Atlas O still making locomotives?

Atlas is still producing motive power but at a glacial pace these days. Rolling stock isn't much better.

Sad, they make a good product. I know there are two big players, MTH and Lionel. But Williams by Bachmann still makes plastic diesel engines, not sure why Atlas O can't. They have all the tooling (some may have been stolen or damaged when changing suppliers).

Thanks CATNAP

My last purchase was the Santa Fe plated F units that I can say I love.   I think two years ago.  I got them from @MrMuffin'sTrains, and I think there are still a few here and there.  Great engines, great product.  Need more from them, their product is great.

John

The minimum pre-order figures just weren't there for the engines cancelled last year (SWs and SD40s)

I recall their website saying that the oversees factory where engines were made had closed. This was several months ago now.  I assumed they would eventually find another place for production.  I hope so. The units I have are my favorite.

jbmccormick posted:

My last purchase was the Santa Fe plated F units that I can say I love.   I think two years ago.  I got them from @MrMuffin'sTrains, and I think there are still a few here and there.  Great engines, great product.  Need more from them, their product is great.

John

Yep,time for a new batch to be run. Great product.

Gotta chime in here....i really liked Atlas O locos....to me it seems the company was VERY observant on their quality control. BTW, as much as i hate to say, i do have a set of those plated Sante Fe ABAs I would sell...NIB. All powered.

There doesn't seem to be anyone left at Atlas interested in the O line. I know at one point they had production problems but nothing has changed about getting product to market.

Yes, Atlas was among the companies left in a lurch when a Chinese factory suddenly closed in July 2018. (It was all discussed extensively on the forum at that time.)

No, that’s not the only reason production has been limited. Atlas is fairly conservative when it comes to its O gauge line. It has been for many years. Frankly, I haven’t noticed that much of a difference in the volume of locomotive production in the past decade.

Track production has also been slow.

Freight cars seem to be more readily produced, however.

EMD posted:

The minimum pre-order figures just weren't there for the engines cancelled last year (SWs and SD40s)

True, but they could bring out their Dash 8-40B, 8-40BW, GP60, GP60M, GP60B, SD35's and so forth. It seems under good circumstances they run a particular engine, then won't re-run for 5 or 6 years or more. Meanwhile, MTH and Lionel make their locomotives every other year or two. Atlas O has a great product, it's too bad we have very limited productions runs to buy from.

I totally agree- I'm back from a 5 year break from the hobby, and it's interesting to see the same gear still for sale on Ebay when I left. It doesn't look like I have to buy much to get caught up.

Geno

Atlas, like several other manufacturers lost some of their tooling when Affatech in China closed.  It's not clear what they were able to transfer and what they were not.  There was nothing nefarious in the closing.  As a reflection of the world we live in, the owner of Affatech was in his 70's, his son didn't want to take on the business and he couldn't find a buyer.  Sound familiar at all in O scale in recent years?

The passing of Jim Weaver did not help either.  He really was the "spiritual" leader of Atlas O, LLC which is separately incorporated from their HO and N lines which continue to do well.

Personally, I have several Atlas locomotives and am a fan of their excellent models. 

Their single motor drive switchers and the AEM7 are some of the best O scale engines out there.  It would be a shame if that was some of the tooling that was lost.

Bob,

I totally agree.  I am unsure of where the AEM7 tooling and switchers are these days.  My best guess is that Kader has that tooling still considering the ALP44 was the last electric released in 2004.  The drive in those locomotives are excellent.  My AEM7 can pull a lot of cars for it's diminutive size as can my ALP44.  I not lucky enough to own an Atlas switcher yet.  Need to find them in CNJ and 2 rail.  Two strikes right there!

I purchased my first Atlas locomotives recently (F3A Burlington and B&O) based on recommendations of several friends and, as noted by others, I have been very impressed with their quality control. Wish I could say the same on the Lionel products that I have bought. I would love to see Atlas have more offerings in their locomotives, particularly in the E and F series diesels.

Jim 1939 posted:

There doesn't seem to be anyone left at Atlas interested in the O line. I know at one point they had production problems but nothing has changed about getting product to market.

Have you read any of the other responses?