Finally, on the central post of this thread, the Atlas frames that have crumbled from zinc pest, we have a real problem and no one to advocate for us. I’m afraid it will continue as long as production standards remain unchanged in China concerning subcontractors.
I feel fortunate, compared to some on this forum, to have been faced with zinc pest only three times so far. I didn’t mind when it claimed the sideframes on one 1990s Williams F-M Train Master and the trucks on my MTH White Rock Water diecast reefer, both easily remedied. But losing the skirting on my 2002 MTH Premier GS4 represented highly visible damage to one of the favorite locomotives. I’m glad MTH had new skirts available from a later production run, but we can’t count on replacement parts being available in the future.
So, yeah, the frustration is real.
