I know I shouldn't spent the time but here is the correct story of the Atwater tooling. In short, Atwater Models developed the F-3 tooling but ran out of money before marketing the product as his under floor powered trucks basically didn't work. General Models which had been buying up other O scale lines in the 1946-1949 period, acquired the tooling and developed the well known power truck later marketed for many years by All Nation. General Models sold many copies of the model (which still had "Atwater" engraved in the dies) and developed the F-7 variation before going bankrupt in late 1950 (due to a bad direct sales strategy and possibly an embezzlement). Bob Colson bought the line from the bankruptcy auction in 1951 for his All Nation Hobby shop in Chicago. Initially he intended only to sell off the remaining stock but Bozack (father of the current owner of Chicagoland hobbies) and others convinced Colson to restart manufacturing of the line which included the F units, diesel switcher, Varney derived steamers and many freight cars. Colson produced the line through the early 1970's with many additions and improvements. Bill Pope then acquired the line and continued it until his death about 10 years ago. Rumor is that the tooling is sitting in Pope son's barn rusting.
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