how well detailed is it, how well dose the Atlas C424 run? We have one hee in the LHS in the CN “wet noodle” paint and was considering purchasing, however it is slightly over $200 CAD. is this a fair price? [:)]
I have several C424/425s they all run like a dream (even the 15 year old one) and the detailing is excellent. They list for around $100 US. Trainworld has them for $65 US. However, I don’t belive they came factory painted for CN. So your unit may be custom painted, and therefore costs more.
Nick
well mostly all the canadian roads where limited runs… even on the proto 2000’s so maybe they do cost more.
I have a pair of CP ones from the lates release. Incredible detail, runs better than any other loco I have, and has NOSE HEADLIGHTS AND LIT NUMBERBOARDS!!! In short, they are the greatest locomotive you will have. Go forth, and buy as many as your budget allows. I’ve practically stopped running my other locos 'cause htey’re so great.
Matthew
it has a price tag of $214… is it worth it?
I purchase five off them at train shows all under 80.00 canadian. run exellent.look the same. will purchase as many as I find. All CN Factory Paint. Sounds like alot for that engine, however if costom paint may be worth it.
I got mine in a 2 for 1 at my LHS. It’s a good price to pay for them, about average. If they start running low, buy them, but otherwise wait for a sale.
Matthew
Nick,
Weren’t the older Atlas C424s done with the Kato drive ?Bob K.
It’s all good…
The Atlas CN C424’s(And CP C424’s) are a series of special runs done for Hobbycraft, and have the correct long hood and walkway for Canadian Phase II units (these MLW-built units are different from Alco-built units). $214 is a little steep, but prices have been heading that way for a while. I payed about $125CAD for mine 2 years ago, but even then that was well below list (George’s Trains, where I usually shop, gives discounts on new arrivals normally).
Detail is excellent (And Road Specific on CN/CP units, unlike other Atlas Classic offerings, including the US C424/425’s) and the drive is rock solid, either Kato on the earliest runs or the current Kato clone.
You do want to be sure the paint is right for your era, as the Noodles didn’t last much past the mid/late 70’s, and these units got Sgt. Stripes fairly quickly after 1973 (when Sgt Stripes were introduced on hood units)
If you can find an Ottawa Central Railway # 4204 it was traded to New Brunswick East Coast for the RS18 # 1859 after it had a second piston failure causing 2 engine block write offs. It is now numbered NBEC 4204 and running in New Brunswick. I know because I am an OCR employee. If you can find 1 it might be a good buy.
By the way I forgot to mention that the 4204 was the only C-424 that OCR ever owned, all the remaining units are RS-18’s.
Bob.
I’m pretty sure the older C424s (mine is late 80s vintage) do have Kato drives, but I’m not entirely sure when Atlas switched to their own drives.
Nick
hmm i think i may wait to buy this unit… $214 is a bit of money so i dunno. I love it though! The chances of my LHS ever having a slae are slim.
Really? Where do you go? Maybe try Georges’ trains in Toronto, I know it’s a bit of a commute, but I’ve seen good prices on C424s there.
'Course, that was a while ago…
Matthew
half of me says to buy it, other half says not to!!
The mentionned price of $214CDN is probably for a DCC-equipped engine; last week I got an Atlas SD35 (Master Series) with a DC compatible decoder -that I will use in DC for a while- for about the same price. In DC mode, the the electronic board does not supply constant lighting.
Martin
Québec City
Shaun,
The Little Train Shoppe in Brampton has this one for $189, and if my memory serves it’s DCC equipped.
Trevor
well thats far away from me. I am still undecided abiout buying it.
Martin,
I’ve shopped in the LHS Shaun is talking about. It’s where I picked up CP Rail SD40-2 5415 in 1996.
At the time, his selection was decent & so were his prices.
Now…
This same LHS is over priced LARGE!!! I was in there last year & he was asking $80 CAN for a dummy BB Athearn.
Unfortuantly for Shaun, this guy’s the only guy in town & his selection sucked big time.
There is/was an amazing train shop across the border in Port Huron but getting there without a vehicle is a pain in the butt!
Only drawback to this place is there’s usually no Canadian road locomotives in stock.
Just my 2 cents
Gordon