|
|
 Posted - October 23 2006 : 08:41:56 AM
|
Hey Guys,
Well, I finally took a minute to locate and snap a few pics of my candidate for Halloween dis-honor...
I don't know the exact year of release, but without doing any research I'm saying late 1960s. Among the most obvious faults...the nose contour isn't even close to an F-unit...I think it is a bit too short...it rides on the same FM-trucks as the AHM BL-2 and C-Liner...it almost has no fuel tank...no steps to speak of...well I'll stop there.
For those not familiar with ATT, they were American, Train & Track. Besides this Athearn-Genesis-challenging FT-A model, ATT also offered the first round of the Yugoslovian-made Alco Century 415. That's the same C415 also sold by Life-Like in the early '70s; Model Power; and most recently IHC. ATT had shorty Budd RDC models; some interesting shorty streamliners including what might be the only under-sized Dome-Observation? They also had an interesting and unique Flat Car with 3 Containers. I think the Flat was like 75' and the Containers were maybe 20' examples. I have one decorated for Santa Fe and it's a really odd beast...similar in some respects to a Flexi-Van set-up...though I don't think it is anywhere near a prototype. ATT also had an F-9A model that was much better than this poor FT-A in execution. The F-9A faded into oblivion, but for a run later offered by Model Power that appears to made from this same tooling. ATT also imported many of the same freight cars found in the AHM HO-scale line and made by Roco or perhaps Rivarossi in Europe.
ATT had some unique items and didn't last too terribly long in the market from what I know. Believe they arrive in the mid/late 1960s and are gone by the early 1970s. Though I've seen the ATT Budd RDCs still being offered in close-out pricing into the late '70s from some mail order houses.
Perhaps someone with better/more knowledge can add to the American, Train & Track history? I know they had at least one steamer, but I'm not a steam fan so I don't know anything about it. Also recall they had some kits and/or accessories that might be unique to their line. Seems like they had a curved station platform and did ATT offer big electrical towers...you know the typical biggies that you line up around your city to ward off Godzilla...only they never seem to do much good in your town's defense.
Anyway, that's my Trick-or-Treat Loco...
Tony Cook
HO-Scale Trains Resource
http://ho-scaletrains.net
|
Country:  USA ~
Posts: 1658 ~
Member Since: December 03 2005 ~
Last Visit: February 07 2010
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
 Posted - October 23 2006 : 08:58:32 AM
|
hi tony here are some triang made item for att,the 2 diesels are from 1969,ken
   
Edited by - catfordken on October 23 2006 09:01:55 AM
|
Country:  United Kingdom ~
Posts: 8294 ~
Member Since: September 28 2006 ~
Last Visit: October 20 2021
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
 Posted - October 23 2006 : 12:09:33 PM
|
Really makes one wonder where they got their "official blueprints", eh?
(Setting: toolmaker leaves the factory and takes a shortcut down an alley to reach the busstop. Suddenly the night is broken: "Psst... hey, bub... you wanna buy a blueprint?") [Oops!]
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 2175 ~
Member Since: July 15 2006 ~
Last Visit: January 31 2010
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - October 23 2006 : 12:19:25 PM
|
the southern pacific and sante fe look like roco/piko german locos to me ken
Edited by - catfordken on October 23 2006 12:21:06 PM
|
|
Country: United Kingdom ~
Posts: 8294 ~
Member Since: September 28 2006 ~
Last Visit: October 20 2021
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
 Posted - October 23 2006 : 4:33:23 PM
|
Maybe ATT had "Official Blueprints" to work from...but what happened to them between EMD and ATT???
Ooops, I spilled my coffee all over that FT-A blueprint!
Oh, I can work around the missing/stained information.
And hence, the beautiful ATT FT-A was born. [}:)]
Tony Cook
HO-Scale Trains Resource
http://ho-scaletrains.net
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 1658 ~
Member Since: December 03 2005 ~
Last Visit: February 07 2010
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - October 23 2006 : 8:20:17 PM
|
ATT was distributed out of Cedarburg, WI, for a while in my youth. Being just a piece down the road we saw quite a few of their offerings. They marketed a small line of sets (built around my nomination for scariest steam engine), track, buildings, engines and rolling stock. Much of their stuff was Triang-derived (As Ken suggested). Some of the freight rolling stock (Southern pulpwood immediately springs to mind) is just 00 gauge from Triang's Canadian-distributed so-called "Transcontinental" line (1/72nd scale) with NMRA couplers instead of the euro-style loop-n'-hook Triang coupler. It is very robust, the flange depth on the rolling stock wheels sometimes caused fits and people complained because so much of the stuff looked just too-darned big next to 1/87th offerings.
The Budd RDCs are also Triang-built. There were three liveries, as I recall: Northern Pacific, C & O and Sante Fe. Very excellent operationally (and kinda cool looking, even though way too big again at 1/72nd scale). The RDCs seem to be rather aggressively collected and regularly see operation to this day. I run an SF set myself and enjoy them immensely.
The fleet of streamliners is also thinly disguised offerings from Triang's "Transcontinental" Canadian line (again, with NMRA couplers instead of Triang's and also too big at 1/72nd scale.) Still, with great underbody detail and interiors, they make a really slick passenger rake behind more robust American diesels. Offered in several liveries, the streamliners, too, have a solid collecting following and with good reason.
Some of the trackside buildings and a fantastically detailed (and VERY large and long) bridge in the ATT catalog were also supplied thru arrangement with Triang.
As Tony Cook pointed out the Alco 415 center cab diesel was an ATT brainchild, premiered as their principle diesel train set offering. Other rolling stock for the sets, like the container flat and containers and a very nice ore hopper were supplied by Lima (Italy) An american-style 8 wheel caboose ala Athearn, gondola, reefer and 40 ft. box were Roco (Austrian) supplied. Most of the freight cars survived the demise of ATT and by 1975 were making appearances in the Model Power catalog, while the 415 began turning up in Life Like boxes and some sets.
All in all the ATT offerings were quite good (a couple of the engines excepted) though they just didn't have much of an impact on the market, making their failure fair game for modern day Vintage HO collectors looking to score some strange and exotic offerings!
MagnoliaAcademy
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 446 ~
Member Since: December 09 2005 ~
Last Visit: October 28 2006
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - October 23 2006 : 11:17:47 PM
|
Man... between the Athearn GP30 catalog, the Little Monster, and now these ATT beasts.... you guys are really starting to pull me in to the dark side ;)
Anybody ever make that C415 in Rock Island?? I GOTS to get me one of those!!!!
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 2175 ~
Member Since: July 15 2006 ~
Last Visit: January 31 2010
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - October 23 2006 : 11:26:33 PM
|
You are in luck, Circlez...
Both ATT and Life Like offered the 415 in Rock Island. As an old fan of the line I gotta tell you, it rocks.
MagAc
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 446 ~
Member Since: December 09 2005 ~
Last Visit: October 28 2006
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
 Posted - October 23 2006 : 11:27:45 PM
|
Did anybody make the Century 415 in Rock Island?!? Everybody Did! Believe you can find a maroon-and-yellow Rock Island Alco C415 from ATT and Life-Like, also perhaps Model Power.
That picture is from the IHC-Hobby site and the most recent return of the durable C415 molds. Though I'd sware the example in my collection from this run of IHC C415s in Rock Island is red-and-yellow and NOT maroon-and-yellow, but I can't locate mine at present to confirm. It did have slightly improved Alco/AAR truck sideframes and ran nicely as most current IHC diesels do.
Tony Cook
HO-Scale Trains Resource
http://ho-scaletrains.net
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 1658 ~
Member Since: December 03 2005 ~
Last Visit: February 07 2010
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - October 23 2006 : 11:31:39 PM
|
I have seen adds in old back issues of M.R. showing the C415 in Rock Island. It was in predominantly red. This was by Life-Like. I do not remember the IHC version in Rock colors though.
However, the model has the "Front" end combinding features of both the prototype and the production units. The round fan on the roof above the Radiator is from the prototype. But the horizontal radiator grill on the side of the hood is from the production model.
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 715 ~
Member Since: May 03 2006 ~
Last Visit: September 19 2025
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - October 23 2006 : 11:31:44 PM
|
Mag Ac, I didn't know that the ATT Budd RDCs and Streamliners were actually 1/72nd and not 1/87th...how interesting...perhaps I need to track down some of them.
Also didn't know the Triang-ATT connection...that explains why some of those cars looked odd.
I know ATT had at least one product catalog, but to date I haven't been able to nail one down. Does anybody have one or know of more than one ATT catalog?
Tony Cook
HO-Scale Trains Resource
http://ho-scaletrains.net
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 1658 ~
Member Since: December 03 2005 ~
Last Visit: February 07 2010
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - October 23 2006 : 11:37:17 PM
|
| Man, you guys type FAST!! Here I thought I had this great piece of info, and you beat me to the punch! Good thing as I was obviously wrong about the IHC Rock version.
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 715 ~
Member Since: May 03 2006 ~
Last Visit: September 19 2025
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
 Posted - October 23 2006 : 11:44:03 PM
|
Whoa... ask and ye shall recieve!
(user wonders how in the world these rock C415s ever escaped him. What with all the train shows, and random ebay searches, and whatnot over the years).
Tony C - you are correct in that the proper scheme(s) should be either Yellow and Red, or White & Maroon. Although I won't blame the manufacturers on that because, well, it IS the Rock Island: "Where consistent inconsistency isn't just an oxymoron, it's a way of life!" Also, I am not a fullly-credited Student of Rockology so there may be other 415 schems as well.
I stand corrected! Rock Island C415 #421 was maroon and yellow as late as 1972. Why? See the above quote [}:)] (the LETTERING most certainly should be white, however. THAT'S what's wrong in that picture! - never have seen a pic anywhere of a Rock Island engine with yellow lettering. Unless you count the faded ex-Rio Grande geeps).
Edited by - GoingInCirclez on October 23 2006 11:49:44 PM
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 2175 ~
Member Since: July 15 2006 ~
Last Visit: January 31 2010
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - October 23 2006 : 11:46:21 PM
|
re: 415 center cab
Perhaps the most recent IHC offering boasts improved operation over the original ATT 415s which exhibited fairly typical "inexpensive train set" characteristics. I remember reading MR's unflattering review of the ATT 415 when it premiered. I also remembering rushing out to buy one anyway.
May have an ATT one-sheet in one of my sets, but no catalog. I do recall their line being advertised in its entirety over the course of several months in small ads in MR where they advertised quite heavily 'til their demise.
MA
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 446 ~
Member Since: December 09 2005 ~
Last Visit: October 28 2006
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
 Posted - October 24 2006 : 12:01:22 AM
|
Okay, I was correct in my thought that the most recent IHC run of Century 415s included a red-and-yellow and NOT the previously pictured maroon-and-yellow Rock Island model. IHC must have an old example or that maroon paint was pre-production model that is found on the www.ihc-hobby.com website.
This picture is from Walthers site and represents the same paint as found on my example from the newest IHC offering...
And sadly, both IHC and Walthers show this model as OUT OF STOCK.
Tony Cook
HO-Scale Trains Resource
http://ho-scaletrains.net
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 1658 ~
Member Since: December 03 2005 ~
Last Visit: February 07 2010
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - October 24 2006 : 12:35:36 PM
|
hi tony regarding att a shop in uk is asking £200 for the following 4 att items,are they gold plated,ken
/tyco/forum/uploaded/catfordken/att50002.jpg/tyco/forum/uploaded/catfordken/att50004.jpg/tyco/forum/uploaded/catfordken/att50005.jpg/tyco/forum/uploaded/catfordken/att50005.jpg
the following link will show how much budds go for in uk
http://www.modelfair.com/acatalog/American_Train___Track_Locomotives.html
availible in 4 liveries,northern pacific,chesapake & ohio,reading company,sante fe
Edited by - catfordken on October 24 2006 12:42:12 PM
|
|
Country: United Kingdom ~
Posts: 8294 ~
Member Since: September 28 2006 ~
Last Visit: October 20 2021
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - October 24 2006 : 12:53:51 PM
|
Thanks Ken...excellent pics and fun site...but OUCH those prices...though where else are ya gonna find sooo much boxed nearly new ATT pieces like that.
We talked about American, Train & Track's curious rolling stock oddities, here's my candidate for squirreliest...
I have one of these mint new-in-box in Santa Fe. ATT also lists a NYC Flexi-Van scheme on the box flap as the other offering for this sorta flat car and containers.
Tony Cook
HO-Scale Trains Resource
http://ho-scaletrains.net
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 1658 ~
Member Since: December 03 2005 ~
Last Visit: February 07 2010
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - October 24 2006 : 1:07:09 PM
|
your item unboxed here is £24 below a few more or should say last,ken 
Edited by - catfordken on October 25 2006 06:33:26 AM
|
|
Country: United Kingdom ~
Posts: 8294 ~
Member Since: September 28 2006 ~
Last Visit: October 20 2021
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - October 24 2006 : 3:37:13 PM
|
Ken's pictured bridges, stations and so on on are Triang-manufactured. The Southern Pulpwood and so-called flexivan are Triang as well (the massive weird what-the-heck-are those? prototype trucks are the main clue.
The true HO scale cars, sans the outsized proportions and equipped with recognizeable freight trucks, are Lima/Roco, later MPower distributed.
MagAc
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 446 ~
Member Since: December 09 2005 ~
Last Visit: October 28 2006
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
 Posted - October 25 2006 : 06:34:38 AM
|
yuk
|
|
Country: United Kingdom ~
Posts: 8294 ~
Member Since: September 28 2006 ~
Last Visit: October 20 2021
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
 Posted - October 25 2006 : 08:28:14 AM
|
Ken,
What do you mean "yuk"?!? That beautiful Air Force F-unit gets only a "yuk"??
The picture is a bit dark...which is probably good actually considering what we're looking at...however I think that is Model Power's clone of the old COX 1970s F-3A. Dig those state-of-the-art EMD Blumberg trucks..nobody could hold a candle to them...I'd suggest a blow-torch rather than candle...but then that makes me start sounding like one of those negative Rivet Counters.
Considering the state the world is in today...does also not worry anyone that the Air Force would be counting on 50-60 year old F-3As to get the job done??? God Help Us! [V]
Tony Cook
HO-Scale Trains Resource
http://ho-scaletrains.net
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 1658 ~
Member Since: December 03 2005 ~
Last Visit: February 07 2010
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - October 25 2006 : 1:23:03 PM
|
The ATT 3-container car is still manufactured, albeit with Hornby styled couplers. Hornby currently offers separate containers that will fit on the old ATT cars. They are offered in either "20 foot" or "30 foot" lengths. The "20 foots" are what were supplied with the ATT cars (With American railroad logos.) I've retrofitted ATT cars with two "30 foot" containers
for a more "North American" appearance.
As I understood, American Train and Track (ATT) was the creation of a Kalmbach employee who started importing Americanized British product (I don't know if it was Triang back in the '60's or always Hornby. I do believe that Triang and Hornby merged in the 1970'2.) along with other European manufacturers.
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 81 ~
Member Since: March 14 2006 ~
Last Visit: January 10 2020
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - October 25 2006 : 1:31:40 PM
|
over here at moment,hornby have a new site
http://www.hornby.com/hornbyinternational/
here you will find there range of rivarossi usa trains etc,ken
Edited by - catfordken on October 25 2006 1:33:29 PM
|
|
Country: United Kingdom ~
Posts: 8294 ~
Member Since: September 28 2006 ~
Last Visit: October 20 2021
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - October 25 2006 : 11:38:07 PM
|
DetroitTerminal's recollection of the hazy origins of ATT is correct, hence the ATT "corporate headquarters" in Cedarburg, in close proximity to Kalmbach, Wm. Walthers and brethren.
Actually, the story is a bit more squirrelly than that: ATT, who distributed "Americanized" Triang/Hornby products in ATT boxes was using p.o. box 93 at the Cedarburg Post Office. AMRO importers, purveyors of classic red-box Triang/Hornby euro-coupler-equipped English OO scale (1/72nd rather than HO at 1/87th) was using p.o. box 163-B, Cedarburg, Wisconsin at the same time. Gee, fellow ATToddlers, do you think that's a coincidence?
MagAc
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 446 ~
Member Since: December 09 2005 ~
Last Visit: October 28 2006
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - November 07 2020 : 10:07:23 AM
|
quote:Hey Guys,
Well, I finally took a minute to locate and snap a few pics of my candidate for Halloween dis-honor...
I don't know the exact year of release, but without doing any research I'm saying late 1960s. Among the most obvious faults...the nose contour isn't even close to an F-unit...I think it is a bit too short...it rides on the same FM-trucks as the AHM BL-2 and C-Liner...it almost has no fuel tank...no steps to speak of...well I'll stop there.
For those not familiar with ATT, they were American, Train & Track. Besides this Athearn-Genesis-challenging FT-A model, ATT also offered the first round of the Yugoslovian-made Alco Century 415. That's the same C415 also sold by Life-Like in the early '70s; Model Power; and most recently IHC. ATT had shorty Budd RDC models; some interesting shorty streamliners including what might be the only under-sized Dome-Observation? They also had an interesting and unique Flat Car with 3 Containers. I think the Flat was like 75' and the Containers were maybe 20' examples. I have one decorated for Santa Fe and it's a really odd beast...similar in some respects to a Flexi-Van set-up...though I don't think it is anywhere near a prototype. ATT also had an F-9A model that was much better than this poor FT-A in execution. The F-9A faded into oblivion, but for a run later offered by Model Power that appears to made from this same tooling. ATT also imported many of the same freight cars found in the AHM HO-scale line and made by Roco or perhaps Rivarossi in Europe.
ATT had some unique items and didn't last too terribly long in the market from what I know. Believe they arrive in the mid/late 1960s and are gone by the early 1970s. Though I've seen the ATT Budd RDCs still being offered in close-out pricing into the late '70s from some mail order houses.
Perhaps someone with better/more knowledge can add to the American, Train & Track history? I know they had at least one steamer, but I'm not a steam fan so I don't know anything about it. Also recall they had some kits and/or accessories that might be unique to their line. Seems like they had a curved station platform and did ATT offer big electrical towers...you know the typical biggies that you line up around your city to ward off Godzilla...only they never seem to do much good in your town's defense.
Anyway, that's my Trick-or-Treat Loco...
Originally posted by Tony Cook - October 23 2006 : 08:41:56 AM
|
Looks like the company rushed the model into production without checking accuracy to the prototype.
Athearn models of the Burlington are better. Still this model is ok for a beginner train set.
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 7400 ~
Member Since: February 12 2014 ~
Last Visit: December 18 2025
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - November 07 2020 : 3:40:37 PM
|
A very interesting bit of history. Will need to keep my eyes open if
one should ever turn up.
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 11579 ~
Member Since: December 09 2013 ~
Last Visit: December 14 2025
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - November 07 2020 : 9:54:35 PM
|
Ouch. :(
And they talk about Tyco. 
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/rpmodelrailroads
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rp_model_railroads/
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 4669 ~
Member Since: August 11 2017 ~
Last Visit: July 20 2023
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
Home
Forums
Events Calendar
Forum Admins & Mods
Register
