"Standard" wheels for Micro-Trains?

[ednadolski]

The ESM gons have a 12½" minimum radius marked on the package in bold print, and it has been stated in all advertisements.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I really want to go on the record here, echoing Tom's comments, that this thread makes me very proud of the community we have here at The Railwire.

[bbussey]

... My own quest to make a train of C&O 33' twin bay hoppers bears this out, 4 releases in the last 15 years I think, each time of a single car?  Hard to make a unit train out of that! ...

As an aside ... didn't Atlas just release a four-pack of this scheme on their version of the two-bay offset hopper?

[bicknell]

As an aside ... didn't Atlas just release a four-pack of this scheme on their version of the two-bay offset hopper?

If you mean these: http://www.atlasrr.com/NFreight/n2bayoffsethopper2.htm

No, not for me.  Much too late era wise, the new schemes are all Chessie System paint.

[bbussey]

Not that ... This one.

[Mark5]

Link here:

http://www.atlasrr.com/NFreight/n2bayoffsethopper1.htm

There was a 3-pak and 2 singles for C&O

[bicknell]

Ok, I'm confused. 

I can't find that car on their list of new releases, nor can I find it on three of the big e-tailers sites.  I also don't remember seeing an announcement for it.  The web page claims availability in February 2009, but nothing even on e-bay.

What am I missing?

I could use a few of those, I have some of the older Atlas run which are the flat end style.  I don't like them as much as the MT for a few reasons.  I don't like the loads, they make them top heavy and most of my MT cars don't have them, so I run strings of empties.  I also think the accumates make them couple even further apart than the MT's, although neither is that great.

What I would like most is a re-run of MT 86012-2 / 86010.   I've got more 57070's than I know what to do with, plus they weren't in service that long.  More 085 00 0400's would be nice, although I would prefer them without the load (which I think was the only way they were offered).  Most of the 86010's I see were last run in 1993, was that really the last run, 17 years ago?

[Mark5]

Ok, I'm confused.  

I can't find that car on their list of new releases, nor can I find it on three of the big e-tailers sites.  I also don't remember seeing an announcement for it.  The web page claims availability in February 2009, but nothing even on e-bay.

What am I missing?

They came and went. I ordered and received one of the C&O.

Some retailers might still have some.

[bbussey]

It was from the second release last year.  You'll have to hunt for the Atlas cars at this point, but they should be out available somewhere.  As Mark noted, those are five more cars for your unit train, which doubles your fleet, correct?  I checked BLW and MBK, they are out.  But some hobby shop must still have them, probably outside of the northeast away from C&O territory.

You also should check with Atlas directly and see if they still have them in stock - it's even odds that they have small quantities of some if not all five cars.  As an example, they had Front Runners in stock until late last year, even though everyone thought they were sold out years ago.  List price, but at least you'll have them.

[Iain]

I guess I'll weigh in here.  One of the things I am happy with MT for is that they produce freight equipment in my prefered era, namely the late 1940's.  They are also one of two manufacturers to produce cars in my chosen road, even though in one box they got the insert wrong (Joe, what's with doing models of Norfolk Southern cars that date back to the 1960's and putting stuff about the modern Norfolk Southern on the insert in the box?).

They also produce narrow gauge trucks, valuable to me at the moment due to limited space; speaking of which, I did not compromise with super tight curves, I just didn't build a loop (although I may try C25 here shortly and redo everything).

As far as ride height, I have lowered most of my MT equipment.  The problem is that this causes some of the cars to come out a bit vertically challenged, as pointed out.  I can live with it for some models of earlier equipment, but when I have a relatively modern boxcar that is lower than a single sheathed car, it doesn't look very good.

Just out of curiosity, will your low-pros still be available to those of us that are under too much in the way of budget constraints to fully go over to Fox Valley wheelsets?

[bicknell]

It was from the second release last year.  You'll have to hunt for the Atlas cars at this point, but they should be out available somewhere.

I'm really baffled they aren't even listed.  BLW seems to never delete anything, just mark them as sold out and they aren't on his page at all.  Weird.  I should go look, I have to believe I ordered at least one, if it was just one I might have forgotten...

 As Mark noted, those are five more cars for your unit train, which doubles your fleet, correct?

Ha!  I have 110 of the MT cars, and another 12-14 of the original run Atlas cars.

I don't need that many more at this point, but about 50 of the MT are the composite side which are really era limited (WWII into maybe 1952-1954), so I would take some more steel side in one of the several body styles they used...

[Mark5]

BLW does delete ... eventually.

Hopefully they will do these in the "progess" scheme too in a future run.

Mark

[JoeD]

Yes, our pizza cutters and low pro's will be available in bulk packs at a reasonable price I am told...now back to shampooing my carpets  ;D   Ahhh the glamor of being a single dad!!

Joe
MTL

I guess I'll weigh in here.  One of the things I am happy with MT for is that they produce freight equipment in my prefered era, namely the late 1940's.  They are also one of two manufacturers to produce cars in my chosen road, even though in one box they got the insert wrong (Joe, what's with doing models of Norfolk Southern cars that date back to the 1960's and putting stuff about the modern Norfolk Southern on the insert in the box?).

They also produce narrow gauge trucks, valuable to me at the moment due to limited space; speaking of which, I did not compromise with super tight curves, I just didn't build a loop (although I may try C25 here shortly and redo everything).

As far as ride height, I have lowered most of my MT equipment.  The problem is that this causes some of the cars to come out a bit vertically challenged, as pointed out.  I can live with it for some models of earlier equipment, but when I have a relatively modern boxcar that is lower than a single sheathed car, it doesn't look very good.

Just out of curiosity, will your low-pros still be available to those of us that are under too much in the way of budget constraints to fully go over to Fox Valley wheelsets?

[SkipGear]

A little more off topic.

Leo's C&O hopper dilemma......

Athearn:
3 bay Rib Side Peaked end - 10 numbers C&O for Progress (2 - 5 packs)

Atlas:
2 bay 55T Fishbelly - 12 numbers C&O for Progress
2 bay offset side - 5 numbers Chesapeake & Ohio

Bowser:
2 bay GLa - 3 numbers Chesapeake & Ohio

MDC:
3 bay Rib side oval end - 14 numbers C&O for Progress
3 bay Rib side peaked end - 6 numbers Chesapeake & Ohio

MTL:
2 bay Expanded Side - 1 number
2 bay Offset Side - 1 number
2 bay Rib side Flat End - 1 number
2 bay Composite Side - 4 numbers
2 bay Offset Side Notched End - 6 numbers (2 - 3 packs)


Total of 63 unique numbers for steam / transition era, not sure if you at trying to cut off before the Progress logo but I have seen plenty of them behind steam.

[Mark5]

No "progress" yet on the Atlas offsets Tony.