Were the 1st Run Atlas Articulated Auto Carriers Equipped with Rapido Couplers?

[pmpexpress]

As an unused plastic pin for retaining a coiled metal centering spring is still found on the extended drawbars of the 70-ton roller-bearing trucks that were shipped with the newest release of Atlas N-Scale Thrall Articulated Auto Carriers, I was wondering if the cars from the initial 2003 production run were factory fitted with Rapido, rather than Accumate couplers.

[basementcalling]

Mine had accumates.

[Englewood]

Mine also had Accumates.

[spookshow]

According to the list of features I copied and pasted from the Atlas website back in 2003, they had AccuMates.

-Mark

[Missaberoad]

Alot of the early Accumates maintained the studs for the Rapido couplers in their design... I'm not sure when they changed the design some point in the 2000s. Iirc

[pmpexpress]

Thanks for all of your responses.

Alot of the early Accumates maintained the studs for the Rapido couplers in their design... I'm not sure when they changed the design some point in the 2000s. Iirc

Except  for the Trainman 85' Trash Flatcars (which were first released 2012, have 100-ton trucks, and I have not actually seen), unaware of any other Atlas N-Scale model that is/was fitted with the Chinese manufactured 70-ton roller-bearing trucks with drawbar extensions, I cannot fathom why a manufacturer or product engineer would bother to include an unused element that can no longer be utilized because of design changes in, or upgrades to the part's other attached components.

[Missaberoad]

Not trying to explain Atlas' internal design reasons. Just stating the fact that the stud was maintained on a number of trucks after the conversion to Accumates... As far as I know no Accumate truck can accommodate Rapido couplers (I stand to be corrected tho) but the earliest ones had that stud still. I feel like the answer lies in the minutiae of the tooling design.

Looking at my collection the earliest trucks I found that eliminated the stud were the Andrews (2004) and Dalman two level (2005) both of which coincided with the shortened draft gear... Later runs of early trucks also show witness marks from the recess for the stud being filled in on the tooling.

[pmpexpress]

Not trying to explain Atlas' internal design reasons. Just stating the fact that the stud was maintained on a number of trucks after the conversion to Accumates... As far as I know no Accumate truck can accommodate Rapido couplers (I stand to be corrected tho) but the earliest ones had that stud still. I feel like the answer lies in the minutiae of the tooling design.

Looking at my collection the earliest trucks I found that eliminated the stud were the Andrews (2004) and Dalman two level (2005) both of which coincided with the shortened draft gear... Later runs of early trucks also show witness marks from the recess for the stud being filled in on the tooling.

Ryan,

Not intended to be critical of your excellent, fact based reply, I tender my humble apology if the response appeared otherwise.

Like you have done in your second reply, I am hoping others will chime in with their own observations on the evolution of of the Accumate equipped Atlas truck line.

Thanks for sharing your additional insight into this apparently, untouched topic.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Pretty sure the initial batch of Accumate trucks from this era included springs, Rapido couplers and replacement coupler box covers for those who wish to convert the trucks back to Rapido if they choose to.

Not sure when this was dropped but I vividly remember seeing these parts in a small plastic bag taped to the white plastic interior nest of cars from that time.

[pmpexpress]

Pretty sure the initial batch of Accumate trucks from this era included springs, Rapido couplers and replacement coupler box covers for those who wish to convert the trucks back to Rapido if they choose to.

Not sure when this was dropped but I vividly remember seeing these parts in a small plastic bag taped to the white plastic interior nest of cars from that time.

Daniel,

Thanks for chiming in.

Unable to recall which of the Atlas models were shipped with them, placed under, or taped to the opaque white nests that the cars were packed in, I also remember seeing the small plastic bags containing Rapido couplers, replacement coupler box covers, and coiled springs.

Unfortunately, having sold off all of my first run articulated auto carriers many moons ago, I have no way of confirming our recollections.