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1944 WW2 was winding down ..modelers we're chopping at the bit to buy new pieces for their layout . Large manufacturers were still locked into government contracts and it would take many months - several years to return to model train production. This window of time gave many little start ups sometime to jump into the field to fill the gap ...most jumped / forced out when the "big boys" returned to the field by 1948.
Prewar Ed Alexander provided a model of the PRR GG1.....producing an estimated 100 kits / models 1937-41).
Jack Collier of Oakland , CA hobby shop owner ..and active with the Bay City Model Railroad Club (O & HO scale ) ..produced a GG1 kit designed in 1944 ...for both O and HO scales . O scale GG1 RTR was $250.00 out the door ..huge money at the time .
Walther's partnered with Baldwin of CT ...and produced a GG1 by end of 1947 ..at about half the price ...
Collier's body casting is fine but nose area missed the mark ..chassis is great with full suspension on drivers .
Walther's / Baldwin got the nose right but the chassis was way wrong ...so much so Walther's had to point it out in his catalogs .
Collier pieces seem to have been only made in very small numbers .

Please see link to see the O scale version running

https://youtu.be/sQoYhlH-08M

To see the HO version running please see

https://youtu.be/oVCKryhxbCA

Cheers Carey

IMG_20220806_190404115_HDRIMG_20220806_190347683_HDRIMG_20220806_185635648_HDRScreenshot_20220806-230754~2Screenshot_20220806-224149~2IMG_20220806_191035142_HDRIMG_20220806_191027311_HDR

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  • IMG_20220806_190347683_HDR
  • IMG_20220806_185635648_HDR
  • Screenshot_20220806-230754~2
  • Screenshot_20220806-224149~2
  • IMG_20220806_191035142_HDR
  • IMG_20220806_191027311_HDR
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Nice find Carey as always.  In your opinion, who produced the first GG1?  There was the Varney prewar HO GG1 that ran on a Mikado chassis if I recall correctly and George Stock's HO GG1s were also introduced prior to WWII in cast aluminum.  I just don't know how early. 

Was the Alexander model the earliest production model of a GG1 in any scale?

The interesting part of this Collier one you posted is how much more scale looking the HO version is over the larger O version.

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