I wonder if this MTL product is still on the schedule for Atlas...

[learmoia]

N 250th Anniversary of the United States of America Series
https://micro-trains.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=63_68_251

~Ian

[sirenwerks]

So strange that we hear nothing about the 250th national birthday. I was 10 in 1976 and the lead up was years long. Here we are less than a month away from the start of 2026 and I haven't heard anything about the anniversary akin to the 100 year mark.

[learmoia]

The only news I hear is railroad related.. (paint schemes, ect.. )

There is this..
https://america250.org/

[muktown128]

So strange that we hear nothing about the 250th national birthday. I was 10 in 1976 and the lead up was years long. Here we are less than a month away from the start of 2026 and I haven't heard anything about the anniversary akin to the 100 year mark.

I agree.  I was also 10 in 1976 and the bicentennial was a huge thing. I still have a bicentennial license plate from NJ.  You could have them on the front of your car instead of your regular license plate for a period of time. 

[peteski]

I wasn't' in the country at that time, but I know it was a huge deal. There was even the American Freedom Train!
Maybe in today's world, the celebration will be done like many businesses operate today: just in time delivery celebration. At the last minute.

[track1]

I've been privy to discussions with a connection at one of the class 1 railroads who assured us that particular railroad is planning some kind of commemorative unit, but that it was undecided what the livery would be, what type of locomotive it will be applied to, and that he expected that details would not be finalized until just a few months before 7/4/2026.

I think the overall political climate, and that the theoretically non-partisan America 250 commission has been co-opted by former White House and campaign employees, and picked up several sponsors that are friendly to the current administration, has dampened the excitement for some.

[Iain]

The steamship I volunteer on is doing a bunch of stuff; port visits all over Puget Sound next summer.

[Rossford Yard]

N 250th Anniversary of the United States of America Series
https://micro-trains.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=63_68_251

~Ian

My memory may be off, but I have an Atlas 5600 Pellets hopper with an Xmas theme graffiti, that I think was made by Atlas itself.  So, at least they have dabbled in the fantasy cars, and I don't see why they wouldn't do a run of something with America 250 on it.  I would not be inclined to buy it, since my era is more 2005 rather than 2025.

[dcr1793]

My memory may be off, but I have an Atlas 5600 Pellets hopper with an Xmas theme graffiti, that I think was made by Atlas itself.  So, at least they have dabbled in the fantasy cars, and I don't see why they wouldn't do a run of something with America 250 on it.  I would not be inclined to buy it, since my era is more 2005 rather than 2025.

That was actually a prototype car. Came into the repair shop I was working with at in Hollidaysburg, PA....unfortunately it was candidate for a full repaint prior to its release for service. https://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=119146

Atlas does have plans to continue with projects MTL had previously announced as well as what was in the works internally prior to the transition. It will just take some time for them to get setup before they start to move forward with those projects.

[seusscaboose]

Find me in a bar.... buy me a beer... and I will tell you a story about what could have been with the Class 1's ... and how it all fell apart 5 years ago ...

(Documents exist).