Atlas Trinity 3281? 2 Bay Covered Hopper

Mike DeBerg,

Yes Mike! I'm 100% with you. American Limited just came out with a model of that car in HO a couple months back and as you know,it's FANTASTIC!!

I don't want to get the steam era mad at me,but think it only makes sense to mention that,modern era freight cars need modern era couplers. The 5161s & these cars among all modern era cars such as the steel cars,have lower shelf couplers on them. Just the common E coupler won't do it. Anything else is like mounting Link&Pin couplers on them & saying it's okay. I know a lot of modelers aren't that picky but for as exact as many modelers are on other subjects,it doesn't make sense to overlook these couplers.

But these cars would make a great addition to modern O Scale!!!

Thanks for bringing this model to the modern era's attention.

 

Al Hummel

 

Al,

 

No doubt!   Certainly we need more coupler variety, starting the shelf E upper and lower.  Wouldn't hurt to have the type F coupler varieties either...

 

Mike,DeBerg,

That's the car!! Make's a guy want to go to HO. O's got to have more attractions like these to bring in new blood.

Checkout Protocraft's new E coupler-it's a beauty works with a magnetic wand to "pull the pin," or with cut levers,top or bottom. Now all is needed is the shelf variety upper/lower. We also need the F &H couplers. Actually,the H can be made from the F as Kadee has done with their HO models. I'm surprised the steam era modelers haven't asked for this coupler as the H "tightlock,"started in later steam days. The F variety got it's start in the 50s. O needs them all.

 

Thanks again,

Al Hummel

Mike DeBerg,

We seem to be the only 2 modelers interested in this model. This doesn't speak well for the future of modern O Scale. If the same holds true with couplers,I'll never see improvement there either. I'm at a serious crossroad on DCS/DCC,plus the choice between Atlas or MTH Diesels. As much as I enjoy the size of my O Scale,it's got to have more going for it than size to keep me here. I'm fighting an uphill battle on sales of HO to fund my O scale,am in the red now. Not a promising outlook,Mike.

 

Al Hummel

Al,

 

Too quick to really say for modern O Scale especially with the fragmented community, 3R, 3RS, and 2R.   Seriously if you're in 2R I would stay with DCC. It gives you the most flexibility and decoders are readily available.  Not as easy to find new DCS modules for locomotives.  I've had better luck with guys like myself who pull them out!  

 

You can buy Atlas and MTH locomotives, along with many others.  Sure the MTH units with PS3 are ready to go out of the box on DCC if you're lucky enough to find a scale wheel version...  If not, or they are PS2 no biggie, very easy to convert in most cases.   Always have other modelers interested in PS2 modules!

 

It comes down to really prioritizing what's most important to you, regardless of scale, lots of these other factors carry more weight for you it sounds like and you're fighting internally because of the size of O Scale is really more important to you now that you have experienced it.  Yes, size does matter... LOL!     There is a natural tendency to be drawn towards things that have a personal connection or make something more realistic.  O Scale does that but has some short comings due to the segmentation.  

 

I'm really tired of hearing about space limitations as the primary reason why O Scale isn't as popular as HO and N scales.   That was so 25 years ago, people overcome space limitations in all aspects of their lives, everyday.  It really is about where O Scale went, where the O Scale community is today and the need to deliver products which attract ageing modelers and bring in new ones! 

 

We need more positive exposure at large shows with modern modular layouts, not just the traditional 3R layouts. 

 

Enough tangent about O Scale, there are definitely more modelers interested in this type of car, especially if Atlas can fairly easily produce this in it's master line.  There would be unit trains abound!     

I would be in for some of these along with the other cars Mike posted about as well- we need modern rolling stock, not just any cars, but models of these cars-- Atlas O has the right idea going...

Mike,

Thank you for the encouragement. I wonder if Atlas is still listening?

 

Got to running cars about my yard,which has been put down,mostly in planning as funds won't allow for more switches yet. It was put down,now pulled up & repositioned for I believe 3 or 4 times now,lost count. I'm focusing future changes in my mind & putting down,well starting to with 3 Atlas #5 switches,the double ended yard concept which will allow backdrop industries on the shortest track along 1 wall.

 

The loco roster is 1 Chessie GP15-1,1 CSX GP15-1&1 CSX GP60. All the gp15s are great runners though 1 runs in the opposite direction from the other when on the same track & stops at times. It starts as soon as the throttle is shut off & then turned back on,but no track is firmly nailed down yet or fully cleaned except with bright boy.

 

What do you recommend for decoders,I mean I'm big on sound,so I'd like,horn,bell,prime mover sounds,all the regular sounds a diesel makes in my decoders. Do you have a brand you like? I think most modelers have been well satisfied with NCE for DCC but in comparison,MRC has some pretty nice systems too. I definitely need non tethered walkarounds,as I'm walking 46ft in length. (I'm Engineer,Conductor & Brakeman all in 1,so have to be available on the ends as well as everywhere in between with my trains at all & any times I'm needed.)

 

What do decoders like I'm asking about run pricewise?

 

Thanks Mike,will be in touch,the wife's sick so got to go.

 

Thanks again,

Al Hummel

Al,

 

I have installed sound in a 2R Chessie GP15 using a LokSound Select Direct HO decoder (about $80 street price) and a stock Atlas speaker sealed in the fuel tank.

 

I also wired the "China drive" motors in series, see: http://oscale.uberflip.com/i/1...ptember-october-2013

 

One trick I used to make sure things were wired correctly before taking a chance of frying the decoder was to use a DCC-ready board from an Athearn HO RTR diesel. That way if I managed to electrocute the decoder, myself or the cat, I would not be out a sound decoder.

 

This thing works like a champ although I am not pulling a lot of cars with it. I've used it to switch and pull about six 50' cars with no sign of overheating. If you're worried about that, LoKSound now makes an O/G decoder for about $50-60 more.

 

I may play around with the speakers in the GP15. I did the same thing to an Atlas MP15DC. I gutted the QSI sound and added the LokSound Select Direct decoder and two, round hi-bass speakers from Railmaster Hobbies. I'll try to post some photos tonight.

 

I just finished adding this same decoder to an Atlas SW8 but used a Railmaster DSM-8 speaker. I had mixed results using this speaker in HO but it sounds really great, as a single speaker installation, in the SW8. It may be that metal body shell really helps but the sound is quite robust and deep.

 

 

Hi Bill,

I plan to do something similar to an Atlas O MP15 with one of the new LokSound Select L (for large) O scale decoders (~$125) by ripping out the OEM QSI sound decoder and start from scratch with the LokSound Select L sound decoder.   I also picked up one of the LokSound programming modules for $~$160 to program the LokSound sound file for the MP15 and all the other sound settings they offer up for tweaking.   I am going to start with just using the stock speaker and see how that goes.  I also want to try out the LokSound Power Pack keep alive module too, once I get the initial install complete as this O Scale version of the LokSound select decoders support the power pack module but I don’t think the HO versions of the LokSound Select decoders support the power pack module.

 

For a little update on ESU LokSound offerings; LokSound is now offering their line of “Select” sound decoders that that they are supplying to OEMs, such as those used in the latest Atlas HO and O scale DCC sound-equipped locomotives as a standalone sound decoder for upgrades or grass-roots DCC installs .  These LokSound Select decoders support DCC-only protocol and only North American locomotive model sound files (remember that ESU standard decoders provides decoders that provide multiple control system protocols - not just DCC - commonly used outside the US as well as prime mover sounds for non-US locomotive models).   So for most of us North American prototype modelers, the LokSound Select line will fit the bill and it costs about 25% less than their “non –Select” version of the same decoder making the price point quite attractive.    LokSound still offers their XL version for ~$200, but the new “L” and “Select L” versions will fit most of our O scale needs, even for the dual-motored Atlas and MTH models. 

 

TCS still hasn’t started shipping their large scale WOW sound decoder yet but it appears that it will be around the same price point as the LokSound Select L model.  The SoundTraxx large scale ECO-400 4.0 Amp Econamis are in this same price range too.    

 

What this says is that there seems to be a perceived growth opportunity in the O scale market by the DCC Sound Decoder manufacturers to actually offer sound decoders targeted for this specific O Scale market segment.  “In the before time”, the O Scale community basically only had QSI and "juiced up" HO Soundtraxx Tsunami (by Protocraft) to choose from.  However, now we have pretty much all the sound decoder manufacturers playing in O Scale sandbox: QSI, ESU LokSound L and XL, Zimo, SoundTraxx Large Scale Econami, and soon to be joining the market – TCS WOW sound large scale.  The future’s so bright I gotta wear shades .

 

Scott K.

Austin, TX

I would love to see the 2 bay ACF hopper for cement and fracking sand. BUt before I get my vote counted I need to ponder.  I too have a big question to ask myself in the O scale N scale portion of the hobby. We keep mulling over whether to sell our acre and house and move into a retirement community as we look to downsize. An acre is a bunch of space to take care of but then I lose the space I have for my O scale layout. If we go into a retirement community near the kids  most all we get is a 2 bedroom home and a 2 car garage. So one car space goes to a layout enclosed for A/C to play in and since I like mainline modeling an O scale in 20 feet isn't much exciting. So now O become N. and over 15 years of collecting just becomes a collection for dust. I guess I would display much of it for some enjoyment.but need to build and run an N scale layout. I guess it wouldn't hurt outside finding space for the almost 200 O scale boxes and storing some $20,000 in trains. That is a newer car. Thinking what I would get more enjoyment from. Boxed trains or a newer car in the driveway getting older every year. One can build a heck of a N scale layout in 10x20 feet. Anyone here downsize to a retirement community? None here have O scale trains and I live in Phx where so many retire to.

 

I've been doing sound since the old Loksound V 3.5, after having tried the others.  If you're prepared to buy a Lokprogrammer, you can make the decoders literally talk.  The graphics on the Lokprogrammer make it easy to customise your loco, without the need for CV's.  Just make the adjustments right on the screen.

 

The full blown V 4 will accept your own sound files, but for a more reasonable price, the Select is now my weapon of choice.  Matt Herman at Loksound LLC is producing decoder projects so good that I've given up making my own.

 

His one on one service is astounding.  He also produces a range of Video tutorials which are superb.

 

Cheers

What companies lease or own these Trinity Railcar built 2-bay covered hoppers?

 

 

Andrew

Andrew,

 

Some of the more popular markings

 

Union Pacific/CMO

CSX with the How Tomorrow Moves logo

TILX

CRDX

MCEX

WSOX

Norfolk Southern
Winchester Western
BACX Blue Circle Cement
HWCX (the new pink cars) 

SLCX in the 1-48 series
NRLX Ciment Quebec (with the logo)
ICE-GATX
TXI 1052 series

 

 

Also, a great resource on the Trinity Covered hopper line can be found here

https://www.trinityrail.com/pr...x?id=41&catid=27

My thoughts exactly. They've got fantastic models but they need more roadnames on different models. They need more detail too. For instance,they did a GREAT job on their Family Lines System 4750s they did 4 nos of. Family Lines had more hoppers built for them in the early 80s in a different lettering arrangement that I sent to Atlas which they now have. I wish Atlas would've put that much detail on the CSX models. Oh well,we can always hope.

Al HUmmel

I would love these cars.  Maybe a more modern gondola also. 

I love the part in this thread about the N-scale vs O-scale debate.   The never-ending debate....    I suppose you can debate over HO also.  It's all a trade off.  There is no perfect scale, it just seems like there is.   And it usually seems like it's the one you are not currently modeling!!!

All the scales are fun and each have their advantages.   I have never been able to fully kick the 2-rail addiction.  I think I am stuck here for life!!!!

Don

Don,

 

Yes, you're absolutely right about this road, debate on which route to take/scale(s) to model, each has it's own pros/cons, sounds like a recent discussion between us.. LOL!  

 

Definitely need more modern gons, boxcars, coal hoppers, centerbeams, etc... You could almost throw a dart at a board full of cars and get a bullseye regardless of where the dart actually stuck!

 

Good Day Mike,

 

Start campaigning Atlas for the new hopper now. It took us all campaigning over 2 1/2 years before Atlas offered the Trinity 5161 Hopper. Atlas did not come up the 5161 on their own. :-) 

 

Regards, 

Swafford

Frank,

 

Thanks!  Certainly would be an easier offering for them.  Even the 6351 (4 Bay) should be easy, similar to the TM Flats, regular flat, short bulkhead and the full bulkhead concept.  Just number of bays, 3281, 5161 or 6351... Lol! 

 

Should be a very good market for the smaller 2-Bay car based on the Lionel and MTH offerings.  Only Atlas can deliver this car!

Anyone have pictures of these Trinity 3281 Hoppers on the rails? 

 

Regards,

Swafford

 

 

I'd like more modern stock in 2-rail as well; I'd have a short hopper or two, preferably by Atlas as from across The Pond here in the UK at least I'd know what I'm getting with Atlas. I know there is some 'scale' stuff from Lionel & MTH, but it's not easy to find out what, & then obtain it.
I'd take better/modern couplers too if they were done by Kadee, but the lack of them isn't going to stop me modelling in O.

SundayShunter,

Am in agreement with you on the modern freight cars as well as modern couplers.

Take a look at the revised E coupler just released from Protocraft. This is fantastic in appearance & a friend who knows the owner says it will allow longer cars to operate on tighter radius curves. It works just as the prototype or with a magnet. This needed to be a upper/lower safety shelf coupler though,as modern freight requires modern couplers,to provide less is like saying Link&Pin couplers are fine on modern equipment.

 

But we modelers who want such change have to make our voices heard loud & clear,regardless if it's freight cars,diesels,couplers,etc. In an email to Kadee,I was told that company is aware of the severe need for shelf couplers,but the demand is just not there yet. That tells me the O scale community is uneducated on the use of shelf couplers on modern rolling stock,so 1st comes education,then demand. In HO,some modelers won't care even though the use of anything but modern couplers is not to prototype modeling,but that's a small percentage. This will happen in all scales.

 

In other news,JD Trains is DEFINATELY out of business according to a large retailer. What I don't understand is why the website is still up? I had my diesel roster planned around units he had advertised,but I had to revise that. I now have 1 Chessie,&1CSX GP15 2 rail for sale,as well as a CSX GP60 2 rail unit. The GP60 is new never run,while the 15's have been run & are great runners. Both had previous owners,I only ran them on some flex track as well as some switches,not on a layout as I have no layout fully up still in the planning stages.

 

Thank you for listening.

Al Hummel