These pictures were taken at various locations in the Milwaukee area during the Milwaukee School of Engineering Society of Model Engineers New Member Orientation Program in December 1997, and were saved from the SOME files. All of these locations have some connection to trains.
Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory
The Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory, more commonly known as the Mitchell Park Domes, consists of three glass conoidal domes designed by Donald L. Grieb Associates and built between 1959 and 1967, covering 45,000 square feet. During the winter, one of the domes features a garden railway display.
Southridge Mall Train Ride
This train ride operated inside the Southridge Mall in the Milwaukee suburb of Greendale, Wisconsin. The Southridge Mall opened in 1970. This train (later repainted to resemble Thomas the Tank Engine) apparently operated until 2012 before being replaced by a trackless train in 2013.
Watertown Plank Road Overpass
This bridge in the Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, was built in 1910 by the Cleary-White Construction Company of Chicago for the Milwaukee, Sparta & Northwestern Railroad, as part of a 9-mile double track line that opened in 1911 from West Allis north to Butler, location of a 21-track yard with a capacity of 1500 freight cars intended to relieve congestion from the yards in downtown Milwaukee. The 175-foot 7-panel riveted Parker through truss main span was built by the Pennsylvania Steel Company of Steelton, Pennsylvania, and carried the railroad over the route completed in 1855 by the Milwaukee & Watertown Railroad, a predecessor of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. Four approach spans built by the American Bridge Company of New York extend the bridge to a total length of 490 feet, crossing Underwood Creek and Watertown Plank Road, which began as a toll road in the 1830s. In 1912, the Milwaukee, Sparta & Northwestern Railroad was taken over by the Chicago & North Western Railway, which was merged into the Union Pacific Railroad in 1995. Meanwhile, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad was purchased by the Soo Line Railroad in 1985, which was subsequently absorbed by its parent company Canadian Pacific in 1992.
I originally posted this on my old website on May 16, 2010.
This post features a brief history of two of the major manufacturers of HO-Scale model trains: Athearn and Model Die Casting (aka Roundhouse Products). Both of these manufacturers were acquired by Horizon Hobby in 2004. This history was compiled from the manufacturers’ own websites, old versions of manufacturer websites found at the Internet Archive, HOseeker.Net and old magazine articles and catalogs of my own.
1938 Musicians Jerry Joice and Perry Bodkin establish a hobby store called Roundhouse at 1301 North Catalina Street in Hollywood, California. The business is soon taken over by part-time employees C.H. Menteer and C.A. Voelckel. Soon after taking over, they are hired to build models for Cecil B. DeMille's film Union Pacific.
Irv Athearn begins building an O-Scale model railroad at his mother's home.
1939 Roundhouse Products introduces its HO-Scale 0-6-0 steam locomotive as a brass and lead alloy kit.
1942 World War II forces Roundhouse Products to suspend operation in February.
1943 After receiving a large response to his advertisement selling his O-scale model railroad, Irv Athearn establishes Athearn Trains in Miniature, selling model railroad supplies.
1946 Menteer & Voelckel's company is now called Model Die Casting, Inc. and resumes production of the Roundhouse Products line by summer.
Irv Athearn becomes a full-time retailer of model railroading supplies.
1948 Model Die Casting relocates to Los Angeles, California.
Irv Athearn moves his business from his mother's home to a separate location in Hawthorne, California.
1951 Athearn purchases Globe Models on July 2. The Globe Models name is retained until 1956.
1952 Athearn introduces the 200-Ton Crane in die-cast metal.
1953 Athearn introduces the all-metal RDC-1, RDC-2, RDC-3 and RDC-4.
1954 The Globe Models F7 is introduced as an unpowered kit. A gear drive is added later.
1955 Model Die Casting relocates to Hawthorne, California.
1956 C.H. Menteer becomes sole owner of Model Die Casting.
1957 Athearn introduces the Hi-F Belt (rubber-band) Drive for the F7, and the GP9 (actually a GP7) and Hustler locomotives. A number of plastic car kits are released including the Cupola Caboose, 40' Box Car, 3-Dome Tank Car, Heavy-Duty Flat Car, 40' Steel Refrigerator Car (with operating doors) and the Streamlined RPO, Coach, Vista Dome and Observation.
1958 Athearn introduces the plastic-bodied RDC-1 and RDC-3, powered by the Hi-F Drive, and a plastic version of the 200-Ton Crane, replacing the metal RDCs and crane.
1959 Athearn introduces the 4-6-2 steam locomotive with the Hi-F Drive, and the 50' Double Door Box Car, Quad Hopper and Pickle Cars.
1961 Athearn introduces a gear-drive version of the 4-6-2 and a gear-driven 0-4-2T and 0-6-0.
1962 Athearn introduces the GP30.
1963 Athearn introduces freight cars with RP-25 wheels.
1964 Athearn introduces the "ring-magnet" motor for diesel locomotives.
1966 Athearn introduces the GP35, SD45, SDP40, DD40 and SW1500 (actually SW7) Cow & Calf.
1970 Athearn introduces the Alco PA1/PB1
1971 Athearn introduces the U28B, U28C, U30B, U30C, U33B and U33C.
1973 Athearn introduces the F45 and FP45 with Athearn's first Flywheel Drive. The Flywheel Drive is also added to most of Athearn's other locomotives. Notable exceptions include the RDCs and Hustler, which still use the Hi-F drive, and the DD40. The F7s are available with or without Flywheels. The S12 and SD9 are also introduced with the Flywheel Drive.
1979 Athearn introduces the H24-66 Trainmaster.
Model Die Casting introduces an N-Scale product line.
1984 Athearn improves the locomotive line with a new drive with new narrower motors and new handrail stanchions. New plastic EMD Blomberg Truck Sideframes are applied to the F7, GP9 and GP35.
Athearn introduces the SD40-2 and SD40T-2 Tunnel Motor. With the new narrow motors, these are Athearn's first hood units to feature scale-width hoods. (All previous diesels, except the F7, PA1/PB1, F45 & FP45 had hoods that were too wide to accommodate the earlier wider motors.)
Model Die Casting introduces the Shay steam locomotive kit.
1985 Model Die Casting introduces the Alco RS3 diesel locomotive kit.
1986 Athearn introduces the GP38-2.
1987 Athearn introduces the GP50.
1990 Athearn introduces the GP40-2, SW1000 & SW1500. The old SW1500 Cow & Calf is now correctly called an SW7.
1991 Irv Athearn passes away.
Athearn introduces the Impack Articulated TOFC Spine Car.
1992 Athearn introduces the 50' Modern Double-Door Box Car.
1993 Model Die Casting relocates to Carson City, Nevada.
1994 Athearn is sold to new owners.
Athearn introduces the MAXI-III and Husky-Stack Well Cars.
1995 Athearn introduces the GP60, GP50 Phase II and C44-9W.
The DD40 is released with flywheels.
In September, the non-flywheel version of the F7 is discontinued. From this point on, the only difference between the Standard and Super-Powered F7s is the large weight.
1996 Athearn introduces the AC4400CW.
Model Die Casting introduces new can motors.
1997 Athearn introduces the AMD-103.
In June, Athearn announces the development of the SD70-series for the Genesis line.
In October, Athearn announces the development of the Bombardier Bi-Level Commuter Cars.
1998 On July 2, Athearn purchases the F-Unit tooling by Paul Lubliner from Highliners to be used in the Genesis line. Highliners retains the rights to sell the F-Units in undecorated kit form.
1999 Athearn releases the Genesis SD70-series.
Athearn announces the Genesis 2-8-2 steam locomotive.
In October, Athearn announces an improved version of the SD40-2 that will replace the existing models.
2000 The Athearn RDC-1 and RDC-3 are officially discontinued due to a damaged frame mold.
2001 Athearn introduces the Ready-To-Roll Line.
Model Die Casting introduces Ready-To-Run versions of some locomotives and cars.
2002 Athearn acquires Rail Power Products.
Athearn acquires the tooling for 4 50' Box Cars from Details West. They are later released in the Ready-To-Roll line.
Athearn introduces the N-Scale product line.
2004 Athearn is purchased by Horizon Hobby.
On June 14, Model Die Casting is purchased by Horizon Hobby. The Roundhouse name will be used only for HO-Scale Pre-WWII products, with the rest of the Roundhouse line under the Athearn name.
2006 On May 31, McHenry Couplers is purchased by Horizon Hobby.
2007 In July, Athearn acquires the tooling for several trailers from A-Line. They are later released in the Ready-To-Roll line.
2008 In September, Athearn acquires the Tower 55 line tooling from Overland Models to be used in the Genesis line.
2009 On October 16, Athearn announces it is discontinuing the production of "Blue Box" kits.
2010 Athearn releases the Genesis SD70ACe based on former Tower 55 tooling.
The United Northwest Model Railroad Club had two N-Scale layouts at the show. One was their impressive "Legacy" layout, which I have several times but it had been a few years.
