This is perhaps the most difficult A1G series to distinguish from "everything else" that's out there... including later Atlas releases! Several other brand names have included either this very same body style or a very similar one in their catalogs... without breaking a sweat, I come up with Aurora (Postage Stamp), Bachmann, Life-Like, Minitrix, and Model Power!

But be that as it may... there still is that "Atlas Austria" stamped on the bottom of the car. It may in fact be the only good spotting feature. If you've perused the other A1G pages, you already know that the Austria means that Roco manufactured these cars for Atlas. When Atlas moved production to the USA, they changed the car. See below for a link to an example.

And then there is the infamous "Transfer" caboose. In a word... yikes! Barry Wingard documented twelve different versions in yellow, red, black and brown, some with road numbers, some not. Some of these are "A1G"s and some aren't, see below. No roadnames on these... they're supposed to be for yard transfers or something like that.

And speaking of roadnames... were you aware that one of them is reasonably accurate to the prototype? The Santa Fe did have a caboose like this and that's why I chose the 2271 Santa Fe to be the centerpiece of an early A1G logo. It wasn't until I was well into my accumulating that I noticed that there are two distinct "brown" colors in which this car was painted. I have both of them for you here.

In terms of scarcity, well, these aren't. I think the light brown 2271 ATSF is the most uncommon, but not even that uncommon. Don't expect to spend a large amount of cash to acquire any of these! However, it's important to note that the 2274 "Transfer" caboose catalog number spanned 1st and 2nd generation releases. The image shown is of a true A1G. The A2G's have 5 windows on one side of the car (the side where the cupola is on the right) and three windows on the other side (cupola is on the left). Also, the windows have a center divider, unlike the A1G cabeese which have "undivided" window openings. See a popup image comparison of the A1G and A2G cabeese here.

Key spotting features for this car are:
- underframe stamped "Atlas Austria"
- three windows on each side of the car
- seperate black roofwalk pieces
- body mounted Rapido couplers, using a different than usual "foldover" metal strip to hold them in place
- original trucks with wheels pressed on seperate axles

CAUTION: Many other cabooses offered by others have these same spotting features, except, of course, the "Atlas Austria" stamping.

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 2270 A1G series car in "as manufactured" or "AM" condition has:
- all four step assemblies and both platforms intact
- brake wheel/ladder assemblies and running boards (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, body 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 2270 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" 2270 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
2271a	Image	ATSF 1951	Light Brown/White, Reporting Marks Center	7-9	8-10
2271b	Image	ATSF 1951	Dark Brown/White, Reporting Marks Center	5-7	6-8
2272	Image	B&O 4068	Red/Yellow, Roadname and Capital Herald L	5-7	6-8
2273	Image	PRR 478120	Brown/White, Roadname and Circle Keystone Herald L	5-7	5-7
2274	Image	"Transfer" Various #s	Various Body Colors and Lettering	6-8	7-10

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