Atlas/MTH Trains

[webenda]

Coming soon.

URL: https://shop.atlasrr.com/b-the-atlas-o- ... talog.aspx

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Just what does "Guaranteed Pre-Order Due Date" mean?

If you place your order by that date, you are guaranteed of having placed your order?

[Neil]

Whatever modest price advantage MTH had over Lionel appears to have disappeared now that Atlas is making some of their stuff. Be interesting to see how this all works out for Atlas.

[webenda]

Just what does "Guaranteed Pre-Order Due Date" mean?

If you place your order by that date, you are guaranteed of having placed your order?

It means more than that. Guaranteed Pre-Orders will be filled if Atlas receives the order by the July 28th due date.
They will deliver the pre-orders even if there are a low number of pre-orders.

Example: The SD40-2 LOCOMOTIVE delivery is Guaranteed.


Atlas also has "Limited Availability" products in the MTH Premier Catalog. Limited Availability products are those that Atlas has speculated on an order quantity and therefore delivery cannot be guaranteed. The 44 tonner is "Limited Availability." Delivery of pre-orders not guaranteed.

Example: The 44 tonner is Limited, no guarantee of delivery.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

$450 for 44T switcher.....

[webenda]

$450 for 44T switcher.....

Is that good?

[Neil]

I vaguely recall that the 44 Ton switcher used to be under $400 MSRP, but I could be wrong. So these prices, like most of the Atlas prices, are about 10% higher than the previous MTH prices.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

$450 for 44T switcher.....

Is that good?

It's more than what a decent scale brass 44T costs and about double what my current one cost me.

[Robert Bubeck]

$450 for 44T switcher.....

Is that good?

It's more than what a decent scale brass 44T costs and about double what my current one cost me.

Generally, the 44 Tonners from MTH were available for $400. I have a first issue LIRR version (as does a friend who has a PRR version). These are die cast and very nice little critters. They are good models, are well-made, operate well with slow crawl capability, sport decent sounds, and run (and pull) well under conventional control. The electrocouplers are functional in conventional control. Are they pricey? Yes. Am I delighted with mine? Yes. Like MTH's CNJ GE-IR box cab (another neat little die cast critter) the individual needs to come to his/her own conclusion about the value proposition. Remember that the Bachmann pieces are plastic with few features to speak off.

And, I am not a big MTH/DCS fan.

Bob

[Neil]

I agree with Bob on his assessment. Have a Kodak version.

[Chris Webster]

The Gunderson Multi-Max Auto Rack is a very interesting choice for a plastic O-scale model. It is a very modern car - the prototype was introduced in 2013, so they might still be in service in year 2078 under the AAR rule allowing cars to operate up to 65 years after their built date.

It's also a big car - the prototype Multi-Maxes are 89 ft long plus couplers, so an O-scale model will just under 2 actual feet long. I've read lots of posts from modelers who claim that big scale-sized cars won't sell (even though Atlas already did 89' long TOFC cars, two different types of articulated double stack cars and the articulated auto carrier... and Lionel did the 89' long auto parts boxcars and 89' long autoracks.)

Atlas also imports HO-scale models of the same prototype, It's interesting to compare prices; the HO cars retailed for $99.95 while the O-scale 2-Rail cars will retail for $144.95.

[v8vega]

I think all Atlas stuff is scale size.

[G3750]

I also tend to agree with Bob's assessment.

In the current economic "adjustment" we are undergoing, prices are going (already have in many cases) up. I don't expect to see anything different in the train world. The MTH / Atlas "shakeout" is the perfect opportunity to raise prices, perhaps to reflect reality.

More pressure on the used market, I would expect.

George

[Rufus T. Firefly]

More pressure on the used market, I would expect.

Those of us that sell there are optimistic

[chuck]

That auto rack will scale out to 22 inches. Yet it will "run" on O-42? That is going to involve some serious overhang. Two rail is limited to what would be O-72 (36" radius).