A.T.E.A.M.

A.T.E.A.M. history.........

At the 2006 Masscar show a number of truck modelers who always seemed to run into each other at various model shows and truck shows, found that the day went by too fast.  There was never enough time to talk about all the stuff there was to discuss.  So to that end, Masscar Member Stu Marcus volunteered to bring this crew together for a summertime cookout at his house in New Hampshire.  The date was set late in July, a whole day to talk models, see what each other was working on, and enjoy some great barbeque.

Present that day besides Stu, were Charlie Rowley and Jeff Harper, both from MA, Lance Gregory from CT, Mike Randall from NY, and Gene Herman from VT.  Almost jokingly, were referred to our get-together as the beginning of a new club, just for truck modelers.  Also discussed that day was the idea of a "club build", everybody would build that same kit but to their taste.  The kit settled on was a classic, the Mack Bulldog.

Then someone came up with an even better idea, what if each model made represented the same truck, but at different times in its life.  Each model would be maybe a decade apart, from the time it was new, to the the time it was found rusted away.  Everyone decided which truck they were going to build, and then Charlie came up with a background story to tie all the trucks together.  And then it was decided to try to have them to display at NNL East, early in 2007.

So this initial meeting of six truck modelers from five different states had not only spawned a new cluster of friends challenge, this project would require the lone hobbyist to communicate with his fellow modelers.  Not to compete against them but to work as a team.  The name these modelers would become known as was the ATEAM, or the Affiliated Truck Enthusiasts and Modelers.  The clubs logo would be that classic Mack Bulldog truck, carrying the A.T.E.A.M. letters.

So each builder began work on his truck almost immediately.  To pull this off, all six trucks would have to be completed in about 8 months, besides working on their own other personal projects.  Jeff was also to design and build the display base.  Each modeler did his own thing and the only communication between them was by phone.  About the time fall was setting in, it was thought we should get back together and check the progress, so mid November the gang reassembled at the Golden Age Museum in CT.

The November 2007 meeting was great, everyone was impressed by each others work.  Each modeler had not only met the requirements of the period of their build, but had added special touches as well.  Charlie had the rough draft of the story, and some notes were made to either revise the story or to detail the model to fine tune the whole project.  Charlie had also made a set of rear fenders for his truck, and cast them in resin for the next two versions. The ATEAM would assemble one more time in the first week of February 2008, to make sure everything was on track for NNL, just a month away.  By this time the display was built and brass plaques were added with the ATEAM logo and each builders name.  Everyone placed their model in the designated place on the display and stood back.  It was impressive.  The talents of these six builders were brought together in camaraderie, not competition.  NNL East would be the perfect place to unveil the project.