Long Awaited Atlas O Scale Zephyr Cars Arrived

Are these the 3-rail version? If so, it would be great if you could post pictures...

I wonder if atlas realizes how well they would do if they made 15 inch cars of this quality.

Go to the 2-rail forum for many pics and a nice review as well.

These are the 3 rail version.

Eliot

They are so nice I ordered one just to display. Malcolm

Eliot, 2- or 3-rail it doesn't matter- Erik did a review covering these cars so nicely- he also was an intricate part of getting the research done to get them to the point they are near perfection. I recommend that review over anything else ever written about these cars...

I received my first four Atlas O Zephyr cars from my local dealer in Colorado, Tim's Toy Trains, about a week ago....two domes and two 10-6 Pullmans. I haven't run them in a train yet, but out of the box and on a powered track they are very impressive indeed. With the exception of hand made low production run brass cars costing between $1,500 and $1,800 a car that I've seen at the Denver O Scale, 2-rail club layout, these are definitely the most thoroughly and beautifully detailed passenger cars I've seen to date in O scale.

One remarkable feature that jumps out at you the moment you de-box one of these Atlas dome car beauties is how accurately the late Jim Weaver and his sidekick, Jerry Kimble, captured the distinctive Budd-style dome. The subtly green-tinted glazing in the domes and their strikingly accurate structural profile attracts the eye immediately, and the angles of the dome's forward and rear shape is spot on. It makes one wonder why none of the other manufacturers ever came more close to getting it right. Suddenly, even the admired K-Line domes look somehow wrong and toy-like by comparison. Luckily for Atlas O, if they decide to adapt their dome tooling to other famous dome car operators like UP, NP, and GN, who bought both Budd-built (GN, NP, CZ) or Budd-licensed domes from American Car and Foundry (UP), they will render the dome cars produced by Williams, K-Line, and Lionel aesthetically obsolete overnight!

The underbody detailing is superb, especially what you can see from trackside at eye level. The castings capture such details as air conditioning compressors, brake plumbing, and water storage tanks beautifully. The interiors of the dome cars feature the familiar curvilinear staircases which can be easily seen through the windows, and an accurately reproduced narrow depressed passageway down one side of the lower level adjacent to the dome's floor and side structure and the lounge seating on the opposite side, a detail feature missing from most if not all other dome cars I can remember from any of the other manufacturers.

There are no passengers or crew visible in the interiors, a cost saving oversight in my opinion by Atlas O, but hopefully easily rectified by a motivated modeler armed with a screwdriver and some Artista or Golden Gate Depot passenger figures. While you're in there, you might as well paint some contrasting upholstery and flooring surfaces for easily upgraded realism.

The trucks feature adjustable coupler mountings to increase or decrease the distance between cars. As delivered, the coupler shanks when coupled, leave a relatively small gap between the diaphragm faces. The diaphragms are impressive as well. Instead of the very sparsely detailed moulded rubber diaphragms we are accustimed to, the Atlas cars have highly detailed sprung telescoping diaphragms made of plastic. I am really looking forward to adjusting these truck coupler shanks so that when coupled they touch with a slight compression of the telescoping mechanism. This will provide full realistic contact between diaphragm surface faces. It should be exciting to watch them articulate as the cars round the approximately O-120 diameter curves on my current layout!

On the exterior of these cars, Atlas O has very accurately reproduced the patina of mildly weathered stainless steel. The casting of the simulated fluted and "shot welded" all metal sheathing of each car is very realistic in appearance. After watching the obsessive trial and error process Scott Mann of 3rd Rail/Golden Gate Depot went through to find the right metal finish for the plastic lower boattail part of his 1937 Super Chief observation lounge cars, I realize that Atlas has done a masterful job of simulating this very accurate rendition of stainless steel on their injection-moulded Zephyr car bodies!

I only have a couple of minor criticisms of my new Atlas Zephyr cars. First, I was a little disappointed to find some very small zigzagging transverse lines running irregularly over the upper sides and roofs of the cars, almost like fine scratches. It could be an electrostatic effect occuring in the mould-parting or metal finish application process. It could also be actual scratches produced while the simulated metal finish is not yet hard, caused by careless assembly line workers.

My other very minor criticism has to do with the wonderful venetian blind illusion on the cars' windows. The random level to which the partially open blinds appear to have been "adjusted" by individual passengers is a very effective and realistic detail that I applaud for it's illusory effects. The individual blinds vanes are painted or lithographed onto the green tinted lucite window glazing. Unfortunately, Atlas chose for some reason to apply the effect on the outer surface of the individual window panes and the appearance is too visually prominent compared to how it would look if printed/painted on the inside of the windows. The effect is still striking, but because of not being viewed through the tinted window material, it stands out a bit too much, unnecessarily detracting from the drama of the illusion for me.

Overall, I am extremely pleased with the long-awaited Zephyr cars. They are spectacular in realism, finish, and detailing. I'm so happy that Jerry Kimble along with members of the Forum were successful in changing the late Jim Weaver's original decision to offer the cars only with on-board battery-powered interior lighting! After our lobbying effort, he decided to build the cars with optional switch-selected battery lighting or conventional center rail power pickup rollers, a nice compromise between practicality and purism! RIP Jim, you are sorely missed!

ZephyrFanBear

I have the silver dome car and another dome on the way from Sean, I also have the PRR cars of the Zepher on the way, now I need some scale PRR silver with the RED stripe so I can take this train to NYC with the GG1 on the head of it.
These cars are well worth the money, they are by far the best passenger cars I own and I will be buying more for sure.
Atlas, please make some PRR, ATSF, SP, Southern, B&O, RDG and other roads. You will get the biz for sure on these cars, they will put you over the top of the passenger car market, and more importantly you will make a fortune my friends.
John Pignatelli

These cars are just too nice. But they're just too long.

quote:

My other very minor criticism has to do with the wonderful venetian blind illusion on the cars' windows...
...Unfortunately, Atlas chose for some reason to apply the effect on the outer surface of the individual window panes and the appearance is too visually prominent compared to how it would look if printed/painted on the inside of the windows.

And you call that "very minor"?

At least (according to what the other forum states) Atlas has owned up to the mistake and is supposed to provide a fix. Unlike Lionel, that is how it should be! Hats off to Atlas for doing the right thing.

quote:

These cars are just too nice. But they're just too long.

I got a good look at the CZ cars at the train show in Springfield last weekend. They are certainly the best passenger cars on the O gauge market to date.
However, most of us don't have the real estate for the large radius curves that these beauties require. I personally think that the 18" compressed cars like MTH makes work best for me as I have 64" curves. I would LOVE to have 18" versions of the "American Flyer" cars that the Boston and Maine, New Haven, Bangor and Aroostook and several other roads had.

Talk about a company taking a risk especially in these times.
Looks like the niche market approach is the direction Atlas is choosing to take.

These are beautiful 2R cars however anything over 16” is not really practical for the majority of 3 rail operators.
Even today, the market is still flooded with those old K-Line 18-21” passenger cars that many couldn’t run.
I hope they will make a 17” or compressed version for 3 railers in SCL

quote:

Originally posted by SIRT:

Even today, the market is still flooded with those old K-Line 18-21” passenger cars that many couldn’t run.

The 21" K-Line cars typically go for $120 to $150 each on e-bay.
well over the original selling price.

quote:

One remarkable feature that jumps out at you the moment you de-box one of these Atlas dome car beauties is how accurately the late Jim Weaver and his sidekick, Jerry Kimble, captured the distinctive Budd-style dome. The subtly green-tinted glazing in the domes and their strikingly accurate structural profile attracts the eye immediately, and the angles of the dome's forward and rear shape is spot on. It makes one wonder why none of the other manufacturers ever came more close to getting it right. Suddenly, even the admired K-Line domes look somehow wrong and toy-like by comparison. Luckily for Atlas O, if they decide to adapt their dome tooling to other famous dome car operators like UP, NP, and GN, who bought both Budd-built (GN, NP, CZ) or Budd-licensed domes from American Car and Foundry (UP), they will render the dome cars produced by Williams, K-Line, and Lionel aesthetically obsolete overnight!

Well it's glad to see that # railers Liked it. you should have seen the 2 rail dome controversey when the prototype pic was posted!

Eliot, that has got to be a cool looking consist!! Looking forward to your video!

quote:

Well it's glad to see that 3 railers Liked it. you should have seen the 2 rail dome controversey when the prototype pic was posted!

I was peripherally aware of that backlash when Atlas showed the pre-production prototype for the first time. I talked with Jerry Kimble at York shortly after that faux pas and although not thin-skinned about the criticism, he acknowledged that the dome "wasn't quite right" and would be fixed before going into production. That generally reflects Atlas O's attitude about scale fidelity and reliably operating locos and rolling stock. I think Jim Weaver got a rude awakening from the firestorm of criticism that followed Atlas O's introduction of their first O scale 3 rail locos back around 2000. Those were the NW and SW switchers which had serious electronic reversing problems that were widely covered in the hobby press. I know Jim got the message, and as far as I know, Atlas has not repeated its painful trip down that set of tracks again!

Scher Bear is right about what shapes Atlas O's corporate ethos. They are totally devoted to producing scale items that are faithful to the prototype but affordable for the three-rail O scale world of their hi-railer customers. I salute Atlas for the amount of effort they put into their first O scale release of these CZ streamlined cars. As John Pignatelli points out, they can re-use this tooling to produce models from a number of other railroads. That's a solid foundation to build on. Hang onto your wallets, all you afficionados of other roads, I can feel a prolific production looming that will satisfy your long-frustrated dreams for scale, prototypically accurate streamlined cars of a wide variety of railroads and based upon common tooling from the CZ cars to hold production costs and retail prices to a minimum!

As I look back on the thirteen years I've been back in the hobby, lured by the advent of electronic sound systems, scale proportions, and the alluring cornucopia of variety, it's amazing to me to see the incredible innovation and creativity that the hi-rail hobby industry continues to tempt us with! Atlas O has once again raised the bar with the California Zephyr cars!

WaxingPhilosophicalBear

Way to go Eliot on you new purchase!
Can you share some pictures for us?
Like I need another reason to drain the wallet, but its nice to dream!

Referencing my earlier post regarding the "American Flyer" passenger cars. Apparently, Seaboard, Cotton Belt, Kansas City Southern and Southern Pacific had them as well as the NH, BAR and the B&M. Check out this link: American Flyer Cars

quote:

I hope they will make a 17” or compressed version

Given the long journey it has been to get the full scale cars done, I hope Atlas does not dilute their efforts with "shortys".

quote:

Even today, the market is still flooded with those old K-Line 18-21” passenger cars that many couldn’t run.
I hope they will make a 17” or compressed version for 3 railers in SCL

SIRT, I sure wouldn't say the market is "flooded" with 21" K-Line passenger cars. Many, if not most of the 21" K-Line passenger cars go for pretty high dollars on the Bay, and that "special" flat-end Union Pacific observation car has been going for OVER $450!

MTH and Lionel have offered more than enough non-scale length passenger cars for those folks that want and enjoy them. Lets not dilute the market for true "scale length" passenger equipment, such as the Golden Gate Depot heavyweights and these new Atlas Cal. Z beautiful pieces. Folks with "sharp curves" have plenty of passenger cars to choose from, but those of us with 072 and larger curves are left wanting more and more "scale length" cars.

I don't think Atlas will ever make any shorty passenger cars, unless they decide to bring out something in the Industrial Rail line.

Jeff C

quote:

Originally posted by bob3:
....I hope Atlas does not dilute their efforts with "shortys".

Lots of companies make different sizes of things without diluting the quality of their products. Besides, how much would it take to remove a 3 inch plug from a shell?

quote:

Besides, how much would it take to remove a 3.0 inch plug from a shell?

I for one, would NEVER purchase any scale length passenger cars with a seam up the sides and across the roof, allowing for 3 inches to be "removed". I also don't think anyone else would purchase such silly looking cars.

quote:

quality of their products

"Quality" isn't the issue (I'm sure Atlas could make beautiful "shortys"),

resources (employees can only work so many hours a week), and manufacturing capacity are the problems.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim S:

quote:

These cars are just too nice. But they're just too long.

I got a good look at the CZ cars at the train show in Springfield last weekend. They are certainly the best passenger cars on the O gauge market to date.
However, most of us don't have the real estate for the large radius curves that these beauties require. I personally think that the 18" compressed cars like MTH makes work best for me as I have 64" curves. I would LOVE to have 18" versions of the "American Flyer" cars that the Boston and Maine, New Haven, Bangor and Aroostook and several other roads had.

Better than those produced by Sunset 3RD Rail?

My two latest purchase of aluminum passenger cars (Sp Daylight) and Pennsy (Broadway limited) don't have the window problems associated with the pull down blinds (all artwork is done on the inside and the cars come with passenger figures). The Broad way Limited is my favorite of the two.

However they may be more expensive than the Atlas cars so that may be a reason.

However the finest passenger car ever made in 3 Rail may be the one manufactured by OMI Brass Presidential Observation cars ( Ronald Regan and Ferdinand Magellan (Truman era) versions.


Nevertheless I'm glad that you are happy with your purchase; I'm sure they are very nice. Looking forward to seeing them in purchase.


"She took the Atchison, Topeka & the Santa FE"

quote:

Better than those produced by Sunset 3RD Rail?

Much nicer than the 3rd Rail Super Chief. I think Golden Gate Depot's painted cars are probably nicer than the stainless cars they have produced, like the Empire State Express and the Super Chief. The Chinese manufacturer may also be different for the painted cars and the stainless cars.

The detailing on the Atlas CZ cars, especially the diaphragms, are much more accurate than the GGD Super Chief cars. That said, I think the SC cars may have been a low point for GGD. It was a low production volume set, that I think GGD just wanted to get off the drawing boards.

Marker is spot on re the GGD Super Chief cars....somehow lost in the shuffle were any and all roof details, the proper trucks, realistic steps and the promised all original tooling. But then for a hundred bucks we got a very good set of car bodies for a unique and shortlived passenger set.
I hope that Atlas makes their Budd diaphragms available as separate parts as they would really improve the looks of the GGD cars.

Allan

quote:

Originally posted by marker:

quote:

Better than those produced by Sunset 3RD Rail?

Much nicer than the 3rd Rail Super Chief. I think Golden Gate Depot's painted cars are probably nicer than the stainless cars they have produced, like the Empire State Express and the Super Chief. The Chinese manufacturer may also be different for the painted cars and the stainless cars.

The detailing on the Atlas CZ cars, especially the diaphragms, are much more accurate than the GGD Super Chief cars. That said, I think the SC cars may have been a low point for GGD. It was a low production volume set, that I think GGD just wanted to get off the drawing boards.

Marker, thank you for the info.

Eliot,

  Could you post a few photos? 

Scott

I will post some pics . . . . 

ASAP

 

Scrapiron

 

Wow !  These Zephyr cars are truly outstanding.  How lucky we are to have such products.  Atlas along with Golden State has really marketed some beauties.  I hope that Atlas is able to ramp up production to meet demand.  Of course,the same can be said for all of the manufacturers--2 to 3 years is too long to get product.

 

Norm

quote:

 The individual blinds vanes are painted or lithographed onto the green tinted lucite window glazing. Unfortunately, Atlas chose for some reason to apply the effect on the outer surface of the individual window panes and the appearance is too visually prominent compared to how it would look if printed/painted on the inside of the windows.

George Brown just reviewed these cars, and he states that the blinds are on the inside. In the pictures, the blinds do not appear to have a green tint to them as if they were inside the glass, but, appear nice and buff as if they were painted on the outside.

 

So, did George get it wrong?

 

I also noticed that in George's review, in the latest OGR (run 257). The nice color photos plainly show that the blinds are NOT "tinted green" and are thus on the outside of the windows. The nice folks at Atlas indicated early on that they would be providing replacement window "strips" that have the blinds correctly located on the INSIDE.

 

We'll have to assume that either George actually didn't notice the incorrect blind placement, or maybe chose to not bring that little error up in his review. 

I would never buy a "short" version of a passenger car. I wouldn't have a car with a seam up the side either. This is the only scale that offers shortened cars. If the car was 85 feet then I want an 85 foot car with interior detail not those silly silhouettes something you also find only in this scale.
I don't think you have to worry about Atlas diluting their efforts with shorty's,that's never been their style. If they do anything it'll be another run with possibly some different road names.

Atlas's offerings in the other scales have always had very nice detail and I think they've raised the bar when it comes to both passenger cars and rolling stock. I also like the adjustable draw bar so there isn't that silly gap between the vestibules. I've been a Atlas  customer since 1969 and I've never been disappointed with any of their products.

David   

Yes, the Atlas cars are beauties. And the GGD SF Super Chief Cars (borrowed from the run of ESE cars) of 5 years ago, don't have the detail fidelity of the cars of today. Nor do they have the detail fidelity of our current run of car (SP Daylight, 1948 20th Century, PRR Broadway Limited).

 

And now, we are entering production of THE CANADIAN. Some of the nice features that deliniate us from the CZ cars of late are: Individually applied interior pieces, ability to access interiors for adding more little people, real metal body, real window shades.

 

Of course we all have our preferences, but I think many people would like to get it over with and buy the train when they want it. So we make all the cars available at the same time.

 

Below is REV 4 of our Canadian Observation. Some more corrections, but it is getting very close. This time, we are making prototypical trucks and underbodies for the complete Canadian Train. Coming in 6 months.  Reservations are almost full. They won't get any cheaper, all this added detail is costing more and more each year. Getem while their HOT.

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

Scott Mann - Golden Gate Depot

Well, not quite....

 

In N, Model Power offeres the old Minitrix short steamline passenger cars.

 

In HO, Athearn still has their 70' streamline and heavweight cars.  I think Con-Cor's are also still available.

 

In S, American Models has 75' Budd cars, plus American Flyer by Lionel still offers shorty streamlined cars.

 

Not sure about G.

 

Rusty

 

It's not about resources per se either.  Atlas O prides itself with making models as accurate to prototype as possible.  That would include overall dimensions.  If Atlas made such extreme deviations to the dimensions on their CZ cars or any other product they make, that goes contrary to their own corporate philosophy.

If you want Atlas to make shortened CZ cars, you'd have better luck with them doing that in their Industrial Rail Line before you'd ever see them in their Master or Trainman lines.

If they're a 60,70 , 75 or 85 foot car in the other scales it's not a shortened car it's a scale car. Some railroads ran shorter passenger cars for clearance or whatever reason but in the other scales you never see them listed as 14 inch or 18 inch they're always listed in feet like their prototypical counter parts. so an 85 foot passenger car in N scale will be a scale 85 feet long and will be labeled that way on the box. It's the difference of NMRA standards as opposed to hanging on to the toy train standards.

David