Your 2015 Product of the Year

[Mark5]

didn't the Atlas PS-1 come out in 2014? I know I bought one in June of 2014.

[wcfn100]

didn't the Atlas PS-1 come out in 2014? I know I bought one in June of 2014.

I believe the 6' door versions are new this year.  If they hadn't been on the list I would not have had a reason to vote. 


Jason

[thomasjmdavis]

I think it is remarkable that after several days, the leading candidate is the Atlas S2 (and I did not vote for it).  Certainly, the release did not get the "hype" of the FEF or K4, but it is clear that a lot of folks were waiting for this model.  I will probably pick up one or two in future releases if and when the right paint schemes come along.  With the support it is showing, it looks like the folks who bought one are very happy with it.  Which does not surprise me, given the number of Atlas locos I have and how well they operate.

[arbomambo]

I'm going to respond with my personal picks...
1) the Kato FEF3 and Executive car set- although one of the very few purchases outside of my modeling era/railroad, this release is incredible.
2) Micro Trains 70' heavyweight baggage- a personal favorite as I'm using the car to model accurate Santa Fe versions; the Erie prototype chosen is such a generic heavyweight style that it stands in for a ton of railroads' cars.
2) Bluford Shops 'cornfields'- a product that, with very little extra effort (  a little 'twist' to the stalks, a little paint) builds into a very believable N scale cornfield.

Bruce

[Ngineer]

all of the new tooling required for these trucks, so I really hope it will pay off for him.

They CANNOT pay off, because they aren't offered anywhere! I tried to get the brown truck, but to no avail.

The initial offer was extremely limited, and then nada, nothing. This model policy is quit confusing to me.

Here are my votes, in no particular order:

- Atlas PS-1: It is SO MUCH BETTER than the older one. The nice running board is a huge step forward for Atlas models.

- Trainworx 40' vans: Awesome. I bought more than I need  , just because they are beautiful.

- Heavyweight Baggage Express by Micro-Trains: Though only prototypical for one company (Erie), it fills a gap. Actually, all of the Micro-Trains heavyweights fill a gap that needed to be closed for all who model 20's to 60's.

And a runner-up:

- H 30 Covered Hopper by Fox Valley: I bought three of them, but one of the model is missing parts.    It is missing the brake cylinder, which is easily spotted on this model.

(BTW, was the Silver Streak Zephyr released in 2014 or 2015? Great model.)

[johnb]

Micro-Trains horse car

[bbussey]

The horse car is a January 2016 release.

[jagged ben]

Trainworx Peterbilt trucks.    Catapulted ahead of the previous standards for N scale vehicles.

[johnb]

The horse car is a January 2016 release.

For sale now

[bbussey]

No it isn't.  The electronic version of Micro-News dropped today, that's all.  Still a week or two away.

[Spades]

I would nominate Wutter shapeways products. SP specific details and extended dynamic brake exhaust silencer hatch & exhaust silencer.  Cleared out 7 SD/GP that had been sitting on the work bench for 2+ years.

[MichaelWinicki]

Gotta go with the Atlas PS-1...

#1 It's light-years better. 
#2 A huge percentage of N-scalers can use it.

[jdcolombo]

My $.02

The Atlas S-2 is the runaway winner IMHO.  Not only is the S-2 a prototype used by nearly every railroad in the U.S. (Class 1, shortline, switching, etc.), but Atlas completely re-engineered the running gear to accommodate a sound decoder installation, which was executed marvelously - in an N-scale switcher.   The metal hood adds weight without sacrificing detail; the handrails are finer than any other commercial N-scale product (yes, you can do better with .008 brass wire, but just barely).  In short, it is an engineering marvel that plugged a huge hole in the N-scale engine lineup.  The Rapido GMD-1 is also well-engineered, but it's overall a bigger model, so the challenges of doing a sound install were less severe than for the S-2, and the prototype just isn't one that will be useful to most N-scalers.  An excellent effort, but in the "product of the year" sweepstakes, not in the same class as the S-2 in my view.

Beyond that, I don't have a clear second choice.  The PS-1 boxcar is also a major prototype, done to more exacting standards than we have previously seen in N without being crazy expensive.  But the FEF from Kato is an iconic model that also is an engineering wonder and probably the best steam engine ever produced in N scale by anyone.  And I could make arguments for a lot of other stuff on the list, too.

In short, 2015 was a pretty good year for N scale all-around.

John C.

[Puddington]

The votes are in and the A@@hats have spoken.... The Railwire community's 2015 Product of the Year was the Alco S2 by Atlas. Second place went to the K4 4-6-2 locomotive by Bachmann and third place was taken by Kato with their FEF 4-8-4 locomotive & consist.

Thanks to all that took the time to vote.....

[peteski]

It was interesting to see the voting results for the top spots change as the poll went on.  I am surprised that FEF ended up in 3rd spot.  I was also amused by the total lack of votes for SD 45 w/ sound (by Bachmann).