Atlas - 50 006 574 - Reefer, 64 Foot, Trinity - Cedar Grove - 992133

Model Information: BLMA first introduced this model in July, 2010 announcement with a 2011 release date. They followed it up with releases in 2011, 2014 and 2016. It features: Fine-Scale Detail, Accurately Painted/Printed, Prototypical Ride Height, BLMA 100-Ton Trucks, BLMA Fine-Scale 36" Metal Wheels, Body-Mounted Micro-Trains Couplers. Of particular interest is the detail of the refrigeration unit at one end as well as the accurate, high-quality printing, especially around the door. Atlas acquired this tooling along with all the other BLMA models in their 2016 acquisition of BLMA.

Road Name History: In 2004, we began by offering cold storage and rail transportation services in Cedar Grove, Wisconsin because we identified an opportunity to help local businesses. Customers needed a cost effective, customer centric partner to help them move product efficiently and economically from other areas of the country and we met every challenge. We now have facilities in four states, a fleet of private refrigerated railcars, and a trucking fleet to support our customers around the country.

Brand/Importer Information: In 1924 Stephan Schaffan, Sr. founded the Atlas Tool Company in Newark, New Jersey. In 1933 his son, Stephan Schaffan, Jr., came to work for his father at the age of sixteen. Steve Jr. built model airplanes as a hobby and frequented a local hobby shop. Being an enterprising young man, he would often ask the owner if there was anything he could do to earn some extra spending money. Tired of listening to his requests, the hobby-store owner threw some model railroad track parts his way and said, "Here, see if you can improve on this".

In those days, railroad modelers had to assemble and build everything from scratch. Steve Jr. created a "switch kit" which sold so well, that the entire family worked on them in the basement at night, while doing business as usual in the machine shop during the day.

Subsequently, Steve Jr. engineered the stapling of rail to fiber track, along with inventing the first practical rail joiner and pre-assembled turnouts and flexible track. All of these products, and more, helped to popularize model railroading and assisted in the creation of a mass-market hobby. The budding entrepreneur quickly outgrew the limitations of a basement and small garage operation. Realizing they could actually make a living selling track and related products, Steve and his father had the first factory built in Hillside, New Jersey at 413 Florence Avenue in 1947. On September 30, 1949, the Atlas Tool Company was officially incorporated as a New Jersey company.

In 1985, Steve was honored posthumously for his inventions by the Model Railroad Industry Association and was inducted into the Model Railroad Industry Hall of Fame in Baltimore, Maryland. In addition, Steve was nominated and entered into the National Model Railroad Association Pioneers of Model Railroading in 1995.

In the early 1990s, the Atlas Tool Company changed its name to Atlas Model Railroad Company, Inc.