Just one year after the introduction of the H0 gauge, Fleischmann presented the first US steam locomotive in 1953: the tender locomotive with the wheel arrangement 4-6-2 and the catalog number 1365.

In the years to come, Fleischmann brought out more locomotives and wagons, which were apparently sold in large numbers and are increasingly coming onto the market today.

The stationing of US soldiers in Germany and the active commitment of the American importer probably contributed significantly to the sales success of the US models.

Apparently, the GIs often took model railways to the USA as gifts, which was also helped by the then very favorable exchange rate of $1 = DM 4. Packs/sets were very popular because nowhere else do so many sets appear than in the USA.
However, the gifts were certainly not always well received, because there is no other way to explain the fact that new, unused sets are constantly being offered from the USA.

The US importer was Charles Merzbach Co., 545 Fifth Avenue, New York.

The last US steam locomotive was the 1967/68 0-8-0 tender locomotive 1351A of the „New York Central“, which is one of the rarest Fleischmann locomotives ever.

wheel alignment

The wheel arrangement of the locomotives have different designations in the USA than in Germany. Furthermore, the individual axis sequences are identified by names:

The following description of the locomotives produced is  structured chronologically  in order to be able to follow the development of the models.

Just 1 year after the introduction of the H0 gauge, Fleischmann launched the US Pacific tender locomotive, catalog no. 1365 out.

The basis for this locomotive was the German BR 01 locomotive, which was introduced in 1952 in the start program for the H0 gauge with the catalog no. 1360 on the market.
Like the 1360, the 1365 also has the road no. 01 1952.

The 1365 is first offered in the 1953 US catalogue. It was first listed in the German catalog in 1954.

The locomotive BR 01 catalog number 1360 was „Americanized“ by Fleischmann in such a way that the locomotive was painted completely black and the attributes typical of US locomotives such as: single headlights in the smoke chamber door, bell and cow catcher were installed.

A new 4-axle tender made of die-cast zinc was developed for the 1365, which was later used on the locomotives of catalog no. 1355, 1366 and 1367 was used. The tender of the 1365 had no lettering.

The cow catcher was bolted to the chassis.

The first 1365 were delivered in 1953 with the German plastic tender of the 1360. These locomotives are very rare as they were only made for a short time. They are also available under catalog no. 1360S known.

The 1365 was offered in a set as early as 1953: 1365/3 „American Streamliner“. It is listed in the 1953 US catalogue.
In addition to the 1365, this set includes three AMT passenger cars. Only a few examples of this set are known. The prices for this set are around 1500-2500 EURO.

The locomotives of catalog no. 1365 were built from 1953-56.

variants

sets

The 1365 was sold in 4 different  sets  .

The next US locomotive to appear in 1954 was the B-coupled tender locomotive (0-4-0) with catalog no. 1305A.

The starting model for this locomotive was the German locomotive with the catalog number 1305. The company number is 1305 1954

This locomotive is also painted all black. The locomotive shell is made of plastic.
The locomotive has a single headlight in the middle of the smoke box door. The buffers were removed, but reinstalled for a short time in 1954-55. In 1955 the locomotive received stairs at the front.
From 1957 the stairs were replaced by a cow catcher.

A new US-style plastic tender was developed for the 1305A

The most sought-after variant of this loco is the „Baltimore & Ohio“ version on the 1959 tender.

The 1305A locomotives were sold from 1954-1959.

variants

sets

The 1305A tender locomotive was sold in 4  sets  .

In the same year as the 1305A, the tender locomotive (switcher) catalog no. 1325 with the wheel arrangement 0-6-0.

The basic model was the tender locomotive BR 80 with catalog no. 1320, which appeared in 1952 as one of the first H0 models.

The „Americanization“ was accomplished by removing the fan cowl on the cab roof, adding a bell in front of the cab, removing the bumpers and blackening the chassis and wheels.

Variant -1 without a locomotive number is much rarer than the 2nd variant.

The locomotive was built from 1954-1960/61.

variants

1325-1a	closed chassis
1325-2b	1325-2d open chassis

sets

The tank locomotive 1325 was sold in the set 1325/3 „The Little Giant“ from 1954-60/61:

1000A

Since 1954 the tender locomotive with a 4.5 volt battery drive has also been offered under the catalog number 1000 A.

The model was derived from the German model, catalog number 1000, with the wheel arrangement B.

The wheels were blackened and the bumpers removed on some models. The locomotive was given the 4-axle plastic tender that had been developed for the 1305A model.

The models are very rare.

variants

1000A-1

sets

The locomotive was sold in the 1000A/2 set with the 1425 Flatcar and the 1435 Caboose from 1954-56.

The series of US steam locomotives was continued in 1955 with a locomotive with a 2-6-0 wheel arrangement. This wheel arrangement is called „Mogul“ in the USA.

The model was derived from the German model of the 24 series catalog number 1350.

The US version got the well-known tender of the 1365, which was later also used for the locomotives 1366 and 1367.
The chassis is black, as is usual in the USA, and single-light headlights were installed in the smokebox door.

variants

 

 

 

Driver’s cab side walls open and closed at the bottom

 

1355-2b Cowcatcher

 

sets

The „Mogul“ was sold in 6  sets  .

In 1957, at the same time as the battery tank locomotive BR 89 catalog number 1001 was introduced, an Americanized variant
with blackened wheels was introduced. This locomotive is quite rare as it was probably only produced in 1957.

sets

Sets with this locomotive are not known to me.

1315A

Also in 1957, an American variant of the German T3 (catalog number 1315) with black wheels and black chassis was offered in the USA.
The locomotive was sold in a set together with German wagons.

sets

1315/3 Set with 1315A, 1401, 1402 and 1403 from 1961

From 1957 the „Pacific“ tender locomotive with the catalog number 1366 was offered as the successor to the 1365.

During the relatively long production time of 10 years, a whole series of variants were created:

sets

The 1366 was sold in the following sets: 366/4G; 1366/3: 4 variants; 1366/4; 1366/4G; 1366/5; 1366/7G

In the same year as the 1366 (1957), the freight locomotive 1367 with the wheel arrangement 2-8-2 was presented for the first time.
This wheel arrangement is called „Mikado“ in the USA.

The locomotive has a metal body and chassis. The cowcatcher is cast. The locomotive is painted completely black. The US standard tender was used as the tender.

variants    

1367-2b	1367-3b small print
1367-2b
1367-3b

The tank locomotive 1311 was manufactured in 1959 on the basis of the T 3 catalog number 1315.

The case is from the 1315 and is all black with no decorative lines or handle bars. The lamp housings are closed at the front. The middle driving axle was removed from the chassis so that the locomotive has the wheel arrangement 0-4-0.

The locomotive has stairs at the front and not a cowcatcher as stated in the Mikado.

US tender locomotive with a „Pennsylvania“ RR inclined tender, US version of the 1304, black chassis and wheels.
First in the catalog in 1961, the last locomotives were produced in 1968-69. These locomotives were often offered in starter sets.

1304A-1 (Cowcatcher is wrong)

1304A-2

1304A-3

1304A-4

In 1962 the tank locomotive 1321 was Americanized and sold with the catalog number 1322 only in the USA.
The locomotive has 3-light lighting on both sides and not, as stated in the Mikado, single-light headlights. However, the lamps above the buffer beam are covered.

In the US short catalog from 1962, the locomotive is shown as a novelty. The locomotive was last offered in the US short catalog from 1964/65.

This locomotive is certainly one of the rarest Fleischmann locomotives ever.

As the last model specifically for the US market, the 0-8-0 wheel arrangement with a tender, catalog number 1351A, was manufactured in 1967.
Locomotive and tender are made of plastic. The drive is in the tender. The locomotive has the typical single headlights on both the locomotive and the tender.

The locomotive has the road number „246“, the tender is inscribed „New York Central“.

The locomotive is rated with collectors‘ prizes, whereby the version with stairs is probably rarer than the version with a cow catcher.

Version with stairs	Version with cowcatcher
1351AC-1

Last edit: 05.07.2020