This series is interesting! The first four roadnames are clearly in the "first generation" of Atlas freight car releases, and were made by Roco in Austria for Atlas. Around 1987, Roco did its own set of these cars, initially distributed by Walthers, with mostly box car red paint schemes. Meanwhile, Atlas kept the 2250 series numbering and did four more roadnames on a different body style made in the United States... as kits! In the interests of completeness, and because the "One and A Halfth Generation" is of particular interest as a "lost" part of the Atlas lineup, both sets of cars are included in this review. Check out the "2250A" series for the "A1.5G" lineup. I'm calling these "Cattle Cars" because Atlas did; it's how they distinguished the 2250's from their 2410 series "Stock Cars" which are a little smaller.

First, we'll look at the strictly A1G quartet. There's a lettering variation in the 2553 ATSF release; there are white lettered and yellow lettered versions of this car. I hasten to point out that the Santa Fe never had green stock cars. That misconception can apparently be traced back to a Lionel O Gauge car that was incorrectly painted green; other model railroad manufacturers followed that lead, or perhaps that mislead. Overall, the cars are pretty basic and pretty common. Stock cars of all types have a more limited appeal to N Scalers; among other things, many of us don't actually remember when they were used on the prototype. By the way, notice that the paint scheme shown for the NISX/New York Central stock car doesn't match the catalog illustration.

Key spotting features for this car are:
- underframe stamped "Atlas Austria"
- Large solid board across the dead center of the car, with three "slat" boards above and below this solid board; this feature is what marks the A1G group from the later Atlas releases
- No cross braces on the door
- original trucks with wheels pressed on seperate axles and Rapido couplers, attached with "foldover" metal strips

Note: The following information on conditions and "Approximate Value" prices are intended to be a guideline only and is presented with no warranties, express or implied. Caution: Definitions and prices can and do vary with collectors, buyers and sellers, and, of course, whether a person is buying or selling an item. That's the way a "free market" works...

A 2250 A1G series car in "as manufactured" or "AM" condition has:
- all four stirrups intact
- brake wheel and running board (roofwalk) in place with no breakage or bending
- no weathering
- no abrasions, scratches or other damage to the paint
- the original trucks with the original metal wheels which were fitted to the axles
- "Rapido" type couplers, truck mounted (this is a case where changing to Micro-Trains® trucks and/or couplers is not a plus!).
Note that minor paint flaws on these cars were common and should not be considered especially "collectible"; in fact, I'd rather have a "perfect" paint job.

A 2250 A1G series car in "mint in box" or "MIB," meets all "As Manufactured" criteria plus:
- no dust, dirt or wear on the car itself
- no wear on wheels (although discolored wheels are common)
- kept in the original Atlas box
- box itself is intact with no cracks, breakage or crazing, with original Atlas label (usually white with black printing), plastic liner (usually blue), and cover. Both inserts and labels vary as the A1G series was sold for years. Store price stickers may or may not detract depending on the placement, size and wear.

There are no approximate values for "runner" 2250 A1G series cars.

Table of Releases: Where available, click on "Image" to popup an image of the actual car.
Approximate Values Updated July, 2024.

Catalog #	Popup Image	Reporting Marks	Description	AV AM	AV MIB
2251	Image	MKT 502	Yellow/Black, Brown Roof, Ends	4-6	5-7
2252	Image	NISX 5407	Green/White, New York Central	4-6	5-7
2253a	Image	ATSF 50656	Green/Yellow	4-6	5-7
2253b	Image	ATSF 50656	Green/White	5-7	7-9
2254	Image	C&NW 14373	Green,Yellow/White	4-6	5-7

AV = Approximate Value (US$ range)
AM = As Manufactured (see above)
MIB = Mint In Box (see above)
Abbreviations: Hld=Herald, R/N=Roadname, L/R=Left/Right Side of Car