Micro-Trains/Atlas Update - 1/20/26

[squirrelhunter]

It’s not lost on me that many comments early in this thread were adamant this acquisition wouldn’t become BLMA v2.0 and here we are months later and the thread is hopping with the lastest news… about comparing Kato & Bachmann locomotives.

You've probably got your answer right there, but I think most folks won't hit the panic button until after the N scale convention this summer if Atlas doesn't have a meaningful update on when trucks and couplers will be available again.

[peteski]

It’s not lost on me that many comments early in this thread were adamant this acquisition wouldn’t become BLMA v2.0 and here we are months later and the thread is hopping with the lastest news… about comparing Kato & Bachmann locomotives.

I protested at first, but lost, so I joined the OT diversion.  We Americuns (including the ones in charge) have very short attention spans. Such is the world of today.

[Mark5]

but I think most folks won't hit the panic button until after the N scale convention this summer if Atlas doesn't have a meaningful update on when trucks and couplers will be available again.

Agreed (I am tracking this aspect with hope and concern)

[mu26aeh]

They posted today they will be doing a commemorative boxcar celebrating the recent moon trip in N scale and HO

[tehachapifan]

I protested at first, but lost, so I joined the OT diversion.  We Americuns (including the ones in charge) have very short attention spans. Such is the world of today.

Isn't that the truth! These days, it seems nobody can stay foc......hey, look! A squirrel!

[basementcalling]

They posted today they will be doing a commemorative boxcar celebrating the recent moon trip in N scale and HO

Chasing a high dollar value collectible item instead of re establishing the foundations of the product line. I wonder how long it takes to get molds and processes back in action on a new production floor in Vietnam?

[dcr1793]

My hunch tells me we will have an update from Paul and the team in Milwaukee next month at the NSE convention. I know there are multiple projects in the works.

[bman]

Chasing a high dollar value collectible item instead of re establishing the foundations of the product line. I wonder how long it takes to get molds and processes back in action on a new production floor in Vietnam?

Probably longer than most folks want to wait. And why not offer the "high dollar value collectible item?"  Purchasing and moving anything costs money while generating no immediate income. There is a known customer base for cars such as these. I see it as a way to ease into production of said acquisition and utilize it to help move the rest of the line forward. YMMV though.

[BCR751]

They posted today they will be doing a commemorative boxcar celebrating the recent moon trip in N scale and HO

Oh boy!  I can't wait for that one.  That'll be so cool.  NOT!!!!!!!! 

Doug

[Rossford Yard]

It’s not lost on me that many comments early in this thread were adamant this acquisition wouldn’t become BLMA v2.0 and here we are months later and the thread is hopping with the lastest news… about comparing Kato & Bachmann locomotives.

The weakness of internet forums?  They can say anything the poster wants, which can lead to rambles.
The strength of internet forums?  The same.

[robertjohndavis]

The weakness of internet forums?  They can say anything the poster wants, which can lead to rambles.
The strength of internet forums?  The same.

True, but it wasn’t the act of thread drift that made me chuckle; it was the irony of the context.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Probably longer than most folks want to wait. And why not offer the "high dollar value collectible item?"  Purchasing and moving anything costs money while generating no immediate income. There is a known customer base for cars such as these. I see it as a way to ease into production of said acquisition and utilize it to help move the rest of the line forward. YMMV though.

Exactly. I really do not understand the negativity. I'm sure nobody wants to get that product line back into production and making money faster than Atlas themselves do.

[nkalanaga]

I agree.  As model railroad companies go, Micro-Trains was probably one of the most profitable.  For many of their items, especially trucks and couplers, they had no real competition, and most serious N scale modelers bought at least some of their products.

[robertjohndavis]

Exactly. I really do not understand the negativity. I'm sure nobody wants to get that product line back into production and making money faster than Atlas themselves do.

Focus group of one: I don’t doubt their want, I doubt the approach based on past acquisitions.

Any concern expressed on my part stems directly from the loss of a cornerstone of the hobby with MTL’s sale combined with personal experience of QC issues with Atlas products. And right now it is a loss until it’s not.

Is that negativity or is it caution based on experience? I tend to follow evidence-based thinking. The available evidence does not give me a lot of confidence even though what I WANT and HOPE for is that Atlas hits it out of the park with MTL. That’s the only outcome that will help the hobby, and at the end of the day that’s my only interest.

[KSTXFLID]

I miss the monthly releases.