Hi All,

I found and purchased another classic Faller AMS Icon; B-4904.
B-4904 is the famous Contintal tower with the cool pit boxes, also known as “The Conti-Turm" ('Der Conti Turm).

This Faller AMS model is so famous that If you wake up a Faller AMS enthusiast in the middle of the night and asked him for B-4904, he will immediately say that’s the Conti Tower. B-4904 has many lovely details, such as the figures under the roof of the tower, the spot lights, the pit boxes...too many to mention all.

The Continental Tower was in the Faller program from 1964 to 1973.
The Tower was introduced as a 1964 novelty in Faller catalog 1963/64 on page 7.
In the catalog 1972/73 the Tower was no longer displayed, but still mentioned in the pricelist.
In catalog 1973/74 the model also disappeared from the price list.
But in catalog 1977/78 the Conti Tower returned as new item to disappear again in 1984.
The Conti Tower had again a short come back in 2006 with a modern version in other colors as Faller item 141070 for the Faller Go-Kart slotcars.

The Faller Conti Tower was also copied by other manufacturers (such as Bauer) for 1:24 and 1:32 slotcars layouts. Although those manufacturers will say that their models are a copy of the 1:1 Nürburgring prototype, we all known those are B-4904 Faller copies.

The 1:1 prototype of the AMS B-4904 could be found on the old Nürburgring Racetrack in Germany, where the Tower was build in 1950.
In 1950 the 50 pit boxes were still not attached to this Conti Tower, but were attached to the start and finish house of the circuit.
However, in 1952 a second series of 25 boxes was added to the first 1950 pit row, so the hole row was now connected to the Conti Tower.
This second 1952 pit row was build to meet the growing capacity needs of that time. In this second 1952 pit row a box was bigger than a box in the earlier1950 first row - so one could split a box. Together with the first pit row, there was now a total capacity of 100 boxes.
In 1954 the towers roof construction was changed and enlarged.
In 1965 the yellow Conti Tower was torn down and replaced by a more modern white tower.
On 30 October 2000 this white 1965 Tower was also torn down.

Please enjoy the pictures.

Marco

Edited by user 22 December 2012 19:07:39(UTC)  | Reason: Add 1 line extra info

Congratulations kweekalot! A superb box! The problem for you now is: Build or not build.........


And nice old photos! Did the really race with DKW junior?

Hi Marco

Another excellent find

As above - to build or not to build

Thanks for the photos of the 87:1 scale model

Happy Christmas

Mike

Hi and some evening wishes - if you all like to see how a reconstruction of a FALLER AMS Nürburgring Classic Race from the early 60ies was done - look here

http://www.h0slot.de/index.php/...llerams-stellt-sich-vor/

yours Marcus

Edited by moderator 13 November 2014 20:37:38(UTC)  | Reason: Placed quote tags in the correct place - reply was viewing as part of the quote.

Marco...
If you build it, they will come.... would love to see you build this and mount an AMS layout (preferably combined with trains.)
Life is short, don't leave all that potential in a box...

Bought the girls and I a Carrera slot car set with two formula 1 cars at the Ottawa train show. But does not match the nostalgia of the old sets. I would need more track to match the somewhat large quantity of Aurora track with a combo of Faller and Aurora cars we had in the 70s. BTW ...(OT) Also managed to pick up a large box of built models, some old Vollmer unbuilts sets and one yet-to-be-built Faller windmill for $5 and found a perfectly intact unused motor inside when I got home.

Have you seen any online photos of Faller B-4904 within a layout?

Enjoy!
- Mark

Marco,

Very nice F1 H0 slot cars! Nice build on the B-4904.

Lance

Mark,

If you are on facebook ...
Forummember & moderator Steve (Cookee_nz) runs a Faller AMS facebook group with lots of great pictures.

Marco