Atlas announces new PS-1

[bbussey]

Glad everyone is happy with this announcement and that it's finally public knowledge.

To quickly address some of the questions:

- The door is a separate piece, but does not slide open. 
- The door tackboards are separate pieces that will be arranged in various positions as per the prototype.
- The ladders are separate pieces as per the InterMountain design, but more fine in detail.  The bent step was due to mishandling of the prototype model.
- The end tackboards are where they will be for all the cars.  They are, however, easy enough to relocate.
- There are multiple side variations to accommodate the upcoming door width variations.
- The trucks are new tooling, Barbar S2 if I remember correctly.
- The coupler pocket is body mounted and includes the centering pin cavity for MTL #1015 couplers.
- The wheels are metal.
- The roofwalk is etched brass, similar to the FVM design.
- The model does sit at the correct height over the rails, and is the correct height in the body.
- The release date probably will be sooner than 2012Q3 based on the current schedule, but that is tentative.

Artwork is in the can already for a number of roads/schemes, but the first releases have yet to be determined definitively.  This includes the New Image B&M car in the announcement. 

This model is a home run and a huge addition to the hobby.  Everyone who has been waiting for a more prototypical PS-1 will be very pleased with this model.

[Puddington]

Thanks Bryan; I'm thrilled that you can ditch the Accumate.... some like em, I don't. I'm pleased that the doors are a separate piece; I will be curious to see if they can they be removed in tact and used.....? This will be a hot seller and as Jason said, undec's will fly off the shelf by the case load.

Thanks for the info !

[MichaelWinicki]

It sounds like Atlas really thought out this product.

Props to Atlas.

[bbussey]

...  I'm pleased that the doors are a separate piece; I will be curious to see if they can they be removed in tact and used.....?

How the undecs are to be packaged is still yet to be determined, but most likely they will follow the example of the undec 1932 ARA Boxcars where all of the detail parts are heat-sealed in a plastic baggie and packaged under the PVC nest.

[Dave V]

All very good news, Bryan!  I eagerly await a few for my 1950s PRR in appropriate roadnames.

[TiVoPrince]

Not  
a model I realy needed.  Congratulations to Atlas and everyone who needed PS-1s in variety and vast quantities...

[amato1969]

Totally awesome.  I have a few undecs that I won't have to 'bash now.  The proto door sizes and separate ladders will allow a *ton* of accurate proto modeling.

  Frank

[wm3798]

Thanks for that download Bryan.  I'm beginning to think you might be 'The Man Who Knew Too Much'... Watch out for black helicopters... might the boys from Athearn or something.

Lee

[Brakie]

Another great car! I can't use it(to old) but,I'm happy for those that can.

I suspect we will be seeing more  N items from Atlas-if what I was told by e-mail holds..

Still waitng on the Atlas coil car.

[SkipGear]

Brakies comment beg's the question...   So how long did they last in regular service?

Looking through data on the Steam era freight cars list, it looks like PS-1's were built from 6-47 to 9-67. Nothing about retirement though.

[C855B]

They were good 'til about 1980 or so. IMO the defining change in the industry was Staggers, where small shippers were squeezed out, obsoleting the generic 40' car.

[MichaelWinicki]

They were good 'til about 1980 or so. IMO the defining change in the industry was Staggers, where small shippers were squeezed out, obsoleting the generic 40' car.

From what I've read, that's a pretty good explanation.

Supposedly the recession of '80/'81 was the killer for the 40' box car.

[C855B]

From what I've read, that's a pretty good explanation.

Supposedly the recession of '80/'81 was the killer for the 40' box car.

Yeah, that was the typical railfan's take at the time, for those who didn't really understand the business of railroading. There were precious few of us who understood the "OMG!" impact of Staggers. It was the trigger for the megamergers, wholesale loss of branchlines and secondary mains, disappearance of regional Class I lines and the displacement of railroaders by MBAs in top management. '80s were a sad time as a railfan, as bad or worse than the '50s for the loss of steam and the big decline in passenger service.

Back to topic... the loss of 40' cars wasn't totally bad. The big jump in average car length meant longer trains because you didn't have nearly as many drawbars to yank or knuckles to bust. Recalling railfanning Tehachapi in the '70s (I lived near), heaven help the crew who pulled a drawbar out on the wrong end, because it would tie the railroad up for hours.

[Dave V]

Was the flushing of the 40' fleet responsible for the boxcar shortage that drove so many shortlines like the M&PA to amass huge fleets of 50'-ers to lease out per diem around 1980?

[wm3798]

That phenomenon actually began in the late 70's.  Staggers is part of what led the chickens to come home to roost, with many of those small shortlines having more mileage of boxcars than they had track to put them on.

Lee