All About Aurora Postage Stamp Trains
Fairbanks-Morse Diesel Switcher
Prototype Information
The FM H-12-44 was a yard switcher produced by Fairbanks-Morse; a total of 336 units were manufactured from 1950 to 1961. Beginning in 1952, the body styling was simplified as a cost-saving measure: cabs were squared off, the slanted-nose was discontinued, and the roof visor was eliminated.
Model Information
4834 Milwaukee- 4835 Penn Central
- 4836 Union Pacific
- 4837 Santa Fe
While they were announced in 1969, I believe they reached the market no earlier than 1970; actual product photos appeared for the first time in the ATI service manual. Thus, to my knowledge, they were never released under the Postage Stamp Trains brand, which may explain why a number of train sets were never released as well. Incidentally, it's possible that the later style of the prototype was chosen for the model because it was similarly more economical to manufacture; compare the catalog illustration (top right) with the actual product.
In the early 1970s, American Tortoise became the sole importer of these locos, which were sold under the Minitrix and Model Power brands. Production continued until the late 1990s, when Trix went bankrupt, and their new owner, Märklin, ended production of all North American models.