Nur ein Jahr nach Einführung der Spurweite H0 präsentierte Fleischmann 1953 die erste US-Dampflokomotive: die Tenderlok mit der Achsfolge 4-6-2 und der Katalognummer 1365.

In den Folgejahren brachte Fleischmann weitere Lokomotiven und Waggons heraus, die offenbar in großen Stückzahlen verkauft wurden und heute vermehrt auf den Markt kommen.

Die Stationierung von US-Soldaten in Deutschland und das tatkräftige Engagement des amerikanischen Importeurs Merzbach dürften maßgeblich zum Verkaufserfolg der US-Modelle beigetragen haben.

Anscheinend nahmen die GIs oft Modelleisenbahnen als Geschenk mit in die USA, wozu auch der damals sehr günstige Wechselkurs von 1 $ = 4 DM beitrug. Packungen/Sets waren sehr beliebt, weil nirgendwo sonst so viele Sets auftauchen wie in den USA.
Allerdings kamen die Geschenke sicher nicht immer gut an, denn anders ist es nicht zu erklären, dass ständig neue, unbenutzte Sets aus den USA angeboten werden.

Der US-Importeur war Charles Merzbach Co., 545 Fifth Avenue, New York.

Achsfolgen

Die Achsfolge der Lokomotiven hat in den USA andere Bezeichnungen als in Deutschland. Weiterhin werden die einzelnen Achsfolgen durch Namen gekennzeichnet:

Nur 1 Jahr nach Einführung der Spur H0 brachte Fleischmann die Tenderlok US Pacific, Katalog-Nr. 1365 aus.

Basis dieser Lokomotive war die deutsche BR 01 Lokomotive, die 1952 in das Startprogramm für die Spur H0 mit der Katalog-Nr. 1360 auf dem Markt.
Wie der 1360 hat auch der 1365 die Betriebs-Nr. 01 1952.

Die Pacific Lokomotive 1365 wird erstmals im US-Katalog von 1953 angeboten. 1954 wurde die Lok erstmals in den deutschen Katalog aufgenommen.

Die Lokomotive BR 01 Katalognummer 1360 wurde von Fleischmann dahingehend „amerikanisiert“, dass die Lokomotive komplett schwarz lackiert wurde und die für US-Lokomotiven typischen Attribute wie: Einzelscheinwerfer in der Rauchkammertür, Glocke und Schienenräumer-Kuhfänger eingebaut wurden.

Für die 1365 wurde ein neuer 4-achsiger Tender aus Zinkdruckguss entwickelt, der später bei den Lokomotiven der Katalog-Nr. 1355, 1366 und 1367 ebenfalls verwendet wurde. Der Tender der 1365 hatte keine Beschriftung.

Der Schienenräumer-Kuhfänger wurde mit dem Fahrgestell verschraubt.

Die ersten 1365 wurden 1953 mit dem deutschen Plastiktender der 1360 ausgeliefert. Diese Lokomotiven sind sehr selten, da sie nur kurze Zeit gebaut wurden. Sie sind auch unter der Katalog-Nr. 1360S bekannt.

Bereits 1953 wurde der 1365 im Set angeboten: 1365/3 „American Streamliner“. Es ist im US-Katalog von 1953 aufgeführt.
Dieses Set enthält neben dem 1365 drei AMT-Personenwagen. Nur wenige Exemplare dieses Sets sind bekannt. Die Preise für dieses Set liegen bei etwa 1500-2500 EURO.

Die Lokomotiven der Katalog-Nr. 1365 wurden von 1953-56 gebaut.

variants

Zugpackungen

Die Lokomotive 1365 wurde in 4 verschiedenen Sets verkauft.

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

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

1355-3c

From US short catalog 3/62

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    

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	1961-	„1304“ raised, tender lettering yellow (29/1)
1304A-2	1966	Blind embossing of the coat of arms on the driver’s cab, green-yellow tender (1/6)
1304A-3	1968	Without embossing on the driver’s cab
1304A-4	1969	„1309“ and coat of arms printed on driver’s cab

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

Achsfolge