Atlas Model Trains

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Did you ever wonder how the Atlas Model Trains actually originate? Atlas trains were a tool manufacturer and did not originally start out as a model train company. The Atlas Model Railroad Company, based in Hillside, New Jersey, USA, makes models in N-scale, HO –scale, and O-scale.

What is The History of Atlas Model Trains?

  • Their origin goes back to the first decade of the 20th century, when Stephan Schaffan Sr. founded what would later become Atlas trains.
  • Stephan Schaffan Jr. was a young, inventive man who loved machinery, but was not happy with the money that he earned at his father’s business.
  • Stephan Jr. would often visit and pester the owner of a local airplane model shop where he lived and often visited, by asking him for a side job to earn some extra money, though the owner always refused him.
  • The owner got tired of Stephan’s requests and finally gave him some old railroads and model trains that he was not going to use anymore.
  • Stephan went home, worked an those trains, designed a switch set, that became the staple of Atlas model trains, allowing the user to start and stop the trains by controlling the voltage on the tracks.
  • Later he invented more products that made the company grow further, and invented many devices that saved work for the people who enjoyed the model train hobby.

What is The Status of Atlas?

  • Atlas products are now available for every aspect of HO and N scale model railroading.
  • In N-scale, the company has spent over 25 years developing a collection of over 40 freight car types in more than 550 paint schemes with fine detailing, quality painting and printing.
  • The ready to run HO line from Atlas is very extensive and includes more than 25 freight car types, in more than 265 paint schemes, and it will continue to expand both the HO and N scale line of freight cars in the future.
  • Atlas N and HO scale locomotives are famous for their prototypical, fine details, printing, reliability, smooth operation at slow speeds and excellent throttle response.
  • The main mission of Atlas is to produce and offer to the public, multiple scale lines of high quality model railroad products, based on prototype information

What Are Some of The Models of These Trains?

  • The RS3 Boston and Maine number 1508 N series, featuring directional lights, a five pole skewed armature motor with low friction drive, and metal wheels.
  • The Fairbanks-Morse Train Master is a diesel powered locomotive built for the N scale series.
  • GP38-2 Grand Trunk 4928 is another N series locomotive diesel engine.

The story of Atlas model trains is a story of vision, hard work and entrepreneurship, combined with passion for a hobby that resulted in a company that grew bigger than what anyone would have imagined at the beginning. Atlas will remain a leader in innovation and technology in the model railroading industry for years to come, by keeping up the high standards set by Steve Schaffan over 50 years ago.

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