Monday, January 15, 2018

Micro Engineering Over The Years

By Donna Turner


In 1964, Robert Rands decided to take his love and passion for building model trains to the next level. He saw a business opportunity, and that was what got Rail Craft Products going, which was the original name of the company. While starting small and at first only offering a few different products, the demand of their customers continued to grow, and so they offered more and more different products, and the company was renamed Micro Engineering to be a better reflection of this.

The narrow gauge track that this company first offered was something that was specially designed by Bob Rands himself. He started to notice that HOn3 trains needed a different prototype of track both so that the trains could run better and so the track was a better representation of the actual track that it is modeled after. This company was the first one ever to manufacture this product, and this was also the first product that the company offered.

Code 55 rail was one of the early products that this company created and manufactured. Flex-Trak was also a popular type of track that they offered. As their product lines grew, the business changed names to better reflect this.

This is a company that has the spirit of family to back it up. Bob was soon joined by one of his sons, Ron, in 1972 because he too shared the same love that his father had for model trains. Another son of his, Richard, also joined the company in 1981. Although he later left in 1997 so he could pursue other aspirations, he left a lasting mark on the company with many of the product he helped to develop, which are still available.

This company moved into a bigger building in 1984. This was so they could develop new products and offer the wide range that they do today. Their new tool and die shop contains equipment like CNC milling machines, tooling, and injection molding machines.

Companies that have been around for longer have the advantage of being able to know exactly what their customers want and knowing the best way to deliver quality products that are exactly what their customers want. Having been in business for over 50 years, this company has plenty of experience. With that experience, they bring the same enthusiasm that they've always had.

People build models for all kinds of reasons, but one of the great benefits of partaking in this kind of hobby is that it can cause fine motor skills to improve. This is great for those who tend to be uncoordinated or clumsy and find themselves knocking things over left and right. Designing and setting up these tiny models can also improve handwriting over time.

No matter how much a person adds to their model railroad, there is no limit to the possibilities that a person has. There are so many accessories such as businesses both big and small, modern and rustic, that can give a railroad any kind of theme or feel that the creator wants it to have. Nothing is more fun than building on an old model design to see what it slowly becomes, much like Bob Rand's business itself.




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