Author Topic: NTS Atlas N Scale Announcements  (Read 10108 times)

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cjm413

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Re: NTS Atlas N Scale Announcements
« Reply #30 on: August 10, 2018, 11:35:06 PM »
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I think I've got it...

The former Walthers cars are FGE RBL cars, like the Moloco HO cars.

The Atlas cars are FGE RBLs too, but a different style, older design I think.

Walthers N models were NACC.

cjm413

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Re: NTS Atlas N Scale Announcements
« Reply #31 on: August 10, 2018, 11:39:33 PM »
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My guess is that the Airslide was a BLMA project.

Craig Martyn and David Lehlbach often coordinated their efforts, so that seems probable.

On a related note, Tangent also announced their UP quad hoppers in N

cjm413

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Re: NTS Atlas N Scale Announcements
« Reply #32 on: August 10, 2018, 11:45:50 PM »
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One of these cars is an imposter!!!!    :D  :D  :D

According to the CRTS site the ex EL's are General American.

I think the Atlas roadnames match the Moloco GA roadnames as well....

All of the roadnames are legit for GATC built cars

wcfn100

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Re: NTS Atlas N Scale Announcements
« Reply #33 on: August 10, 2018, 11:46:10 PM »
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Looks like GATC  :D

Yeah. When I get home tomorrow, I'll take a closer look but these could be trouble for me.  Going to have to figure out how to get undecorated models.

Jason

squirrelhunter

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Re: NTS Atlas N Scale Announcements
« Reply #34 on: August 10, 2018, 11:49:12 PM »
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Those GTAC RBL's fill a big hole in N scale. I need one in MP and then one in ATSF.

cjm413

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Re: NTS Atlas N Scale Announcements
« Reply #35 on: August 10, 2018, 11:58:35 PM »
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Yeah. When I get home tomorrow, I'll take a closer look but these could be trouble for me.  Going to have to figure out how to get undecorated models.

Jason

Finding these will be a bigger problem:

http://mopac1.tripod.com/307.gif

sirenwerks

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Re: NTS Atlas N Scale Announcements
« Reply #36 on: August 11, 2018, 01:54:24 AM »
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Hmmm, will we be getting this version?


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nkalanaga

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Re: NTS Atlas N Scale Announcements
« Reply #37 on: August 11, 2018, 02:20:59 AM »
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Javier:  Yes:  X-1520.  I don't know when it was repainted, but Four Ways West's "Equipment Color Pictorial Vol 3" has a picture of it.  They had two Russell plows, but I don't know what color the X-1521 was in at merger time.
N Kalanaga
Be well

bbussey

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Re: NTS Atlas N Scale Announcements
« Reply #38 on: August 11, 2018, 03:13:43 AM »
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Those GTAC RBL's fill a big hole in N scale. I need one in MP and then one in ATSF.

Definitely so.  Conrail and possibly D&H from this batch for me, and EL when it eventually surfaces.
Bryan Busséy
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mplsjct

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Re: NTS Atlas N Scale Announcements
« Reply #39 on: August 11, 2018, 08:33:47 AM »
+1
Atlas commented on Facebook that the former Walthers tooling wasn’t affected by the Affa factory closure.

Wouldn’t this just be the ultimate N scale irony if Atlas is able to crank out ex Walthers products while their own tooling becomes dormant?
I’m not here to argue

thomasjmdavis

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Re: NTS Atlas N Scale Announcements
« Reply #40 on: August 11, 2018, 09:59:56 AM »
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Wouldn’t this just be the ultimate N scale irony if Atlas is able to crank out ex Walthers products while their own tooling becomes dormant?
I imagine Walthers will process enough orders through their warehouse that the irony will not be lost on them.

For Atlas, the acquisition of the Walthers N scale assets may prove fortuitous in the long run as well as the short run.  It gives them product to sell while dealing with the disruption caused by the Chinese factory closure. It ALSO comes with a built in relationship with another Chinese factory, so it may enable them to get some of their (non-ex-Walthers) other upcoming models out with less disruption than we might otherwise expect.  It is not often that you can find a "bolt on" acquisition that comes with usable tooling AND diversification of the manufacturing base AND several products that are in demand (judging from the previous comments on this thread).  Only a few folks at Atlas would be able to predict if this will be profitable in the next 12 months, but it will definitely have a big positive impact on cash flow- which for a small business is the more critical of the two.

I am inclined to think that my old MBA profs would give Atlas an "A" on this acquisition. 
Tom D.

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bbussey

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Re: NTS Atlas N Scale Announcements
« Reply #41 on: August 11, 2018, 10:16:52 AM »
+1
Hmmm ....  just pointing out that Atlas utilizes more than two contractors, so this never was a situation where there would be no Atlas products at all coming to market.
Bryan Busséy
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PGBowler2

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Re: NTS Atlas N Scale Announcements
« Reply #42 on: August 11, 2018, 11:30:39 AM »
+8
The new RBL is a General American built car, designed in conjunction with Moloco who produces it in HO.

The Walthers RBLs are North American prototypes, we are working on the research to bring these back.

The Walthers rolling stock tooling is at a factory that we had used in the past, but weren't currently using.  The tooling is going to remain there at for production.  The locomotives are at a different factory that we had occasionally used, but will probably not remain there.  We are working that out now.

The 4180 was a project that BLMA had lined up to go with the crude oil tankers, we followed it through.  The Atlas model will have three variations, the high brake wheel, and the low brake wheel with two different ends, so there are schemes that we can do that Micro-Trains cannot.

At the time of the factory closure, we were using four different factories in China, however the one that closed was producing most of our locomotives and rolling stock, so there will be some delay in getting things back up and running, but we are working to minimize the disruption as best we can.


CBQ Fan

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Re: NTS Atlas N Scale Announcements
« Reply #43 on: August 11, 2018, 01:25:13 PM »
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The new RBL is a General American built car, designed in conjunction with Moloco who produces it in HO.

The Walthers RBLs are North American prototypes, we are working on the research to bring these back.

The Walthers rolling stock tooling is at a factory that we had used in the past, but weren't currently using.  The tooling is going to remain there at for production.  The locomotives are at a different factory that we had occasionally used, but will probably not remain there.  We are working that out now.

The 4180 was a project that BLMA had lined up to go with the crude oil tankers, we followed it through.  The Atlas model will have three variations, the high brake wheel, and the low brake wheel with two different ends, so there are schemes that we can do that Micro-Trains cannot.

At the time of the factory closure, we were using four different factories in China, however the one that closed was producing most of our locomotives and rolling stock, so there will be some delay in getting things back up and running, but we are working to minimize the disruption as best we can.


Thank you for the additional details.
Brian

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daniel_leavitt2000

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Re: NTS Atlas N Scale Announcements
« Reply #44 on: August 11, 2018, 02:18:32 PM »
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@PGBowler2 the Walthers NACC car had some serious problems such as rivets near the doors being a scale 4" long. Will the tooling be updated as you announce new product? The cars you have chosen with this announcement were the best of Walthers previous tooling. The PS covered hopper was pretty good as well, but could certainly use a new roof with etched roof walk. The cryo cars were fairly good: the end steps need to be thinned out and a new under frame is absolutely necessary. My favorite car is the PD5000, but the current one wouldn't even pass for Trainman. It really needs new end cages, steps, etched roof walk, body mount couplers and proper ride height 100t trucks. Elevating the model to standards similar to the BLMA model would also reduce confusion (they are both large PD style hoppers though they are very different prototypes).

Also, do you know what the plan is on the inherited engines? Will they be converted to DCC/sound as you are doing with the current master line? Will the Walthers mid phase shell be adapted to take the standard Atlas GP38/39/40/-2 chassis? Will the same happen to the GP18/20 on the GP7/9 chassis?
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