Rumors & Rampant Speculation

Welcome to this ongoing column, in which Atlas personnel will refute, confirm, debunk and/or explain things being said about our company and its products in the model railroading world. Sometimes tongue-in-cheek and other times quite serious, this section will give you the facts, and nothing but the facts. If there are any rumors and speculation you would like addressed, please email them to Laura Kolnoski, Editor, at .

Where does the Trainman character come from?

Ever since the appearance of Atlas’ Trainman™ engineer cartoon character last year, speculation has indeed been rampant as to his origins. We’ve been both amused and bemused over some imaginative yet off-base conjecture, and renditions of him resembling everyone from Homer Simpson to The Family Guy. While we appreciate the interest the character has generated, we thought we’d tell you the real story!

The truth is, there’s always been a cartoon engineer character associated with Atlas ads, products and packaging, as the photos accompanying this story show. He was originally created by our founder, Stephan Schaffan, Jr., and is actually a representation of Steve himself! Continuing to reach back to our past to form the foundation of our future, it stood to reason that Steve’s cartoon should be redesigned for a 21st Century audience.

Since the beginning, Atlas has employed a caricature of an engineer in ads and on packaging, first created by our founder, Stephan Schaffan, Jr. In 2005, the engineer was modernized into the current Trainman™ character. These “originals” date back to 1954.

When launching the Trainman™ line of locomotives and rolling stock, CEO and Chairman of the Board Thomas Haedrich knew he needed a special identity that would not only reflect the uniqueness of the line, but appeal to today’s savvy model railroader and the young families so vital to the continuance of the hobby. Drawn to what his father-in-law created some 50 years ago, Tom was inspired to resurrect Steve’s “character”, giving him an updated spin.

Working with the Doozycards.com online greeting card company of Los Angeles, California, Tom and three Atlas Marketing staff members began the transformation. Types were considered and discounted. His facial features and physical appearance were debated and his clothing altered numerous times. Along the way, Atlas’ real-life mascot, Rupert, an English Bulldog owned by Jarrett Haedrich, became Trainman’s loyal companion, bringing whimsy and comic relief into the picture. Many variations of Trainman™, Traindog and the Trainman band, featured in Atlas’ first online animation, (found on the Trainman™ website – www.atlastrainman.com), were refined over many months. Band members were also created through various people’s input, and do not mimic specific humans existing in the real world.

A more technical rendition, created by an Atlas illustrator who normally works on model train paintschemes, appears on the lines’ first product boxes and in early ads. The cartoon version created by the Doozy animators with constant Atlas input is now replacing the first version. A second online animation featuring the smiling duo delivering holiday gifts of trains was well-received and has been viewed by thousands.

So, the Trainman™ engineer character is not really new, nor is he modeled after anyone specific. Those of us who had a hand in his creation each added a little bit of ourselves, while striving to keep Steve in the picture. The effectiveness of the whole project became evident during the recent World’s Greatest Hobby Shows, when Atlas reps distributed washable tattoos of the characters to children visiting our booth. The kids absolutely wanted these cheery renditions of the train engineer and his trusty dog – there was no mistaking it in their wide, excited eyes. That’s how we knew we were, if you’ll excuse the expression, on The Right Track!