Atlas Model Trains

By: James Sibling

Much like other companies in the hobby train industry the story of Atlas hobby trains is a story of vision, entrepreneurship, and hard work, combined with a enthusiasm for a model that resulted in a business that grew bigger than what anybody would have imagined at the beginning.

The beginning of Atlas Model Trains goes back to the first decades of the 20th century, when Stephan Schaffan Sr. founded what would develop into Atlas Trains. Back then, it was a tool business not a model train company and Stephan Schaffan Sr. was so understaffed that he had his son Stephan Schaffan Jr. come and help him with the production.

Stephan Schaffan Jr. wasn't pleased with the money that he earned at his dad's business (if he earned anything at all). He was a young and inventive man who liked machinery. He would go after work and built replica airplanes at his house. There was a local airplane model shop where he lived, and he would visit it frequently. He used to pester the owner by asking for a side job that he could do to earn some extra money, to which the owner would always refuse.

However, one day, the owner of the store grew so tired of Stephan Jr.'s requests that he gave him some old railroads and replica trains that he didn't want to use any longer, in the hopes that Stephan would go away and leave him alone.

Little did he know that these old railroad tracks and models that he discarded so easily would ultimately become what today is known as Atlas Model Trains.

Stephan Jr. went back home and worked on those trains. Being an inventive and clever young man, he planned a switch set, which would become the staple of Atlas Trains, and that permitted the user to start and stop the trains by controlling the voltage on the tracks.

Later on, Stephan Jr. invented more products which made the business grow even more, while his father's business started to look small in comparison. Somewhere along the line, the original name was dropped and the business took the name of Atlas Model Railroad, although most people know it by the name Atlas Model Trains.

Now with Atlas Trains officially existing, Stephan invented quite a few devices that saved work for the folks who enjoyed the model train hobby. For instance, he invented pre-assembles tracks, that saved his customers the trouble of assembling it themselves. In general his inventions made track assembling much easier.

Today, Atlas Model Trains is one of the major names in the industry. Although Stephen Jr. is no longer alive, Atlas Trains and his inheritance made hobby trains a much more accessible hobby for train lovers.

Article Source: https://www.collectibles-articles.com

James Sibling is a hobby trains expert. For more great tips on Atlas Trains and other model trains visit hobbymodeltrainsnews.com.

Related Items on eBay:

Atlas Trains 2788 N Code 80 Snap-Track Starter Set
$45.12

N Scale Micro-Trains & Atlas BNSF Burlington Northern Car Lot Of 4 Hopper Flat
$60.00

Atlas Trains 205 Connector
$16.52

Atlas N Scale ~ New 2024 ~ 33" Low Profile Micro Trains Wheelsets (48 Pcs) 22135
$30.34

Atlas N Scale ~ New 2026 ~ 33" Low Profile Micro Trains Wheelsets (100 pc) 22136
$27.27

Atlas O 6953-4 TTX Front Runner ONLY #140181 3 Rail
$69.00

Print This Article

Comments Closed

Add To Favorites

Email to Friends

Publisher Ready