Atlas December 2017 ASMC - New run of Trinity 5161's

Al,

I wouldn't be so sure about that.  The possibilities are here. That's right, gentlemen, right here! Some nay-sayers would have you believe that the 3 rail hobby is a behemoth of such inertia that these things can't be accomplished, but that "behemoth" is actually comprised of many smaller groups, all trying to get the attention of the manufacturers. There are the post-war only collecting and operating crowds, the post-war replica collecting and operating crowds, the "modern O" group that is divided by steam, transition, and diesel groups (just like O Scale). There are people who only operate on tubular track, versus those who operate exclusively MTH Scale Trax, Lionel Fast Tracks, or Atlas O (what I'd use if I were in 3 rail Scale). There is DCS, then Legacy versus those who are quite happy to stay with TMCC or straight AC for that matter. Add to that the Brotherhood of the ZW Transformer! Then there are the "I pledge allegiance to the color of my boxes" groups: Lionel, MTH, Williams, K-Line, Atlas O, etc.... and these are only a short list of everyone whining, complaining, pleading to "build my model!" It's no wonder that the manufacturing side is over-run with requests and confusion.

So what's my point? If We, as 2 Rail-O Scale and 3 Rail Scale Modelers, want these items to come to pass, and relatively quickly, WE have to speak up, again, and again, and again.....and when those projects do get announced, then RESERVE!..and put our POSITIVE and CONSTRUCTIVE criticism into guiding the manufacturer toward a model that truly reflects the prototype with correct construction, details, colors, etc. I can't say it enough, and yes, you will have to share the table with all these other groups who are clamoring for attention. Accept it, be one with it, love it, and make converts on your merry way! Speak up! Speak up! Speak up! OUR efforts will be rewarded!

Mike Caddell,

I guess,Mike,with me,after coming from 35-40 yrs in HO,the smaller O Scale market's tough to deal with.

I started when Athearn&Roundhouse were the 2 BIG manufacturers and that didn't amount to a whole lot. But modelers were at their mercy,a lot like now in O Scale. Then over the years new manufacturers came along,and today there can be as many as 3 manufacturers making a model of,for example,the 4750. Then there's the "sky high" pricing. I think Atlas is concentrating on their HO&N markets and just keeping O Scale as a "side" market. I hope I'm wrong about that,but seems like serious interest is lacking in O Scale by Atlas just in the approximately 4 years I been working in O Scale.

Just my opinion which ain't worth a plug nickel.

Anyhow,on a much brighter note,may everyone have a Merry Christmas!!

Al Hummel

I think a good long term strategy for Atlas O would be too beef up the Trainman line to lure customers from Lionel and MTH. Once they see the quality and realism of that line, they'll check out Master Line, and never go back to the other two. IMO, Trainman is the best value in O scale so it would attract people if they'd give it a shot, but they're comfortable with the big two. 

A good strategy for Atlas to follow in the O scale market is to secure factories in China who can manufacture their locomotives, both Trainman and Master, in a reasonable time frame from when they are first announced. Reasonable would be 9-12 months.

2018 is a big year for Atlas. They delivered just one engine this year (F7) and have already canceled production for the Master Dash 8's.

Forget about new models, how about delivering on locomotives that are years behind in the production queue, starting with the Trainman Dash 8's. Another year with just one locomotive being delivered should cause them to rethink whether they should stay in the O scale game. Maybe they can still survive on rolling stock and track.

They finally were able to produce a group of them in the past year.

Andrew