Atlas January uhhh

[Mark5]

 NEW PAINT SCHEMES!
Atlas Master® N 5701 Plastics Hopper
http://www.atlasrr.com/NFreight/n5701b.htm

That's it! Maybe they've got something in the bag for that Amherst thing ...

Mark

[TiVoPrince]

Probably
scrambling to get C55 flex back in the pipeline...

[GaryHinshaw]

Hmm, that is a bit thin.  Far be it for me to complain about high-quality modern rolling stock, but the original release of these hoppers in ~Jan'08 came in at $19.95 MSRP, now they are $24.95: a 25% increase in 2 years.   What's going on with Atlas' prices?  I really don't understand all the recent issues with China (if that's the reason).

BTW, the decs are all plain gray, yet they're $6 more than the undecs... :-\


Note added: just scanning the IMRC releases and I see they have a new run of RC auto-racks, including GT, BN, CN black, and CP red [all excellent fodder for fading ].  The best part is: the MSRP is $1 cheaper than RC's original price.

[C855B]

I not-quite-griped about it on Atlas, but they're showing conspic stripes on the WPLX version. As far as I'm concerned they can put all the conspic stripes they want to on car styles built after, oh, 1990 or so, but to do this on carbodies good back to ~1970 is forcing everybody but you post-modern weenies  ;D  to backdate the paint. It's like the queue for the bench/paintshop isn't long enough already. Frustrating. [grumble]

[asciibaron]

no code 55 curved turnouts?

[MichaelWinicki]

no code 55 curved turnouts?

You're so funny!  ;D

[asciibaron]

no code 55 curved turnouts?

You're so funny!  ;D

no, i'm not, i need some of these.  Dave Foxx needs to call them cause i need to get my trackwork done.

[Dave Schneider]

no code 55 curved turnouts?

I know, what a bunch of jerks. First they didn't show up to build bench work and then they weren't available to deliver plywood. Don't get me started on how they haven't done anything lately to prevent the cold weather. Its a conspiracy man!!! 

Best wishes, Dave

[asciibaron]

I know, what a bunch of jerks. First they didn't show up to build bench work and then they weren't available to deliver plywood. Don't get me started on how they haven't done anything lately to prevent the cold weather. Its a conspiracy man!!! 

the hazards of modeling the beer line, too much free beer

[Dave Schneider]

I know, what a bunch of jerks. First they didn't show up to build bench work and then they weren't available to deliver plywood. Don't get me started on how they haven't done anything lately to prevent the cold weather. Its a conspiracy man!!! 

the hazards of modeling the beer line, too much free beer

Dang,  I just read that I wasn't supposed to give you a hard time. My bad....time to go stand in the beer line for some more beer.

Take care, Dave

[MichaelWinicki]

That "list" of new products can't get their reseller network too excited either.

[ljudice]

Didn't they do Westlake without stripes already??

[C855B]

Huh. You're right (WLPX). They did. Maybe this is an MTL-like move of getting rid of a slow mover with an overprint? I dunno... pure conjecture. I'm just bugged by the mfrs being somewhat quick to jump on stripes when they define such a hard era delineation. As I said, newer rolling stock designs I can't fault, but broadly trans-era cars really shouldn't be candidates for conspic stripes.

[TiVoPrince]

Apparently
we don't whine and snivel enough already.  Atlas makes cars with wood sheathing, roofwalks, high brakewheels, fallen flags, COTS stencils, inspection dots and now conspicuity stripes.  These all represent (reasonably) hard deliniations of eras. 

First, second and modern locomotives all have firm start dates based on when they were originally built.  Most any steam fan can easily quote the years that signifigant models were built and retired on a favourite railroad.  We need to obfuscate any facts before they get written down.

Are conspicuity stripes where we all draw the line where we all finally say enough, no more resources dedicated to models beyond 2005?  Oh puhleeeze.

Perhaps we all need to model a specifc railroad, location and time so only a limited number of products need to be made.  Then we can all queue up every month as the Kato and MT products arrive so we can buy our required one (but never more than one) of each model.  Maybe someone will be good enough to design for us the one and only layout approved to be built.  Even considering something outside this tightly controlled environment would get you imprisoned for thoughtcrime...

[ljudice]

Hey, some things are just WRONG without stripes:



Relax, everyone, Atlas seems to be doing a reasonable mixture.

Microscale's conspicutity decal, btw, doesn't look exactly right - like a lot of yellow things, they seem to err on the side of "lemon yellow" instead of orangy yellow.

Highball has them too, but they need to be cut individually, which is a really major pain.

So, hey some of us like our freight cars with stripes, please!