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Vane A. Jones  ¤  O Scale Hall of Fame 1993  ¤  Indianapolis, IN

Lindsey Adams 2005	Ed Alexander 2000	John Armstrong 1998	Al Armitage 2003
Irvin R. Athearn 2002	Bill Clouser 1994	Bob Colson Sr. 2001	Minton Cronkhite 2000
Tom D. Dressler 2005Y	Ed Duddy 2002Y	Frank Ellison 1995	Joe Fischer 2000
Clifford Grandt 2002	Max Gray 1995	Dan Henon 1994	Lorell Joiner 1994Y
Vane Jones 1993	Levon Kemalyan  2001	Stu Kleinschmidt 2003Y	Bill Lenoir 1998
Rollin Lobaugh 1995	Jan Lorenzen 2005	Rich L. Meyer 2004	Bill Pope 2004Y
Bob Smith 1993	Rich Wagner 2003	William Walthers 1998	Vince Waterman 2004
Bob Weaver 1993Y	Bob Whelove 1997	Jerry White 1997Y	Bill Wolfer 1996

Vane Jones  February 7, 1906 - August 30, 1987

Model Railroader, Traction

Raised two children "in the business" his late son Corey continued the publishing business until his death in 1993, and Ginger Jones (co-chair of the 1993 O Scale National Convention in Indianapolis and occasional dealer)..

Favored Quote: "Knowledge is of no value unless you share it." (rewording of Anton Chekov's saying "Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice."). Vane's quote appeared in almost every issue of O Scale Railroading.

Hobby Shop Owner (Indianapolis, Indiana) Standard hobby shop fare a little heavier on books, drawings and traction items than average, and provided a valuable resource linking expert custom builders from all around the country with traction and O Scale modelers who were in need of their services. Sure local shops had done handled custom building before Vane tried his hand at it... his difference? Those working with him were from all over — he traveled far from his own backyard to find talent, advertised the service, and matched the right artist to the right project. Specialty drawings of Indiana traction equipment — Jan Girardot share his collection online at Don's Rail Photos

Manufacturer (Misc. Model Railroad Products) Indianapolis Car Co. traction models, many items and parts from this company are still in production. Hundreds of kis and many more parts including: ICC body kit no. 277: O Gauge scale model of Illinois Terminal Combine #277. The kit included sides and ends pressed fromm clear acetate plastic, and a milled wood roof and floor. ($10, 1962) ICC body kit no. 76. O gauge model of the Philadelphia Suburban Transportation #76 as it was before PST blocked off the upper sash. The kit includes sides and ends made of clear acetate plastic, and a wood roof and floor. ($10, 1962) East Gary Car Company is just one of the modern traction manufacturers carrying with the ICC products. Additional information is available upon request from the Walthers Collection library of the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA). E-mail them for more details.

Publisher: Vane A. Jones Co. 1948+, annual Traction Fan's Directory 1964, Traction & Models magazine 1968, Traction Heritage magazine 1969, O Scale Railroading magazine [sold; now titled O Gauge Railroading] many books & pamphlets (mainly classic reprints) including: Traction Fan's Directory 1962, First Edition 1962 Traction Photo Album #1, First Edition 1962 (56 pages, soft cover). Edited by C.A. Jones; contained over 100 photos of modern and historical prototype traction equipment. Corridor Traction Fan's Directory 1964, First Edition 1965 Elmer G. Sulzer; Ghost Railroads of Kentucky, First Edition 1967 Traction Heritage - Vol. I, No. 3 Selections from 1940 Transit Journal, First Edition 1968 (52 pages) Elmer G. Sulzer; Ghost Railroads of Indiana, First Edition 1970 (267 pages) Mallery, Paul and Mallery, Steven; Traction Handbook For Model Railroaders, First Edition 1974 Elmer G. Sulzer; Ghost Railroads of Tennessee, First Edition 1975. [Reprinted by Indiana University Press, 1998.] [Smithsonian Institution Libraries Research Annex Library; Washington, DC] Traction Heritage, serial; source number AAP3908LB (OCoLC)ocm06545709; notes "Consists entirely of reprints from historic electric traction publications." [National Museum of American History Library; Washington, DC] Railfan's Directory, serial; source number AAS0695LB (OCoLC)ocm08906220; notes "v. illus., maps (part fold., col.) 22 cm."

Custom Publishing Advertised his services under the "Vane A. Jones Co." title. Some of the authors above may have been attracted by his ads looking for material to create books, booklets, collections of traction photos, car plans, etc. If Vane determined that the material was suitable, they would create a contract for a "profit sharing plan" whereby the initial return on sales would go to cover the costs of production and printing and when (or if) the publication created a PROFIT then this would be shared equally between the creator and Vane A. Jones. Co.

Author (minor magazine pieces located) including: "Rx Take 7: Cable Car Kits" Railroad Model Craftsman, November 1960 page 44

Founding Member, 1948, Model Traction Manufacturer's Guild (MTMG) Leading manufacturers of model traction equipment formed the MTMG. The organization's published purpose was: "To promote Model Traction through publications, through better kits and parts, by standardizing certain parts so that a minimum investment in tools, dies, etc. is obtained and thus allow more variety of parts. 1948 Membership [position held]: [MTMG President] Vane A. Jones; Indianapolis Car Co., Indianapolis, Indiana [MTMG Secretary] Richard M. Wagner, Wagner Car Co., Cincinnati, Ohio [MTMG Treasurer] Charles A. Pittman, Jr.; Pittman Electrical Developments Co., Sellersville, PennsylvaNia Douglas Baker; Baker Manufacturing, Dayton, Ohio Frank Lahodny; Ohio Buckeye Traction Supply Co., Cleveland, Ohio John Paak; Cleveland, Ohio Richard C. Moore; Dayton Model Products Co., Dayton, Ohio Clayton Campbell, Jr.; Standard Scale Models, Belding, Michigan Paul Moore; Adrian, Michigan William K. Walthers; William K. Walthers, Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin Also planned and published was the Model Traction Handbook and William K. Walthers published the Guide to Trolley Model Building which is considered the outstanding book on traction for decades. Their own publication was planned: Model Traction News and one issue was published in 1949 which in turn inspired a few shows for trolley enthusiasts and a few "Trolleyman's" groups. The group was only active for a year or two. Vane A. Jones' Traction Fan's Directory was inspired by the organization and its first issue was published shortly after the organization of this guild.

Founded Traction & Models Traction Hall of Fame anyone have a list of these honorees? Know what became of the records and placques?

Chairman & Driving Force behind the FIRST O Scale National Convention(s) newsletters, notes and other documents survive that tell of an annual "grumbling" about a possible "O" convention. The 1964 NMRA National Convention was filled with O Scale and O gauge displays… successful, and yet… oh for an "O" only convention. Vane Jones did something, and for several year an Scale O National Convention was held in Indianapolis, Indiana. Was his motive love of 2-Rail O Scale? Probably not. But for those who muttered the purpose was to launch his magazine (not true, O Scale Railroading had already printed several issues before the first O Scale National Convention convened… OSN's first publisher, Dan B. Henon even wrote an article about O Scale for Vane at this convention which was printed in OSR's August issue) or get a crowd to his hobby shop? Bah. The current management of OSN did not attend these early shows… we only have the pictures. And in these pictures, it does look like Vane is having a whole bunch of fun with his friends and O Scale modelers… big trains and big smiles. Finally in 1973, another group of volunteers came forward and SONC was off to Kentucky and on and on and on… (more history and trivia from the O Scale National Conventions is available on the 'O Scale National' History Page). The O Scale National Convention did not return to Indy for twenty years, coming home after its first chairman had passed away for the 25th Anniversary O Scale National in 1993 and co-chaired by his children — Corey and Ginger (sadly, Corey also passed away during the convention). This convention saw the O Scale Hall of Fame established to honor the O Scale Pioneers and others who make a significant contribution to the hobby of O Scale model railroading. Vane Jones was one of the first three "O Scale Pioneers" inducted into a new Hall of Fame following a speech by Lorell Joiner (who was inducted the following year, 1994, in Denver).

Additional Reading: "A Tribute to Vane and Corey Jones" by Lorell Joiner, 48/ft, O Scale News. OSN 118, pg. 44. "Vane A. Jones — In Memoriam" by Joseph H. Frank; OSN 94 pg. 30, 1987.