Just got a Industrial Rail catalog flier from Atlas O [with card for free Atlas Catalog]

[ChiefEagles]

Nice looking cars at reasonable price [sure dealer price is lower].  In the back are 2007 upcoming items.  A 4-4-2 Atlantic Steamer and caboose and track system [looks like snap together with roadbed].  Move over Lionel and MTH.  A guy [no name mentioned] from Ohizo said earlier this year that he thought Atlas was going to give them a run for their money.  Sure looks like it.  I saw the Trainman series engines at CTT the other week.  Great details [but not over detailed] and very impressive. 

Click on picture to enlarge.

[Jumijo]

It sure looks like Atlas is well on their way.

[Bob Keller]

No price on the Atlantic, but it'll be die-cast. Per Atlas O if there is demand/interest, a TMCC version might be available.

[Andrew Falconer]

The C&O Caboose for the Industrial Rail Line is the same design that is being sold in the TrainMan HO Scale Line.

If the C&O Caboose matches the rest of the Industrial Rail Line it would be S Scale or close to S Scale in proportions.

Andrew

[Buckeye Riveter]

The C&O Caboose for the Industrial Rail Line is the same design that is being sold in the TrainMan HO Scale Line.

Andrew

Andrew, your post made me think that with the use of CADD, a company like Atlas could develop products in different scales almost simultaneously.   I assume that molds are made using CADD, but I'm certainly not knowledgeable in the process.

[Andrew Falconer]

The product would be Designed with Computer Aided Drafting and Design.

The injection molds would be made with Computer Aided Milling and Machining.

They might use Sterolithography to produced a prototype for train shows.

Andrew

[brianel027]

Andrew, I don't know where you come up with such misinformation. You are obviously a smart guy and knowledgable about some of the modern types of trains you'd like to see produced. BUT....

The Industrial Rail cars are nothing close to "S" scale, and if you need proof, put one next to any of the nice new scale proportion cars from S-Gauge Helper or American Models. With the exception of the Industrial Rail caboose (which is small, no question) all of the cars are either right on the mark or slightly bigger than a traditional postwar Lionel car of similar type.

In March of 1993, CTT ran an article called "Scale Is The Thing" in which these kinds of cars on par with the Industrial Rail Cars were defined as being "medium" (85%-93% of full O scale) or true to scale ((93%-100% of full O scale) as with the Industrial Rail Tank Car for example. What makes the IR box car under scale is not its length, but the height and width. Compare an IR car with a scale PS1 Weaver box car and you can easily see the difference. The IR cars are based on shoter prototypes and a 10 inch long car equates to a full O scale 40 foot car - not an S scale car.

Even the K-Line smaller 5000 series cars, derived from the old MARX tooling, which K-Line decided to use for their line of "S" Guage cars, were decidely larger than a tradtional American Flyer car of similar types. Again, according the previously mentioned CTT article, the K-Line 5000 series cars are described as being 85% or less than scale - which is still larger than "S" scale.

Again, do a comparison of a IR car next to any "S" scale car or a AF car and you will see you are quite a bit off the mark on this statement of "being close to S scale."

And I know the above caboose from the Atlas flier is only an illustration or drawing, but I find it somewhat amusing how everyone is excited about it... yet the drawing bears a striking similarity to the standard Kusan origin K-Line caboose, other than the simplistic end steps which were part of the frame assembly on the K-Line caboose.

And even more amusing when you realize that RMT is also making the same exact caboose. Hmmmm, maybe it ain't so new or prototypical after all. And thank goodness too! Long live TOY trains!!

[Jumijo]

The RMT caboose is very nice and comes with working marker lights and a conductor figure.

I'm most intrigued by Atlas' upcoming IR track system, which seems to have a built in road bed. Look closely at the art depicting the switch. Very compact.

Jim