Atlas acquires Weaver Tooling!

Ed you need to reread the announcement....

 

“It was with sadness that we heard Weaver Models was shutting down operations,” said Paul Graf, CEO of Atlas Model Railroad Company, Inc. “However, we are pleased to announce that we will be bringing many of their models back to the market so that they can be enjoyed by a new generation of model railroaders. These products will fit right in with our existing lines and we are committed to bringing them to market with the high quality that you’ve come to expect from Atlas.”

Tooling acquired in the agreement includes the 2-8-0, U25B, RS11 and VO-1000 locomotives, the Troop Sleeper and Kitchen Cars, the Pullman Bradley Coaches, the War Emergency Gondola,the Wagontop Box Car; and the H30 Covered Hopper. In addition, the molds for the 20’ Containers and telephone poles have also been obtained.

I would have suspected Atlas O got the B60's and the RPO... after all, the RPO & the B60's are foreign made and Atlas O did get the Pullman Bradleys!

 

I would be shocked if the H30 hoppers are released anytime soon. There was a LOT of stock at blowout prices  for those cars.

 

Thanks, prrhorseshoecurve.  I guess I read it too fast.

Ed

I did not want to start a new topic so I ask the questions here. In all that I have read here and on the weaver thread. I either did not see or hear on notch 6 about the wood chip hoppers. Did anyone get them along with the tank cars and mechanical reefers. And will all parties that got weaver dies will they offer more then one road number like weaver did.....Paul

Paul,

 

My understanding that all the US made products/tools are likely going to Lionel.  This has not been made official and may not be finalized.  The cars you are asking about were all US made.

 

J2M

As J2m mentioned, Lionel acquired the USA tooling with plans to do custom and limited runs produced in North Carolina. The tankers mech reefers and wood chip cars are part of that tooling. Lionel also has the pad printing equipment, and remaining warehouse inventory. 

Don

Does anyone know what became of the tooling for the outside braced wooden boxcars? I believe this tooling originally came from Crown Model Products.

 

 

That car was also USA made, and probably in the hands of Lionel as well.

Don

Speaking of weaver, I was a member of their club for this year, and have not yet received my club cars. I am beginning to think that they are not coming at all. Does anyone know about this?

I am very pleased to see that the Weaver line (telephone) poles originally designed by our own forum member Neal Schorr were picked up by Atlas O.  I think they are the best on the market.

 

George

Thanks J2m and rail for that information. Hopefully it won't be too long of a wait to see those items again................Paul

I am happy to read your post if it's 100% correct it's great news. Many of Weavers products were top quality.

Good news but to be a little negative when AtlasO starts using the new tooling can you imagine the prices they are going to be charging.

 

I loved Weaver for all the New England offerings that I haven't been getting from MTH, Lionel, and AtlasO.  Hope AtlasO keeps up with what Weaver was doing even at the higher prices.

So far there has been nothing released on the fate of the B60 molds.  I would think that Atlas would have made a big deal about getting them, but since they haven't I'm afraid the molds went to someone else or are still available.  I hope someone picks them up because I need a few more with new numbers for my express/mail train.

Some time ago there was much excitement about Atlas acquiring some of the former K-Line molds?  I don't remember seeing anything offered from them.  I hope the Weaver molds do not suffer the same fate.

RMT & Lionel have K-Line.

I was close to Jim Weaver (sadly deceased) at that time and Atlas did NOT acquire the k-line tooling, it was offered use of it by Bachmann/Kader.  When Atlas received pricing for the items it wanted to produce, Atlas O decided that it would be uneconomical for them to market the items and withdrew from the arrangement, as did Lionel a year or so later.

 

J2M

I would love to see Atlas be able to mod the molds for the Pullman-Bradley cars so they could offer the correct window pattern for Seaboard:

 

 

 

The 3 windows on the right end (both sides) have been swapped on my model as compared to the original Weaver car:

 

 

 

It was tricky cutting them out, I had to swap one side for the other to get them in the correct pattern.  I have another I'd like to do (thanks again Mike!) but keep putting it off.

 

DOH!!!  I forgot, with the swapping of the windows it also required me to reposition a few seats, plus some seats had to be turned around to face the other direction.  Doable for a modeler, but doubtful Atlas would go to the trouble of making new molds.  Oh well, good thought while it lasted

 

I also hope Atlas is open to new roadnames and paint schemes.  Some of their hoppers are the same types as owned by Seaboard Air Line, all they need is paint/lettering to make them accurate.

With all the talk about who got what tooling was there any mention about the tooling for the Baldwin Sharknose DR-6-4-20  /  PRR BP-20.

 

 

 

 

russ

So who got the molds and tooling for Weaver's Milwaukee Road ribbed-side boxcars?

OK so they got the tooling, big deal.  How long before they get it up and running?  They still don't have the U23B Locomotives that has been promised to us back in 2013. Every time I go to YORK, I have asked about these engines and seems to always get the run around from the Atlas people?  Go figure!  So what will it take to get this new tooling up and running, they probably will have to ship it over seas?  We will see?

Max,

 

My suggestion would be that you start a separate thread asking about the Weaver 2015 Club Cars.  My guess is that you question on this thread may get lost by anyone who has the answer.

 

Unless the cars are already en route, they probably are not coming.

 

Perhaps someone from OGR could ask the question directly to the owners of Weaver.

 

Jim