track...is Atlas "on track" ?

[SkipGear]

I'm kind of doubting that.  I know we never had to buy at that cost.  My local guy will order it piece meal too.  He just doesn't have the space for mutliple codes of track.

As a shop to buy Atlas flex, you have to buy it by the case (100 pieces). There is no other way to get it. It's hard to justify buying 100 pieces of track for one customer to buy 3 or 4 out of the lot. As an example without revealing the true cost, a case of HO C83 costs a shop well over $300 for an initial stock.

Looking at stock checks, I guess everybody is going to have to go to C55 because C80 Flex is dead till the fall. Looks like Peco is going to get a good foothold in the market instead of being "the other track company" to the average Joe. Their flex is currently out but due at the end of the month.

[rogergperkins]

What is the result of this move by Atlas on their True Track?  I heard great reviews from user(s), but have yet to see it available in the LHS's I visit or at any shows with dealer/sellers.

I am not in the market for buying track presently after doing an inventory of Kato Unitrack I have that is NOT on the layout, I determined I have over 100 pieces of the 9 3/4" straight track.   
I had to downsize the layout when we retired and moved. 

[asarge]

Roger,

Almost all the True Track is still available. About the only piece that's not is the 90 degree crossing.

Right now we have almopst 2 full cases of code 80. Almost the same for code 80. We are now heading into a slow season in North Georgia for modelling. That much track in late march would normally last until mid-June.  Now I'm not so sure.

[Coxy]

... hand-lay your turnouts. ...Hand-laid turnouts (after you get the hang of it....about three turnouts usually) are more reliable than RTR, look better and can be repaired in place rather than torn up and replaced.  ...AND, knowing how to lay your own will open up a whole new world of trackwork to you, not constrained by #5, #7 and #10 (sort of) turnouts.

I agree with Bob. Commercial track supply is not an issue once you learn how to hand lay track.

Unlike HO, N scalers have very limited options when it comes to good looking, well operating N scale track. I am not a fan of Peco c55 track as it looks more European than American. Atlas c55 is a big improvement but is relatively expensive and there are limited options for turnouts and crossings. Not a problem, hand laying cuts through all of that.

For some reason, many N scale modelers have a knee-jerk aversion to hand laying their track. I have lost count of the number of times I have heard "Oh, I couldn't hand lay in N scale", yet they have usually never tried, or have given up too easily after a turnout or two did not work out for them. Oddly, the same modelers will take on a scratchbuilding or kitbashing project that is often more difficult than most hand laying.

Hand laid track can be built at the bench or in place. You can build with or without a jig. Once you get the hang of it, your track will look better, be more reliable and cost a WHOLE lot less than you have been paying.

Hand laying is mainly about practice and concentration. Your first few turnouts will teach you a lot of what you need to know - bending, filing, soldering/spiking rail and how to keep the track in gauge. Everyone who hand lays gets a great sense of accomplishment seeing their new track working. It's really not that hard once you get going.

Now, I'll grant you, like HO, not all N scalers will want to hand lay their track, in fact many won't ever hand lay their track. But most definitely could hand lay track with practice, which makes problems due to track shortages, self-imposed. 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I'm willing to bet that a bunch of modelers have been hand laying for years... 



It's a shame that the Atlas C55 prices have climbed as they have. When it initially came out it was almost competitive with the regular Code 80.

Now, well... I guess it's changed a bit, but it's still a lot cheaper than Peco (and still so much better looking).

These almost yearly supply disruptions really do suck though.

Hell, there's always unitrack...

[wm3798]

I wonder if it would make sense to bring track production home, since that's more of a commodity item, and probably a more automated manufacturing process (requiring less hand assembly and decorating etc)... and keep the higher end work on locos and rolling stock out there in sweatshop land...

L

[mcjaco]

What I don't get it even if it is $400 to buy in to stock track, it's a commodity that will sell.  Everyone needs track.  So even if you have to pony up $400 to stock it initially, what's the problem???

[Puddington]

What I don't get it even if it is $400 to buy in to stock track, it's a commodity that will sell.  Everyone needs track.  So even if you have to pony up $400 to stock it initially, what's the problem???

One assumes cash flow..... with multiple types of track, multiple mfg of track and multiple scales, one can see that the cash outlay to be a well stocked LHS could be in the thousands of dollars.... and potentually to have it sit for months with no way to generate cash....I can appreciate the problem.

[John]

Kleins had 14 cases of C55 in stock .. $299 each .. and 72 sets of 25 piece bundles .. as of 23rd March .. I'm not worried (for now)

[asarge]

What I don't get it even if it is $400 to buy in to stock track, it's a commodity that will sell.  Everyone needs track.  So even if you have to pony up $400 to stock it initially, what's the problem???

That would assume there are alot of modellers out there in his area consuming Code 55. In out LHS, we will sell a bunch at a time and then it'll dribble out for awhile. We don't churn alot of cases in a year. Maybe 5 or 6 complete cases.

One assumes cash flow..... with multiple types of track, multiple mfg of track and multiple scales, one can see that the cash outlay to be a well stocked LHS could be in the thousands of dollars.... and potentually to have it sit for months with no way to generate cash....I can appreciate the problem.

Good observation but I would argue track is one of the staples you have to have. If you are gonna have invenotory sitiing around dribbling out, that is one of 3 things you absolutley need. There are some owners and wanna be owners that proceed on the assumption that it';s all about loco's and freight cars and all they really pay attention too. You would be able to get away with that for awhile if you are an e-tailer only. But if you are an LHS, that's a recipe for disaster. A "well stocked" shop carries things that people buy EVERY day of the week and has the cash flow to make it happen.

[jnevis]

Anything is better than here.

Our LHS says stated more than once he'll never stock anything in N ever again and only VERY limited HO, but the shelves are full of every O you could image.  His HO, a 10 ft shelf of Markiln/Trix, mainly European stuff and a couple Bmann sets.  His reasoning, to many different small parts for N, specifically couplers, to stock.

I just don't see there being THAT much mark up on O even at MSRP to keep him open.

Can you tell I wandered in there this afternoon?

The next closet shop is 45 min away and is looking at clearing out N too.  But he at least has SOME Peco and Atlas C80.

[ArtinCA]

As a shop to buy Atlas flex, you have to buy it by the case (100 pieces). There is no other way to get it. It's hard to justify buying 100 pieces of track for one customer to buy 3 or 4 out of the lot. As an example without revealing the true cost, a case of HO C83 costs a shop well over $300 for an initial stock.

You guys should look at Great Planes Dist. My local guy has been able to get 25 piece bundles from them for me, so no 100 cha-ching pain.

[nscalemike]

Yeah but stocking all those small parts for n-scale takes up a lot less room then stocking one O scale engine!   You could have a coupler inventory to last a year in that space!

My guy carries an above average selection of N (along with HO, O, and I think even G now too) but he can also get just about anything I want within a few days.  Code 55 track though,  his box of it is in the corner covered in dust!

[towl1996]

Atlas c55 has been a PIA from day one and continues to today. Whether it's been the flange issue, quality control, price, or availability, it's always something. Atlas is a great company, but this product line is a turd. I'm glad I roll c80. Thanks

[SkipGear]

You guys should look at Great Planes Dist. My local guy has been able to get 25 piece bundles from them for me, so no 100 cha-ching pain.

We deal with GP and it comes in cases of 100. We don't mind, our shop goes through about a case a month. We cleaned out GP's inventory today so they are now out of stock and we only got a couple cases of HO C100 and N C55. They did have some C80 was already sold out and we got the last of the C100. C55 was still in stock for now.