New Atlas Items in Stock at HogTrainz

[conrail1973]

Good afternoon,

I just noticed that the following Atlas items are in stock at HogTrainz:

MP15 DC Locomotives
Top Gons
40' PS-1 Boxcars
3560 Covered Hopper

I had to pick up CR 9628 after finding this photo (I didn't think that they operated outside of the Reading Cluster):

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1278191

I would have picked up a second unit, but I just picked up one of the FVM NS GP60s from BLW as NS had some GP60s operating some locals in PA during the early 2000s.

Thanks,

Adam

[reinhardtjh]

That took a while.  According to the Atlas site, those were in a container shippe August 30th.  So it's been nearly 8 weeks.

I have a conundrum since there are a couple of the PS-1's I'd like to get but from the pictures it looks like the new dates are in the early 50's which is about 3-4 years later than my intended transition era target of 1948-49.

[prr7161]

So I guess the MP15s are analog only for now.  @Atlas Paul , any idea when the DCC-equipped versions might be following?

[jdcolombo]

Isn't it time for them to change their name to "HogNTrainz"?

John C.

[prr7161]

HoNGTrainz?

[peteski]

Isn't it time for them to change their name to "HogNTrainz"?

John C.

Well, there already is an "N" and even "Z" in HogTrainz, but for some reason I really dislike that name and I am seriously considering not shopping there (except for the already-reserved Turbo-Train).  I would be ok with the new arrangement if they kept the BLW site, but have it managed by Pete's brother.  Have any of you ever meet someone and dislike them almost instantly after meeting them for the firs time?  Well, that is me and the Hog site.  It's a stupid name for a model train vendor - period. I feel the same about "Peanut Butter of Trains" vendor I go by (and don't stop) at the Springfield show.  Those names aren't cute or creative - they are dumb! 

[reinhardtjh]

The name puts me off but the web site is even worse than Pete's for organization.   I don't know how anyone can find anything there without just scrolling and scrolling and ...  Ugh.  The site designer(s) should be shot.

[jdcolombo]

Fortunately, I've more or less reached the "train saturation point" - I've got too much rolling stock and too many engines already.  I haven't bought any new cars or engines in at least two years, except for curiosity/testing purposes (an Intermountain SD40-2 with sound, to check out the then-new ESU decoder board, and an Atlas SD35 to check out the speaker arrangement and overall sound quality).  Although Pete was my "go to" source for nearly 20 years, what little stuff I do buy these days is from MB Klein.  I suppose that if Atlas eventually runs an Alco S-2 in NKP paint or someone comes out with an FM H10/44 or H12/44 (or both), I'll have to add to the collection, but for now I'm in an acquisition holding pattern. 

But I agree that Hogtrainz is a weird name, and also agree that the web site is nearly unusable.  I actually liked MB Klein's old site the best, but the new one is OK once you figure out how to use filters to search for stuff you want.

The way things are going, we'll all be buying from Amazon eventually, anyway.  They will be all that's left . . .

John C.

[ridinshotgun]

The HO side of his site is a bit easier to use and find stuff.  The N scale side is just horrible and don't understand why Pete just didn't turn over his site to his brother.  I don't want to spend all day scrolling through announcements to find stuff.  It is a real turn off.  At least have categories that we can got to if we are looking for something.  It all looks like a gigantic afterthought.

[Blazeman]

Good afternoon,

I just noticed that the following Atlas items are in stock at HogTrainz:

MP15 DC Locomotives
Top Gons
40' PS-1 Boxcars
3560 Covered Hopper

I had to pick up CR 9628 after finding this photo (I didn't think that they operated outside of the Reading Cluster):

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1278191

I would have picked up a second unit, but I just picked up one of the FVM NS GP60s from BLW as NS had some GP60s operating some locals in PA during the early 2000s.

Thanks,

Adam

That scene looks to be at Devault, PA, under the Pa Turnpike.  Trackage now inactive. Grades on that line made locos work hard and they belched sparks setting off small fires through the wooded area that line ran through south of Phoenixville.

[tehachapifan]

Interesting discussion about the name. I hadn't thought about it that much but I find it easy to remember and it's kind of cute, especially with the pig in the logo. I hadn't really noticed that it contains several scales in the name before it was mentioned, but that's kind of clever too. I'm a bit of a train hog as well, so that seems appropriate. But, that's just my opinion and I thought Amazon and Uber were odd names when they came out.

[basementcalling]

I was initially put off by the name, but got over that. I still think Pete's Captain Blaster was one of the dumbest monikers for sales I've ever seen. I've had a love affair with BLW since the monthly paper newsletter days back in the 80s and 90s, so maybe I got used to how he organized his site, but the long list of new products and announcements have gotten much longer over time. Maybe as the end neared, Pete didn't want to make a new list, but it also might be because more products come out every month for us to peruse it seems.

I'm not sold on Hogtrainz yet as a replacement for BLW. Hell, there may never be a replacement. They did, however, handle my reservation for the Abrams tank flat car set well.

Now if I could just get over my uncomfortableness with the name Peteski. 

[OldEastRR]

Yes, Hogtrainz is pretty bad for N. For one thing, they don't have anywhere near the lines on catalog that BLW has/had. Some people may have disliked the BLW site, but for me it was great -- go to the area of interest (Freight Cars), click on a brand (Atlas), then go down the picture list tllyou get to the car type (PS-1) and presto. And then you could go back one step and choose a different brand, then again car type. And since Pete left everything up until he finally deleted the sold out, if you were looking for a car you would strip repaint and decal sometimes you could get an "off-brand railroad" car cheap. I somnetimes just went browsing through the various car listings to look for bargains.
I too would like to see Hogtrainz just send you over to the BLW site at least for the catalog part. They can have the actual sale go onto the Hogtrainz shopping cart. Because I don't think an HO-centric sales site is going to get too detailed in making up an N catalog. To have to separately look up part numbers and special order stock issue items is just not worth the effort for this customer.
However, just to boycott a company because the name sounds silly ... what about Exxon? Or Chooch?

[Maletrain]

"I find it easy to remember and it's kind of cute, especially with the pig in the logo."

Uhmmmm ... that is an alligator.  It is the logo of the site maker, rather than the Hogtrainz vendor.  And, maybe that is fitting, since 'gators eat pigs, and that seems to be a reasonable metaphor for what is happening with this site.

[peteski]

"I find it easy to remember and it's kind of cute, especially with the pig in the logo."

Uhmmmm ... that is an alligator.  It is the logo of the site maker, rather than the Hogtrainz vendor.  And, maybe that is fitting, since 'gators eat pigs, and that seems to be a reasonable metaphor for what is happening with this site.

I  suspect that he was referring to this logo:


Or other pig icons on that site.

For some reason I don't find that one cute at all. And I'm not generally averse to pigs.  I think that the SP (or is it UP?) Piggy Packer logo on the intermodal trailers is very cute. I also love Polish ham.