GENERAL MODELS CORPORATION – Cornucopia Of Toy Trains

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Brief History
GMC SWITCHER
GMC DUMMY SWITCHERS
GMC SWITCHER KITS
GMC F-UNIT ATWATER KIT
GMC ATLANTIC STEAM ENGINE KIT
GMC USRA STEAM ENGINE KIT
GMC TENDER KIT
No. 3565 REEFER KIT
BOXCAR & FLATCAR KITS
GMC RED TOP TROLLEY
GMC YELLOW TOP TROLLEY & BOX
GMC MAC SPEEDER
GMC SCALE TRUCKS
GMC 1948 CATALOG
GMC CATALOG CIRCA 1949
GMC SWITCHER OFFER MAILER CIRCA 1949
GMC 1950 MAILER
THE O-GAGER MAGAZINE

Brief History

Joseph R Matthews started GMC around 1943. He sold kits and worked through direct marketing and was on the cover of Model Railroading Magazine 3 times in 1944. In 1945 the popularity of building cars and laying track dominated the scale part of the hobby. Apparently due to material shortages during the war he lost everything and filed for bankruptcy.

General Models Corp. packaged, marketed and sold the Atwater Models General Motors F-3 diesel loco units in ‘O’ gauge. These were super detailed die-cast engines first developed by Frank Libuse, Jr. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and released in 1947, before Lionel released their F3 models. The dies for these models initially bore the Atwater Models logo, but these dies were eventually reworked to bear the GMC casting mark. They were made of a pressure die-cast zinc alloy that consisted of 5 tongue-and-groove pieces. Literature proclaimed that the kit could be assembled with just a screw driver, as all holes were predrilled. The engines featured operating headlights, Mars light, number boards, and marker lights. Die-cast trucks with self-aligning replaceable bronze axle bearings in the truck journals were also featured. At the time, these models were considered to be the most highly detailed and true to form F unit diesels ever created in ‘O’ scale. The engines included a Miller Laboratories permanent magnet motor for 2 rail DC operation, with the ability to utilize a rectifier for AC operation, and a wire addition to facilitate 3 rail operation. They used a hand reverse. It was priced at $60 for a powered A unit, $40 for a dummy A unit, $55 for a powered B unit, and $35 for a dummy B unit. Atwater Models had also planned to create E-7 diesels in ‘O’ scale as well, but these model locomotives were never delivered. The fate of Atwater Models of Milwaukee, WI, or how GMC obtained the F unit dies from them is unknown. In 1950 Matthews published a series of monthly magazines called ‘The O-Gager’. In these magazines the GMC ‘O’ scale line was promoted along with other scale railway advertisers. The magazines also contained articles on these products. Supposedly this magazine had 18,000 subscribers. Frank Libuse Jr., the creator of the Atwater F units, is listed in the magazine as ‘Chief Engineer at GMC’.

In the fall of 1948 General Models Corporation made a very realistic looking electric powered die-cast ‘O’ gauge scale model of the EMD 1,000 horsepower diesel yard switcher engine. There were 3 rail as well as 2 rail versions, and it was advertised as capable of running on ‘O’, ‘O-27’, ‘O-72’ and Gargraves track, however, it is known that these locomotives had some difficulty navigating Lionel type switches. The engine featured a worm drive, and the ads proclaimed that it was the first ‘O’ gauge switcher for tin-plate operation with this feature. It also sported a 7-pole motor and sprung wheels “for equalized operation”. A nice feature was the operating lights. The switcher had sequencing dual light operation so that when the engine was moving forward, only the front headlight illuminated, but when it moved in reverse, only the rear light illuminated. This feature worked in conjunction with the 3 position reversing mechanism (forward, reverse and neutral). Front and rear knuckle couplers, dual smokestacks, a brass bell and simulated horn were also included. The reversing unit was cleverly controlled and activated by rotating the second smokestack. The switcher came in unpainted black and sold for $35 ready-to-run or for $29.50 in kit form. The first units produced were fitted with the motor placed vertically in the middle of the chassis and also featured straight cut gears and utilized a speedometer cable driveshaft extending from the motor to the power truck. 2-rail versions featured scale pilots with a small rectangular opening for a scale coupler, while the 3-rail versions were fitted with a longer slot opening to facilitate wider coupler swing on narrow radius tinplate 3-rail track. It is believed that General Models Corp. had this switcher in development as early as 1945.

Interviews with Al Pittman have revealed that he was approached to put an ‘O’ gauge motor into production around this time for General Models Corp. that would be used in a General Models Corp NW-2 diesel switcher painted black, lettered New York Central. But due to GMC’s inability to raise sufficient capital during those lean years, that deal fell through. The pickup slide for the 3 rail version of the General Models Corp. switcher was made for them by Thomas Industries of Shawnee, Ok. Because the switcher is basically unmarked, except for the Thomas name appearing on the side of the slide, many collectors mistake the General Models EMD as being manufactured by Thomas Industries. An interesting claim about this GMC engine is that in photos of the 1949 Lionel Showroom layout there appears a similar looking switcher. Since Lionel didn’t actually make or sell a switcher until 1949, it is believed that the switcher appearing in the photo is possibly a GMC model. Whether or not it actually is the General Models Corp. NW2 switcher appearing in the Lionel Showroom photos, Lionel moved at full speed to come out with their own version and avoid lost sales revenue to the hobby market once they saw what GMC had built. Once again Lionel was prodded to innovate by a competitor. In the late 1940’s, GMC acquired the ‘O’ gauge tooling of respected manufacturer Varney.

In 1949 GMC produced a kit from this tooling for an ‘O’ gauge brass B&O 10-wheeler Atlantic 4-6-0 Steam locomotive with insulated wheels for running on 2 rail. Varney had originally sold their 10-wheeler for $100. In 1950 GMC listed it for $38.75 to $44.50. It came with a Pittman DC motor, but for $.50 to cover postage, the manufacturer would swap it out for a 12 volt A/C motor if desired. Other steam locomotive ‘O’ gauge kits were developed by GMC from the 10-wheeler casting and tools. These included an Atlantic 4-4-2, Pacific 4-6-2, Mountain 4-8-2 and articulated 2-6-6-4. Kits were sold as complete, mechanism only, boiler only, or tender only. GMC made a limited run of 100 of the articulated 2-6-6-4 steam locomotive model kits. It had been in development starting in 1948 and took two years to complete. A picture of this model appeared on the cover of the All-Nation Hobby Shop’s ‘O’ gauge Catalogue 8th edition. The 2-6-6-4 prototype was originally built in 1934 by the Lima Locomotive Works. It was intended for use in high speed freight service. Only 60 of them were actually ever built.

In the GMC model just the rear 6 drivers were powered. The literature issued by GMC stated that the model was designed to run on a 36″ radius track with just normal boiler overhang. Overall length with tender, coupler to coupler was 29½”. Weight was 11¼ lbs. It featured a GMC free rolling worm drive, and was available with either a General 200 series AC/DC or DC only electric motor. The boiler was a super detailed Adams casting. The drivers were 70″ Cadmium plated with steel rims. The tail beam of the frame was made of cast brass and was designed to float above the trailing truck assembly. Cost complete with tender was listed as $125. It was promoted in the ‘O-Gager’ magazine as “the finest locomotive ever put on the market”. GMC manufactured and sold a unique looking Pollock hot metal car kit in HO gauge. This was a detailed scale model of a prototype car used by large steel mills to transfer molten steel from blast furnaces to the ingot pouring area, or to the foundry for shaping and hardening. The car featured an operating tilting ladle and removable cover, was constructed of die-cast and machined steel welded sheets, and could be fitted with AAR type trucks. The Mac was an operating hand car sold by General Models Corp. that cost $1.95. This low end ‘O’ gauge 3-rail item had a two-segment motor and would just run in forward. It was made of die-cast Zamac and featured an operating headlight. Another similar item by GMC was the small $5.95 Elec-Traction Street car. It came in 2 variations for ‘O’ or ‘S’ gauge track. It was made of two color plastic – red roof with yellow sides and featured an operating headlight and a trolley pole on the roof. Both the hand car and the trolley operating powered units came ready-to-run but required a push to get started.

These products were acquired when GMC purchased the inventory of EMCO Products of New York. General Models Corp ‘O’ gauge Mac Hand Car In 1950 Jim Wilson, owner of All-Nation Hobbies, acquired General Models Corporation at bankruptcy auction to add to its manufacturing line. All-Nation continued making, improving and selling the ‘O’ scale F unit kits, EMD Switcher kits and the 4-6-0 10-wheeler, 4-4-2 Atlantic, 4-6-2 Pacific, 4-8-2 Mountain steam outline loco kits. They added 4-4-0 American and 2-6-2 Prairie steamers, all evolved from the original Varney 10-wheeler. They did not produce the 2-6-6-4 articulated. After he recovered from the trauma of GMC, Joseph Matthews went to work for the A.C. Nielsen Co. where he eventually retired. During his time there, Matthews signed up Walt Disney and NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle to subscription contracts for the Nielsen T.V. ratings system. During the time he was in the model train business Matthews had served as President of the Model Railroader Manufacturers Association.

General Models Corp ‘O’ gauge Elec-Traction streetcar Original GMC models and un-assembled kits are fairly rare, but not as collectible as their scarcity would presume. The most commonly found are the EMD switchers. The articulated 2-6-6-4 steam loco is perhaps the rarest, since only 100 were ever produced. Experienced scale model builders oftentimes have some of the GMC products in their collections, and many take joy in the challenge of finding and building the un-assembled kits, or in restoring and super-detailing the F units and steamers. The abundance of modern day detailed brass and plastic injection molded ‘O’ scale ready-to-run models in the marketplace that are manufactured in the Orient and sold by the more established companies like MTH, Lionel, Weaver, Atlas, Bachmann, and Sunset Models/3rd Rail has made it much easier for hobbyists to obtain scale models of the sort that GMC and Joseph R. Matthews set out to produce. Finished GMC kits that have been modified with readily available detail parts for those who wish to make sure that every single brake line, steam line, builders plate and small part is located on their model often outshine many of the intricately detailed brass imports of current times. However, the original GMC steamers survived and live on through the efforts of some smaller companies.

In the 1990’s All-Nation Manufacturing was closed down by then owner Bill Pope and the steam line of kits was sold off. It was initially acquired by George Sennhauser of Babbitt, MN who created the Babbit Railway Models name and reintroduced the line. Sennhauser continued to refine the products greatly. In 1993 the company was sold again, this time to Boyce Yates in Kentucky who renamed the line Babbitt Loco works. Yates continued the line under the Babbitt name for several years. Babbitt Railway and Supply Company was located at 715 Barger St in Mayfield KY. The line consisted of the 4-6-0, 4-4-0, 4-6-2, 4-4-2, 2-6-0, and 4-8-2, all using 70” drivers, cast bronze boilers, NWSL gearing, three different cast aluminum or sheet brass tenders, and brass and white metal details. Babbit Models was the last supplier of these 6 former GMC/All-Nation Steam loco kits and detail parts through the late 1990’s. Many 2-rail ‘O’ Scalers considered these loco kits as top of the line. As of June 2010 Bill Wade of Bill’s Train Shop (BTS) in West Virginia http://www.btsrr.com/ owned the GMC/All-Nation/Babbitt line of locomotives and parts supplies. Plans were being developed to reintroduce the line with new castings (likely urethane resin).

GMC SWITCHER