Model Train Journal

I was watching a pair of extremely rare All Nation NW2 models (eBay) from Wheaton Ill, and got to wondering when the All Nation line was actually in Wheaton.

I did not find the answer, although I bet I have a catalog from the Wheaton era - but I did find a nine year old OGR thread on the subject:

https://ogrforum.com/topic/atwater-mode ... ion?page=2

It references a "Monday Mountain" thread. I shall google that, but can ot use the OGR search function. I will check here for a possible All Nation thread - I bet we have one with timed-out photos.

Anybody still here?

yeah. How rare is rare? I think every die cast NW used original tooling with General Models marks?

Monday Mountain. Still have my GM Mountain. I think the rest of the steam is gone. Another one through Bob Hall's shop.

Could not find the Monday Mountain thread using Google. OGR has blocked me from using their internal search.

We have an All Nation NW2 thread with lots of pretty good photos. It got cluttered up with an incomprehensible dog fight - I could probably re-post some of the better photos here.

We do have "doorstop Mountain" threads.

Couple of things. One, unless you are a subscriber, search don't work on OGR.
Two, I manually searched the OGR 2-rail forum back to 2023, nothing on NW's.

Mathews had GMC in Wheaton 1947-50.... bankruptcy in the end of 50....All Nation through the courts purchased contents of GMC and moved it to Chicago sometime end of 1951- 2.
Cheers Carey

I think Bill Pope's address was also Wheaton for a while - but I am sure that being from Wheaton does not make an NW2 any more valuable. For my bucks, the only one of significant value is the brass or bronze version, and that is just because I am a bit looney about brass/bronze castings.

This is your garden variety NW2. I am not selling, but I believe it is worth around $25, today's money:



I have since touched up the paint, but a full-on restoration will await a new owner. It is obviously die cast of good Zamac, and is no different from any other GM/AN variant, Wheaton or elsewhere.

Here is another Zamac die cast version - rare, but not particularly valuable since it would be trivial to reproduce - a factory SW1:

Original....unpowered. Real ones do command a price, especially with original vertical motor on front truck.
Looks like Carey has a copy of Woody's A-N history.
I like Maroon's better.

$25 real life. As is, on evil bait your NYC is probably $350.

From the Trash Collectors website (under All-Nation) :
https://tcawestern.org/images/an78.jpg

I know what it is. I can't wait for someone to "find" one and post a video.
Horrible things. Add to that the builder was un-skilled.
Look at the fit, or lack thereof, of the domes.
Blast pipes unpainted. Of course the prototype used brass.

I am particularly enamored of the drawbar.

And whatever is hanging under tender.

The siderod pivot joint appears non-standard, forward of the nearest crankpin.

Of course, that started out with Gordon Varney!

TCA Western likes to steal images from forums and incorrectly re-label them. They were using a lot of mine, and when I suggested that maybe they could given me credit and make the captions more accurate they refused.

So I had them take down my images. They could have used them for free, and I happily would have provided more.

Obviously, this one was incorrectly labeled.

noooooooooooooooo! Not incorrectly labeled....just a very rare re-issue of the POS Walthers polydrive 0-6-0! You just wait. SOMEbody will post pictures of their rare, vintage, collectible A-N Polydrive 0-6-0 with ghost drawbar and loose domes.
C'mon, Bob.......you know the drill!

On the NW's, if you think "Wheaton" based on drive...or light bulb....or whatever....how many are unmodified?
Gotta get rid of the speedometer cable drive....and the straight cut gears....since the ALL say "General Models" under the running board, do they not, who's to know?

Have yet to see one that says "Wheaton".

Zamack? Have yet to see an NW come apart. They file like pot metal.

I figured they all said Wheaton - I have a pair of the 3-rail version with the original vertical motors, homebrew reverse units, and Thomas Industries pickup sliders. They both say "GENERAL MODELS CORP - WHEATON, ILLINOIS - #4001".

Johnbeere wrote:I figured they all said Wheaton - I have a pair of the 3-rail version with the original vertical motors, homebrew reverse units, and Thomas Industries pickup sliders. They both say "GENERAL MODELS CORP - WHEATON, ILLINOIS - #4001".

Yup. Right up to the end, General Models.
I have 4 three rails of varying drives, one SW1 two rail vertical, one NW 8-wheel, straight cut, speedo cables.
Wheaton is somebody's fantasy about rarity. Like Delton and Caledonia.

I checked, my original SW is Wheaton

I would like to know if any owners ever changed the tooling to show different owners or cities.

BTAIM, "value" according to evilbait:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/126945085594

Says sold, says 250......says SCALE 2-RAIL.....first clue was Thomas couplers. Sure enough, pizza cutter flanges, useless Thomas skates......3-rail.

Somebody isn't gonna be happy.... but it's RARE WHEATON!

Here is one of Pete's models from the older thread:



Later in the thread, Maroon chimed in with some goodies. This one is a charmer!