Atlas acquires Microtrains

[Dave V]

Quite a bit of naivety over on the HOn3 Narrow Gaugers Facebook group, suggesting they hope Atlas will revive the Micro Trains HOn3 line. They cite the ridiculous prices both Micro trains and Blackstone HOn3 RTR equipment appears to command on eBay as motivation.

I used to think that way. I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but eBay prices are not really indicative of market strength for something so niche as HOn3...

I know everyone was hopeful that MTL would have done the C&S Type III boxcars and stock cars (to go along with their Type III reefers and gons), but when Blackstone came on the scene, MTL decided they couldn't compete (which is odd, because Blackstone is all D&RGW while MTL was all C&S). I would have loved for MTL to have done the C&S stock and boxcars, because many of them ended up going to the RGS in 1938.

It's hard to imagine how HOn3 would fit into Atlas' business model. Might have been different had MTL been actively releasing new HOn3 products, but that cow quit milkin' years ago.

[robertjohndavis]

I used to think that way. I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but eBay prices are not really indicative of market strength for something so niche as HOn3...

Given that Bachmann found a way to make Fn3, On30 and 009 established gauges, I wouldn’t put it past an enterprising company to do the same with HOn3.

Rob

[Spades]

Is whoever at Atlas that thought this was a good idea still there?

It spawned JnJ and N Scale of Nevada to release frames that would lengthen the wheelbase.

[bbussey]

Sorry, Kato's DD13 pre-dated the RS-3 by 5 years.   Kato offered the GP38-2 to ConCor which balked at the MSRP so Kato opened Kato USA.

The DD13 was not offered in the States prior to the RS-3, and the mechanism designs are different.  The RS-3 was the first Kato-designed product available in the States.

[bbussey]

Is whoever at Atlas that thought this was a good idea still there?

Every company makes mistakes, and this is the only Atlas misstep since 1980 that I can recall.  Micro-Trains has made design and tooling mistakes also, the bay window caboose being the most egregious, and they all were still active items to the end.  Atlas did eventually correct this one.

[Spades]

I've spoken to Craig Martin(sp)  BLMA Founder at the NMRA convention in Sacramento.  David Hussey of Cannon at BAPM meets. The Irish Track Layer in O Scale gatherings.  Details part are not a money maker for anyone, they are a labor of love for the seller.

Atlas did produce a platic frame Roco GP9 than the RS-3 mechanism GP9 and finally the correct wheel base/ length GP9.  I guest they correct stuff.   MT has been off dimensionally.  Compare their SP C50-9 caboose with Athearns. Atlas has also released some BLMA detail parts.

How long has Scale Trains been in business? My IMRC SD40/45T-2's have been sold off.

Since the 1940's the US has started a whole bunch of alliances  for trade and defense.  These alliances made the world and the US richer and more sercure. Look at the US Allies compared to Russia or China. Just before the fall of the USSR the KGB did a study of their African Allies GDP, for 20+ nations it was revolution.

The price of this strategy has been the loss of some manufacturing for a whole lot reasons.  Manufacturing in the US is up by the way. Hopefully we can address this. It will invole fewer employees who can program and use tools for automation. You can purchase an Airbus, Honda, and by 2028 a Hyundai Containership built in the USA. 

The US Aerospace market is 9 times the size of France's Aerospace Market.  France is the second largest aerospace market in the world. Aerospace like semiconductors still requires manufactures of all sizes and countires.
If you asked who will build a Saturn V class heavy lift rocket in January 2000.  You would think Space X or Blue Origin?  They didn't exist at time.

Model Trains are a $5.82 Billion industry according to AI. The US Pizza market in 2024 had a value estimated between USD 152.4 billion and USD 195.67 billion, The market has over 74,000 pizza restaurants and continues to grow, with forecasts expecting continued expansion.  If you are going to do handwork in the US, think pizza.

Companies have risen and falled, it happens.  I wish the the staff of MT a rosy economic future. Atlas as well.

[Lenny53]

The DD13 was not offered in the States prior to the RS-3

Your point is moot.  There is nothing that I know of in the RS-3 that Kato was not already offering to their domestic market.  Atlas best offerings up to that point were models produced by Roco in Austria.

[Lenny53]

Atlas did produce a platic frame Roco GP9 than the RS-3 mechanism GP9 and finally the correct wheel base/ length GP9.

No, the Atlas / Roco models (GP9, GP30, F9A, E7A, and FA1) were made prior to Atlas switching to Kato production.

[learmoia]

Model Trains are a $5.82 Billion industry according to AI. The US Pizza market in 2024 had a value estimated between USD 152.4 billion and USD 195.67 billion, The market has over 74,000 pizza restaurants and continues to grow, with forecasts expecting continued expansion.  If you are going to do handwork in the US, think pizza.

Imagine the model train industry was the size of the pizza industry..  End there was a model train producer in every town that custom made trains and delivered them to your door..   

Heck.. In Iowa, we'd have hand made model trains at gas stations!! (Casey's Pizza)

[MK]

Uber Eats & Model Trains!

[Maletrain]

 "The US Pizza market in 2024 had a value estimated between USD 152.4 billion and USD 195.67 billion, The market has over 74,000 pizza restaurants and continues to grow, with forecasts expecting continued expansion."

And that is why I put fliers for our club's open house events at local pizza establishments.

Gee, maybe if I could get them to make N scale pizzas, I could have a side gig of reselling all of those "pizza cutter" wheel sets in that box of there in the corner.   

Well, probably not, because I don't think the price of those tiny pizzas would scale. 

[jdcolombo]

Looking at stuff Atlas released 40 years ago is nonsense.  The question is what has Atlas done over the past decade, as technology for production has advanced, as well as ease of acquiring accurate prototype information.  I can't think of any major goofs by Atlas in the past decade; instead, I think. of some VERY nice NKP models, both engines and rolling stock.  Not perfect mind you (if they'd only add the Mars light to the GP9's, and I pray they add one to the upcoming re-release of the LL Berkshire).  But extremely nicely decorated, well-running models.  They have adapted, both to modern technology and to modern modeler preferences. 

It's a well-run company, IMHO.  And that's why I think they will "do right" by MTL, at least as far as product production is concerned.  I expect same (or better, actually) quality, consistent releases, steady inventory of standard items (trucks, couplers).  I don't expect the personal touch we got from MTL, but I'm willing to accept that in exchange for Atlas' overall strengths and the continued viability of MTL's core business.

John C.

[Sokramiketes]

The SP Caboose note reminded me of another topic for this thread... what continues and what gets retired. 

Back when MTL was asking like $3mil for the company, we had some discussions around what is still useful tooling and what has served its purpose.

I'm guessing we've seen the last of the ubiquitous 20 00 000 series 40' PS-1 boxcar, right?  MTL never retooled to fix the dimensional issues, and Atlas has since tooled a better version.  They'll be on the secondary market long past my life.

The 50' gondolas, all versions, are a bit long in the tooth now that we have proper length cars available.

The more modern boxcars with dimensional height issues, do those continue?  There's a middle collection of freight cars here that are OK but generally mediocre stuff until...

The last 5-6 cars tooled are very nice.  Including the new gon, 60' flat car, etc.  Those have legs and I'm hopeful for many runs and roadnames from Atlas. 

Heavyweights passenger cars have legs, especially if a new RPO side gets tooled finally!

So setting aside the coupler line, does 50% of the MTL rolling stock line actually continue?  Higher or lower percentage?

[OldEastRR]

Of course the very basic MTL mistake that carried through for decades on all their PS-1 40' & 50' boxcars was they were a scale 6" too tall. Which you see when you couple one to an Atlas PS-1.  Plus the high-riding and 2-foot-too-short gons and flats. For years. 

[Sokramiketes]

N Scale Supply has a great page to frame this question.  Scrolling down the list, what all blows your kilt up still?

https://www.nscalesupply.com/mtl/mtl-bodystyles.html