Atlas O announces F7 tooling enhancements & extends order deadline to 5/18

Mr. Muffin - Arthur posted this in the 3RS section and I'm glad you posted it here.  

 

Atlas is making an outstanding effort to improve an already great product.  The fact that they are going to have the proper headlight door on the Santa Fe units shows their attention to detail.

 

I am SO GLAD I ordered both Santa Fe F7's from you.  A great price for a great product!

 

Thank you Atlas! 

It is so great to see Atlas back on top of their game.  This is great news for our hobby.

 

Art

Great news, Atlas is really making great strides right now.

+1 .... what they all said!

Thank you Mr. Muffin.

 

The Chrome Plating... when was the last time this was done? I'm trying to get a better idea in my mind as to what the finished Santa Fe product will look like, and how it will compare visually to MTH and Lionel recent offerings.

 

I have no doubt it will be a special power set.

 

Paul

New separate Fuel Tanks will be a very high demand item.

 

Andrew

Chrome Plating on the Santa Fe Atlas F7's... That is a HOME RUN!

 

Knowing Atlas attention to detail and quality, they will probably look as good or better than my HO Athern Genesis F7's pictured below.

 

 

 

I just hope this dosen't cause the delivery date to slip.

 

Thank You Atlas and Thank You Mr. Muffin for the GREAT price.  

Applause is in order.  Atlas intends to stay at the top of the hill.

Does anyone know if these Atlas units are also "built to order". I'd like to pull the trigger on the SF AB and then get the second A unit at later time. (Not to mention that Amtrak scheme is begging for a AB consist here)

 

Paul

Paul - It seems like most Atlas O engines are very close to being built to order.  For the most part they go very fast after they ship to dealers.  The engines in the most demand go very quickly and those that are not as popular linger for a while.  In many cases the ones that linger get bought for parts.  The last time Atlas did a Santa Fe F unit was 2008, so it may be a while before you could buy the last A unit.

 

If I were you, I would buy 2 matching A's.  If you purchased the #37 A-A, it's one powered, one dummy A.  If you purchase the #41, it's two powered A's.  The B units would scarcely be noticed if they didn't number match because the numbers are so small. 

They may not technically be called BTO from Atlas.... but the Santa Fe's will sell out. Try to find a pair of F3's from the previous runs.... good luck  Warbonnets are usually gone before they show up at dealer. pretty much in any scale

Thanks very much for the input. I have been waiting for a highly detailed Santa Fe ABBA and the chrome aspect sealed the deal.

 

Do the Atlas engines have any tethers to deal with or are they addressed via TMCC as one unit?

 

Paul

Have you ever seen military pilots practice touch-and-go?

 

Now, substitute an Atlas Santa Fe warbonnet for the jet.  The landing strip is the Hobby Shop...  

 

I think you get my point. 

 

Only difference, the Atlas wheels don't smoke when they "touch" the hobby shops.

No tethers... you create a "Lash Up" and run the consist as TR(x) x meaning whatever number you assign to it 

 

I really hope they do another run with some SF freight colors

 It is a beautiful thing when Atlas "lash-ups" come together with TMCC to creat a "Train".

 

As for the F7's in Santa Fe freight colors... contact Mr. Muffin.  He is trying to get a "special run" from Atlas with the Cigar Band scheme.  And he really needs to know how many people want them.  I am sure Atlas will require a minimum order BEFORE they will commit.

Hey Jim,
Don't tell me I now have to buy a set of Atlas F7s to pull my new El Capitan!! I was hoping to use the beautiful ABBA F3s ... is that enough horsepower ??

Most people have ordered three powered and one dummy to pull those.....

 

Steve.....

Rich,

NO PROBLEM. Those engines are HEAVY.  The two powered units could easily pull 50-60 freight cars.  When I used them they pulled my 32-car reefer block without breaking a sweat.  So I don't think that you will have any problem pulling a 12-car El Capitan.

 

If not, then you may have to buy an extra powered B-unit.

I pulled my 10 car GGD Super Chief set with an F3 ABA, and ABBA, both consists had 2 powered units.

 

I ordered 3 powered Atlas F7's with a dummy for the El Capitan, and 4 powered F7s from Sunset....mainly because I will run an 18 car combine train SC/EC and that will need 3 powered engines for sure, if not all 4

 

When it doubt, get the extra powered engine because trying to find one later......

I tried to get Scott to do a combined train for/with the second order of EL Cap cars but the builder said flat no.

 

One can always run F3s and F7s together.  After about 1956 SF broke up the ABBA sets and did it all the time.

I tried to get Scott to do a combined train for/with the second order of EL Cap cars but the builder said flat no.

I wonder why that would be, any reasons given?  

 

Will that have an effect on future Santa Fe passenger trains?  I've been wanting a Chief for years, Big Dome or not.

 

Really?  Where did you get this information?  I have seen thousands of Santa Fe Passenger and Freight trains between 1956-1962 being pulled by F3's and F7's and I can honestly say that only once did I see a mix of 3's & 7's.  The lead A was and F3 and the one B was an F7, and that was in the Blue & Yellow freight scheme.

 

Please post some pictures if you got 'em.

Sure thing,

 

 

Second run has to be identical (no differences) from the first.

 

He said he would consider a 2nd run SC but doesn't think there will be much demand.  I suggested changing the ACF cars for Budd cars and make the Budd cars available separately for the 1st run folks who might want them but he still doesn't think there will be demand.  If you think differently let him know.

 

Same with making the cars available in Amtrak, no demand.  Turned out only 3 sets of El Capitan cars in Amtrak reserved and made, and Jonathan and I are 2 of the 3.

More accurate fuel tank and pilots make a huge difference!

 

Guys, please stop posting pictures like this.  Now I may feel the need to place an order with Mr. Muffin to replicate the above photo!!!  Six Atlas-O locomotives???   While I'm sure he'd love the extra order, I'm not sure my wallet will recover fast enough.   

 

David 

I am tempted......everybody needs a Santa Fe A-B-A.

 

Norm

Thank You. 

 

David,  If your layout can handle it, I say, GO FOR IT. 

You guys are getting to me too. I had better order an extra set for us. 

We processed a lot of additional orders for the F-7s today.... thank you very much.... I am do to get them all into Atlas O by close-of-business Monday....

I just emailed Mr Muffin requesting and additional Santa Fe B-unit. 

 

I hope to get a confirmation by Monday.

 

 

Like this Santa Fe Jim?  Mighty Fine!

Howard,

Please stop, you are making me drool.

Guys,

You are not going to believe this, but here it is 9:00pm on a Saturday and I just got an email confirmation from Mr Muffin for a locomotive order that I submitted just 2 hours ago.

If this isn't the BEST customer service on the planet, show me one better.

The more business I do with him, the more impressed I become.

I just read over my post from last night and thought that something was all too familiar.  Then it hit me.  The lyrics to Piano Man by Billy Joel started off the same way.

 

It's nine o'clock on a Saturday
The regular crowd shuffles in
There's an old man sitting next to me
Making love to his tonic and gin

 

You just can't make this stuff up.

It's nine o'clock on a Saturday

Another B-unit's on the way...

Nothing like waiting until the last minute.  Just placed my Muffin order, too.

Norm, right above your post is an A-B-A-B-B-A!    Don't ever let it be said that the forum doesn't influence our purchases!!!    It can be a dangerously inspirational place at times.  

 

David