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Did I miss something?  Just got an e-mail from Atlas O with a reannounced Trainman Hycube box car that was announced in 2010.  Price for 3 rail is $54.95!  (Could have sworn it was $44.95.)

 

Doesn't this new price point kind of defeat the purpose of Trainman being an affordable alternative?  I don't see show prices being the $32 I paid for my UP hycube.  Looks like it will be more like $45.

 

Fred

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Fred,

You are correct!

The price seemed to have risen overnight and not just by a dollar, or two!

I believe, it is like with the price of gas, which is on the rise again!

If, the prices for Trainman rose, then what are the prices for Master Line going to be?

Hopefully, we all can still enjoy our hobby, even though some of us are on a fixed income.

http://www.atlastrainman.com/F...ube.htm#.UBumtY4z2Ps

Money talks, everyone else walks!!!!!

RJL

Last edited by RJL

Well I do NOt by too many cars nowadays but...


This car is unique and well detailed. I will have to make an exception of these. Amost All subsequent runs of this car type has a duplicate paitn scheme from a previous run- so one less car for me to purchase!

There are not too many different cars left for Atlas O to do prototypically of this type. Due to their size and details and prototypical paint schemes, they do sell quickly.

 

FYI, When speaking to JD of JD's trains at O scale National in Parsippany, he is running LOW on his limited edition Cotton Belt version of this car. They are still resonably priced for a custom run!

 

 

Oh yea... Those MPC versions of this car Don't hold a Candle to the AtlasO trainman version!

Last edited by prrhorseshoecurve

You can still find T-Man cars around for under $33.00 ea. which they all should be at in order to sell.

I don’t see new, extremely high priced Atlas cars selling these days. The same cars month after month also remain on ebay.

Atlas has narrowed their market for the selected few.

 

As for the latest Hi-cubes, there doesn’t seem to be much imagination again. Looks like another boring selection of cars.

 

The modelers I talk to actually were hoping for these…

 

 

 

 

 

As for the latest Hi-cubes, there doesn’t seem to be much imagination again. Looks like another boring selection of cars.

 

The modelers I talk to actually were hoping for these…

 But are they prototypical? I have done research on the 40' Hy-cubes and have yet to come up with prototypical pics. I know there were 50' Hy-Cubes that MTH can do prototypically!

It took a while, but I was able to get the first two ATSF's and convert them to 2-rail to match the ones I got from the second run. I'll be ordering the Post '75 decorated ATSF cars just announced. Atlas did a good job on these, but I'm disturbed at the price increase as these aren't as detailed as the Master line (and even many comparable MTH Premier cars.) I also have a pair in CNW livery. They're very nice cars with good weight and the opening doors allow them to be part of a loading dock diorama.

Originally Posted by prrhorseshoecurve:

As for the latest Hi-cubes, there doesn’t seem to be much imagination again. Looks like another boring selection of cars.

 

The modelers I talk to actually were hoping for these…

 But are they prototypical? I have done research on the 40' Hy-cubes and have yet to come up with prototypical pics. I know there were 50' Hy-Cubes that MTH can do prototypically!

They are prototypical. The 40' hi-cubes were devised in the 60's to carry appliances, but you still cant fit a whole lot in them despite the extra height, so 50 and 60 footers quickly followed.

Here's a real one:

Bolilermaker1, I know the Car type is prototypical. I have the Pullman Standard Color gude book from morning sun as well as several RR Freight car color guides and the MR, RR model Craftsman articles on this 40' Hy-Cube. I was referring to the Paint schemes SIRT had posted... SCL, B&O,PC & CSX. I can't find any reference to them as a 40' Hy-Cube car.

 

BTW, ATLAS  O is offering an undecorated version of this Hy-Cube as well!

I think the price increase is due to Atlas having had to find a new manufacturer in China. Sanda Kan has cut off most or all of its previous customers outside the Kader/Bachmann empire and there is a shortage of model train production capacity in China. In addition, there are many domestic Chinese economic factors that have caused the cost of production to skyrocket in the past year or two. Wages and benefits are up, as is government interference with foreign investors. Note that Weaver actually decided to produce its Milwaukee Road ribside boxcars in the U.S., at the same MSRP as the previous limited-run B&O wagontops. That's in part a symptom of rising costs and production hassles in China. 

Hy-Cubes

After further consultation with the experts it turns out I was fooled after all these years thinking the Athearn cars I had were prototypical.

I always thought Athearn was as accurate as Atlas but I see that’s not the case.

I stand corrected.

Lessons learned.

 

I apologize for the misunderstanding.

These cars shown would probably be more suitable as an MTH product.

 

Steve

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