Atlas Feb announcements

I often wonder how they decide on such items. 

Today they have a large selection of models to choose from that they have tooling for, it is relatively rare that they do not make a road name for lack of reservations and even rarer that a model gets cancelled for lack of reservations. Usually they produce only one new prototype model a year alternating between Tman and Mline, with the acquisition of the Weaver tooling it will probably be a long time before we see another totally new model. JMO 

There are new paint schemes on the 50' 6" box car. 

There are finally BERLIN MILLS RAILWAYS 50'6" box cars from somebody. 

A new Green Bay and Western 50' 6" box car in the blue scheme is interesting. 

Andrew

SIRT posted:

I often wonder how they decide on such items. 

A hat with a bunch of Railroad names in it. Then a great wall with pictures of rolling stock. You throw the Dart blind folded and see where it sticks.... BAM time to start production.

hibar posted:

... no mention on production container schedule of any motive power with China new year coming up there will be one month gap in container shipping. It does not look good for motive power anytime soon. JMO

The next O products due into the States will probably arrive late Feb / early March... and they appear to be Berwyck HiCube boxcars (Masterline) and PS-2 covered hoppers (Trainman).  The Berwyck boxcars should be real sweet if they're like the ones from several years back... lots of detail.

As for motive power... I agree... doesn't look promising.  Difficult to say what the problem really is... whether it's their inability to obtain production time with their Chinese factories, or if they're just prioritizing other items at a higher level.  But it's been a tough road for Atlas-O motive power offerings for many years now -- many of which are between 2-4 years since announcement, and it's looking like they'll miss another 1Q2018 ETA if they're not yet "on the water" now. 

David

BERWICK FORGE & FOUNDRY is the exact name on the decals applied to the real waffle-side, double-door 60' high-cube box cars. 

Andrew

The tooling does not change these should be the same cars as in previous runs, to my knowledge these are the only 60' double plug door hy cube cars available in O gauge, although some of the current road names offered are not prototypically correct [ Berwick is out of business today and other railcar mfgs build a dimensionally similar car] most common on todays RRs is the TTX yellow with black doors. just saying ! not much else to say about Atlas lack of motive power production "it is what it is". JMO

I love the detail on the Berwick cars. I wish there were an accurate TTX boxcar out there. Thought about the Berwick version, but decided against it. Too much $$$ for an incorrect model. Been waiting quite a while for my WP F3s to finish my California Zephyr. Tired of pulling the 12 car train with an SD70M.

MTH makes a 50' hycube box car also in the TTX paint scheme that is not prototypically correct, nice car only 10.00 less retail than Atlas and hard to find [also slightly undersized in ht and width], same deal mfgs run out of correct schemes and if the model is popular they just paint in whatever sells. If you are a true diehard for accuracy then HO is the only gauge to find a big selection of very accurate models .As for the F3s I have no doubt as long as Atlas eventually gets more engines produced you will get your F3s as these models have been previously made. JMO

I checked with Atlas regarding the Zephyr F3s at the Big E show. Was told next in line after the Dash-8s, probably sometime second quarter this year.

Looking at the N scale and HO scale announcements is more encouraging than O. It would be nice to see Atlas offer the same models across all 3 scales but that will never happen. At least they have been smart enough not to announce any motive power until (if?) they start delivering on yesteryear's offerings.

The recent announcements since they switched to a monthly format as opposed to the 6-month catalogs have been pretty weak. When will we see another run of articulated auto carriers or Coalveyors?

I emailed earlier this week about seeing Trinity 64' reefers, 73' center beams, and JB Hunt containers done in O and this is the response I got. I feel fairly optimistic. 

I would say one out of 3, obviously the JB Hunt 53' containers have a good chance to make one of the next 2 runs of these containers, "good luck" with the other 2 models. JMO

They have the tooling for the others in N and HO. Luckily the MAXI-IV cars seem to be selling well which might encourage more modern products. 

Which freight car builder's  73' Center Beam flat car did you suggest that ATLAS O have produced? There are several builders. 

The Trinity 64' Mechanical Refrigerator cars that are the like the HO and N scale models has to be on their list. 

Andrew

In HO Scale they call it the 73’ Center Partition Car, which suggests that the model is based upon the National Steel Car version. 

Andrew

Too modern /  limited appeal.

I’ve noticed many dealers on ebay trying to sell Atlas O NOS for several years now with very low results. There’s no market that will support 71 dollar stock boxcars these days.

I don’t think Atlas can compete anymore mainly due to those high prices, better competition and low demand. It has affected both the buyers and the dealers as well.

Competition of some Lionel and MTH rolling stock have far surpassed their product line as of late. The modelers who actually own some of the newer Lionel & MTH 20- pieces can see the difference. Some others base opinion on the past and have not experienced the advancements by the competition.

If I ran Atlas, I would take all the crumbling worn-detailed sealed door boat anchor cars and scrap them now. Use 3d printers to lower the cost and make new models never offered in O before to fill the void.

The center beam is NSC. I have no doubt they would sell well. 

Atlas in the years after the Sanda Kan era has changed their market strategy to BTO and reduced the amount of these runs substantially the result being they usually sell out each run which both direct and thru dealers goes right to customers who pay the current prices, only a few dealers take a chance on stocking any of the current products and even this is very limited. Bottom line there is very little market for Atlas NOS unless it is really low priced. BTO  affects MTH and Lionel products also because they have much larger market share certain more recently run models are still in demand, with the exception of the "billboard" reefer craze Atlas does not have the cache of MTH and Lionel. JMO

Will Ebbert posted:

The center beam is NSC. I have no doubt they would sell well. 

One of the most common cars in modern RR manifest freight trains, in a Masterline version I agree I would be buying.

I'd buy at least 3 or 4. Same with the 64' reefers. Two UP, a BNSF, and a couple Tropicana. 

Some Canadian National/Grand Trunk Western local trains are all Center Partition Flat Cars or Center Beam Flat Cars.

Now National Steel Car is calling them Center Beam flat cars. 

 https://www.steelcar.com/products/centerbeam

Greenbrier does call them Center Partition flat cars. They have 4 version. 

https://www.gbrx.com/manufactu...nter-partition-cars/

Perhaps will all the variations in design they would have to Laser Cut and/or 3D print the O scale Center Beam flat cars or Center Partition flat cars. 

Andrew

I don't think 3D printing is going to take off in commercially produced model trains any time soon. It takes a really long time to print something the size of an O scale freight car. Plus if you look at most 3D printed things, there are rough lines from the printing. I know tooling is expensive, but I think it will be the mainstay of model railroading for quite a while. 

O scale Center Beam flat cars could be made by laser cutting, bending, and welding sheets and shapes of steel. 

Andrew

 I'm sorry but that just sounds so labor intensive I can't imagine how it would be effective. That's probably similar to what Midwest model works is doing on their $500 version of the car. 

Scale steel sheets on an open frame center beam flat car would not be much heavier than a typical Atlas O car. 

If you want a lightweight 73' Center Partition or Center Beam flat car, then have Lionel's people put it into production. The 89' Autoracks from Lionel are so light that even their single motor units like the Trackmobile can move them.

Andrew 

MSRP of $77 for a Trainman caboose?  No wonder they're not being bought.

Yeah, I was shocked at the price. The 2-rail version is $82.

A good dealer can sell a 3-rail caboose for about $60 but that still is a lot.

Trainman is supposed to be about value. Those prices are nearing Master. I paid $70 for a 2-rail standard cupola caboose from the last run of Master cabooses.

I remember just 5 or 6 years ago it seems like you could get a Trainman car for$30-35. Even cabooses. 

The doors are fixed on the Berwick 60' Plug-Door double-door box car, the PS-1 50' Plug-Door Box Car, The Trainman 40' Plug-Door box car, the Evans products double-plug-door box car and the AAR 1937 40' box car. The rest of the box cars have opening doors. There are opening doors on the 40' steel refrigerator cars. 

Would it be possible to have opening doors on the O scale model of the Trinity 64' refrigerator cars? 

How about lights and sound effects for the O scale models of the Trinity 64' refrigerator cars. 

Andrew 

Non opening doors don't bother me, especially on reefers. Never going to see one with an open door. I'd rather save a few bucks. Sound would be cool. Not sure what light you would want. 

Follow ups –

Opening door statement was based on the new Feb AAR offering as shown in the link related to the post topic. Seems the post deviated to other things as they often do on here. Again, these old 77 dollar models are outdated by today’s production standards -https://shop.atlasrr.com/c-18-...-895ebf721a-80665841

 As for detailed 3D printing, it can be done today- https://youtu.be/29jwnYZl5Cw

Will Ebbert posted:

... Been waiting quite a while for my WP F3s to finish my California Zephyr. Tired of pulling the 12 car train with an SD70M.

While I have a Lionel TMCC Western Pacific ABBA configuration from years back for the "more traditional" CZ motive power, I actually now prefer triple-heading the train with a colorful combination of D&RGW, Burlington (CB&Q), and Western Pacific SD70ACe's.  Very impressive and powerful... although admittedly not prototypical!!!    The Atlas-O CZ cars are superb... very likely the best bang for one's dollar in today's O-Gauge market... IMHO.

I'm praying to God we see Atlas make JB Hunt and White EMP containers next. I would buy every single road number they made. Their recent intermodal offerings have sold extremely well and  I would think they'd keep releasing more variations. 

There is no mention of moving doors or opening door on the AAR 1937 Double-Door Box Car.

Are these also non-moving door box cars? 

Andrew

jdstucks posted:

I'm praying to God we see Atlas make JB Hunt and White EMP containers next. I would buy every single road number they made. Their recent intermodal offerings have sold extremely well and  I would think they'd keep releasing more variations. 

I'd buy 4 JB Hunt and one or two white EMP.