Pics of new atlas coal hoppers posted

[Bob Bufkin]

You can never have enough hoppers.

[crrcoal]

You can never have enough coal hoppers!! 

Just what we need...more hoppers.

Doug

[sirenwerks]

So delivery in 2nd Q 2014?  Aren't we in 2nd Q 2014?

[GimpLizard]

It's the right era for me, but the wrong roadnames. Besides, I have more than enough cars.


Hmm... 2996, to be
exact...

But we're talkin' about the Great Northern. And 4 different road numbers, to boot. Go ahead, Kiz. Make it an even 3 grand. You can thank me later.

[basementcalling]

I stand corrected. Wonder if they arrive before it after the track to run them on?   only trolling slightly.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Just what we need...more hoppers.

Doug

At least its not another grain hopper. 

[Kisatchie]

But we're talkin' about the Great Northern. And 4 different road numbers, to boot. Go ahead, Kiz. Make it an even 3 grand. You can thank me later.

I just got an email from Pete at Brooklyn Locomotive Works that my 4 BLMA PS hoppers were shipped today. That'll give me 3000 cars even. I can't buy any more (except passenger cars now). No, no more!


Hmm... we'll see how
long that lasts...

[u18b]

I feel like I'm asking a dumb question....

But what does "diecast" mean?

Are they zinc metal?

[nkalanaga]

Ron:  Probably metal, although I wouldn't swear they were zinc.  A zinc allow is the most likely.  That's how the ballast hoppers are made.  It gives a low center of gravity without having to hide a weight somewhere.

WM3798:  I wouldn't get rid of your Trainman hoppers yet, as these are a different prototype.  I will be replacing a bunch of my kitbashed MP 3-bays.  These are a BIG improvement over them....

[Denver Road Doug]

Ron:  Probably metal, although I wouldn't swear they were zinc.  A zinc allow is the most likely.  That's how the ballast hoppers are made.  It gives a low center of gravity without having to hide a weight somewhere.

WM3798:  I wouldn't get rid of your Trainman hoppers yet, as these are a different prototype.  I will be replacing a bunch of my kitbashed MP 3-bays.  These are a BIG improvement over them....

This is how the ACF Coalveyors were done as well.   Great design IMHO.   I will be modifying mine to be ballast cars though, so I'm not real sure how to go about it.  I'll need to wait and see what I have to work with.  I have two undecs on order.

At least these aren't dupes of prototypes already done in n-scale.  The problem is that the majority of post-transition-era freight cars we need in n-scale are those of the variety that aren't very attractive to manufacturers.  Or at least that is what we are told, that the spartan tank cars and chemical LO's don't sell.

[Mark5]

This is a great thing for Clinchfield modelers, these are good times!

Also a great for roads that interchanged with Clinch .... like N&W 

[sdodge]

At least its not another grain hopper. 

You can never have enough grain hoppers! 

[crrcoal]

Great times indeed!!!   

This is a great thing for Clinchfield modelers, these are good times!

Also a great for roads that interchanged with Clinch .... like N&W 

[nkalanaga]

SDodge:  I agree.  What I'm waiting for is an early ACF 3-bay Center Flow to match the Atlas Trainman 4-bay car.  MT and IM make nice cars, but they're both the 1970s version without the horizontal rib on the upper side.  They work for the BN, but the GN, NP, and CB&Q all had the earlier version.

As for the Atlas car, a nice upgrade, from Atlas or an aftermarket detail company, would be the end floor and slope sheet braces.  It could be done as a single piece of plastic, to be slid into the end, and would also make body mounting couplers much easier.  Since every car Atlas has sold needs one, there would also be a detail part market, reducing the per-part cost further.