Sneek Peek... of the Atlas California Zephyr (2 rail)

I checked them out at my local hobby shop, yesterday. They sure are impressive!

How does one get the cars apart to add people and replace/change-out the windows (the blinds are on the OUTSIDE of the windows instead of the inside), assuming Atlas provides replacement windows?

Nice photos of a nice model Erik! The 41-ND trucks look sweet. Was there such a thing as a 41-DN truck? I saw it online a while back but I can't relocate the link, it could have been a typo, but it appeared the trucks on the Seaboard Budd cars were different than these cars.

Man-o-man I'd love to see Atlas make a 5-car Silver Meteor set.

Any pics of the 3-rail version yet? I'm kinda scared for the super long ridiculous couplers Atlas has been using.

quote:

Originally posted by SB..:
Any pics of the 3-rail version yet? I'm kinda scared for the super long ridiculous couplers Atlas has been using.

Not on these passenger cars, SB..:! I looked them over pretty close at my local hobby shop, this past week and they couple nice and close with the Atlas "normal sixe" lobster claw. The reall impressive feature on the 3-Rail cars, which absolutely nobody has even mentioned yet, is the ability to shorten the distance between each car, for those of us with bigger diameter curves.

Atlas has their lobster claw coupler mounted on a bracket that has two long "ears" which fit between the truck frame and the truck bolster, held in place by two small screws. Just loosen the two screws and push the whole "coupler mounting assembly" in-ward and, the lobster claw knuckle can then be brought inward and flush with the striking faces of the diaphragms, bringing each car closer to the next, before the couplers ingage and lock.

Man, it's about time somebody did something like this in 3-rail. After the Acela came out, I thought that auto-telescoping couplers would have been the "next big thing" in O-scale passenger cars. Adjustable length couplers are the next best thing in my opinion.

Here you go Jack and S.B.

First the factory delivered spacing of CZs on a section of MTH O72 Real Track.


The same factory delivered spacing on a section of Gargraves stainless flexed to O240 (10'ft radius as carefully measured by Mr. Hikel).



Finally the setting closed by two notches (holes) on the same section of O240


Someone wanting to run point to point on absolutely straight track could tighten the couplers so the diaphragms are completely intact and no light would pass between them.