Feb releases from AZL

[tom mann]

http://americanzline.com/index.html

[ztrack]

I have posted more detailed at photos at:

http://www.ztrack.com/AZL/amerzlines.html

Rob

[Sokramiketes]

Received my first AZL autorack last night.  What's the deal with the steps being hacked off and the side sill having a notch filed into it?  I'm guessing it's for allowing these to run around 8" radius curves, but is there any way to order these direct without the modification?  I plan on having wide enough curves to be able to keep the steps.  I really don't want to be patching in the sill, adding wire steps, and touching up paint on a train of 20 of these...

[Ian MacMillan]

on a train of 20 of these...

You're only getting 20?

[Sokramiketes]

on a train of 20 of these...

You're only getting 20?

It would be a good start.

[Ian MacMillan]

I was gonna say, I expected longer from you!  ;D

[Catt]

I thought MTL prices were overboard till I saw AZL's.They have definately priced themselves off my layout.

[Ztrains]

Z scale is expensive, no real way around that.

John

[Sokramiketes]

So far the prices have been in line with the features presented by AZL, IMHO.  I just want steps on my autoracks!

I tested with the two available MTL curve radii last night.  The wider radius is no problem, with the smaller radius the very corner of the coupler box hits, but I'm curious why the steps/side sill was removed instead of trimming the coupler box corners. 

This must be a problem with smaller Marklin radii... though these long cars look awfully goofy on the smallest MTL radius already.

[ztrack]

Mike, I guess I should confess. AZL had a real issue with this run, and yes it does have to tight radius curves, but not necessarily because of the steps. Long story short, AZL has originally designed these cars to use the trucks with long shanks, but the manufacturer came up with a clever idea to use body mount self centering trucks. The samples worked great and AZL was able to add steps to the cars (original design did not have them). But when the cars came, there was a big problem. The wrong springs were used and the self centering couplers were actually throwing cars off of the track. Take a look under the car and you will see a working self centering mechanism. Try it out, the spring affect is impressive!

So AZL had a choice, scrap 1,000s of cars or make them work. We punted and made them work. Though we hated to see the stirrups go, the longer shank couplers dictated this for tighter radius curves. We were able to save the run this way. It is interesting, but Robert Allbritton, one of AZL's owners is doing the milling of the cars and I am installing the trucks. I do think there is an opportunity for someone to come up with a little brass piece that would fill the gab and put the stirrup back on the car.

Okay, there you have it. The story of the stirrup.

Rob

[Sokramiketes]

So back to the original question since they will clear just fine on the larger of the MTL radius curves... can I order some that don't have the modification performed?  It would save you guys some work.

[ztrack]

Mike, sorry too late. All cars have been modified at this point.

Rob

[Sokramiketes]

Mike, sorry too late. All cars have been modified at this point.

Rob

Ok, well think about it for the next run...

[mcjaco]

I was gonna say, I expected longer from you!  ;D

This could be taken the wrong way.