Atlas makes a surprise announcement for June.

[wm3798]

Operating doors?  Yes?  No? ???

I bet by 1968 or so there's some really fun weathering to be done on those cars...  By the way, when were friction bearings taken out of interchange service?  Oh, wait!  Lots of roller bearings were installed in friction pockets... Problem solved!

Time to consult the WM Color Guide!

Lee

[John]

The Warrior River Terminal is now part of the Birmingham Southern. Note the US Government seal. The WRT was Federal Barge Lines' rail connection from its Warrior River barge terminal to Birmingham's steel mills. Federal Barge Lines was created to compete with the railroads by Uncle Sam.  I rode this line on a special train about 15-20 years ago as part of a Southeast Association of Rail Shippers meeting.

When I was a youngster in the 60s, I used to visit my grand parents near Birmingham, they used to take me swimming in the Warrior River. Just had to watch out for the moccasins.

[Frank Amato]

Totally sweet!  Time to hit my ORER to see how many of these were running around circa 1960.

[up1950s]

The Warrior River Terminal is now part of the Birmingham Southern. Note the US Government seal. The WRT was Federal Barge Lines' rail connection from its Warrior River barge terminal to Birmingham's steel mills. Federal Barge Lines was created to compete with the railroads by Uncle Sam.  I rode this line on a special train about 15-20 years ago as part of a Southeast Association of Rail Shippers meeting.

When I was a youngster in the 60s, I used to visit my grand parents near Birmingham, they used to take me swimming in the Warrior River. Just had to watch out for the moccasins.

One would think that the discarded Indian shoes would have long rotted away , but you did say you were a youngster , and there could have still been Indians way back then . I would have been more worried about the Indians than their discarded moccasins . Geez , one look of some of those Indians is enough to give you cotton mouth and the inability to yell for help , that really bites !

[Pomperaugrr]

Atlas had an undecorated pre-production sample at the NE Proto Modelers Meet last weekend.  These cars are aweet!  Too early for my era, but the detail was amazing.  I didn't take photos though, sorry.

Eric

[wm3798]

What about the doors?  Do they move?  Will they be available from the parts department?

Did the test shots give any indications?
Lee

[up1950s]

What about the doors?  Do they move?  Will they be available from the parts department?

Did the test shots give any indications?
Lee

I also am curious so I posed the question on the Atlas sticky announcement thread Lee . Maybe we will get a bite from them .

[Mark5]

  By the way, when were friction bearings taken out of interchange service? 

1/1/1995 according to this:

http://www.amstedrail.com/aar/C7513.htm

[Dave V]

  By the way, when were friction bearings taken out of interchange service? 

1/1/1995 according to this:

http://www.amstedrail.com/aar/C7513.htm

For a little choo-choo trivia, consider that the standard journal bearings or "oil waste journal" bearings weren't called "friction bearings" until Timkin - one of the early manufacturers of roller bearings for railroad equipment - started calling them that to promote their own roller bearings.  The name stuck.  How's that for effective marketing?

[Bob Bufkin]

Lee - According to Cory over on the A-board, the doors do not move.  Hope that answers your question.

[wm3798]

That's the last hurdle Atlas needs to jump to completely replace Micro Trains.  I'm not so interested in having the doors open on my cars, but I would like to see separate doors available for kitbashes.
Lee

[Allentown Hump]

Bob must work for a news paper. He needs to learn how to represent the quote entirely!  ;D

"As a side note, the '32 ARA will have separately applied detail parts. As for the doors, the don't move as done on the Single Sheathed box cars, but they are separate, plug in doors."

[tom mann]

So if the doors don't open how do you load the pipes!!!!??

[3rdrail]

That's the last hurdle Atlas needs to jump to completely replace Micro Trains.  I'm not so interested in having the doors open on my cars, but I would like to see separate doors available for kitbashes.
Lee

From the Atlas Forum:

As a side note, the '32 ARA will have separately applied detail parts. As for the doors, the don't move as done on the Single Sheathed box cars, but they are separate, plug in doors.

 
Cory Rothlisberger
Product Development
Atlas Model R.R. Co.

So, the doors are separate.

[Mark5]

That's the last hurdle Atlas needs to jump to completely replace Micro Trains.  I'm not so interested in having the doors open on my cars, but I would like to see separate doors available for kitbashes.
Lee

Cory also indicated that the doors are separate parts.