Are you an Atlas enthusiast?

[wm3798]

I see Atlas as the big toe on the foot of model railroading. :

(Remember that movie where Bill Murray went in the Army and called his SGT a big toe ?)  ;D ;D ;D

Does that make the guy that runs BLI the heel? ;D

But seriously, folks.  I agree with Bryan to an extent.  If they're looking to provide some added value for its core customers, that's no problem.  What I don't like is cost to sign up.  That smacks of NFL Personal Seat Licenses, where you have to pay for the privilege to pay for tickets.  Will there come a time when you have to pay a fee to have access to the best products?

If it works like Sam's Club where you pay $35 a year to be able to buy a case and a half of hopper cars at a steep discount, I might bite.  But if the only way you can get your mits on a good quality piece of rolling stock is to pony up $65, then you still pay full boat retail, that's a little counterproductive.

I'm not interested in getting a pin or a T-shirt.

Lee

[up1950s]

N scale has matured quite a bit over the last few years and now new, talented manufacturers have entered on the stage. I believe Atlas is vulnerable at this stage and they better be careful.

Do you feel they are more vulnerable than other major MRR manufacturers ? Why ? In what way ?

Arguably 40% of the track market .
Largest shelf available assortment of freight cars .
Very good running loco's in a kaleidoscope of roads and schemes .
Good parts department .
Good customer satisfaction .
Many new entries in loco's and cars have been , and remain top notch tooling .

To my N scale thinking ,
Atlas , MTL , and Kato are walking side by side , each with pro's and con's .
IMRC , Walther's/LL , and Athearn are getting stronger in what they offer but not offering anything to cause a risk to the Big 3 .
All the others are too small in product offerings to cause a risk to the Big 3 IMO .

You would know about how the balance is in other scales .  

[C855B]

Frankly? I think it's a slightly cynical move in an attempt to muscle into MTL's collectibles market a little - issue custom-run cars only available through "membership" in the marketing program.

[wcfn100]

Just call it what it is, a collectors' club which anyone can join regardless of any prior loyalty or support.  Leave the other BS out of it.

Paying for the opportunity to buy something.....will this be the next wave in the hobby?  Maybe Kato missed the boat by not making the 'ACe Consortium' (© Jason Kliewer 2009), and 'Club GEVO' (© Jason Kliewer 2009)  has a nice ring to it, are you listening FVM?  If this is a way to build customer base everyone should do it, right?  It's just good business.

Jason

[bbussey]

To my N scale thinking ,
Atlas , MTL , and Kato are walking side by side , each with pro's and con's ...

Personally, I would put Atlas on top of the pyramid. 

Micro-Trains still remains the standard for couplers and trucks, but China has caught them in tooling, painting and printing quality. 

Kato has been on the vanguard of motive power innovation since Atlas contracted them for the RS-3 a quarter-century ago.  Yet today other manufacturers can match them step for step.  The varnish consists have great appeal primarily because they are released as complete prototypical consists.  But as excellent as they are, at least three other manufacturers put better varnish products on the field today.

Atlas dominates the track market by a lot.  Everything they do, they do well and have done well for decades,  A large variety of product is available at all times, even in this age of pre-orders and short runs.  The only thing they don't do is foliage scenery.  They have multiple tiers of product affordability.  And, they do all of it in the top three modeling scales.  No other manufacturer comes close to doing what Atlas does in the grand scheme.

[Mark5]

Personally, I would put Atlas on top of the pyramid. 

For North American proto models in N scale, Atlas has no peer.


All others are #2 or lower.

Mark

[asarge]

Do you feel they are more vulnerable than other major MRR manufacturers ? Why ? In what way ?

Anybody on top usually becomes vulnerable over time. It's not the next biggest guy that guns to dethrone you that is the issue. It's all the little guys who collectively start to erode your influence or in this case marketshare. I am talkinf of loco's and freight cars here. Atlas basically controls the track market. You're understating on the 40% Ritchie. It's not as high as it used to be but it's still ahlf or better in North America.

[Iain]

Do you feel they are more vulnerable than other major MRR manufacturers ? Why ? In what way ?

Anybody on top usually becomes vulnerable over time. It's not the next biggest guy that guns to dethrone you that is the issue. It's all the little guys who collectively start to erode your influence or in this case marketshare.

You just basically explained the erosion of American hegemony.

I'll be quiet now. 

[Allentown Hump]

I'm looking at the positives of this announcement. For one, there's no cartoon with a dancing dog...

[tom mann]

I'm looking at the positives of this announcement. For one, there's no cartoon with a dancing dog...

lol!

[Mark5]

I am the trainman.

[up1950s]

Just call a medic please , don't ask how this happened .

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Just call a medic please , don't ask how this happened .

Ahahahahahahaha

[Mark5]

Nice one Ritchie! ;D

[Two Truck Shay]

The Atlas Two Truck Shay literally brought me back into the hobby.

I love the fact that they take some risks and am happy to support such a company, even though their products cover a rather large range of quality, from sheer brilliance (most of their locomotives, IMO) to some borderline junk (some of their veteran track products).

I have several of their locomotives, but have not looked at other rolling stock offerings lately. I'll have to do that. I won't be paying to join the fan club, however.