Atlas - 50 007 139 - Boxcar, 50 Foot, CNCF, 5000 - Moscow Camden & San Augustine - 7025

Road Name History: The MCSA runs 7 miles from a connection with Union Pacific in Moscow, Texas to a large lumber mill in Camden. It is the oldest railroad in Texas still operating under its original charter (established in 1898.) In the early days, the founders (timber interests that owned the sawmill in Camden) had every intention of building on to San Augustine but never got beyond the sawmill. A network of logging branches extended from the MCSA at Camden but these were operated by the logging company directly. As these temporary branches were abandoned, MCSA had their pick of lumber company steam locomotives. MCSA didn’t even begin to dieselize until 1960 and continued to run some steam until 1965. Passenger service was provided with an 1898 vintage wooden combine acquired from Long Island Rail Road in 1927. The passenger service finally ended in 1973. The mill and railroad passed through several hands beginning in the late 60s and is owned today by Georgia-Pacific.

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.