Bob Colson Sr. January 13, 1919 - February 1983
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Bob Colson was the man
behind All-Nation for decades as well a a very well-liked, educated modeler, a family man, a museum volunteer,
amateur historian, collector, dealer, hobby shop owner and much more.
- Outside
of trains? Bob grew up during the Great Depression and then after he married and would have settled down, he was
called to join the war effort in World War II. Bob battled the Nazi's with the 79th Division at the Hurtgen Forest.
During WW II, he was headquarters battery artillery message center chief for the same group his entire career and
remained friends with many of those he met in the 79th his entire life. After the war, he returned to Chicago and
relaxed to the sounds of a railroad.
- In
1942, he married Marsha and over the years they worked together on a number of projects:
- Bob
Jr. (1942) and Terrell (1953)
- both
were raised in the province of "children of the businesses," working with their parents and socializing
at conventions and swap meets. Terrell recalled "What was kind of fun was that there was a whole "cadre"
of teenagers." It was the 1960's and he remembered "Ginger Jones (Vane's daughter, O-Scale Railroading)
mentioning how she, Rhonda Wagner (Rich's daughter), Karen Anderson (Arvid's daughter), Eric Sas (Bert's son) and
myself were always together at conventions etc etc..." It was a good life.
- Terrell,
is STILL a Chicago-area O Scaler (and active builder). Terrell's own trolley layout located in
a comfortably decorated family room has been featured in the pages of O Scale News and always draws a good-sized
crowd when he holds an Open House, but don't limit him only to trolleys as he has completed many other projects (some we hope he will share with OSN
in the future).
- Marsha
and Bob Colson's second great project was All-Nation (more about that below).
- Chicago, 1947+. Bob Colson and Bob Smith (1993 Hall
of Fame) were also friends, sharing a love of trains and dabbling in model kit building and hobby sales. They often
displayed their wares in the same area at train shows and had built a fairly small display layout together, possibly
better described as a moderately sceniced test track. Central Locomotive Works and All-Nation Hobby Shop shared
responsibility for this display which normally operated using built of models of their "kit" offerings.
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Model Railroader, O Trolley & More
- member of the early 1930's Lane Tech model railroad
club. Other renowned members included John Hughes (model railroad designer and machinist) and Howard Odinius (founder
of Illinois
Railway Museum). We'll stop
the name-dropping here for a while before we run out of space.
- 1933-34, the World's Fair attracted displays from
US railroads including some of the great public display layouts of the day. Model railroading, at this point, was
not an entirely respectable hobby and perhaps was far too complex for the masses. There were no standards; blacksmithing
was a necessary skill if you planned to buy products from more than one manufacturer or wanted to "upgrade"
even the tiniest details on your models. Scale rulers were not common.
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Charter Member of the NMRA
- (home town listed as Chicago,
Illinois on 1935
NMRA Charter Member Roster).
Bob Colson was one of the Chicago modelers who took time during the Depression to travel to Milwaukee for the meetings
which led first to the formation of the NMRA and later to the establishment of the Standards programs which make
the modern model railroad hobby more enjoyable and much more user-friendly. As an aside, even older All-Nation
kits are 1:48 scale and built to NMRA standards.
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Hobby Demonstrator
- Toured the country showing C&O's large model
railroad (built by Ed Alexander) to many fans in the late 1930's
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Hobby Shop Owner, 1959-1978
- but it all began back at the All-Nation Coin Shop / All-Nation Model & Coin
Shop (various
incarnations, 1923-1959); Lake Street, Chicago, Illinois was founded and initially owned by Jim Wilson who specialized in coins and small
collectibles. While Jim was serving his country during WW II, his wife Leah managed the store and she added quite
a few models including Lionel while he was gone. Jim returned to a profitable business (though the Lionel did make
the LaSalle location a bit crowded).
- Bob went to work for for Jim & Leah Wilson
at All-Nation Coin & Model Shop on Lake Street sometime in 1946 (after a brief hospital stay). The location
was ideal for a coin shop, but very crowded with the hobby supplies. In the late 1940's, Bob Colson recommended
purchase of the bankrupt General Models and Atwater lines. The General Models bankruptcy was slow moving along,
but following auction in the early 1950's the All-Nation Model & Coin Shop posted press releases (and a a sign
on their store) proclaiming All-Nation to be the successor to General Models. Once the manufacturing business was
purchased, the Lake Street location was way too small for the expanding business so a new location was found at
182 N Lasalle.
- major acquisitions in the 1950's: General Models
& Atwater lines, minor parts from other builders may only be guessed at as they exist with little documentation
outside of builder marks.
- manufacturing for All-Nation Line was done on
site for many years (or at least in a large basement) and the office area was extremely small. Marsha Colson recalls
feeling uncomfortable about adding extra employees during this period. Even decades after their hobby shop closed,
Chicago-area modelers still recall their visits to the small shot that they remember as a "spacious 1950's
hobby shop full of wonders."
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 All-Nation
Line logo printed on kits The KING OF ALL SCALES and KING OF ALL
GAUGES designs used in OSN are owned by the All-Nation Line and have been used to promote their line and O Scale
with permission of the owner. We've heard a few stories regarding the genesis of the symbols and we're always interested
in hearing yet another tale (just email and feel free to attach scans of any size to your comment. Based on at
least one 1950's kit in our possession stamped with the symbol, both of these stories are probably true.
- The oldest tale we've heard
is that the original drawing above was commissioned by Jim Wilson for All-Nation Line kits being manufactured at
his All-Nation Model & Coin Shop in Chicago, Illinois in the early 1950's.
The drawing was used to identify the company's products appearing on the boxes.
- In 1959, Mr. Wilson retired
north taking his coin business and selling the hobby shop and manufacturing line to Bob Colson Sr., and Bob Colson
Sr. sold the artwork along with the then-separate All-Nation Line manufacturing business to Bill Pope in 1972.
Dan Henon and later owners of OSN have sought permission to use this emblem by the owner.
- The next tale that we heard
of the genesis of the symbol came from Marsha Colson who recalls paying to have the King of All Scales logo (and
other All-Nation artwork) professionally done by a graphics firm in the 1960s and registered as a trademark of
the All-Nation Lines. Still, the oldest "kit" we've discovered with a King of All Scales sticker dates
to the late 1950s, with fairly crude artwork.
- oldest version of catalog found mid-1950's: "All-Nation
Model Shop, 182 North Lasalle Street, Chicago, Ill. Established 1923 — Successors to General Models Corp."
- in 1959, Jim Wilson sold the hobby end of the
shop to Bob Colson, Sr. and moved to upper Wisconsin taking the stamp and coin business with him.
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All-Nation Hobby Shop,
1959-1978 (when the business was operated by the Colsons)
- 1959 to the Summer of 1961, located at the LaSalle
Street address ("move… due to the entire 1/2 block of LaSalle being sold")
- 1961 catalog: "All-Nation Hobby Shop; 182
North LaSalle St, Chicago, Ill. Established 1923 — Successors to General Models Corp." Identical to the signs
that we hear were posted in the store for so many years.
- Marsha (Mom) Colson handled the accounting, mail
order, show scheduling and other business affairs for the fledgling company. Her son, Terrell, credits her business
acumen for keeping the business in the black. Initially, the hobby shop and its manufacturing arm were divisions
of the same company. Over the years, the hobby shop was incorporated and separated from the manufacturing business.
(see below) Those who remember the family and the business credit both Marsha and Bob as having very good business
sense but voice their opinion that Marsha was "the organizer" who managed to combine home and a career
through the family business. She worked side by side with Bob, raised her sons to be fine men, and kept their business
operating professionally in every sense of the word. As of December 2002, she was actively enjoying retirement
in the Chicago suburbs.
- Manufacturing for the All-Nation Line continued
at the hobby shop location
- 1961-1978, hobby shop moves to 220 W Madison.
Some things change, others remain the same:
- Everyone started out working at the hobby shop.
The late Bob Colson Jr. (1943-1986) joined the business when he grew up and got out of the Navy, and later managed
the hobby shop, Terrell also worked at the hobby shop initially, then in later years migrated to working in the
manufacturing side — All-Nation Line Co. Of course, at Christmas everyone had to also put in extra hours at the
hobby shop making sure that all their customers were taken care of, and Terrell was never that far from the retail
side of the business. A family business indeed.
- 1966, the hobby shop and its manufacturing arm
are separated. First through incorporation and then as the manufacturing business (now All-Nation Line Co.) was
relocated to the Chicago suburbs into larger quarters closer to the Colson home.
- 1960's "Catalog, O Gauge;" included
with hobby shop magazine. Subtitled: "All
Aboard with the All-Nation Hobby Shop, Illinois"
- January 1978, the business was closed as the whole
block it was in was demolished for inner city redevelopment. All-Nation was one of the last businesses to close
down.
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All-Nation Line Manufacturing Co., 1950-1972 (this short history includes the early days
of All-Nation even though the manufacturing division was not formally a separate company until 1966)
- 1950-1959, owned by Jim Wilson. Manufacturing
done in-house at the new All-Nation Model & Coin Shop located at 182 N Lasalle St, Chicago, Illinois.
- bought GMC line at auction in 1951 and added to
small in house line, set up in a separate factory location.
- Frank Libuse, owner and designer (1947-1948),
Atwater Models was
taken over by GMC Co. (Joseph Mathews) in 1948. GMC bankrupted (1950-1953) and the balance of the dies and parts
were sold at auction to Bob Colson and became the base for the All-Nation Line.
- List of kits produced published
in OSN 81 and OSN 82 (1985).
- Atwater diesel kits, note
ATWATER stamped in metal
- 1954 F7 kits, in Model Railroader stated that the F-7 was similar
to the older F-3. The F-7 having two side windows instead of three, and a continuos grill strip. The trucks were
attached to the body casting by plastic forms which were screwed to the body casting. The motor was center mounted
on metal girders. The power truck was driven by a metallic flexible shaft to the gear boxes. Brass bushings were
used as bearings for the axles. The lower headlight may be left blank or drilled out.
- Both the F-7 and F-3 were
available with tinplate or scale wheels.
- The last of the General Models
steam kits were
sold to Babbitt
Railway Supply Co.
in the 1980's and are still in production.
- All-Nation also acquired the aluminum cast caboose*,
box car, refrigerator car, flat car*, and hopper car (*still in production as of January 2002) from Scale Model
Railways owned by Bill Lenoir and Jack Ferris. These are fairly scale, 1:48 kits, which were also still a touch
crude. They were state of the art for the 1930's, but for example the box car, refrigerator car, and hopper car
have the ladders cast in the sides. Bill Pope, noted that he would re-do the kits to improve: the ladder will become
a separate part, and the model would be a little more refined. He noted that the quality is there. The caboose and the flat car that have already been redone that do not have the
"ladder fault" sell quite well.
- company produced kits and finished models O gauge
of steam and diesel locomotives
- 1959-1961, owned by Bob Colson Sr. Manufacturing
done in-house at the All-Nation Hobby Shop; 182 N Lasalle St, Chicago, Illinois. (area sold and redeveloped in
late 1961)
- company produced kits and finished models O gauge
of steam and diesel locomotives
- 1961-1966, owned by Bob Colson Sr. Manufacturing
done in-house at the All-Nation Hobby Shop; 220 W Madison, Chicago, Illinois.
- 1966-1972, owned by Bob Colson Sr. Late in 1966,
the All-Nation Line Co. and the All-Nation Hobby Shop become separate corporations and the manufacturing company
moves to 1020 Busse Highway, Park Ridge, Illinois.
- company produced kits and finished models O gauge
of steam and diesel locomotives
- King of O Scales logo professionally redone for
labels.
- Marsha finally has a location which will attract
employees (she was never fully comfortable with the plant in the basement). The company expands and flourishes.
- 1972-present, owned by Bill Pope.
- The All-Nation Line manufacturing business moved
and was sold to Bill Pope on June 6, 1972.
- A business decision, Bob Sr. was ill and needed
to cut back where he focused his energies. Both hobby shop and manufacturing locis took up a lot of time and energy.
At this point, the family focused on the hobby shop. Terrell who had worked at the plant moved on to a career with
the US Post Office (he helped part-time at the hobby shop until its location was demolished in 1978).
- 2002, Bill Pope continues to operate All-Nation
in Carol Stream and this past year his son, Dan, has joined him in the business.
- Additional information is available upon request
from the Walthers Collection library of
the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) on the All-Nation business and kits (including many old instruction
sets). E-mail the NMRA library for more details.
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Illinois Railway Museum & Related Rail History
Projects
- The closest railway museum to Bob's home and founded
by Howard Odinius, one of Bob's friends from high school. We know that Bob Colson Sr. was an Associate Member of
IRM (and likely due to his interest in railroads, he held memberships at other regional museums). Still the influence
of IRM on parts and kits created for All-Nation during Colson period is undeniable. If you are a current All-Nation
customer wondering where to find more information about "the prototype" then look at the rosters of Midwestern
railway museums. All-Nation models are not "super-detailed" kits but they are accurate to the prototype!
Where did this tradition begin, you need to look no further than information on Colson. Today, the company still
makes an affordable kit that is enjoyable to build and operates quite well on layouts. Should you wish to create
a masterpiece? Then detail parts are readily available for those who wish to make sure that every single brake
line and small part is located on their model — the finished kit can outshine many of the intricately detailed
brass imports. The potential is there to create whatever you need in accurate 1:48 scale!
- At IRM (and other museums), Bob is also remembered
for his service and donations. From his wife's point of view, IRM remembers Bob fondly for one of the least of
his donations: the bell for the Tuskegee Railroad 101 (2-6-2), the final touch needed to complete the restoration
of that locomotive in 1971.
- Bob's son Terrell told us that his father had
found this bell (somewhere) and had wanted to mount it on the garage at his home. After the bell was at the house,
additional family discussions took place and the bell was weighed and garage was ruled out as a location (it would
not have been structurally safe). Besides the garage was already adorned with enough marker lights.
- Marsha Colson still recalls "banging her
shins" on the bell which was "in the way" far too long..
- Bob Colson was a frequent visitor behind the scenes
at IRM (sometimes as a volunteer and other times visiting to eyeball the real thing before moving to the next step
in a project). One member of the steam department notes that Bob offered the bell and a few other small items almost
immediately after learning that their project was stalled for lack of parts. The bone-collectors had been unable
to find the "right" ones. At IRM, they don't just restore to a close enough
state, when they cannot locate the "original" a project often stops until they can create or purchase
an exact copy. Bob's donation came at just the right time and his name is still attached to the locomotive.
- Though he donated many other artifacts to IRM
for restoration projects or display, the boys in the steam department still remember Bob Colson Sr the
most for 101's bell. This addition to OSN's Bob Colson Sr/All-Nation Hall of Fame page was requested when one of
them visited our O Scale Hall of Fame and spotted a familiar
name. An O gauger, this steam volunteer
is too young to have separate memories of the All-Nation Hobby Shop but he likes the bell ("101's crowning
jewel") and wanted to make sure that Bob Colson credited for tracking it down. We hope that we don't tarnish
Bob's image in their eyes with the 'extended
tale of the bell' above. An abbreviated
tale of the 101's restoration and Bob's donation is mentioned on the IRM website at http://www.irm.org/
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