Atlas announces goodies are coming!

[bbussey]

An Atlas e-mail this evening states the following N scale motive power is due in a couple of weeks:

* EMD GP20
* the balance of FA1 and FB1 diesels
* EMD SD45
* EMD SD50
* EMD SD60E
* EMD SD60M

Some HO and O scale products as well.

[Mark5]

An Atlas e-mail this evening states the following N scale motive power is due in a couple of weeks:

* EMD SD40

Guessing that you mean SD45. 

[Chris333]

GP20 in UP for $19 bucks 

[bbussey]

Guessing that you mean SD45. 

Fixed.

[sp org div]

Why are they holding back on detailed release info in print for the SD45’s?
Types of working light packages, horn bell placement per road and other selling points etc
Or are there none…

[C855B]

Yep. SD45 and friends were noted in their production schedule ( https://shop.atlasrr.com/t-ordership.aspx ) to be on the water as of 6/21. Recent ship-to-retail times have been in the 6-7 week range, so the two-week heads-up is just about right.

It is alleged the SP version has their signature light package, so we shall see. My concern is whether the several undecs I ordered are going to make it; I've been told they've been under-shipping those, even when pre-ordered.

[jagged ben]

I'm glad you guys can read that schedule.   I find it harder to figure out than a 3000 rated chess puzzle.  Thanks for the heads up.

[wazzou]

GP20 in UP for $19 bucks 

Bought a case. 

[C855B]

Is the GP20 the resurrected Life-Like shell tooling on top of a new chassis? I have no problem with this - I have six or seven of the LLs picked up at train show tables - but am curious if they improved on an already nice model.

[bbussey]

Is the GP20 the resurrected Life-Like shell tooling on top of a new chassis? I have no problem with this - I have six or seven of the LLs picked up at train show tables - but am curious if they improved on an already nice model.

I believe that is the case — as with the FA1, the original Life-Like body with a new mechanism frame configured for DCC/Sound.

[C855B]

Thanks, Bryan. I knew that was the case with the FA. I have an ABBA (not the rock group!) set of LLs I need to decoder, and I'm not going to cheat by putting the UP shells on new frames. The non-speaker, non-DCC-ready frames are brutes and I'm looking forward to running the quartet pulling 50 cars up 23% grades.

Incidentally, the Walthers GP20 body was slightly different than the LL version. I had to mill the Walthers chassis to get the older shell to fit. I wonder if Atlas has done something similar.

[bbussey]

Thanks, Bryan. I knew that was the case with the FA. I have an ABBA (not the rock group!) set of LLs I need to decoder, and I'm not going to cheat by putting the UP shells on new frames. The non-speaker, non-DCC-ready frames are brutes and I'm looking forward to running the quartet pulling 50 cars up 23% grades.

Incidentally, the Walthers GP20 body was slightly different than the LL version. I had to mill the Walthers chassis to get the older shell to fit. I wonder if Atlas has done something similar.

The new FA mechanisms are brutes also.  I swapped all of my LL shells onto new Atlas mechanisms.

You might be correct on the GP20 shells, given that Atlas bought the Walthers tooling.  The new mechanism may need some modification for the LL version to fit.  I'm curious to see the new unit mechanism myself, given the addition of the speaker and sound decoder.  Hopefully there is room for an NCS KA-N1 or an ISE PowerKeeper.  I'm a total believer now on the keep-alives, especially sound-equipped units.

[jagged ben]

I hope they will have the bells as spare parts as those would make good detail parts for 1970s SP locos such as SD40s.

[u18b]

Is the GP20 the resurrected Life-Like shell tooling on top of a new chassis? I have no problem with this - I have six or seven of the LLs picked up at train show tables - but am curious if they improved on an already nice model.

I'm thinking the same as Bryan.  I look forward to seeing what they did with the GP20.... but since we JUST saw the chassis redesign of the GP7/9.... I'm assuming (or.... will not be surprised)  that the GP20 will have the same or similar design.   I know some like the old design better, but when sound is introduced in smaller locos.... wow- that really effects things like thickness of metal in some spots.

So I myself am curious to see what Atlas did with the GP20.   Since sound is here to stay, I think the old split frame design we've seen (since about 1983 with the Atlas RS-3) may be a thing of the past.  Scale Trains has already moved on as has Broadway Limited.

[mecgp7]

I am interested in the Atlas GP20 chassis for all the potential chop-nosed Geeps. The LL Gp20s and later GP18s offered opportunities to make chop-nosed Geeps, but they weren't perfect. Any improvements are welcome. Also one has to assume that the chassis will fit the GP7/9. It is the same truck spacing isn't it?