Atlas January Announcements

[POVC]

For those that might not have visited the Atlas board today...

Another round of EMD SD-50/60/60M
Another round of FM H-15/16-44
Another round of Trainman 40' Box Cars

Not officially announced for January, but showing up in the "January Monthly Catalog" (guess they got tired of doing them quarterly), is the new MasterLine 20,700 gallon non-insulated tank car.

Tim

[asarge]

I think it's more a sign of the times. We know they don't announce new items unless they have a reasonable expectation of getting them to us close to the time they announce and they have an amazing record of success. I think the economic situation has them playing a little conservative right now and that's fines. Track and track components are still selling well right now. The staple structure kits are doing ok. Rolling stock is staerting to fell a bit of a pinch but loco sales are really starting to hurt now that Christmas is over.

[inkaneer]

It seems all the news these days is economic doom and gloom.  We all know about the drop in gas prices but was not an isolated case.  The market for metals has tanked as demand has drastically been reduced.  Nickle sold for over $56,000 a ton last summer.  Today you can get all you want for less than $9,000 a ton.   That's a big drop.  Other sectors of the economy are in similar shape.  Demand is not there either due to people being out of work or people cutting back on their purchasing.  So I for one don't expect to see a whole lot of new stuff this year and even next year.   

[3rdrail]

Somehow, most of the industrial world, and especially the USA, "got religion" all of a sudden after years of preachin' about that "ol' devil, debt". Those of you who spent like there was no tomorrow and refinanced their homes to "extract the equity tied up in it" can't do it anymore and have started sockin' it away.

It's become a vicious circle. Save more 'cause you might lose your job, but when everyone does that more and more lose their jobs...causing both the savings rate and the jobless rate to grow.

Rail carloadings for the week ended Jan 3, 2009 are 14.6 percent below the same week of 2008 and 20.6 percent for the same week of 2007. If this continues, the Class I's will be in the same shape as the auto companies by the end of 2009. 

[wm3798]

Oh boy... I hope I can afford one of these by the time they come out!

Lee

[flight2000]

No kidding.  I saw the new prices on the SD50/SD60/SD60M are on par with the new Dash 8-40C and 40CW's, but with the same old tooling unless I missed them adding ditch lights somewhere.   :-\

Brian

[asarge]

The prices on the H15/16's are $119.95 same as new run of RS3, The SD50/60 are $124.95 except for the NRE which is $129.95, the Dash 8-40CW will be $139.95. There is still room for the 50/60's to catch up but prices have been on the march. Unfortunately, people's salaries have not kept up. Making choices will get more difficult.

[oakcreekco]

It's part of the economy, and that's too bad. More volume=lower price, less volume=higher price. Now throw in the fact that it costs as much or more to build product in China, and here we are.

This would be a good time to "bring back" production to the USA, and I'm not talking just Atlas.

What a concept.

[tom mann]

My memory is that N scale only increased a little bit from 1988-1995.  It increased a little more from 1995-2007.  In the last year, the price increases are staggering.

I never thought I would complain about this.   

[asarge]

This would be a good time to "bring back" production to the USA, and I'm not talking just Atlas.

According to a couple of manufacturer's I have talked to over the last 6 months or so, it is cheaper to manufacter our stuff in China, although it's not nearly as cheap as before. What's been hurting is transportation, especially for some of the smaller companies that airfreight it over because they can't fill a container.

Now that oil has come down significantly since late August, the lower prices may find their way into the plastics supply chain fairly soon. Hopefully this might find its way to retail prices. Don't think it'll happen, but don't think we'll see steep increases after then next round of announcements/

[Mark5]

Looking forward to these (they fit my "official" time frame!):

Atlas N 20,700 Gallon Tank Car
NEW MODEL!
http://www.atlasrr.com/catalog.htm



(HO model in pic!)

Mark

[Ian MacMillan]

Those tanks and Thrall gons are going to be a nice addition.

[Mark5]

EEKS! not Atlas but IM:



More N&W grainers.

[asarge]

Yeah, I'll be grabbing some SOO's and West Bends. Maybe a BN. Grain Hoppers rule!

[Frank Amato]

Those tanks are sweet indeed.  I may have to make 1960 my "throwback" era and focus on the 1970s.

  Frank