Hi,
I saw that both Atlas and Intermountain are making a RTR ACF 3-bay centerflow hopper in Ho scale. Can anyone tell me which one is the most detailed, and/or help me with some comparative analysis ?
Thanks in advance, regards, JF (The Netherlands / Europe)
No suggestions from anyone ?
Regards, JF
Id go for the atlas… intermountain is a bit more expensive. If you do any weathering youll want to be be able to get another in case of an oops! Atlast centerflow hoppers look very nice to me. But it just matters what you want
The difference is $5. For the extra $5 on an Intermountain, you get Kadees and air hoses. Atlas has better stirrups, though.
For a list of roadnames, go to http://www.atlasrr.com/HOFreight/ho46501.htm , http://www.atlasrr.com/HOFreight/ho46502.htm , and http://www.imrcmodels.com/ho/hohoppers.htm (Scroll down to “ACF 4650 Hopper”)
Hope this helps,
Matt
Atlas rolling stock in my opinion over time runs better, Intermountain on certain models has problems with changing their couplers, and I like the looks of certain Intermountain stock, but issues are there. I have only had one problem with an Atlas rolling stock not running properly, and I have had more problems by percentage of purchase with Intermountain. rolling stock not running properly.
To: Texansoldier / uspscsx / Davidvd59
Thanks for your replies. The price was not the most important issue for me. I am building up a beautiful US train and it may cost a little more. I will just take my time building it up. I am not going to weather it for now, either.
One important thing is that it must run and apparently, Intermountain has some problems here. Are you talking about the older Intermountain models in kits, or the most recent RTR models ? Perhaps things have changed …?!
Atlas always gets my money.
I have been dissappointed with SOME of the Intermountain (RTR) running, not their looks, but their running ability as of 2 years ago. I have not purchased any this current year or last year. If Atlas has the item I always purchase atlas first. I have been buying some athearn (rtr) and have had some difficulty with only their maxi stack cars.
IN GENERAL:
Inermountains are more detailed.
IM’s ‘assembled’ cars come with Kadee couplers, metal wheels and great rolling trucks, and have for 3-4 years.
Juanfran: You may have to buy one of each and be the first. If so, please give us an in-hand report. I suspect a well qualified opinion would be most welcome. Until then, it’s like asking a one-armed fisherman how he’s doing, and he holds up his one arm and says “I caught one THIS big!”.
I have both, as I said before it is not an issue of looks, but some higher percentage runnability issues with Intermountain. If I am buying for a display case only, I will buy Intermountain, but for running it will be Atlas.
I have an Intermountain Grain Car that says CANADA on the side of it that I ordered and received about 2 weeks ago. It is really nice. It and the new Athearn Genesis Illinois Central Grain Car I bought are about equal on quality and detail. Both are really really good. I don’t own any Atlas cars though. They’re probably good also. For extremely high quality I’d choose Intermountain, for a slightly cheaper version I’d choose Atlas.
Lets see if I understand this correctly, I have read in many posts where those who buy Atlas cars, take the plastic wheels off right away and replace with metal wheels. Also, many , many posts all favor Kadee couplers as being the best on the market.
Intermountain uses metal wheels, and Kadee couplers. Soooooo Atlas cars are better becausssssssseee???
Intermountain kits have seperate ladder rungs and grab irons unlike some Atlas cars, thats why I like Intermountain.
To: Davidvd59 ; Don Gibson ; RR Redneck ; grayfox1119
Hi,
I asked my question because I have several cars from Atlas, and in particular an ACF 3 bay covered hopper that I find very beautiful. I saw that IM also has a comparable car in their programme, but IM is not well known here in Europe. I don’t have any, so I was curious to know what the ones among you who have both the Atlas and the IM thought of them. I was curious about the details and running, not the moneys.
Davidvd59 mentioned that he had both, so I guess he is able to compare. Davidvd59: you said that changing couplers on the IM was a little more tricky. OK. But you also said you had been somewhat disappointed by the running of some IM. Can you be more specific here ?
grayfox1119 : Atlas models have metal wheels, at least on the ones I purchased recently. You (and others) suggest that Kadee couplers are the best in the market and I must say that the Kadee work very smooth indeed , but why are the others “less” according to you ?
Depending of course on your track work, if you have a questionable area of track work the Intermountain cars have found it and derailed long ahead of my Atlas cars repeatedly. Intermountain cars SPECIFiCLY made just 2 years ago did not come with a screw on coupler pocket. To change those couplers was a pull pin WHICH USUALLY broke when changing couplers.
Intermountain has started to change that on most cars, as has athearn. My Atlas cars all have metal wheels, and screw applied coupler pockets, I don’t understand the last post regarding plastic wheels on an Atlas, mine are all metal. Over the weekend I purchased an Intermountain Government of Canada cylindrical hopper. This car does not have a screw pocket, but I purchased it for my display case for my canadian national train. I have not run this car, and intend not to.
As for couplers I have exclusively changed all my couplers to the new #148 Kadee coupler. I never liked screwing around with those metal inserts in those pockets as my fingers do not have enough dexterity anymore.
I have many of both types of ACF 3-bay hoppers, Atlas and Intermountain. I’d give the Intermountain a slight edge in detail (mostly in the brake rigging), and they do come standard with Kadees, which is nice.
On the other hand, the Intermountain trucks are hit and miss. Sometimes they’re okay, sometimes not. There are two types of Intermountain trucks. The older style are equalized and the newer style are not, but both can have problems. The equalized ones sometimes just fall apart and the non-equalized ones are sometimes warped so that the four wheels cannot sit on the track at the same time. I keep a supply of Accurail trucks and Proto 2000 wheels around and substitute these on the really bad cars.
All the Atlas cars I’ve bought came with metal wheels that are actually very nice. I have never had an issue with the rolling ability of an Atlas car. They do come with plastic couplers, but those are easily changed to Kadees. The Atlas cars are also a bit heavier on average and the roofs are easier to get off if you want to add even more weight.
I have also never had the coupler box fall off an Atlas car, and that has happened more than once with my Intermountains (though usually the Canadian cylidrical cars). I’d give the nod to Atlas for operability.
Sometimes the Atlas cars can be had for less money, too, especially if you buy them on eBay where people tend to go nuts over anything with “Intermountain” on it.
Davidvd59
Intermountain’s ASSEMBLED CARS come with Kaydee #5’s, so the coupler is cemented in place, and has been for approx.the last 5 years - as are the Des Plaines Cabooses. Tearing out this 'tried ‘N true’ coupler for a #148 might be considered ‘self-defeating’ to some.
The OEM spring with the #5 you dislike has two differential side pressures enabling KD’s ‘delayed uncoupling’ feature. The #148’s centering spring, while may be ‘simpler’, is lacking this feature, presumably favoring convenience. Of course, the ULTIMATE convenience might be keeping the mounted, cemented, supplied, KD.
Any problems with improperly assembled or misaligned trucks, I’m sure would be welcomed by Intermoutain, since they designed them - a rarity in todays market (only kit assembly is done in China). IM wheels are THE replacents at MS&I in Chicago where trains run 7 days a week. David Harrison is a regular contributor to our forums.
I own both and they run the same in my opinion, neither derail or cause me problems. Intermountain is much more detailed and just plain look better then Atlas and of course both come with metal wheels but the Atlas couplers need to be swapped. If you want a good looking and great running car then choose Atlas but if you want a GREAT looking and a Great running car then choose Intermountain.
atlas atlas atlas!! intermountain is nice but they dont hold the track as well as atlas.
Could the trouble be with the track laying? Isee that some people have no problem with either Atlas or Intermountain, others seem to have all sorts of throuble with either one, which would tend to make me believe that the tracks could be part or most of the problem. If the manufacturers had everyone buyer upset because the cars were de-railing, etc., how long do you think THIS would go on? Not very!! Not if they wanted to keep their market share. Think about it !!