| The Atlas Model Railroad Company, Inc. started out as | | | | Among Stephan Jr.'s accomplishments: engineering the |
| a tool company - named Atlas Tool Company and | | | | stapling of rail to fiber track and invention of the first |
| located in Hillside, New Jersey. A Czechoslovakian | | | | practical rail joiner, pre-assembled turnouts, and more |
| immigrant named Stephan Schaffan founded the | | | | products. In the process, he became a recognized |
| original company in 1924. | | | | innovator and leader in model railroading. He did much |
| In 1933 Stephan's son, Stephan Jr., joined the company | | | | to turn model railroading into a mass-market hobby. |
| at age 16. He was a good, conscientious worker, but | | | | Many long-time hobbyists say that Atlas brought model |
| his main interest was building models, mostly model | | | | railroading up to a higher technological level. By its |
| airplanes. As the legend goes, young Stephan | | | | observance of the finest standards, the company has |
| accepted a challenge from the owner of a local hobby | | | | come to be positioned at the head of innovation. |
| shop to see if he could improve some primitive model | | | | Atlas takes pride in maintaining its tradition and |
| railroad track that he had in his stock. Stephan Jr. did | | | | reputation for excellence. The company states that its |
| so and continued experimenting with track. He created | | | | models are true scale representations of the real thing, |
| the first HO track common measurement criteria and | | | | with details in the exact same position as the |
| accomplished much more that contributed to | | | | prototype. |
| much-needed standardization in the hobby. | | | | Customers of Atlas model trains may join the Atlas |
| The demand for Atlas' early model railroading products | | | | Golden Spike Club and enjoy various benefits such as |
| was so great that young Stephan and other family | | | | "members only" offers. The club supports O, HO, and |
| members worked evenings in the basement of their | | | | N scales. |
| Newark, New Jersey home to fill orders. Demand for | | | | The company believes that people today are turning |
| their products remained strong and the family had to | | | | to enduring pastimes with lasting value. They promote |
| build its first factory for model railroad products in 1947, | | | | model railroading as a hobby that is fun, active, |
| in Hillside, New Jersey. In 1959, the business outgrew | | | | educational, and one that has endured as one of our |
| that facility and the family built a new factory down | | | | most popular pastimes for more than four generations. |
| the street from the old one. | | | | |