Dave,
I agree with your above statement. However, may I take the liberty to add to it slightly:
“Because people invariably [enjoy] find[ing] something to complain about…”
Tom
In some areas of the hobby you definately cannot mention Atlas HO track without wearing body armor. I personnaly have no problem with it and what ever I may end up using on my soon to be home layout, Atlas track will no doubt be at least partly used.
I have 2 Atlas HO GP-7s on order and can’t wait until they’re delivered.
Rick Keil
I too will buck the negativity trend and commend Atlas. As a Canadian/modeler of Canadian roads, I really appreciate the fact that they have put relatively accurate Canadian paint schemes on appropriate locomotives and rolling stock for years.
My Atlas roster has 1 or more of: FP7, RSD4/5, original run SD35, RS3, S2, GP7, GP38-2, RS1, C424, C425, Trainmaster and an RS11 being converted to an RS18. Most have been custom painted but some are stock Atlas paint with some modifications/touch up (GP7 and Trainmaster in CP block, C425 in BC Rail, GP38-2 in CP Rail).
As for rolling stock, too many to list here but most are Canadian roads.
Well done Atlas and keep up the good work!
And thanks Mr. Vollmer for the topic.
I’m not a big fan of the Trainman line but other then that I really like Atlas products. I have a few Atlas loco’s and have never had any problems with them. My Trainmasters are incredibly detailed and perform flawlessly. I have two GP40’s in GO Transit colours that perform the same. One of them I run only at Train Shows for sometimes 10 hours none stop and it runs just like new still, It has about 180 hours on it now. Their tank cars in my opinion are second to none.
Yup. Atlas is my best friend.
My entire layout is Atlas track, and with the exception of a couple Spectrum units, my locomotive fleet is all Atlas.
Nick
I like Atlas, too. Atlas makes a lot of New England-specific locomotives, which makes many New England railfans happy. My favorite locomotive in my roster is my GRS SD26. I love that a model maker would make such an obscure unit in plastic, and they they did a bang-up job on it to boot. All it needs is weathering and some ditch lights. My C424 is my second favorite, and I have two of their tank cars that they also did a spectaular job with. While I’m still working on gathering the materials I need to build my permanent layout, the Atlas snap-track holds me over with setting up temporary layouts. I’m currently hunting for their undecorated high-hood GP40 and SD26 for my B&M/MEC revival roster. Keep up the good work, Atlas!
I agree with you Dave, I have purchased many cars from Atlas, as well as other vendors, and it is clear to me that Atlas places Quality on the top step of production. I just received the Atlas Quarterly catalog, they sure know how to tempt one with the “get the economy going” checks due to be mailed out in 11 days.
I have tried other brands of track but,have returned to Atlas every time.
Also both HO clubs I am a member of uses Atlas track and switches due to the reliability.
As far as those GP7s…You will love their smooth powerful drive.
SAYS it in a nutshell:
It’s tough to fit bent rail into molded plastic. ATLAS ‘owns’ the Entry level track market where “Good enough” prevails. We all know better track products are out there, if we want them. (includes their own code 83).
Not so ENGINES - which are first-rate, smooth runners.
I’m going to suggest that ‘Track Div. products’ may support their IMPORTED ones. if so, why complain?
Obviously, ‘perfection’ has it’s price.
I have to say that Atlas code 83 HO flex track and turnouts are well made. I have not had any issues with any of my Atlas turnouts in the 2+ years they have been installed on the layout. I cannot say the same for Walthers turnouts.
My first turnouts were fiber board #6s and #8s. I connected them with the plastic-tie custom-line sectional track. I didn’t know how to wire anything other than a hot frog. From HO to N-scale in 1969 and back to HO in 1981, I’ve relied heavily on Atlas products.
My only two short lived gripes through the last 42 years were when they first switched from the Kato drive to the China drive. At that time I didn’t realize EVERYTHING was being moved to China - sigh. The other was the first run of the Atlas Master SD24’s. I was told the “masters” meant they had sound, but at that time it meant only DCC, so I ended up paying WAY too much for one. After I complained loudly, they came out with the gold and silver designations.
The problem I had with Atlas turnouts was the fault of my choice of powered rolling stock with extremely short pickup wheel bases, not with the turnouts themselves.
OTOH, for plain-jane track that is affordable and suitable for my simple purposes, Atlas is the choice. I especially appreciate their concrete-tie Code 83 flex, which is visually ideal for my needs.
Due to my prototype, I have little need for Atlas rolling stock, but I can and do appreciate that they are filling a lot of the blanks on different folks’ wish lists.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with Atlas flex and handlaid turnouts)
Yup! Atlas has always worked for me.
Most of my locomotive fleet on my N scale layout is Atlas or Kato. The modern Atlas, not the one from the past that just brought in imports like other companies, is a good company to deal with and certainly helps the hobby along.
AND what do you exactly attribute that to? Atlas’s looser tolerances? Wider flangeways? Plastic frogs? Ever check the gauge of your 'Flextrack?
Better look at your CHOICE of engines.
Well, I’ll have to throw in my [2c] here. No company can hit a homerun or even a standup double with every product, but overall I have had a great appreciation for Atlas as a company and for many of its products. I started modeling (briefly) in HO and use Atlas track exclusively. When I made the switch to N scale I continued to use Atlas track. I had real problems with Atlas switches, so I made the switch to Peco. I still use Atlas flextrack exclusively, however, and love it. I only have Atlas and Kato locomotives on my layout, in about equal numbers, and I love both brands. The Atlas locos seem to take a little more break-in time, but once they run for an hour or so they run smooth as silk on DCC. I have a great deal of Atlas rolling stock as well. Then the new Trainman series started I couldn’t resist some $10 cars. I’ll admit that when I first saw the car I was disappointed in the detail lever (then again it was $10). Once I weathered it slightly and put it on the layout, however, I really don’t even notice a difference from other more detailed cars (this is one of the beauties of N scale I suppose). One thing I would like to see is an imporvement in the locomotives produced by Atlas’ newly acquired brands (Life-Like) and some efforts to make pnp DCC decoders readily available for these. Those are my thoughts good and bad.
Ron
Yup! I use the NMRA HO Standards gage among other tools whenever putting in new track.
I must be doing something wrong, I use all code 83 track and turnouts, all of my locos and trucks are in gauge, I don’t have any derailments to speak of, isn’t that the end result we are all looking for? I’m very satisfied with Atlas products.
Now I’m told I should be unhappy?
[(-D][(-D][(-D]
Have fun
So you’re complaining about other people complaining and what am I going to do? Complain that you’ve complained that people complain? Where will this end?
My last layout, in limited space, used a few Atlas snap switches. Not the prettiest track, but ONE had a problem with a very limited number of freight cars derailing. Oddly enough, after replacing the wheel sets on my nearly ancient rolling stock, MORE cars derailed, not fewer. I would have replaced the turnout, but by that time, we knew we were moving. New layout is planned to use Atlas track. When I upgrade to DCC, Atlas locos are most certianly on the list.
Will I have problems to complain about? Probably if I myself do something wrong.
Actually, I’ve had trouble with HO Atlas code 83 and N scale code 80 switches. It wasn’t a gauge issue; they sometimes developed dead spots.
My current layout uses Peco switches.
No, Atlas isn’t perfect, no more so than any of us. But their effort and direction is to be commended in my eyes.
There was a discussion a while ago on another board about companies like Kato and Walthers doing “icons,” i.e., the California Zephyr, the Empire Builder, the GS4 and Daylight trains, etc. The credit goes to Ed Kapuscinski. The speculation (whether correct or not, it seems to have its own logic) was that these companies felt that they could sell more trains if they were the well-known “iconic” ones that more modelers would be likely to purchase independent of their own modeling objectives. Even Athearn, releasing the Challeneger and Big Boy in N, knowing full well that most modelers don’t do steam-era UP (or Rio Grande and Clinchfield in the case of the Challeneger), clearly banked on the “iconic” nature of these locomotives to sell more units than were needed on N scale layouts around the world.
I don’t know that you could prove that to be true, but it strikes me as very dissimilar to what Atlas is doing; by offering more mundane, every day cars and locomotives in schemes that include little-known shortlines they are certainly not seeking to hit a home run with a single product. In fact, what Atlas is doing seems somewhat selfless; they throw a bone at the shortline or obscure class I modeler at the risk of selling fewer units.
That strategy appears to put the modeler first.