I buy atlas engines and even though they are expensive the quality is good. They are offering double stack cars which cost about 300.00 usd. this price is for a set of five without containers. This is fine but what is not is the price of the containers. the containers retail for 24.95 each. In order to fill one 5 car unit it will cost 250.00 usd for the containers themselves. the total for the double stack cars and containers would be 550.00 usd. I though the 24.95 cost was for 2 containers but I was told by someone at atlas that it was for 1 container. I could buy the double stack cars and run them empty. Is this acceptable? For me it is not. .
Take a look for yourself at these links.
http://www.atlaso.com/ogundersonstackcar.htm
http://www.atlaso.com/o4045containers.htm
those must be some pretty nice containers.
Maybe there is something inside the containers that is worth more than the container.
This may or may not help you, but the container prices drop to $19.95 USD each if you buy 5 at a time from AM Hobbies. Cars are discounted, also. Check this link, go to Atlas O Items for Pre-order.
http://www.amhobbiesonline.com/
If you want, you could run the empties on the rear of a train, like the real RRs do. Then as you get containers, put them on the lead cars.
John, Do the railroad run the empties on the rear to keep them from stringlining around curves?
I believe so, but I forgot what stringlining was ! Give us that again Buckeye !
I know those cars & some other ones we refer to as Spine cars, that carry trailers for semis, are very light & if they were run in the middle or headend of the train, the loads behind them would cause the light cars to buckle up & derail all over the place, say if the train went into emergency, or even a fast stop. Any of those empty & real light cars have to be on the rear of a train, at least on our RR.
On an upgrade curve, the cars could be pulled off the track if lighter cars are in front of the heavier cars. Same thing happens on our models.
Atlas has detail. I just purchased an Atlas O engine [a lot cheaper than the webb site price]. Details up the “ying yang”. I mean like sand hoses to each wheel, piping you would not believe. Have to ahndle it very carefully to not break parts. Their site prices are a lot higher than what some of their dealers sell them for.
I have bought several things though AM Hobbies . Very reputable, good prices and follow up if you have a problem. Bought a lot of gargraves track from them too. The Chief is right about the detail, very heavy and good runners…Tim
I agree that Atlas engines have extraordinary detail, but at $24.95 for a single container, it better be full of beer.
Even at 19.99 this is still too much for one container. I bought a set of 5 MTH containers for 24.95 on sale. I also bought a set of 5 Kline containers for 20.00. Atlas should include the containers on the stack cars for the price they are charging. $20.00 a container is highway robbery. One problem with buying the stack cars first and then buying the containers is that atlas only makes enough product to cover the order recieved.
sounds like atlas is trying to spread the cost of that license agreement with the union pacific to it’s customers when they bent over for them.
I think Atlas & 3rd Rail quality are tops but both are too expensive for my budget. I still don’t know why no one has come out with scale sized open auto rack cars.
It appears that in any scale the containers are considered overpriced. Some have more detail than others and while I don’t know about licenses there a lot of different containers out there from the ones I have seen on highway and rail cars. I have seen proto trains will well cars with trailers in the wells and spline cars with containers on them. I have pictures of both. Even finding them reasonable ( cheap is out of the question ) at train shows is difficult. Phil