Any news from the museum?

Only MTH and Lionel made presentations at the museum yesterday.  Mike Wolf had the new DCS Explorer which is a kind of mini-TIU/wifi receiver as an inexpensive way to introduce people buying starter sets a way to operate their trains from iphone, ipad, and android apps.   Ryan and David did the Lionel presentations.  The most interesting information to me was that the LionScale line (former Weaver Models) made in the USA at the Lionel headquarters in North Carolina is doing very well and they are expanding the line and hiring more workers to accommodate the demand.

I don't think there were any major new product announcements.

Peter Gentieu

I spoke with Bill at the atlas booth today. The next engine will be the F units for the California Zephyr, then the GP7.  He said they VO 1000 might get here before the SD40s as it was being made in a different factory.  I got the impression it would be later in 2019 before the SD40s arrive.  I spoke with Ryan Kunkle at the Lionel booth today about 21” passenger cars in Norfolk Southern since they were doing the theater car.  He said they were in the works as well as some F units in NS.  He also said they had something special planned for the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 2019.

Neal Jeter

So more F units from Atlas but nothing on the Dash 8s that are 8 years late

The Santa Fe Dash 8’s were on display at the Atlas booth. They look magnificent!  The F3’s mentioned are also several years late.

At the museum, Mike said there would not be a tin plate catalog this year because inventory remains high. 

Originally posted by DaveJFRO:

Talked to Atlas at the booth.  Looks like they were showing off their updated signal system electronics and they
upgraded their turntable.

What is updated on the signal system? Is it as complete and advanced as the original Atlas O/Custom Signals signal system or dumbed down? Will this new signal system somehow support the old signal system or is it like MTH Ps1 to Ps2....NO support and dropped by the wayside?

Inquiring minds need to know?

Dash 8s are due in June.

For Atlas,when are the GTW F3’s and the other F3’s going to arrive

June of what year?

Was there any mention from anyone at Lionel about the continuation of the AFT such as the showcase cars,  86' flatcars w/equipment,  tool car,  crew cars,  etc?   Any word if Lionel ever plans to do the BN SD40-2 #1876 in Bicentennial colors?   They already produced the BN U30C #1776 some years back.   These 2 diesels along with the BN SDP40 #1976 were the only diesels to actually pull the AFT by themselves(not just being used as helpers for the steamers) from city to city while the #4449 steamer was undergoing some work.   Thanks

Nick

Matt:

LOL, June this year.  They had a Dash 8 running on their layout.  The F units will be the next engine produced, but Bill gave no indication of when.

Neal Jeter 

What I felt was noteworthy at the museum was that TCA had arranged for the Strasburg Rail Road to run their Lancaster, Oxford, and Southern railcar or doodlebug as a free shuttle between the Choo Choo Barn, the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania and the TCA Museum and Library/Red Caboose Motel.  Here's a short video from the grade crossing at Paradise Lane.

Assuming the GE Tman diesel does deliver in June will this be the first engine to come in or will Atlas deliver the F3s before then? whats the Atlas report from todays 2 PM Forum meeting ?

Atlas is doing their turntable again but this time with direct drive, no rubber band drive.  They are doing a water tank with separate spouts and a fuel/oil delivery station which are both reissues of Walthers structure kits.  The F3s will deliver after the Dash 8s but Bill gave no indication when to expect them.

Neal Jeter

machinist posted:

Was there any mention from anyone at Lionel about the continuation of the AFT such as the showcase cars...

I talked to Lionel's lead product development person about this (forgot his name, but he used "I plan to do (whatever)", so I assume he was in charge).  He stated Lionel will do all 23 cars (I did not mention there were 26) but not right away.  He said the folks who bought the first 13 needed to financially recover from that buy (all cars arriving at once was not the original plan), plus he has other projects he wants to get out first.  No time line was given.

Any word if Lionel ever plans to do the BN SD40-2 #1876 in Bicentennial colors? 

I did not ask about this, but I also would really like to have SD40-2 #1876 to run with my U30C.  I'm less interested in SDP40 #1976 since it only did a short helper run with #4449.

machinist posted:

Was there any mention from anyone at Lionel about the continuation of the AFT such as the showcase cars...

I talked to Lionel's lead product development person about this (forgot his name, but he used "I plan to do (whatever)",
 so I assume he was in charge).  He stated Lionel will do all 23 cars (I did not mention there were 26) but
 not right away.  He said the folks who bought the first 13 needed to financially recover from that buy
 (all cars arriving at once was not the original plan), plus he has other projects he wants to get out first. 
 No time line was given.

CAPPilot posted:

machinist posted:

Was there any mention from anyone at Lionel about the continuation of the AFT such as the showcase cars...

I talked to Lionel's lead product development person about this (forgot his name, but he used "I plan to do (whatever)", so I assume he was in charge).  He stated Lionel will do all 23 cars (I did not mention there were 26) but not right away.  He said the folks who bought the first 13 needed to financially recover from that buy (all cars arriving at once was not the original plan), plus he has other projects he wants to get out first.  No time line was given.

Any word if Lionel ever plans to do the BN SD40-2 #1876 in Bicentennial colors? 

I did not ask about this, but I also would really like to have SD40-2 #1876 to run with my U30C.  I'm less interested in SDP40 #1976 since it only did a short helper run with #4449.

Ron,

Thanks for the information-just hope that we see the remaining cars before I'm planted!    I don't really think that there is much hope of seeing any SDP40's from any manufacturer.   The BN SD40-2 #1876 should be a no brainer considering all the other road names that could also be produced.

Nick.

DaveJfr0 posted:

 mentioned something about a 2-8-0 in the distant future, but I don't do steam so I didn't really log that into my mind.

It must be the former Weaver tooling 2-8-0. It will be interesting to see what the end result will look like and if any changes will be made from the original Weaver model.

PGentieu posted:

What I felt was noteworthy at the museum was that TCA had arranged for the Strasburg Rail Road to run their Lancaster, Oxford, and Southern railcar or doodlebug as a free shuttle between the Choo Choo Barn, the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania and the TCA Museum and Library/Red Caboose Motel.  Here's a short video from the grade crossing at Paradise Lane.

That's a great (but short) ride!  It first started back in October, '17.  Glad they continued it this spring.