Atlas O Announces - The Weaver Troop Cars - and more 8,000 Gallon Tank Cars - Orders due 2/10/16!

That's awesome that Atlas are making the troop cars!! This will make a lot of guys real happy!!

Are you saying that each troop car is available in 4 road numbers each?  Making the total 28 separate troop type cars available all with different numbers? 

Great car and Great news!!!

Carl C posted:

Are you saying that each troop car is available in 4 road numbers each?  Making the total 28 separate troop type cars available all with different numbers? 

Yes - that is correct..... There are also undecorated versions in case you want to paint your own.....

Did Atlas say anything about replacements for the warped Weaver floors?

Jan

Jan posted:

Did Atlas say anything about replacements for the warped Weaver floors?

Jan

No, Jan, but they're making them now. I asked them about the trucks and couplers as I had problems with the Weaver cars in that regard. I'll ask and let you know. 

That is great!  I recently saw a train of troop cars on a siding in Michigan.   I admired, but, luckily, did not buy any of the Weaver cars when they first came out.  Too bad the troop cars, and Quonset huts, appeared a few years after my layout period.  And the first Niacet tank car I have seen since the ubiqitous Marx 3/16th one!  Louis Marx would be proud.

What is the length of these cars? Thanks 

Excellent!

So, when you ask them about the trucks & couplers (die cast metal, I'm assuming), please post their response!

As much as I'm looking forward to both cars being available again, I'm much more interested in the possible separate availability/sale of the Allied Full Cushion (troopers) and Bettendorf (tankers) trucks/couplers....if they're identical to the original Weaver designs thereof.

Maybe others so interested might join you and me in a friendly call/email of encouragement to Atlas??

Besides, I'm mystified why we haven't seen the former Cornerstone Steel Water Tower kit re-introduced by now!!  That'd be 'bug #2' for me.

Nonetheless, all good gnus!!!

KD

Still waiting for the Boston and Maine express cars!  The Bangor and Aroostook had bay window cabeese that were fabricated from surplus troop cars, too.

Chris Dunn posted:

What is the length of these cars? Thanks 

The troop cars are about 13 1/2" long.  Note, however, that they are advertised for O-45 minimum curves. 

MrMuffin, will Atlas be using different numbering on the cars than Weaver used?  I don't want to have duplicate number with my current cars.

I don't see the sleepers listed on the Atlas website.  This could affect the number of pre-orders that Atlas receives.

Jim

jd-train posted:

Chris Dunn posted:

What is the length of these cars? Thanks 

The troop cars are about 13 1/2" long.  Note, however, that they are advertised for O-45 minimum curves. 

MrMuffin, will Atlas be using different numbering on the cars than Weaver used?  I don't want to have duplicate number with my current cars.

I don't see the sleepers listed on the Atlas website.  This could affect the number of pre-orders that Atlas receives.

Jim

 

Good question regarding the car numbering..... I will ask....

We will be making floors and trucks available for sale for replacement purposes.  I am working on getting costing for those now.

For the numbering, we avoided duplicating numbers where we could piece together the information as to what had been produced in the past.  I cannot guarantee that we have not duplicated a number somewhere though.

As far as the Cornerstone buildings, I am waiting for test shots of the next three we will be releasing.  With any luck, we will have them before Chinese New Year and will be able to make an announcement.

"I don't see the sleepers listed on the Atlas website.  This could affect the number of pre-orders that Atlas receives."

Yes, I noticed that too. What's up with that?

Paul Graf posted:

We will be making floors and trucks available for sale for replacement purposes.  I am working on getting costing

Thank you Steve and Paul for the updates, I'm sure everyone with floor and truck issues appreciates it.

Great news!

I will be ordering the undecorated troop kitchen, and at least 3 replacement frames. Although, I may keep the rebuilt frame I made for my Weaver Pennsy express car. A lot of work went into that rebuilt frame

Thanks Atlas and Mr. Muffins Trains.

Richard Gonzales

Wow, these are sharp looking cars!  To bad they don't fit the time period I model.

 New Models!

  O Troop Series Cars

http://www.atlaso.com/otroopcar.htm

New Paint Schemes!

  O ACF® 8,000 Gallon Tank Car

http://www.atlaso.com/o8ktanker9.htm#.VpB9rctgmUk

Could Paul answer one more question about the replacement frames for the troop sleeper series of cars - Will the replacement frames include the center sill channel part that consists of the truck mounting bolsters at each end? This part was mounted to the frame with screws. This part would often snap in two as a result of the stress caused by the warping frame. Out  of my 4 cars with warped frames, this part has snapped on three of my troop series cars. The channel containing the truck bolsters on the Pennsy express car above was the only one I was able to save.

Thanks,

Richard

Does anyone know who purchased the PRR H30, B&O Wagontop boxcar and PRR B60b molds?

Thanks,

Ed

It was reported that Atlas bought the cars produced in China while Lionel bought the USA produced cars.  I think that most of the new cars since the wartime gondolas were made in China.

Jan

Jan,

Do you know which cars were produced in the USA and which were produced in China?

Thanks,

Ed

My orders are due to Atlas on Feb 10th - time to get them in you guys! 

Steve,

Did you hear from Atlas on replacement floors for the Weaver cars?

Jan

My guess is the wartime gondolas, B&O wagontop, Milwaukee ribbed box car, troop cars of course.  Check their catalogs.  Weaver marks those made here with USA,

Jan

I have done a little research on the troop cars but wanted to see if there are any experts out there. I love the idea of making a train out of these cars. What would be the normal makeup of a troop train with these cars? Right now I am thinking of getting all 4 sleepers, a kitchen car, and a hospital car. Is that the right proportion to start?  I model more Santa Fe than anything else if that makes a difference or not I don't know. 

Thanks!

SuperChief

Paul Graf posted:

We will be making floors and trucks available for sale for replacement purposes.  I am working on getting costing for those now. 

That's good news. I have a number of Weaver cars to convert to diecast trucks, but Weaver diecast replacement trucks had been almost impossible to find for a long time. Not sure why Weaver seemed to have such a hard time getting them made and distributed.

SuperChief posted:

I have done a little research on the troop cars but wanted to see if there are any experts out there. I love the idea of making a train out of these cars. What would be the normal makeup of a troop train with these cars? Right now I am thinking of getting all 4 sleepers, a kitchen car, and a hospital car. Is that the right proportion to start?  I model more Santa Fe than anything else if that makes a difference or not I don't know. 

 

Thanks!

SuperChief

SuperChief,

A hospital car would have been run with other hospital cars, as a means to transport wounded or ill soldiers.  It would be more prototypical to NOT include a hospital car with your sleepers.  A kitchen car plus five sleepers would make for a nice set.

Jim

JD-TRAIN is correct, hospital cars would be in a separate train carrying the sick or wounded.  The reading I've done says that in troop trains, a single kitchen car serviced 4 troop sleeper cars.  Cars often would be a block of 5 (2 sleepers, kitchen, 2 sleepers).  A typical train consist would thus be 2 sleepers, a kitchen, 4 sleepers, a kitchen, 4 sleepers, a kitchen, etc.

I run a troop train on my layout with 2 sleepers, a kitchen, 4 sleepers, a kitchen and a standard 12-1 Pullman sleeper car at the rear for the officers.

Thanks for the informaiton JD-Train and Bob! That is exactly what I was looking for.

Super Chief,

If you can get a copy of "Classic Trains" special edition number 15 "Trains of the 40's" you can see a long string of troops sleepers on the SP going over Donner Pass (Page 77).

I agree with Bob, a Pullman sleeper could be at the head of the train, or rear, for providing an area apart from the troops for the officers.  I also think  there could be baggage cars for storing the duffle bags and other items of equipment that would have been needed by the troops. These troop trains were used to move entire units from post to post for training and finally to a port for overseas deployments.

 I would also think that a hospital car (or cars) could be included in the train. Remember these troops would spend several days on these trains when traveling cost to cost. Soldiers can and do get sick and need medical attention during movements. Also the Army learned a hard lesson at the end of WWI when the flu epidemic swept through barracks where troops were in close quarters.  A sick solider would likely be moved to a hospital car in order to isolate him from the other soldiers in his sleeper car.

A troop train is an interesting addition to your layout. Unless you are a history buff, or old retire Army guy like me, most people today have no idea how the "Greatest Generation" was moved around the country while in the process of training for their mission to save the world.

I hope this helps,

Thanks,

Richard

With all this wonderful info on troop cars. I am glad I pre order mine already. I got 2 sleepers 1 Kitchen 1 Hospital but I might have to get 2 more sleepers. I wonder how my wife will feel about that? lol 

Michael,

Just tell your wife these things:

Our hobby keeps us off the streets

Out of bars

At home in our train rooms

And after we have finished spending money on our trains there is barley enough money left to  chase our wives , let alone other women.  Richard

Jan,

Do you know which cars were produced in the USA and which were produced in China?

Thanks,

Ed

Any freight car under the Ultra-Line banner was made in the USA. NON Ultra Lines cars were made overseas. These are AcF 4 bay hopper cars, Ps1 boxcars Ps2 Hopper cars, 2 bay 3 bay and 4 bay Open Hopper cars, 50' Flat Cars, 50' Boxcars, 40' & 50' Tank cars and bringing up the rear the N.E. scale Caboose.

Thanks for the contributions. A very informative thread. 

I heard from Steve today.  Atlas will be offering replacement floors but did not offer him any details.  My thanks to Steve for following up on this.

Jan

We need to get our car orders in tomorrow, you guys....

Thanks

Got my order in earlier this evening, Steve.  Didn't want to cut it too close like last time!!!