Atlas O repaints....Gasp!

Guess I'm a bit confused by your term "repaints". I can definitely remember Atlas, as well as MTH, offering multiples road numbers of many/most of their scale freight cars. Thus, there is no real need to "repaint" any. For example, I have a 24 car PFE ice reefer train, made of various Intermountain, Red Caboose, and K-Line cars, all with different road numbers. Currently, MTH has been offering two different 6-car sets of various boxcars, reefers, coal hoppers, etc., all with different road numbers for the give name on the cars. 

How about repaints on some locomotives? Oh, I forgot that Atlas releases about 1 engine every epoch.

Atlas does offer, non-decorated models, which have to be ordered at the same time that current offering are been accessed for production.  So you could paint or re-paint accordingly.  Weaver also provided undecorated models.   Your hand with the paint could be what you are looking for.

These SW's from Atlas, were undecorated, new.  and painted a couple of different ways.

As well as all their Master Line cars. I do a lot of painting. From the current issue of The O Scale Resource

Well I for one was happy that Atlas O painted a 4427 hopper to the PRR H43. It was close enough. 

I am NOT happy that Lionel spent thousands of $$ on new tooling and advertising for "40 ft trailers" only to make them a scale 37.5 ft! We need scale 40' trailers. Seriously, we have scale 45' and 48' trailers, why chince on the length!

Hot Water,

You make a good point. What I mean when I say "re-paint" is additional road numbers in a given paint scheme and/or variations on a theme such as a change in lettering style or color, along with, and I know this grates on some strict prototype modelers, some schemes and lettering that never were or will be. The model does not change, only the color and lettering. For paint schemes and lettering that isn't strictly prototype, I think that I've heard the term "foobie" mentioned. I have noticed that, with a few exceptions, Atlas generally only offers two road numbers of a given paint scheme at a time. Sometimes 4. The Trainman 68ft Bulkhead Flat Car came in 4 numbers of TTX with an additional variation of the red TTX "Pennsylvania Heritage". Other paint schemes were only produced in 2 numbers. Some great exceptions to the two number rule were the Trinity 5161 Grain Hopper in BNSF "swoosh".  20 car numbers to date, I believe. Another was the ACF Coalveyor, 16 to 24 cars depending on the paint scheme. I have 16 numbers for Utility Fuels (UFIX), far too few for a unit train. However, when Atlas did offer re-issues years down the road, they were for second and third party owners that nobody really wanted so the run was canceled. Had we been offered a chance to have more numbers in the original paint schemes, I think it would have been a "go". As a sidebar, to my knowledge, MTH hasn't re-issued any 6 car sets of it's 1988 proto-type Gunderson 50ft Hi-cube in any prototype paint schemes almost since it was first released (BN, BNSF, UP, CN, CP, CSX, etc.). It would be nice to see more sets as O Scale has gained new adherents since then, but this topic is about Atlas, not MTH.

Now I have been talking about "modern" Atlas freight cars as I'm prefer to model prototypes post 1996-97. These are few in number and in short supply when they are produced, usually being only two car numbers at a time with long breaks (glaciers melt) between runs. However, I am a closet late 1950s-early 60s modeler as I wanted to revive and redo my 1956 Lionel Train as an Atlas train. Again, many cars, especially the 50 foot PS Boxcars are produced only two numbers at a time.

So maybe, the correct term is "re-issue" rather than re-paint. I'm still throwing it out there, though, what do you want to see re-issued and in what paint schemes? What re-issues would get you to loosen up the wallet?

Mike Caddell posted:

So maybe, the correct term is "re-issue" rather than re-paint. I'm still throwing it out there, though, what do you want to see re-issued and in what paint schemes? What re-issues would get you to loosen up the wallet?

I would definitely "loosen up" my wallet, if Atlas would have offered their 8000 gallon tank car in either GATX or UTLX, as I model in the late 1940s thru mid 1950s. I suggested that Atlas could offer such tank cars in 12 individual number sets, and they would probably sell hundreds of sets. My many, many suggestions continued to fall on deaf ears, until now Atlas has simply priced their stuff so high, that I refuse to purchase their seriously overpriced products.

MIKE CADDELL,

Mike I know these are "restencils" is that anything like you're referring to?

AL Hummel

Mike,

I hit the "2 number only" thing with my CSX 4750 hoppers,so with experimentation and many mistakes as well as many L-O-N-G hours of redoing mistakes,I've renumbered 10 of my 4750's and LOVE IT!! Oh I'm not a "Pro" by ANY MEANS,but it's good enough for me. I also changed any where from 1 number in the whole car number,other times I changed the entire car number on some of my 5161 CSX hoppers. Car 262038,is a complete renumber while the car it's coupled to has just a single digit changed,I think. The 4750's the CSX car is a complete renumber,while the SCL/yellow 4750 has been relettered for Seaboard,SBD with a corresponding renumbering,number. I did another 1 of these cars with CSXT letters and number.

Again,no bragging on these cars,but I enjoy it. Also added Conspicuity striping from Smokebox Graphics. I love the way they reflect!!

Al Hummel

Al,

I think re-stenciled cars would come under the "re-issued" definition we are using or maybe call it a "re-run" using that particular paint scheme.

I think people are getting lost in the weeds trying to pick apart the terms re-paint or re-issue. Again, simply put: What existing Atlas O and Trainman models would you like to see re-run in what paint schemes, prototype or imaginary, that would help you increase the car fleet of the railroad(s) you model. Hot Water's suggestion of 12 tank car sets is spot on, although your request doesn't have to be for 12 car numbers.  Let's have others make suggestions. Forget that Atlas didn't "do it" in the past, there's only today and tomorrow. Let's hear those ideas, and maybe, just maybe Atlas will hear them too! After all people, what do you have to lose here other than one or two short moments typing out your requests.

I would like to see CSX 4750s rerun as they're almost non-existent to find.

I would like to see more prototype detail this time,such as is found on the 3 hopper bays regarding cleaning the grooves and slide doors before moving the car. Also,I would like to see the info where winch cables used to hook into,placed on the models,such as,"PULL HERE" "JACK HERE" and "LIFT HERE." On the more modern hoppers,via the 1980 circa,these areas were expanded in size.

In addition, on the car ends,by the ladders,it says,CAUTION:NO SIDE LADDERS. The LN/Family Lines System hoppers produced in the same run as the CSX 4750s,had this detail. I'm wondering why this detail didn't continue over to other 4750s.(?) 

CSX has also placed yellow reflective stripes on their 4750s,which is a mandate for all freight cars and diesels since I think 2005. CSX has also paced 3 numbers together on 1 car panel,vs 2 numbers per panel.

Of course, I'd also like to see new models,in my case,SCL and L&N Family Lines System 4750s produced in 1980-81, and Seaboard System 4750 hoppers. I realize the Seaboard cars would not be done at the same time as the Family Lines 4750s,but if these cars aren't done soon they're going to be of less interest to modelers,as the cars carrying the original lettering and car numbers will no longer be seen as these cars are all being re lettered with "CSXT" where the original "SCL" or "L&N" letters were placed,and the car number is changed at the same time the lettering is. 

My apology for the slight detour from the subject topic here,but if Atlas is listening,they need to grasp the concept.

About the 12 car numbers,that'd be fantastic,but that'll be at the same time "pigs fly".

Al Hummel 

Dry transfer  C O T T O N  B E L T  lettering, car was NYC.   Car number is not prototypical though.

SPSF,

I used dry transfer lettering also, and they're very helpful. I think mine came from Woodland Scenics,no's 720&726.

Al Hummel

Hot Water posted:

I would definitely "loosen up" my wallet, if Atlas would have offered their 8000 gallon tank car in either GATX or UTLX, as I model in the late 1940s thru mid 1950s. I suggested that Atlas could offer such tank cars in 12 individual number sets, and they would probably sell hundreds of sets. My many, many suggestions continued to fall on deaf ears, until now Atlas has simply priced their stuff so high, that I refuse to purchase their seriously overpriced products.

I bought a few of those undecorated 8000 gallon tanks, just for the purpose of painting them and lettering them for UTLX.

Hot Water posted:

Mike Caddell posted:

So maybe, the correct term is "re-issue" rather than re-paint. I'm still throwing it out there, though, what do you want to see re-issued and in what paint schemes? What re-issues would get you to loosen up the wallet?

I would definitely "loosen up" my wallet, if Atlas would have offered their 8000 gallon tank car in either GATX or UTLX, as I model in the late 1940s thru mid 1950s. I suggested that Atlas could offer such tank cars in 12 individual number sets, and they would probably sell hundreds of sets. My many, many suggestions continued to fall on deaf ears, until now Atlas has simply priced their stuff so high, that I refuse to purchase their seriously overpriced products.

Jack you're 100 per cent right.  

I have two of the Red Caboose UTLX cars and they are like gold. 

Nowhere near enough UTLX cars available for any era, including the modern one.

What's sad is that the ACF type 21/27  tank cars are so overused in just about any scale when they really should have done the UTLX X-3 tanker.  

Most of the tankers in any scale are fantasy billboard schemes because they do sell a lot.  That's fine.  Nevertheless, an X series car would at least give the masses a shot the most popular 6k-10k gallon car for Union Tank, the largest tank car fleet operator by far.    Then letter up the X-3 for fantasy schemes and all would be right with the world.

I'd like to see another run of Trinity 5161 hoppers in more leasing companies. By the way, the November announcement is up and there are more NE-6 cabooses and 40' wood and steel reefers available in new paint schemes/road #s.

Great discussion Mike and all!

The comments above about needing assorted road numbers on plain Jane ULTX tank cars are spot on.  IMO more than a few brightly painted/lettered cars in a transition era freight give it a toy train look.   When I first converted to O scale I spent my modelling time (and limited budget) repainting All Nation, Athearn, and Atlas/Roco box cars in colorful schemes shared with Lionel 6464 series box cars.  When VHS color video tapes of 1950's era trains later became available I observed how typical freight trains looked back in the transition era I was modelling.  The 6464 style repaints were sold off and replaced by weathered InterMountain box car red 37 AAR cars.   

Catnap,

What would be your choices for a Trinity 5161 re-run? Mine would be Coors (CORX), AGPX in Gray (apparently they're no longer using green), DRGW in gray (fantasy scheme) and ADM with the blue flame herald. Also could use some more GATX numbers and Cotton Belt in small lettering, no big letters (I like Cotton Belt).