems more of the older companies are closing shop..The hobby seems to be more ready to run and no more plan and build from parts.
People are missing out not building something with their oen hands.
I’m getting my order ready!
Thanks Grandt Line for your hard work and products all tbese years. You will be missed.
Bob D
I’m sorry to see Grandt Line disappear as well, but someone buying the production equipment is probably a pipe dream. It may well be that the reason the company is discontinuing operations is that the equipment is worn out and re-tooling is prohibitively expensive. I don’t know this as fact, but know that this kind of thing happens.
Oh…. Crap! Say it isn’t so!
Grandt Line details are a mainstay in kitbashing and scratchbuilding since I started in the hobby in the 1970’s… not to mention quite a number of small manufacturers use their products in the kits the market. That’s going to put a damper on a wider circle in the model railroad field and beyond. I’d hate to say this, but I’d even concede if Walther’s stepped in a bought Grandt Line – but continued to produce, unlike some of their other acquisitions. Sad, sad news. Like losing family!
Sad to see Grandt Line closing, let’s hope someone steps up to continue the line. It would be hard to count the dozens and dozens of Grandt Line parts I have used and still have over the years. Much like R/Robb Ltd. books and Russ Simpsons’ kits, when it came to us Narrow minded narrow gauge modelers they where the go to people, not to mention all those building components. I like others will be stocking up just in case! 🙁
I think the business succession idea is great. Unfortunately most of the smaller operators are just that small and many times the survivors are not interested in keeping the business going. Then there is the part of how do you value such a business? 3-5 times yearly net earnings or some other number. Typically the price a modeler pays for an item is100% over total production costs. That cost doesn’t always take into account tooling replacement especially on slow movers. Recently Bowser offered much of their tooling for sale because the items they had(mostly Penn Line and Arbour Models parts) weren’t moving since modelers’ aren’t building steam kits. I also hear that Precision Scale wants to get out of the parts business. They made many of the old Kentrom line of steam detail parts. Too many modelers today are just Pop The Box runners! Some of this is due to lack of time since most of us have to commute to jobs and that eats up the modeling time. It goes without saying, but I am going to anyway, we don’t have the time to model any longer!
I used to live in the Bay Area and have used Grandt Line parts for many, many years. The company’s closure will be a HUGE loss for this hobby. I can only hope that a last-minute buyer might be found. Thanks to all personnel at Grandt Line for your quality merchandise and support all these years. You will certainly be missed by many of us!!
Very, very sad indeed. They made a lot of parts that I used for scratch building on the layout. I
Sad news continues for all the small producers of so many products that enhance our hobby. First is a need by all these small enterprises for a “succession strategy” aided perhaps by some form of life insurance to keep the business solvent and saleable. Hopefully in this case, one of the product users will come in and offer to buy out the business, inventory, patents and molds. I specifically stop at out of town hobby dealers just to look for those odd items in stock from minor suppliers. Many of us participate in several scales and gauges and no shop can carry a comprehensive supply. Online ordering is possible, but many of us don’t know who makes what.
I’m sad to see them go, many great detail parts and kits for mining and railroading. I also hope the the Grandt line will find some way to continue. I just found a part they made that I need but didn’t know they carried. Time to stock up before its gone.
I really hope someone will pick up the Grandt line molds and keep them available. This is a HUGE hit to the few of us that still build ourselves. I met Cliff many years ago at the RCHTA in Chicago. I better load up on the things I use most. SAD
Sad news for modelers who like to build stuff. Sad news also for those manufacturers of various craftsman kits who themselves utilized Grandt Line parts in their kits. Which in turn is more bad news for modelers who like to build stuff. We can only hope the tooling finds a new and good home.