ABOUT
Fatjack’s – Diesel Smoke & Dreams
By Anna Bontrager—Owner of Fatjack’s
www.fatjacksplace.com
Fatjack’s – Diesel Smoke & Dreams is a small mom and pop operation located along a gravel road in rural Southwest Indiana. It’s a home-based business attached to one end of our house. I’m a high school teacher and had a sideline business selling antique glass and collectibles, but no longer had the time to devote to it, so I changed over to diecast trucks to keep my husband happy. Among a few diversions here and there, there are three things that Dave has always done; he has been an over-the-road trucker, has built and collected scale models, and has always taken photos of trucks and trains. He grew up around trucks and has had a passionate life-long interest in miniatures – primarily trucks, trains, and hot rods.
Dave is what one could call a fanatic when it comes to detail and accuracy. Dave was also the twelve-year old kid who took grand prize at a model car contest back in the fifties. Dave showed up with an AMT ’40 Ford Coupe with a detailed engine compartment and interior. It was all there; wiring, plumbing, paint work, gauges, etc. – he blew ‘em away! Remember, in the mid-fifties there wasn’t the abundance of detailing parts as there is today, and to fully wire and plumb an engine compartment took some innovative approaches to the project.
Dave started his custom diecast truck modeling in 1:53 scale, but moved to DCP 1:64 scale. DCP produces the type of trucks that Dave likes—Large Cars, and DCP’s level of detail and quality are excellent.
After over 40 years driving over-the-road, in 2005 the doctor told Dave that he needed to get off the road due to some health issues and disability forced him into retirement. He was lost – it was sad to see this happen to Dave as he loved driving. So I established Fatjack’s and Dave is my advisor. He has suffered a stroke, and while he has a few lingering affects, he is a great advisor for me as I run the business.
The name of the business was my idea and it was originally Fat Jack, who was a leading character in a novel that Dave wrote many years ago. It eventually became his nickname. But Dave always liked the trail of smoke from a truck, and even today remembers some of the dreams he had when young. So I put it all together as Fat Jack’s Diesel Smoke and Dreams, as a person driving a truck, watching the blowing smoke, and having dreams, and then tweaked it a little as a place rather than a person as Fatjack’s – Diesel Smoke & Dreams. Dave loved it and we stayed with it.
Due to Dave’s health issues, his time at the workbench is now very limited, but he still custom builds as he can. But Dave is able to work on his photographs, so in addition to diecast trucks, Fatjack’s has moved into photo products, using photos from Dave’s personal collection of thousands of truck and train photos, most of which he has taken. Along with photo albums on Compact Disc and enlargements, Fatjack’s is now publishing photo books, both trucks and trains, and is currently working on several books featuring Dave’s models.
I enjoy providing personal service to my customers. The bottom line is I treat my customers like I would like to be treated as a customer; and I couldn’t ask for a better advisor.
Coffee’s always on, “Y’all stop by now–hear."
Anna at Fatjack’s
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