Atlas California Zephyr Baggage Car

Ha ha ha ha ha ha! 

Really:

 

Ken

 

 

there are conceivably 2 more domes, the Dome Buffet, and the conductor's dome. Will we see those?

 

Dick

At the rate they have been going with this project, you'll be lucky to see a complete train by the end of this decade. Just sayin.....

Any of good fellas heard anything about the arrival of the obs ?

The Atlas "O" Order/Ship Schedule still shows estimated ship date of 4th Quarter 2014. I know there has been a delay due to the manufacturer switch, but I wish they would give us some timeframe.

 

I am worried the plastic casting will not color match the previous cars.  I hope I get to see these before ordering any more.

I was under the impression that the manufacturing switch had already taken place with the last round of CZ cars... the production run that included the diners and extra sleepers.  I purchased a diner, and there is a slight variation of finish as compared to the earlier cars.  So the paint variation has already occurred.  Not a showstopper for me, but it shouldn't have happened if the project were closely managed -- even with a different manufacturer involved.    Should be interesting to see which paint finish we get on the observation car, which hopefully makes it over to the States on the next Atlas-O boat out of China.  My hunch is it will match the finish we received with the diners and latest sleepers, since I think we're talking about the same manufacturer.

 

As for the baggage car... If it follows suit with the observation car, a good planning date should be 1Q2016.  Think about it... we're due to receive the observation in 1Q2015 now, and the baggage car bears a strong similarity to the observation relative to how the preview/announcement has been handled.

 

The baggage car was previewed in October 2014 York with a flyer touting "coming soon".  Same thing with the observation a year earlier.  No official baggage car announcement has occurred yet on the Atlas-O website.  If it happens to hit in January, that will follow what happened with the observation -- again one year earlier.  Then, of course, delivery is always a wild crap shoot.  Back in October 2013 York, we were told the observation would arrive in March/April 2014... but as we know, it's almost a year late.  

 

Bottom line, the observation car is a must-have to "complete" the end of the train properly.  Anything else at this point -- including the baggage car -- is a pure nice-to-have.  And that's the healthiest outlook i can suggest for now.  Will Atlas-O ever complete the full train?  I think they will.  But as to when they do is anyone's guess.  If you noticed, they haven't even announced a price for the baggage car.  What the heck is that all about?     I thought we shamed them into abandoning that practice a few years ago.   Guess not.

 

David 

 

Until Atlas posts the Baggage car on their web site for reservations then the price will be stated. The small advance promo in MR [Feb edition] is just that. They have actually brought in a lot of product for 2014 and appear to be getting much better production from their new Factory[s] I believe the first quarter will set the tone for the year, the big issue appears to still be engines, I believe the next 2 Cal Zep cars will come in early this year leaving only the Baggage and another car to finish the train. the two newest Mline Trinity cars came pretty much on schedule.JMO

 

The conductors dome will be the last car produced, because it requires an irreversible modification to the dome car tooling.

The dome buffet was on the flip side of the flyer, with the baggage car at York. 

So after this round of announcements, only the conductor's dome will be left unannounced.

That's what we were told at York in October 2013... which begs the question, "Will Atlas-O use the tooling for the CZ to produce other road-name passenger cars?".  The quality for the CZ is outstanding, and the price/performance can't be beat in the market.  They would certainly obtain an excellent ROI on the tooling if they were to do this, but that would imply that the somewhat obscure variation of the dome car with conductor's window/office might not arrive for the CZ until after Atlas-O produces other road-name passenger cars using the standard dome car tooling.

 

Only Atlas-O knows their plans.  But quite frankly, they've dilly-dallied with the CZ project far too long as it is... and many folks -- myself included -- have pretty much lost interest in it.  So I'll be more than happy when the observation car arrives.  And I'll just call it a train and move on. 

 

Honestly, I could care less at this point if they produce anything else for their CZ after the observation arrives.  If the baggage car shows up Stateside, I'll buy it.  But the other two cars (dome buffet and dome w/conductor's office) most likely won't have a prayer of making it onto my CZ roster... no matter how well Atlas marketing tries to tell CZ enthusiasts how much we'll "need" those cars to make the train "complete".    They should have thought about that line of marketing 6 years ago when they announced the project in July 2009.

 

David

That is too bad. So it will prevent an accurate re run of any of the cars then?

The tooling I would think should be modular. This seems financially idiotic.

If I can get the time I will shoot a photo review of the Key Model 2010 run Aspen PA's.


       
       

It was supposed to be.  Sanda Kan decided otherwise.  One of the reasons given by Atlas for the delays was they had to start over on the molds.  So all of the molds except the original dome coach and the 10-6 sleepers are modular.  Hence the irreversible changes to the mold.

I'm really finding the whole CZ project confusing -- even on a good day.    Just give us an observation car, so some of us who've lost interest in all this can move on without needing to stay tuned to all this mumbo-jumbo.  Sorry, but that's how I'm feeling about all of this.

 

How long did it take Scott Mann to produce the GM ToT... from design through production and onto delivery here in the States which is occurring as we speak?  1 year?  Perhaps a bit more?  And that even included a locomotive.  Compare that to what we're dealing with here... 5+ going on 6 years this July.      Even the explanations don't make sense anymore.  

 

Seriously, there comes a point where even die-hard enthusiasts lose interest.   We've already seen a few "incomplete sets" of Atlas-O CZ cars listed on the OGR for-sale forum in the last year or so.  Thank goodness there are still interested buyers!

 

David

Why not ask Scott Mann to make the observation car and be done with it?

Scott could've produced the whole train by now! 

 

David

I got into this CZ buying even though I don't care about passenger trains but for my son who is a CB&Q fan. By buying these now and hearing the use of one car's mold to make another with conductors compartment says to me this is a one shot deal. Buy it now as it most likely is not to be reproduced. So I am sort of glad I started this semi expensive  Quest. By the time I am done and able to run this train i'll need to find a 2 rail club which none  exist in Arizona. Also in CB&Q I think I'd need an E unit consist which none are available. So Atlas, Think E. Please

 

Phil

Phil, I think you might be correct.  The whole discussion of re-running these with different roadnames occurred at one of the York "behind the booth" CZ seminars about 2 years ago now.  So it's quite likely plans may have changed.  Only Atlas-O knows for sure.

 

But one thing is absolutely certain, I would NEVER again venture into a purchase arrangement where vendors produce "one car at a time".  The overseas manufacturing market has proven itself to be much too volatile.  Years ago, Lionel would occasionally produce a 4-pack of passenger cars, followed within a year or two of add-on coaches, baggage cars and StationSound diners.  That's reasonable, 'cause at least the 4-pack contains a reasonably complete train for those who may opt to not buy extra cars down the road.  And for those who wanted the extra cars, they typically arrived within the next catalog or two.  But this whole "car by car, one at a time" approach has caused much more frustration than it's worth, IMHO.  Never again.

 

David

David,

Great thoughts on the subject.



       

The GGD/Sunset Canadian sets are marvelous simply marvelous.

On a Completly different subject is Key's CZ project.


       

Atlas just updated their A-Z shipping schedule with Trinity tanks,PS-1 boxcars and hopper delivering to Dealers/Customers late this month [container ship 12/21/14] and CZ cars listed for 1st Q 2015 along with diesels.

 Had to make new fuel tanks to kill the 'high-water' look of the Williams models and also to make up for their too-short trucks. 

       
Unfortunately, the CZ cars have slipped yet another quarter, but even more telling is they did NOT ship in the 12/21/2014 container out of China.  I don't even want to hear an excuse this time.  And note the baggage car has yet to be officially announced.  My gut tells me the observation car will be in our hands in April/May 2015, and the baggage car one year later.  By then, will anybody really care?

David

David,

You certainly hit the old nail square on it's head.  The only way that Atlas can recover it's credibility is by a timely delivery of products.  Time will tell.  I think that the population that really cares is getting smaller and smaller.

Norm

Im with David, I have 11 cars and im calling it a train, im sick of all the waiting and waiting. I think im going to try to find a GGD Broadway Limited to go with my "New to Me" GG1

I'm bummed out man! April or after. UGH

I spoke with Merlyn Lauber today and he concurs with the after "Chinese New Year"

I understand Atlas O ran into unanticipated production problems but, it seems to me, each iteration of cars sold out anyway. It seems, therefore, that Atlas could have produced more tooling sooner. I have really given up on these cars. I have never seen a a passenger set of cars take, what, three or four years? Yow

I agree with all of you who says we are really tired of this. How does Sunset/3rd Rail get their stuff on time? I feel for Atlas but this is getting old. Is Atlas planning E units for the train? I have a pair on Weaver E8s for mine. Jus thinkn'

Sorry C Sam I missed your post.

Yes I am a lunatic ;-) those Key Aspen nose CZ PA's are spectacular; only one of 4 sets built in 2010.

Spending a fortune on trains was never in my plans outside of the car hobby.

I will get some studio shots done this week. Key has all the new FT's rolling in soon so I need to get cracking. I should just hire a real photographer like David. =)




       

The Key CZ cars are now 7 years overdue.  Maybe it's a CZ thing.

Richard I wonder how the on time performance was with the CZ 1949-1967. ;-)

That's Great man! Hahahah



       

Atlas just announced the Baggage and Dorm-Buffet-Lounge. Estimated delivery 3Q 2015.

 

http://www.atlaso.com/obaggagecar.htm

 

http://www.atlaso.com/odormbuffetlounge.htm

 

They are only showing the artwork, no samples of the cars. It's really early in the year and I had a decent day, so I'm gonna stay positive and think that we may actually have a complete train by the end of 2015.

Saw that too via email.  This is deja vu all over again compared to how the observation car announcement rolled out after the October 2013 York preview indicated "coming soon".  We were first told we'd see the observation car by March/April 2014.  That (to me) would have been reasonable for a "coming soon" teaser.    Then Atlas-O said 4Q2014, now they're saying 1Q2015.  Neither of those slipped dates are what I consider "soon" in any shape or form.   

 

So will history repeat itself for the baggage car?  I don't know, but I'll stand by my earlier ETA's just to play it safe.   I sure hope that Atlas-O proves me wrong though.

 

David

Well, if Atlas does the prewar Exposition Flyer, with Grande heavyweights, lemme know.  I got that Atlas email, too, today, but they were showing drawings of Amtrak

cars, and I couldn't even pull up another road drawing, much less Grande, so was

underwhelmed.

       
       


That would be a very expensive in-devour in plastic for the manufacturer. The Expo by definition is Juxtapose. I have Dr Allen's data packet for the train and a beautiful sample by Sam Model of Korea we imported last year. Also I have pulled it off as best as possible in O scale using all brass equipment.

It would be nice to have a dedicated set in abs. There I go dreaming again.

Most of these photos are (c) copyrighted to my clients.

Division Point Expo Flyer Sam Model Korea
Key Model Imports FM Train Model Korea

This must be the most optimistic and persistent customer base in model railroading.  Atlas can't even run its business to supply a mass market of O gaugers with simple 3-rail track; yet, Atlas is expected to deliver a very limited, specialty product; i.e. a scale baggage car.  I bet the person in charge of the baggage car gets a lot of time and support at management meetings,  and budget for the project.