Latest Atlas O Announcements

I just hope Atlas-O comes through and delivers the CSX Gundersons and California Zephyr dining cars already announced, both of which showing an ETA of July 2013... yet no container shipping date update yet -- so it's very unlikely we'll see them this month or perhaps even during the 3rd quarter.  My bet is more likely 4Q2013 at the earliest. 

 

David

The CSX gundersons were due in January but I agree it will be the 4th qtr. Also looking forward to the diners. That's all I need for my CZ plus the OBS Of course. 

As a Trains Dept. member of the LHS, I just hope Atlas finally gets their ENTIRE act back together!  I have been telling 'the story' and making excuses to customers for so long regarding their bread-and-butter HO and N scale track lines...and the lingering NON-availability...that I'm considering striking their dedicated shelf/wall space at the store to better promote other products.  The empty pegs and shelves and now-faded 'Out of Stock' tags are not projecting much optimism, lately.  Not good.

 

Just because it IS our hobby, the cynical metaphor..."seeing a light at the end of the tunnel"...would be welcome, indeed, if it truly was A TRAIN!

 

(sigh)

 

 

 

I don't understand how Atlas can stay in business by not releasing product.  How can Atlas make any money if they don't get product to market?  They must have a ton of cash in the bank!  Tom Haedrich must be quite the leader or there is such a huge margin built-in their products!

 

 

The Atlas O decision makers are is simply out of touch by marketing O like HO.

O Cars are too big, too modern, too expensive and not geared for the majority of modelers.

 

They can’t compete with later model /  improved detailed, MTH products.

Too big?  Apart from perhaps the whalebelly tank cars, 89' flatcars, the CA Zephyr passenger cars and perhaps the berwick hi cubes, what else in their O gauge product line is "too big?"

 

Too modern?  Last I looked, they had a pretty wide selection of Steam era cars, and have transition-era cars in both the Trainman and Master series lines.  Admittedly very short on steam engine varieties (the late Jim Weaver gave a valid explanation of not going down that route, namely saturation by the competition).  And last I looked, the modern stuff that Lionel and MTH have been coming out with such as the SD70ACe and earlier-generation modern diesels have been selling well.

While what they announced today was "too modern" for me, and their stuff does seem

"too expensive" (I'm stalling on buying two of their cars I would like because I don't

like the price), all those ice hatched wood reefers were not "too modern", unless you

are modeling Civil War trains.  "Saturation" in steam, only applies if you mean way too

many models of the same few prototypes, but if one of the manufacturers flipped through Locomotive Cyclopedia, as K-Line appeared to do toward the end, maybe we

would get some affordable variety in small locomotives.

Sorry guys, dealers dropped double door cars down to 59 from 70 and they still can’t sell them.

I guess only a few people will actually buy these new cars that have a large layout to support them.

With all due respect, you guys are in the minority.

I know you guys like these items but Atlas has become out of reach and just not practical for the majority of 3 railers any more.

 

Just a reality these days.

I guess we don't view Atlas in the same way but to each his own.

Happy railroading!

 

 

Is it me or has it been quite a while since they announced any new motive power?  

 

- Mike

The Modern freight cars from Atlas O match the Modern ES44AC, SD70ACe, and Genset switchers made by Lionel and MTH. They are filling a freight car void that Lionel and MTH have not. They are in touch with the times.

 

Andrew

I'm not sure where all of this criticism is coming from....but we are all entitled to our opinions.

 

I very much enjoy my Steam Era Classics as well as a few Trainmen pieces.  No complaints whatsoever.

 

Atlas definitely fills a void that Lionel and MTH can't fill....although Lionel is trying to catch up.

 

Sometimes, you just have to step back and see how far we've come from the dark ages...or what most people call the MPC/LTI era.  (I'm just kidding...mostly.)

 

Now, if you want to take a step back and say the manufacturers may want to begin actually making their product in the U.S. again so that they actually have some control on quality and time/scheduling.....I'll agree with you all day long.

Perhaps Atlas is getting it's manufacturing problems fixed to some degree.  I noticed that there are 3 new Special Runs being offered,all tank cars (Mike Horne's makes 4).  Now let's see if they can deliver.  I hope that they can.

 

Norm

Current Atlas announcements appear to be tentative and dependent on reservations to be run or get cancelled, they are obiviously putting less capital into the O guage market even some road names within a run are being cancelled. I have been told by my dealer[a major one] that the long awaited F units should finally appear this fall. Much shorter runs at higher prices are the norm these days, nobody wants to sit on inventory that is not selling. The pilot models of the new tank car are very well done, its quality over quantity these days, no question prices are up there and as long as the mfg/importer is making his return on investment thats the way this will go.

I have shied away from AtlasO products because of the cost. Yes they are very nice but!! Lionel, weaver  and MTH have upgraded their cars and their prices are more reasonable, not cheap but reasonable. 

I am interested in the reefers and maybe one flatcar for a special load.

90% of my freight car fleet is Atlas  There is none better  Disappointed that Am Hobbies and Doherty's aren't around anymore to supply me.    I just received two cars that were ordered almost two years ago so hopefully they have their manufacturing straightened out

I think what you've observed is more due to market saturation and pricing, much less so than being too modern or too long.

Yeah! I don't see the Trinity Hoppers being blown out any time soon!

When they said 45' Reefers it was slang. What they meant was that there are 45' Pines Trailers with Refrigeration Units to be made for the 89' Flat Cars.

 

Andrew

That is correct when the market demand drops on these older in-stock cars they just sit on the shelf. In previous years Atlas produced larger quantities in each run they have since reduced it to reservation demand. At the O scale national in Towson Md several years ago the late owner of Just Trains put a very large quantity of Atlas O out at greatly discounted prices and it still took close to 2 years to finally clear out his inventory [I use to stop at the old location occasionally and pick up a few items]

I do not see Atlas being a major player in O guage anymore

1) Engines will not have latest control -sound system

2) Two year waits and short runs of freight cars reduce market share

3) HO and N will keep the O division going, but at what cost.

4) Atlas O still has a small and loyal following

 

Just my personal observations

Atlas is the best O scale 2 & 3 rail freight car producer hands down. Lionel is finally catching onto Atlas coat tails but Lionel scale freight cars are pricey.

 

Its the old supply and demand curve. There are more of a supply of Atlas cars out there then there is demand, there is a ton of used and old Atlas product sitting out there as we speak. The same for can be said for MTH and Lionel.  For the N and HO gauges the customer base is many times larger than O, 2 & 3 rail scales combined.

What are the latest announcements? 

The message in an e-mail was that the announcements for O Scale are coming soon.

Intermodal Flat Cars

Reefer 45' Trailers

 

Andrew

I think that Atlas is still suffering from the loss of Jim Weaver; he, beyond doubt, was the impetuous behind Atlas' entrance in to "0" gauge.  I do recall that he said that there was another steam engine coming to follow the 0-6-0 but, of course, would not say what it was.  I wonder, now, if they had actually started on the development for a new engine and that some of the tooling, drawings, parts, etc, might have already been developed and that Atlas could still take the plunge and introduce such an engine.  It 's been quite a few years since the 0-6-0 and I would think that the market is about ready for a well thought out, highly detailed and good running die cast locomotive.  My 0-6-0 is probably the best running engine that I own.

 

(How about a USRA Heavy Mikado?  Popular locomotive on many different railroads and often was the primary work horse for regular freight service.)

 

Paul Fischer

You have to view the O Scale section of the new Summer All Scales Catalog pdf. from the Atlas O website.

 

The roadnames for the 45' Refrigerated Trailers are U.S. ARMY, Rio Grande, and Pacific Fruit Express.

 

Flat Cars are DODX, DRGW, Trailer Train TTX, and others.

 

Andrew

Some of the items in the catalog show estimated arrival times of as far as 3rd quarter 2014 (read 4th quarter 2014)! I can't even think that far in advance.  

 

Not really many offerings, given that they're cataloging items for almost the next year and a half. Just one engine - a few more road names of their F-3.

ok, I'm stuck in stupid...

Can anyone telly me how does a Coil car developed in 2005 have "bethlehem Steel Paint job on it? Didn't Bethlehem steel fold at that time? Certainly the foundry did.

I'm in for the Northern Pacific PS1 Box Car by Public Delivery Track. I also have my eyes on the Western Pacific PS-1 Box.  I'm disappointed that there is no Montana Rail Link at all. I would have thought they'd do a box car. I guess Atlas O and I will have to have "the discussion" at October York! 

I have not purchased any new rolling stock from anyone since last November at least.  Things are getting quite expensive and you have to pick and choose carefully to get the things you want and stretch those train dollars.

 

I'm happy to have choices.  Though most of my collection is from MTH, I still appreciate Lionel, Williams (WBB), Atlas and Weaver.  They're all getting more expensive as the years pass, but there are times when one of these manufacturers makes something that the rest have not, and that I REALLY want.  And if I flip through a new catalog and see nothing of interest, it's ok.  I save some bucks and wait for the next one.  Anticipation is fun too :-)

Atlas O has used up all the accurate Locos and Cars for Montana Rail Link, they would have to go with approximate car types or fantasy schemes.

 

Example: The Berwick Waffle Sided 60' High Cube Box Car as a MRL Waffle Sided 50' High Cube Box Car

 

MTH still can make a lot of authentic and approximate Montana Rail Link freight cars. Forget Atlas O and ask MTH to keep making Montana Rail Link.

 

Andrew

So you want reasonable cost 0 scale cars?  Then stop by the Strasburg 0 scale meet Aug 10.  There is always a fleet of very well priced cars ready to roll.

Any thoughts on why they cancelled the run of Steel Rebuilt USRA boxcars within a month of announcing them?

It appears for the first time this year a few of the posted Atlas reruns have been cancelled due to insufficient reservations, today if they are not sure of a near sellout on a run they will not do it slower delivery from their new mfgs certainly is a factor, pricing is becoming an issue as well and some market saturation. To their credit they have continued to bring in models at a steady pace [something new every 6-8 weeks] and they have continued to develop a new model yearly in both Tman and Master line. Now motive power appears to be a different story, do not know if this is directly related to the new factorys or what the issue is Atlas seems to be very silent on this [ the GE-8 has gone on the TBA list quite a while ago now].Think of these new announcements as a way of guaging demand.JMHO

 

I guess I'll be part of the minority that will look forward to them releasing more quality Steam Era Classics.  I've spent the last year or so trying to find the previously issued cars I want.  As such, when they do release freight I'm looking for I order all available road numbers. The recent reissue of the single sheathed boxcars is an example.  Costly yes. Quality detail yes. Worth it? Well..........I choose carefully.

There is a big problem. The July 2013 announcements never made it to the Atlas O website.

 

Who is taking reservations?

 

Andrew