Fleischmann Coach - US Zone 1948 - 51 HAVEN Rd 1415 - RARE - HO
Item History & Price
Great piece for your Model Railroad - an example of Fleischman's New Haven Passenger coach manufactured in tin under the Marshal Plan's "Tin toys for Tinned Food" program. Unlike US Aid programs with other countries and continents in later years, the Truman Administration encouraged the German's to work for their American aid.
Buy multiple items at the same time and combine shipping costs to save $$
To see all our listings visit: Ika's Tr...ain StoreDuring the war years toy production was prohibited by the German government and Fleischmann made gas masks, ammunition belts, visors, plates and mugs for the military. The Nuremberg factory at Kirchenweg was partially destroyed during the war, but was rebuilt, and toy production resumed in 1945. After the war Fleischmann got a boost from the Marshall Plan. In the US Zone of Germany, the 'tin toys for tinned food' program was devised, whereby the toymakers got their factories operational, and sent the entire year's production to the US, in return for food supplies. This program is the reason that some older Fleischmann engines with 'Made in Germany US Zone' printed on the bottom, can be found in the US. Their first new model train, in 'O' scale (32mm), was produced in 1949, and introduced at the Frankfort Toy Fair. These early products included locomotives and carriages that mimicked the prototypical trains that ran in Germany during this period. Some of the trains were clockwork powered and some of these trains ran on DC powered 2 rail steel track, that was unique in its use of cardboard for the ties, instead of steel. Using 2 rail DC allowed the operator the ability to know in advance what direction on the track the trains would travel in. Fleischmann was the first European manufacturer of 'O' gauge 2-rail DC model railways. A green painted two-axle #400 coach and #401 luggage van comprised the passenger consist. A Shell tank wagon with ladder, but no platform, and a closed wagon with the letters 'DR' on each side made up the freight set.The first Fleischmann HO scale products were introduced in 1952 at the Nuremberg Toy Fair. Like their 'O' scale models, these HO models also utilized 2 rail DC, making Fleischmann the first company to offer such a product line. Initial offerings included a class 01 steam loco & tender, a class 80 tank loco, and a class E44 electric loco. By 1953 a new improved motor type was introduced. In 1957 Fleischmann introduced HO track with solid rails. 1958 saw the release of a newer electric motor with a round form factor. 'O' gauge train manufacture was discontinued in 1959, as HO train sales far exceeded that of the 'O' gauge products. In the late 1950's Fleischmann tried to tap into the North American market by putting American road names on some of their HO products. They also produced an Alco FA-2, a 4-6-2 Pacific and a 2-8-2 Mikado in HO scale specifically for this market. The FA loco was made of cast metal and was sold as ready-to-run for $14.95 as advertised in a September 1957 issue of Model Railroader magazine. It was available in Union Pacific, New Haven or Santa Fe liveries and bore the numbers 1341 for the power unit and 1342 for the dummy. Fleischmann supplied HO passenger and freight cars to Penn Line of Boyertown Pennsylvania for their early sets. The Northern Pacific 60' passenger cars were produced by Fleischmann for Penn Line in 1955 thru 1956 for two different sets. The four die-cast passenger cars were #425 mail/baggage, #357 coach, #586 diner and a #451 Pullman. These Fleischmann cars were phased out by 1960. The use of plastic injection molding techniques for locomotives and freight wagons was being implemented starting in 1959. Construction on the new factory in Heilbronn began in 1964. In 1948, the company operated 644 locomotives, 1, 602 passenger cars and 8, 796 freight cars on 1, 581 miles of track. After 1951, both freight and passenger service lost money. The earlier expansion had left NH with a network of low-density branch lines that could not pay their own maintenance and operating costs. The freight business was short-haul, requiring switching costs that could not be recovered in short-distance rates. They had major commuter train services in New York and Boston (as well as New Haven, Hartford and Providence), but these always lost money, unable to recover their investment providing service just twice a day during rush hour. The demise of the New Haven may have been hastened by the opening of the Connecticut Turnpike in 1958 and other interstate highways. With decades of inadequate investment, the New Haven could not compete against automobiles or trucks.
Buy multiple items at the same time and combine shipping costs to save $$
To see all our listings visit: Ika's Tr...ain StoreDuring the war years toy production was prohibited by the German government and Fleischmann made gas masks, ammunition belts, visors, plates and mugs for the military. The Nuremberg factory at Kirchenweg was partially destroyed during the war, but was rebuilt, and toy production resumed in 1945. After the war Fleischmann got a boost from the Marshall Plan. In the US Zone of Germany, the 'tin toys for tinned food' program was devised, whereby the toymakers got their factories operational, and sent the entire year's production to the US, in return for food supplies. This program is the reason that some older Fleischmann engines with 'Made in Germany US Zone' printed on the bottom, can be found in the US. Their first new model train, in 'O' scale (32mm), was produced in 1949, and introduced at the Frankfort Toy Fair. These early products included locomotives and carriages that mimicked the prototypical trains that ran in Germany during this period. Some of the trains were clockwork powered and some of these trains ran on DC powered 2 rail steel track, that was unique in its use of cardboard for the ties, instead of steel. Using 2 rail DC allowed the operator the ability to know in advance what direction on the track the trains would travel in. Fleischmann was the first European manufacturer of 'O' gauge 2-rail DC model railways. A green painted two-axle #400 coach and #401 luggage van comprised the passenger consist. A Shell tank wagon with ladder, but no platform, and a closed wagon with the letters 'DR' on each side made up the freight set.The first Fleischmann HO scale products were introduced in 1952 at the Nuremberg Toy Fair. Like their 'O' scale models, these HO models also utilized 2 rail DC, making Fleischmann the first company to offer such a product line. Initial offerings included a class 01 steam loco & tender, a class 80 tank loco, and a class E44 electric loco. By 1953 a new improved motor type was introduced. In 1957 Fleischmann introduced HO track with solid rails. 1958 saw the release of a newer electric motor with a round form factor. 'O' gauge train manufacture was discontinued in 1959, as HO train sales far exceeded that of the 'O' gauge products. In the late 1950's Fleischmann tried to tap into the North American market by putting American road names on some of their HO products. They also produced an Alco FA-2, a 4-6-2 Pacific and a 2-8-2 Mikado in HO scale specifically for this market. The FA loco was made of cast metal and was sold as ready-to-run for $14.95 as advertised in a September 1957 issue of Model Railroader magazine. It was available in Union Pacific, New Haven or Santa Fe liveries and bore the numbers 1341 for the power unit and 1342 for the dummy. Fleischmann supplied HO passenger and freight cars to Penn Line of Boyertown Pennsylvania for their early sets. The Northern Pacific 60' passenger cars were produced by Fleischmann for Penn Line in 1955 thru 1956 for two different sets. The four die-cast passenger cars were #425 mail/baggage, #357 coach, #586 diner and a #451 Pullman. These Fleischmann cars were phased out by 1960. The use of plastic injection molding techniques for locomotives and freight wagons was being implemented starting in 1959. Construction on the new factory in Heilbronn began in 1964. In 1948, the company operated 644 locomotives, 1, 602 passenger cars and 8, 796 freight cars on 1, 581 miles of track. After 1951, both freight and passenger service lost money. The earlier expansion had left NH with a network of low-density branch lines that could not pay their own maintenance and operating costs. The freight business was short-haul, requiring switching costs that could not be recovered in short-distance rates. They had major commuter train services in New York and Boston (as well as New Haven, Hartford and Providence), but these always lost money, unable to recover their investment providing service just twice a day during rush hour. The demise of the New Haven may have been hastened by the opening of the Connecticut Turnpike in 1958 and other interstate highways. With decades of inadequate investment, the New Haven could not compete against automobiles or trucks.
