Dear MicroTrains, Please Make A Lot of These

[Rossford Yard]

In the words of Alan McClelland, the Atlas cars are good enough. And they're half the cost. I have about 50 of the Atlas cars and they look just fine.

My problem using lesser quality cars is that I feel bad, and then run the train much faster so no one can see the lack of detail clearly.  This sort of compounds the "lack of reality" problem.

[ntrakia]

I used  to run a 120 car coal train of mostly atlas 90 tonners on our cantington ntrak layout.  also mixed in other cars.  tony koester had a trains of thought article in mr awhile back about what detail can you really see when the train is moving.  and in reality most people don't know the finer points of various detail items concerning a prototype car and many don't really care.

[Denver Road Doug]

I have both, and will likely to continue to buy both.  In fact, I just found an ATSF Trainman car that I didn't already have in a consignment box at my LHS the other day for $6.  For a car I don't already have in ATSF, BN, or BNSF, I'll pay that all day every day.  (heck, even some UP-heritage cars, too)

But two things...
1. In case you haven't been looking, the MSRP on the Atlas cars keeps cruising on up.  So saying they're "half the price" isn't necessarily true anymore.
2. I have to factor in at least another $4 to replace the Accumates (or Rapidos for earlier Atlas cars)--eventually--because they don't cut it.   So, at that point I'm asking for nicer MTL tooling at not much of a premium.   If the suggestion is that they look fine as long as they're moving, I will agree but counter that if they come uncoupled they usually stop moving.   

[High Hood]

Now time for my thoughts on some new NS hoppers.  As a modeler and railfan who enjoys ultra-modern NS I say we really need more NS coal hoppers in N Scale.

The modern hopper fleet comprised of H62R; HP28,29,30R; H65,69; and the minority classes like H11DR and CR's are the main NS hopper fleet.  Well that's just standard hoppers, not rapid discharge hoppers.

 The H62R is available via Trainworx, but the rest are not as ready to run.  The only difference I really can tell between the MTL hopper and the HP's and H65/69's that hasn't been discussed are the slope sheets and the actual size.  The new hoppers are slightly bigger than the 49/50 but in N that's not too noticable.  The slope sheets are what really bothers me, but perhaps if the other mods are made it wouldn't bother me as much.  So I do want MTL to go ahead with this project, just don't forget the new classes as well.  I don't expect all these mods to be factory made, but having a a high quality foob to run until I get the mods done.   Though the Atlas cars are more affordable in bulk to me I don't really mind to pay extra for detail.   

I hope that makes since.  I'm really only a super rivet counter when it comes to the NS coal fleet.  By the way has anyone got Athearn's new NS G113 coalporters yet?

[Dave Schneider]

With all due respect to MTL,  I don't see coal hopper cars as their strong suit. You guys want multiple road numbers, with multiple runs. It just doesn't seem to be their business model. They have great tooling and nicely applied paint schemes,  but it seems to me that their product line is too broad to do the kinds of runs that you guys are looking for. On the other hand Joe did say yes so what do I know.

Beat wishes, Dave

[ljudice]

HighHood:  that chromish plating scares me on the Athearn cars...

Anyone see it up close/comment???   Can it be dullcoated??    I wish they hadn't done it that way....

[bnsfdash8]

I have a buddy that just got the new Athearn cars and he wasn't too pleased. The paint on them is really nice, but could use a shot of dull clear coat, but he received his with the internal weights broken loose, guess they were only held on with double sided tape, and they broke off most of the inside braces. The couplers on them also drooped a lot and he'll be replacing them all with MT body mounts.

I model modern NS and coal isn't my main modeling focal point but I do have H65s, topgons, H49/50s, and a few other classes mixed in my coal train. I can tell the huge detail difference between the atlas cars and others like my MTs and BLMA hoppers but once I have them all hooked together and running my attention goes more towards the entire train. I have ran my train, which is about 50-60 cars at a show and people spent more attention to my super detailed and weathered locos over the cars. Overall I'm pretty happy with the Atlas cars I've painted/weathered to NS and when I can get them for $5 a pop I'm not going to complain a whole lot on how thick the stirrups, among other things, are.

[JoeD]

We are already doing 8 packs with intentions on doing larger runs, so it's not that far fetched.  Any more than a 10 or 12 pack and you guys are going to need to hire us to do special runs.

Joe

[mu26aeh]

We are already doing 8 packs with intentions on doing larger runs, so it's not that far fetched.  Any more than a 10 or 12 pack and you guys are going to need to hire us to do special runs.

Joe

Anymore then 8 car runner packs and my monthly hobby budget is blown    Though I wouldn't mind seeing these done in CSX or Chessie System, or the Ortner cars   

[nsbob]

Has anyone found that the unloaded Atlas hoppers run OK with the installed weight or do you have to add weight.  They are definitely lighter than the MT hoppers and I am interested how well they run empty in a long unit train with the weight provided.   I realize Atlas intended for them to be run with the load in them because they don't make it easy to remove the glued in load.  (However I am finding they have stopped using glue to secure the loads on their recent releases.)  I don't have enough of them to test right now but when you remove the load, they seem very light to me.

[Ike the BN Freak]

Has anyone found that the unloaded Atlas hoppers run OK with the installed weight or do you have to add weight.  They are definitely lighter than the MT hoppers and I am interested how well they run empty in a long unit train with the weight provided.   I realize Atlas intended for them to be run with the load in them because they don't make it easy to remove the glued in load.  (However I am finding they have stopped using glue to secure the loads on their recent releases.)  I don't have enough of them to test right now but when you remove the load, they seem very light to me.

I've ran 140 car trains using the Atlas cars equipped with MT trucks and couplers and low profile wheels.  As for the loads being glued in, I've only seen the glued in loads in early runs.  I got cars from the 2003 release and newer, and none of those loads are glued in.

I've always ran them as loads, but doubt the load adds enough weight to really make much of a difference.

[JoeD]

Ok...submitted it for review and will push with all my might    I think this would be a slam dunk.

Joe    thanks again for the request.

ScottL:  The Atlas car is a clunky old piece of tooling, the MTL car is a really nice model.

Joe:  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

[ljudice]

Ok...submitted it for review and will push with all my might    I think this would be a slam dunk.

Joe    thanks again for the request.

Wow - thanks for listening!  Now to push for an 8 pack of Pentaluma and Santa Rosa Cabooses!!! 

Seriously I think the MTL hopper is ideal for large packs for several NS/NW/CSX/CR schemes!

[Ike the BN Freak]

Seriously I think the MTL hopper is ideal for large packs for several NS/NW/CSX/CR schemes!

I'd say any paint scheme, esp when the cars are used in unit train service.

[James Costello]

Seriously I think the MTL hopper is ideal for large packs for several NS/NW/CSX/CR schemes!

Lets not forget BN and CTRN. While you're listening Joe, how about a weathered runners pack of these:



Good for the Espee in the 90s through the UP today!

More inspiration here:
http://railcarphotos.com/Search.php?SearchReportingMark=CTRN&SearchType=Open%20Hopper%20-%203%20Bay&Search=Search