Microtrains trucks and couplers

[Maletrain]

Is there any news yet about whether Atlas will continue making the large array of truck types and coupler types that Microtrains used to make?  They seem to have sold out everywhere, and are starting to get high price listings on eBay.  They used to be my go-to option for fixing a lot of stuff donated to our club, but I am hesitant to contribute from my personal stash if they are going to remain unobtainium.

[bbussey]

It’s only been two months. It takes a little time to get things up and running.

[tehachapifan]

A big question for me is, with the changes in factories, etc., will the couplers perform the exact same way? Seems like even a subtle difference in even the Delrin slipperiness could have an impact on performance.

[bbussey]

Micro-Trains used Celcon, not Delrin.  As long as the Atlas version is an acetal plastic, which it will be, it will be fine.

[Maletrain]

My question was more about whether Atlas will continue producing some of these things or not.  There is quite a long list of truck types and coupler versions.  (I am assuming that the True Scales are going extinct - the Npossibles certainly fill that niche, and nicely.)

I can understand that it takes a while to get the product flow going via a different corporate distribution system.

On the other hand, if they are going to change factories for actually producing the products, I am wondering if they will do so for all of the products, or just those they think will provide the biggest profits (or smallest losses?). 

So, what I am asking, is there any news about what will still be made by Atlas?

Then I will start to wonder about when.  (Especially whether availability will return during my remaining lifetime.)

[thomasjmdavis]

My question was more about whether Atlas will continue producing some of these things or not.  There is quite a long list of truck types and coupler versions.  (I am assuming that the True Scales are going extinct - the Npossibles certainly fill that niche, and nicely.)

I can understand that it takes a while to get the product flow going via a different corporate distribution system.

On the other hand, if they are going to change factories for actually producing the products, I am wondering if they will do so for all of the products, or just those they think will provide the biggest profits (or smallest losses?). 

So, what I am asking, is there any news about what will still be made by Atlas?

Then I will start to wonder about when.  (Especially whether availability will return during my remaining lifetime.)

I am assuming that you get the same press releases and announcements from Atlas and MTL that the rest of us do.  So far, the news is 'don't worry, it will all come out well in the end'.  We can speculate.  Other than that, we might get something in the way of credible or not so credible info that someone gleans talking things over with Atlas folks at the next big train show.  Sooner or later, former MTL product will start showing up on Atlas's shopping site.  Some time after that, product will show up in hobby shops.

Let's just hope that we don't have to pre-order, with a 2 year delivery date, every pair of trucks we need for the rest of our lives.

With the prices we've seen on trucks that last few years, for the price of 25 pair, you can get a used 3-D printer and 100 metal wheelsets.

[Sokramiketes]

Micro-Trains used Celcon, not Delrin.  As long as the Atlas version is an acetal plastic, which it will be, it will be fine.

The more likely issue is springs.  None of the knockoffs to date have really dialed in the spring pressures to what MTL had licked.  That's most of what makes a non-MTL inferior to a real one. 

[robert3985]

The more likely issue is springs.  None of the knockoffs to date have really dialed in the spring pressures to what MTL had licked.  That's most of what makes a non-MTL inferior to a real one.

MTL springs...spring, sproing, sprung, springy...slinky slinky slinky....

N-Possible couplers' timing couldn't have been better.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[peteski]

MTL springs...spring, sproing, sprung, springy...slinky slinky slinky....

N-Possible couplers' timing couldn't have been better.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

Sure Bob . . . if you are willing to switch over your entire fleet. Conversion cars do not count in my book. 
Some people do not find the slinky effect objectionable and also use the magnetic uncoupling feature.  Not  everybody strives for absolute scale coupler accuracy.

[ridinshotgun]

MTL springs...spring, sproing, sprung, springy...slinky slinky slinky....

N-Possible couplers' timing couldn't have been better.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

Yawn.  I could sell everyone of my MTL trucks and couplers at the current premium and still not able to equip more than 1/3 of my rolling stock.

[dcr1793]

MTL still has couplers/truck sets in stock. The last day for direct MTL/web purchases from them is 1/26 per an email sent the other day.

Give Atlas some time to get things in order on their end, they certainly will not be sitting on the tooling.

[Maletrain]

Thanks for the info about last day of purchase.  I had tried to purchase something from them in mid-December and never heard anything back from them, so assumed I had missed the boat.

[nkalanaga]

Peteski:  I definitely agree on the cost (time and money) of converting everything at once, and don't have a problem with the "slinky".  There's much less of that with modern metal wheels, and as long as my locos are running smoothly, the trains follow nicely. 

I don't use magnetic uncoupling, and never have, but that's as much because I decided as a teenager that my limited money would be better spent on couplers than magnets.  Besides, none of my tracks have ever been beyond arm's reach, and the prototype uncouples manually.

[robert3985]

Sure Bob . . . if you are willing to switch over your entire fleet. Conversion cars do not count in my book. 
Some people do not find the slinky effect objectionable and also use the magnetic uncoupling feature.  Not  everybody strives for absolute scale coupler accuracy.

Really???  I was absolutely SURE that everybody thought exactly the same as I do about couplers.  I am now so thoroughly depressed after learning from your post that some people actually disagree with me, that I might have to have a bowl of mint/chocolate ice cream before I go to bed. 

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[peteski]

Really???  I was absolutely SURE that everybody thought exactly the same as I do about couplers.  I am now so thoroughly depressed after learning from your post that some people actually disagree with me, that I might have to have a bowl of mint/chocolate ice cream before I go to bed. 

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

You obviously must be correct Bob. How could I have thought otherwise?   
But no matter how you look at this, hands-free automatic uncoupling is not possible with those new couplers, and as I mentioned earlier, some modelers actually use that handy feature as there are no live N scale crew to handle that task yet.