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Post by mkulak on Jul 26, 2012 14:10:52 GMT -8
New Atlas catalog is up on the website. It has a few new announcements including new schemes for tank cars, and locos. Click on catalog Icon on the atlas website and load the HO PDF.  |
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Post by gbc636 on Jul 26, 2012 15:18:45 GMT -8
Well. Took a cruise thru the catalog, and there is one BIG improvemnt. The RS3 body now has either a water or air cooled exhaust stack. Would have been nice to see this done years ago, or at least from the start. Atlas is also sticking with QSI for sound. I may spring for an RS3 or 2.
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Post by buffalobill on Jul 26, 2012 19:00:12 GMT -8
I was hoping there was some new tooling involved or a model that was not previously announced. Other than the rerun of the RS-3's and C-420's, and a few new names on cars, there was nothing new. Yawn.
Bill
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Post by curtmc on Jul 27, 2012 7:05:21 GMT -8
Hmmm... "Alternative history paint scheme"... I guess that is easier and less clear than "car without any current or past prototype"... And now even Master Line cars that don't match prototypes... I'm understanding the shut down of the forums more now.
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Post by riogrande on Jul 27, 2012 7:54:41 GMT -8
So your saying it wasn't money, time and maintenence, but they didn't want to deal with criticism?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2012 8:28:12 GMT -8
So your saying it wasn't money, time and maintenence, but they didn't want to deal with criticism? I think that is exactly what he is saying. |
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Post by riogrande on Jul 27, 2012 9:17:05 GMT -8
Well, that sounds good to the cynical, and well, surely isn't that true for any company? But that is part and parcel to running a forum. Besides, why did Atlas suddenly become adverse to criticism after 18 years on the internet? As a rule, they produce among the highest quality of model trains and are widely recognized as such. I realize there are some who loudly criticize but that isn't the norm for Atlas so I don't see why they should let a few people rattle their cage. Like any manufacturer in the past few years, they have been hit with issues, it's part of what happens when the poop hits the fan. Personally I don't think the, they can't accept criticism makes works for me as a single or over arching reason to shut down the forums. Maybe the high maintenence of moderating contributed - sure, I can see that.
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Post by SantaFeJim on Jul 27, 2012 9:41:14 GMT -8
I was browsing the HO catalog but stopped when I got to the EV & Standard Cupola Cabooses. Did anybody else notice anything strange about those drawings?  I'll give you a hint. Look at the couplers. Now do you see it? Those drawings are well over 10 years old and they are drawings of their 3-rail O-Scale cabooses. Notice the GIANT couplers and huge thumb-tack under it? BTW the thumb-tack was brushed out on the Great Northern and NS. However, they completely eliminated on the NW drawing. The couplers were drawn in like a last minute after-thought on the Reading and SOO.  Atlas is getting a bit sloppy in their presentation. Not good.  |
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Post by curtmc on Jul 27, 2012 14:49:13 GMT -8
To be clear, I think there were many factors... And yes, maintenance and staffing time had to be among them. I just think it went a little beyond that... and it started showing up in the months before the shutdown with the questions that never got answered (like how to get into the 23,500 gal tank cars to fix a loose weight, or the couplers/light weight/too narrow wells issues of the Thrall well cars)...
It was interesting all the manhours supposedly being used on the forum, yet the direct questions not being answered... And were the quality control and poor design issues related to the time requirements of the forums?
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Post by atsfan on Jul 27, 2012 19:01:03 GMT -8
Well, that sounds good to the cynical, and well, surely isn't that true for any company? But that is part and parcel to running a forum. Besides, why did Atlas suddenly become adverse to criticism after 18 years on the internet? As a rule, they produce among the highest quality of model trains and are widely recognized as such. I realize there are some who loudly criticize but that isn't the norm for Atlas so I don't see why they should let a few people rattle their cage. Like any manufacturer in the past few years, they have been hit with issues, it's part of what happens when the poop hits the fan. Personally I don't think the, they can't accept criticism makes works for me as a single or over arching reason to shut down the forums. Maybe the high maintenence of moderating contributed - sure, I can see that. Recognized for highest quality? Huh? Loose weights in tank cars that can't be fixed. Warped intermodal stack cars. Smashed lumber cars that required more expensive prices to package correctly. Underweight stack cars with only scale accubreaks. That is just off the top of my head. Sorry, the "high cost" thing is bunk. Atlas simply got tired of people pointing out their errors and wanted to shut off the vehicle to silence people. If they are that tight on funds that the forum was an issue, then they are in bad shape. Notice they are not doing new locomotives. No funding to do them. Re releasing old products over and over again is not going to get it done in 2012. |
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Post by atsfan on Jul 27, 2012 19:01:34 GMT -8
So your saying it wasn't money, time and maintenence, but they didn't want to deal with criticism? BINGO. |
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Post by kentuckysouthernrwy on Jul 29, 2012 5:44:47 GMT -8
I just wondered can you say FOOBIE on this new forum?
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Post by riogrande on Jul 29, 2012 8:00:22 GMT -8
Recognized for highest quality? Huh? Loose weights in tank cars that can't be fixed. Warped intermodal stack cars. Smashed lumber cars that required more expensive prices to package correctly. Underweight stack cars with only scale accubreaks. That is just off the top of my head. Sorry, the "high cost" thing is bunk. Atlas simply got tired of people pointing out their errors and wanted to shut off the vehicle to silence people. If they are that tight on funds that the forum was an issue, then they are in bad shape. Notice they are not doing new locomotives. No funding to do them. Re releasing old products over and over again is not going to get it done in 2012. Whatever, you can find fault with products from nearly any manufacturer over a period of years. I've been in the hobby long enough to know who "on the average" makes the better quality products. I'm not going to get into splitting hairs over crap like this - I'm in the hobby for fun, not for drama. If you don't consider Atlas among the top tier of HO makers, it's your perogative. If anyone asks me, I will place Atlas among the top, and just agree to disagree with you. If it bothers you that Atlas is just offering warmed over models time and again, I'm not bothered. I have plenty of models I can choose from from other makers so IMO, Atlas is just losing out to other companies if they can't offer models I'm interested in. That still doesn't mean to me they are a crappy maker, only that they are falling behind in the past couple years, but the chinese manufacturing issues and economy certainly is cramping a lot of companies including one of my favorites, Athearn, which is only offering Genesis models for the near term. As for the forums, I think it was a mistake for Atlas to throw in the towl and it was a negative PR move, but I'm not going to hold a grudge - it takes a lot to get me to do that. I'm not going to cut my nose off to spite my face, I'll buy from whoever makes what I need as I always have. Athearn tends to make the western stuff I need the most, but I also buy from ER and Atlas, but over the long haul I haven't been buying alot from Atlas mainly because others have been making freight cars I need more. What have I gotten from Atlas? (D&RGW GP40's, GP40-2's, Utah RR RS4/5, 89' flat cars, some 3-bay covered grain hoppers and some 50' and 60' box cars, and tank cars). |
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jul 29, 2012 11:22:32 GMT -8
I just wondered can you say FOOBIE on this new forum? Apparently so. Foobie, foobie, foobie. Take that, you lilly-livered yella bellied scoundrels!!! Ed |
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Post by riogrande on Jul 29, 2012 12:18:19 GMT -8
Heh heh... I'm ok with foobie.
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Post by rhpd42002 on Jul 29, 2012 12:51:03 GMT -8
I personally see no problem with "Foobie". I think we all know it's not a "derogatory" term, just a word used to point out that the paint scheme on a particular car/loco is not prototypically accurate for that car/loco, or the car/loco model itself is not of a known prototype. Can we pretty much agree on that?  If it wasn't for the fact that I can actually see myself in a mirror, i'd probably consider myself to be a FOOBIE!! ;D |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2012 14:29:45 GMT -8
Something to consider with Atlas and new product is they are smack dab in the middle of the China issue. Atlas track is non-existent, what a store has is all they have and a re-supply is nowhere on the horizon.
I spoke with the owner of my LHS, who said he's down to one case of code 83 flex and most of the code 100 switches, crossings, etc. are sold out. He only has empty pegs where the Atlas track packages used to hang. This is bad for everyone from the modeler to the store to Atlas. When people want to buy product and can't get it everybody loses. As the store's owner said, "the only good news about the unavailability of track from Atlas is its summer. But fall is only a couple of months away and then the crunch will really be felt.
If Atlas can't get a staple like their track products out the door, I can see them taking a very cautious approach to rolling stock.
ALL the manufacturers are in deep hot water because of production problems. Last week I finally got my special Proto E9A detailed and decorated for SP 6051. Walthers did not receive the run from China in one shipment. Instead, Walthers, got it in small seperate shipments and I don't think all the models have arrived in Milwaukee. This meant the big guys like M.B. Klein had models, but my LHS, that only had a half dozen or so on order, didn't get theirs until the last shipment. Now according to the Walthers site they are all sold out. Klein got some of their allotment over a month before my LHS got their models. Klein actually got FOUR shipments of the SP 6051's. First it was sound, then DC, then some more DC and finally more sound. I believe my dealer is still waiting for his non-sound 6051's, so that would be batch number five.
I have a thread on the status of the Genesis DDA40X, which is making me wonder with the date jockeying on Athearn's site if these are not hitting the shore in batches. Its flat out nuts in this hobby right now for everyone.
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Post by Paul Cutler III on Jul 30, 2012 6:45:54 GMT -8
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Post by riogrande on Jul 30, 2012 7:25:04 GMT -8
Yes Paul, I only "recently" became aware of the urban dictionary version since I'd heard the Atlas version for so long, I didn't bother looking it up to see what the more common term is. It's relatively mild still considering all the other slang out there.
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Post by rhpd42002 on Jul 30, 2012 16:43:12 GMT -8
All I can do is LOL about the Urban(e) Dictionary definitions! I again refer to the definition I posted previously. If that's what we're referring to, I still see no problem with the word Foobie. Anyone who comes to this Forum and sees the word Foobie used and thinks it relates to any of those definitions, seriously needs their head examined.....  Those are my thoughts on it, anyway.  |
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Post by bdhicks on Jul 30, 2012 16:51:42 GMT -8
If you were to ban all words that had offensive definitions in the Urban Dictionary then there wouldn't be anything left of the English language.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2012 17:18:56 GMT -8
If you were to ban all words that had offensive definitions in the Urban Dictionary then there wouldn't be anything left of the English language. You got that right homes |
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Post by mlehman on Jul 30, 2012 21:32:50 GMT -8
SNIP Sorry, the "high cost" thing is bunk. Atlas simply got tired of people pointing out their errors and wanted to shut off the vehicle to silence people... Silence someone? Not hardly. It's the internet, it's awful hard to silence anyone here and shutting down one forum to do so is laughable if that was the intention. Seriously doubt it was, but seems like that sort of thing is the first thing that leaps to the mind of some. I think they _were_ probably tired of people finding a pea under all the mattresses and trying to claim it was a boulder. Why should they pay for that and much of the often petty things that were taken to ridiculous extremes of conspiracy theory, warmed over Econ 101, and crying in the milk because no one will make a RTR version of the Ingalls loco in four different versions? I think that Atlas encouraged positive criticism and tolerated plenty of drivel over the years. Bless 'em. Personally, I think it's a great thing they finally fixed the stack on the RS2. Now I have an excuse to buy another because I'm too darn lazy to hack one myself. |
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