Atlas code 55

[Rossford Yard]

As to unavailability of C55 time frame, I started my IHB of Texas layout (see Layout Engineering Reports) almost exactly 2 years ago (2012) and was able to find the 200 pieces of flex and over 120 turnouts I needed for that layout.  Granted, I cleaned out my large LHS, and found the rest from a variety of on line sources, and some, like Model Train Stuff, had limits of 5 or 7 of each turnout per order at the time, but I was able to get a large layout built.  And, I was able to recently add a staging yard in the next room (albeit, I had to use turnouts left over from construction, which led to, let's just say, an "interesting" yard ladder.)

So, you guys who claim its been out since 2008 or earlier are just making stuff up.  I know its bad, and it was scary to decide on "the best" for my ultimate layout with all the rumors of shortages, but we don't need to make it worse by fibbing about one of our best mfgs.

[soo]

Shot fired across the bow captain!!!!

Wyatt

[Rossford Yard]

As the Meryl Streep character in Osage County kept saying, "I'm just truth telling, darling"

[davefoxx]

Yes, but:

(1) That was a couple of years ago, and the track shortage has only gotten worse since then by the trickle of track products becoming available and the many purchases (especially large orders like yours) since then.
(2) You probably paid more than what you would have under normal circumstances.  I have bought most of my track from MBK, because they generally have had the best pricing.  To buy anywhere else means a bigger hit to the wallet.  Besides, I would like to think that if you had placed one order for 200 pieces of flextrack and more than 120 turnouts, you could have also requested and possibly received a further discount for the bulk purchase.  Sidenote: I'm concerned for the price of track parts when it becomes available, due to simple supply and demand.
(3) Look at the extra effort it required you to go through multiple orders and different vendors to find what you needed.  That extra effort that shouldn't be required, and for some of us, we just don't have that kind of time or the time can be better spent on other things.

DFF

[crrcoal]

Yes, this is true. In the overall view, the code 55 is among the lowest volume product we had (before the production problems) so it is going to get a lower priority on the production schedule. 

We have been hammering away at the factory to get through our entire product line, and they have been adding additional capacity to their factory to help us.  We have been getting a container of track every four weeks, they are going to be increasing that to every three weeks, and the production plan as it stands right now will have just about every HO & N Track SKU shipped at least one time by the end of July.  That does not mean it will not change if there is an issue with a given piece of tooling. As Cory stated, we have not given QC approval to start production on the code 55 flex track, and we won't until it is up to our standards.

Thank you Mr Graf for the reply and update. 

Don't know what else to say at this point.........

[Scottl]

+1, thanks Mr. Graf.  I appreciate the feedback and clarity. 

[basementcalling]

At what point does hand laying turnouts become an option? That's my question at this point. If I had invested the dollars and time back last July to begin making my own, I might have most of my needs for turnouts filled by now. I'm still waiting unfortunately.

I gave up on waiting on flextrack though, and am using Micro Engineering, which looks just as good, if not better, than Atlas C55 flex.

There are other options on the market, and no one is holding any of us hostage to the supply problems that Atlas has experienced. I know they are doing their best to bring product back to the market, but even when items start hitting the shelves I still expect flex and turnouts to be in short supply because of pent up demand.

[Mark W]

At what point does hand laying turnouts become an option? That's my question at this point.

At what point was hand laying turnouts NOT an option?

Even if Atlas C55 turnouts were readily available, I'd still hand lay all mainline turnouts.  As good as Atlas's manufactured turnouts are, they'll never compare to the quality of a hand laid turnout.  Granted this is not for everyone, but it's always an option. 

[Rossford Yard]

Yes, but:

(1) That was a couple of years ago, and the track shortage has only gotten worse since then by the trickle of track products becoming available and the many purchases (especially large orders like yours) since then.
(2) You probably paid more than what you would have under normal circumstances.  I have bought most of my track from MBK, because they generally have had the best pricing.  To buy anywhere else means a bigger hit to the wallet.  Besides, I would like to think that if you had placed one order for 200 pieces of flextrack and more than 120 turnouts, you could have also requested and possibly received a further discount for the bulk purchase.  Sidenote: I'm concerned for the price of track parts when it becomes available, due to simple supply and demand.
(3) Look at the extra effort it required you to go through multiple orders and different vendors to find what you needed.  That extra effort that shouldn't be required, and for some of us, we just don't have that kind of time or the time can be better spent on other things.

DFF

Dave,

1 - Yes, it is worse now, and I sure contributed!  But it was available back in 06-10, contrary to some opinions and memories.
2 - I bought most at MBK at their 30%(?) discount, and some at other places as low as a 15% discount to MSRP.  Since when are we "entitled" to the maximum discount, or since when have we always been able to buy at the max discount?  In my case, I feel little entitlement (although 20% off has seemingly become the new defacto MSRP) and have rarely bought all my stuff at max discount.  There is a time value to money anyway, and another $1 per turnout or flex track vs. waiting a few years to build was considered to be more than well worth it by me.
3- We have taken to buying on line anyway, most of us.  This reminds me of the Simpsons episode where they get him a computer to do his job at home, clicking OK. When a more difficult task arises he complains "I have to do 3 clicks?"  Internet shopping is so easy compared to driving around to the LHS< placing the special order, waiting, etc. that this seems like an invalid complaint, at least to me.

for the good of the hobby and N scale, I hope Atlas gets this track line back up and running.  I do realize I was lucky and determined to get a layout built when I did, with the track I chose.

[mmagliaro]

I must beat the dead horse just a little more.   When I bought my track and turnouts, I didn't really get "lucky".  It's not like I had to
dig on the internet for hours, or call 10 stores to find the track.   I found it in less than 15 minutes.

It didn't really dry up for me until the end of 2013, when I needed just a few more turnouts to finish my layout.   I scoured the ends
of the earth (the internet) and found zip.  Even eBay had only used ones.  Luckily, a kind soul I met at a train show had a stash of them
and he helped me out.

They will be back, I'm sure.
--------
Topic 2: Handlaying turnouts.   Knowing what I now know, I would definitely have done this if I had it to do over again.
The Atlas #7 turnouts are problematic.  They pretty much all require about 30 minutes of my time to file and adjust gauge, points,
fix up the throwbar, and solder in bypass wires so that I will not have derailment problems or dead sections.
That time would be much better spent building a Fast Tracks turnout that would look and operate better anyway.

In fact, I'm really hoping that when the new parts start appearing, some of these issues with the turnouts will be addressed.
May as well take advantage of the opportunity to retool and make them better than before.

[Denver Road Doug]

I have to agree with Jeff....demanding max discount is NOT a reason to complain about the Atlas C55 track availability issues....but it does explain a lot of the rhetoric surrounding the "shortage".

I also believe that is has been way overblown, mostly through hyperbole on the web forums and people making stupid bids on eBay.   I had a sizeable collection of C55 (some of which I sold to Jeff) that basically trickled out over the past 3-4 years...I think if someone REALLY was looking for track I wouldn't have held that inventory for long.  (some of which I still had, and up until about a month ago I still had a large lot of turnouts)  Numerous times I had people commit to buy track from me (via the N-Scale Yahoo group and other similar methods) only to have them back out...it seemed the ideal that it was 'forbidden fruit' motivated a purchase but then once it happened they realized they really didn't need it.

So, in Tom Sawyer "the report of my death" fashion, I believe that the Great Atlas Code 55 Depression of 2008 has been greatly exaggerated.   However, I do agree that it will be nice to have it back in full stock and will be a benefit to the hobby to be fully available once again.

[robert3985]

At what point does hand laying turnouts become an option? That's my question at this point. If I had invested the dollars and time back last July to begin making my own, I might have most of my needs for turnouts filled by now. I'm still waiting unfortunately.

I gave up on waiting on flextrack though, and am using Micro Engineering, which looks just as good, if not better, than Atlas C55 flex.

There are other options on the market, and no one is holding any of us hostage to the supply problems that Atlas has experienced. I know they are doing their best to bring product back to the market, but even when items start hitting the shelves I still expect flex and turnouts to be in short supply because of pent up demand.

It kinda slaps me across the face whenever I read "Code 55 wasn't/isn't available"  because it IS and has been all along...just not Atlas 55.  Micro Engineering's flex has been available throughout the drought of Atlas 55, as well as their single turnout, a true #6.  I'm not going to get deep into the cosmetic and operational problems that Atlas turnouts and flex have which the ME #6 does NOT have and ME flex doesn't have either.  Back before Atlas jumped into the N-scale code 55 business, I know several excellent modelers who build their entire layouts and modules using nothing but ME flex and ME #6's...with a couple of hand-laid turnouts (that I built for them) thrown in.

Also, it slaps me again across the face when poster just assume that to build their own turnouts, they're required to buy Fast Tracks jigs & fixtures...for approximately $300, before they can build turnouts on the bench or in place.  NOT TRUE...with the plethora of information out there online nowadays about how to build turnouts, nobody "needs" any jigs or fixtures to hand-lay their own turnouts.

Of course, Fast Tracks stuff makes it easier, but myself and several other N-scalers here in Utah have been building our own turnouts since the early '80's with nothing more than hand tools and printed or drawn turnout diagrams.

IF you want to save a sh*tload of money, then "rolling" your own turnouts is the way to go.  If you want more reliable, better looking turnouts, then rolling your own is the way to go.  If you want to do away with almost all of your restrictions in layout design related to turnouts and/or diamonds, then rolling your own is the way to go.  If you never want to be held hostage for years waiting while the geopolitical/business problems in China are resolved, then roll your own.

Yeah, they take more time to build than ordering RTR turnouts does, or taking a trip to your LHS and buying what you need, as well as an investment in time and effort to learn how to do it, and maybe you don't possess the skills or attitude to roll your own, or you just hate any trackwork.  Even at that, it ain't rocket-science and the effort is less than superdetailing a diesel and painting it before you get your first viable turnout.

So, right now is the time to think outside the box, bite the bullet and learn how to hand lay your own turnouts.  It's a learned skill you'll never regret having...never.

[DKS]

It's a learned skill you'll never regret having...never.

Never is an awfully long time, Robert. Remember, there are no absolutes.

[Rich_S]

You have to wonder, when do we reach the break even point? At what point does Atlas say they are further ahead by producing their track here in the United States? You have to wonder how much money they've already lost, because of lack of availability? How many people got tired of waiting and purchased track products from Kato, Bachmann, Life-Like, Peco or some other track products because Atlas Code 55 track is not available?  I have no doubt Atlas wishes to offer us the best products they can using current production methods, but how many people will still be waiting for Atlas code 55 track 5 years from now? Maybe it's time to come full circle? Anyone have a guess at what Atlas Tool Company Inc. first produced in their 413 Florence Avenue, Hillside, New Jersey factory?   

[basementcalling]

It kinda slaps me across the face whenever I read "Code 55 wasn't/isn't available"  because it IS and has been all along...just not Atlas 55.  Micro Engineering's flex has been available throughout the drought of Atlas 55, as well as their single turnout, a true #6.  I'm not going to get deep into the cosmetic and operational problems that Atlas turnouts and flex have which the ME #6 does NOT have and ME flex doesn't have either.  Back before Atlas jumped into the N-scale code 55 business, I know several excellent modelers who build their entire layouts and modules using nothing but ME flex and ME #6's...with a couple of hand-laid turnouts (that I built for them) thrown in.

Also, it slaps me again across the face when poster just assume that to build their own turnouts, they're required to buy Fast Tracks jigs & fixtures...for approximately $300, before they can build turnouts on the bench or in place.  NOT TRUE...with the plethora of information out there online nowadays about how to build turnouts, nobody "needs" any jigs or fixtures to hand-lay their own turnouts.

Of course, Fast Tracks stuff makes it easier, but myself and several other N-scalers here in Utah have been building our own turnouts since the early '80's with nothing more than hand tools and printed or drawn turnout diagrams.

IF you want to save a sh*tload of money, then "rolling" your own turnouts is the way to go.  If you want more reliable, better looking turnouts, then rolling your own is the way to go.  If you want to do away with almost all of your restrictions in layout design related to turnouts and/or diamonds, then rolling your own is the way to go.  If you never want to be held hostage for years waiting while the geopolitical/business problems in China are resolved, then roll your own.

Yeah, they take more time to build than ordering RTR turnouts does, or taking a trip to your LHS and buying what you need, as well as an investment in time and effort to learn how to do it, and maybe you don't possess the skills or attitude to roll your own, or you just hate any trackwork.  Even at that, it ain't rocket-science and the effort is less than superdetailing a diesel and painting it before you get your first viable turnout.

So, right now is the time to think outside the box, bite the bullet and learn how to hand lay your own turnouts.  It's a learned skill you'll never regret having...never.

By all means, Bob, consider yourself slapped, though I am trying to understand how my post which said Atlas WASN'T the only game in town equates to "code 55" is not available.

I even stated I went to ME flex. I am happy with that decision, especially because it will not cause issues with any pizza cutter flanges I might overlook. The only concern I have with ME turnouts is that, as you say, they are a one size fits all solution.

Nor did I mention Fast Tracks in my post. Even without their tools, jigs, etc... there are some costs involved in beginning to make your own turnouts. Sure a decent soldering iron, proper solder, a few track jigs, and some copper clad tie material and turnout ties won't break the bank for most. The other cost is the investment of time to bring the skill set up to par so a quality product is the result. That will obviously vary by the natural skills of the individual modeler. Just because you found and consider it easy to roll your own doesn't mean doing so will be as smooth a sail for everyone.

Why they Youtube links won't work is evidently also currently beyond my skill set.   

EDIT: Change "https" to "http" and the YouTube links will work. --DKS