Atlas - 50 002 702 - Covered Hopper, 4-Bay, ACF Pressureaide - Elk Point Transportation - 87066

Model Information: Atlas first released this model in 2000. It features: Etched metal roof walks; Detailed brake gear with scale piping; AccuMate couplers; Accurate painting and printing; 100-ton roller-bearing trucks.

Prototype History: Pressureaide® covered hopper railcars are engineered to transport a wide variety of fluidizable dry bulk products. Our pressure differential railcars are designed and built to accept interior coatings compatible with the intended product service. Each railcar comes equipped with proprietary pressure differential pneumatic unloading system, which consists of all piping and fittings required to connect at the unloading facility, including air flow and product discharge valves, pressure gauges and pressure relief devices. The Pressureaide® railcar operates with internal air pressures up to 14.5 PSI allowing for safe, efficient product transfer.

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.