Atlas buys Walthers tooling

[nscalbitz]

>> new under frame >.... blah

As noted for rivet counters this may be important, those of us who just want runners (and at recent costings) DO appreciate the finer body detail, print AND conversion to metal under-frame for pure runability. Yay! 
Extra fine details and assembly time, nope, not required. Moulded in schema just fine.

Days of having to add weight to keep 40'ers of this brand on track with 50'ers, hoppers and flats/ empty gons of other brands are nearly over. Yay again! 

"Will they/ won't they..." well they must have been during a heck of a due diligence on the potential.
regards davew

[daniel_leavitt2000]

So we are starting to see what large industry consolidation is doing with the N scale market

I don't think Atlas needs to add capacity because I feel we have already reached parity with demand in the market. This means a much longer time between runs off the same model, but that's not a bad thing.

The monthly release cycle with a few manufactures actually helps me plan my money better than the crazy influx of new product line the early 2000's.

From Walters to Deluxe to LBF... We have recovered a lot of quality tooling thought to be lost or abandoned.

[OldEastRR]

As to other Walthers freight cars: 42' wood side gon

As for FA-1s coming back - hopefully DCC or DCC/ready - YAY!!!!

As for Walthers and N -- them keeping the structures line must mean they actually like (i.e. profit from) them. Now if they'd just make more N scale versions of their HO ones they'd REALLY like N scale.

[jagged ben]

From Walters to Deluxe to LBF... We have recovered a lot of quality tooling thought to be lost or abandoned.

What'd I miss about Deluxe?  Was there a thread on that?

[MK]

What'd I miss about Deluxe?  Was there a thread on that?

Any recoverable molds sold to Fox Valley.  Simple statement so I'm sure there are other nuances that other will expound on. 

[brokemoto]

Another interesting aspect of that. Atlas They've shown their willingness to do oddball units before

E-6s rebuilt to E-8m s?

Single headlight E-8s and E-7s?  (I sold off my LLs because they were dual headlight).

The one B&O SD-7 with dB and s/g (SP and the Q had some like that, as well)?

B-units for the DL-109?

FPA-2s (unless Rapido does them in N)?




If Atlas does re-run the USRA 0-8-0, I do hope that it does something about that delicate wiring harness from locomotive to tender.

[brokemoto]

FA-2s in Speedlettering, please!  And, uh, 304 in red, white and black......

.................and if it does #301, the wings must be shorter than the other three.........................(was it #301 or #302?)..................................

LL did do #303 and #304 in the plastic frame.  You can adapt the plastic frame shells to the metal chassis, if you can find a WM in plastic frame at a show, or somewhere.  I was surprised that LL substituted L&Ns for the WMs when it went to the metal frame.  LL usually would run a road that ran into Baltimore, if said road had that power.

I did adapt a pair of plastic frame WMs to the metal chassis.  In addition, I adapted the B&O Original Blue and Grey to a metal chassis.  I still have a pair of metal chassis B&O 1959 scheme (which is the B&O scheme that LL did on the metal frames--it did the Original on the plastic frames) somewhere, but 1959 is out of my era, so I do not run them that much.

[brokemoto]

B&M also had Coffin feed-water heater Berks

................some of which wound up on the SP and were converted to oil.

[brokemoto]

What’s a guy gotta do to get a few fireballs!?

Microscale decal sheets?

In order to do the wings correctly on the speed versions, you must chop up three of the Microscale, except for #301 (or was it #302?), which requires only two.

The FA-2s did not last long in fireball paint.  The WM painted them in speed some time between 1953 and 1955, but I forget exactly when it was.

[brokemoto]

Just think.  Atlas now has a PA.

................and might actually issue it in P&LE!  We have all of these manufacturers who offer, or have offered PAs in N scale.  All of them have done NYCs.  It shall remain one of the minor mysteries of N scale locomotive production why no manufacturer ever has offered a PA in P&LE.

Perhaps Atlas even will issue a PL&E at the same time that MT issues it new single window coach in P&LE (with brass window sashes!).

[brokemoto]

The Life-Like version of the Northeastern caboose WM/RDG/CNJ/ etc. prototype.

That one actually could use some of the improvements that Atlas likely would bring to it.  B-mann's version of it is so much better than LL's.  LL's looks like it is on stilts and the handrailings are extra clunky.

[jdcolombo]

................and might actually issue it in P&LE!  We have all of these manufacturers who offer, or have offered PAs in N scale.  All of them have done NYCs.  It shall remain one of the minor mysteries of N scale locomotive production why no manufacturer ever has offered a PA in P&LE.

Perhaps Atlas even will issue a PL&E at the same time that MT issues it new single window coach in P&LE (with brass window sashes!).

Got to believe that reissuing PA's is going to be low on Atlas' list, given the other ones out there.  Similarly, I wouldn't look for a LL SD7/9 ever - Atlas already does the SD7/9 series, and the LL version was plastic frame.

Everything else, though, I expect to see sooner or later.  Maybe not for a year or so, while they re-work frames for DCC/Sound (although the 0-8-0 and 2-8-8-2 should be pretty much ready to go on this front).

John C.

[Mark5]

As to other Walthers freight cars: 42' wood side gon

I'm pretty sure that is the old Roco car so it isnt in this.

Mark

[trainforfun]

There is a lot of excitement here but :

- it does not mean they will use of all them right away and maybe never
- most of the locos need new frames to be at least DCC ready or available with DCC at the factory
- some of these models are not on par details wise ....

Dont get me wrong I am also excited but ....

[Mark5]

- some of these models are not on par details wise ....

I assume that Atlas will cherry pick the models that fit into their existing lines. Some are "master" quality, some are "trainman", others might not get released by Atlas.

I think most of the Lifelike/Wally split frame locos are quite good so we'll likely see most of em. As for rolling stock, only a handful of the Wally cars interest me.

Mark