Atlas F Units

No, but the best diesels on the CL&W is the Atlas ABBA special set in NP NCL colors, with all units powered with smoke and sound.

Turns out they're not in, but on the way. 

What Atlas F's are on the way?

I ordered the KCS set but my dealer has not heard anything on F units. So what do you know?

Thanks

I emailed Bill this morning to ask about the Western Pacific F3’s for the California Zephyr and his response was that they should ship 2nd qtr of 2018.  The CB&Q and Rio Grande were included with these F3’s as part of the Re-release of the California Zephyr.

Dave at High Country Hobbies told me my Western Pacific F3's were on the way to Atlas and wanted to confirm I still wanted my set. I imagine it will be January of February by the time they're in my hands.

Will Ebbert posted:

Dave at High Country Hobbies told me my Western Pacific F3's were on the way to Atlas and wanted to confirm I still wanted my set. I imagine it will be January of February by the time they're in my hands.  

If that is the case I expect to be hearing from Mr Muffin any day now. 

Will Ebbert posted:

Just got a call from my dealer that my F3s are in. Anybody picked theirs up yet? 

Really?  I didn't even think they shipped from China yet -- at least not according to the website's production schedule.  Are you referring to the group of F3's announced with the 12-car CZ sets?  

Oops... Refreshed my browser window to see a few more posts.  

So it seems we're now talking about F3's just recently shipping from China -- in which case Atlas-O will likely see them 6-8 weeks from when the container left China.  Then another week to ship to your dealer, then onward to you.  Plan on February if all the stars line up. 

February is fine by me! Wallet isn't quite ready. I'm curious if the MAXI IV well cars are in the same container. If so that'll be a rough month!

Will Ebbert posted:

... I'm curious if the MAXI IV well cars are in the same container. If so that'll be a rough month!

Those well cars already shipped in the container that left China on Oct 23, according to the Atlas website.  So you'll need to reach for your wallet a bit earlier than Feb.  I have well cars from the first production run, but waiting on the CSX containers from the 2nd production run.  It's possible we might see them at year-end, but I figure after the New Year is more realistic.

 Cool. I have one set already, but another set and containers coming in this shipment. 

Has any one else been notified by their dealer about status of your F3’s order?

SantaFeJim posted:

Has any one else been notified by their dealer about status of your F3’s order?

If the shipping container carrying the F3's just shipped (it's not even listed on the Atlas website), I don't expect most folks will hear from the dealer for another 8 weeks or so.  The only exception might be those checking to see if a customer still wants them.  When stuff drags on like this, people lose interest -- right or wrong.

I had planned to purchase a set of Santa Fe F7's from Atlas-O's last run.  But the huge delay had me thinking twice.  Then when I heard the "so-so" Railsounds used on the F7's, it was game-over. And I decided to stick with the Lionel TMCC version I still had from 15 years ago.  Of course, now Lionel announced a Legacy version with improved sounds in their newest catalog.  So we'll see how that sounds.

I'm excited for the detail and fixed pilot option, but the sounds are a bummer skipping every other notch. 

Will Ebbert posted:

I'm excited for the detail and fixed pilot option, but the sounds are a bummer skipping every other notch. 

Apparently that is the ONLY diesel sound set design that Lionel licenses to ERR.

Hot Water posted:

Will Ebbert posted:

I'm excited for the detail and fixed pilot option, but the sounds are a bummer skipping every other notch. 

Apparently that is the ONLY diesel sound set design that Lionel licenses to ERR.

Technically speaking, there are other diesel sound-sets offered.  But the others are not F3/F7.  To be honest, the Railsounds that Lionel licenses to ERR have improved dramatically over prior versions.  The new versions have a sense of presences (i.e., slight echo) that was completely lacking in the older versions.  In particular, the older ERR version for the F3/F7 had the 1980's "sick cow" sound to it -- which just doesn't cut it by today's standards.

I guess if I was REALLY sold on other aspects of the Atlas-O F7's, I would have purchased the set I had my eye on and lived with the ERR Railsounds.  But with other things in play, I decided to pass... and will probably pass on these F3's shipping in a couple of months too -- especially with Lionel due to deliver a new Legacy version next year.

The technology treadmill can be both a virtue and a curse.    Importers run the risk of taking forever to deliver something, and then one of their competitors announces something better while we're waiting.    At some point, you've just gotta move forward and be happy with what you have.

Kerrigan posted:

No, but the best diesels on the CL&W is the Atlas ABBA special set in NP NCL colors, with all units powered with smoke and sound.

When were the NP North Coast Limited F-units by Atlas released and who sold them?  If possible, can you post photos of the ABBA consist? 

RTR Mark

I'd like to see the NPs myself....

• Show me the NP’s please.

The Northern Pacific was  a special run from JD's Trains many years ago. They can be seen on the AtlasO website under special Runs

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

The Atlas Northern Pacific F3's that were offered thru JD's Trains were done in the black and gold freight scheme, not the passenger colors of the North Coast Limited.  Kerrigan indicated he had Atlas F3's in the NCL passenger scheme, which would be either the so-called Pine Tree scheme or the Raymond Lowey two-tone green scheme.  I believe MTH has done F-units in both of those schemes but I was not aware that Atlas had ever done F's in either passenger livery.  

RTR Mark

Ready-to-Run Mark posted:

The Atlas Northern Pacific F3's that were offered thru JD's Trains were done in the black and gold freight scheme, not the passenger colors of the North Coast Limited.  Kerrigan indicated he had Atlas F3's in the NCL passenger scheme, which would be either the so-called Pine Tree scheme or the Raymond Lowey two-tone green scheme.  I believe MTH has done F-units in both of those schemes but I was not aware that Atlas had ever done F's in either passenger livery.  

RTR Mark

I think Mark's right. Kerrigan may be mistaken. The freight version, a special issue for JD's Trains, is the only Atlas NP F unit I've ever heard of. A photo is below. I had a set several years ago but sold it. The yellow color was not as rich as shown in the picture. Although the prototypical shade was a bit on the dull side, the Atlas version didn't quite make the cut for me. In addition to MTH, Lionel and K-Line have done the NCL scheme in the Lowey NCL scheme, and MTH alone has done the older scheme as well, as Mark mentions.

Rocky Mountaineer posted:

Will Ebbert posted:

... I'm curious if the MAXI IV well cars are in the same container. If so that'll be a rough month!

Those well cars already shipped in the container that left China on Oct 23, according to the Atlas website.  So you'll need to reach for your wallet a bit earlier than Feb.  I have well cars from the first production run, but waiting on the CSX containers from the 2nd production run.  It's possible we might see them at year-end, but I figure after the New Year is more realistic.

My dealer called Thurs Maxi IVs and containers are at his store [Delaware]

My Atlas O F7's are absolutely gorgeous. If the F3's are as good, GRAB them !

Scrappy