DigitalGriffinHopefully they won't do a Walthers-LL and jack the price and kill most of the available kits.
Don't give them ideas. I have yet to assemble a branchline kit, looking at getting a berwick sometime
Vincent
Wants: 1. high-quality, sound equipped, SD40-2s, C636s, C30-7s, and F-units in BN. As for ones that don't cost an arm and a leg, that's out of the question....
2. An end to the limited-production and other crap that makes models harder to get and more expensive.
I vote for kits also. I've only purchased branchline kits. I have 10, and assembled 5. (5 passenger pullmans and 5 boxcars)
Hopefully they won't do a Walthers-LL and jack the price and kill most of the available kits.
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
kansaspacific1I just sent a short e mail to Atlas encouraging them to continue the production of Blueprint and Yardmaster Kits as well as Branchline's line of HO parts. Chuck
Chuck
When I was talking to Branchline, he mentioned that, because of the fine details, the Blueprint line would more likely be produces as kits.
On what Branchline will be doing, one new item they had on display was a laser cut wood kit of a brick building with the bricks burned into the wood with the laser. I did not have time for a close look at Branchline's version, but I did examine another vendor who was doing a similar thing. It looks interesting, but I guess I would have to build one to see how it compares to styrene or resin. The other vendor said he used felt tip markers to paint the brick.
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
Branchline makes some really detailed kits but the small parts are very fragile
Ruined some and just quit on RDG boxcar and decided to forget even trying the PRR boxcar
51% share holder in the ME&O ( Wife owns the other 49% )
ME&O
I hope they continue with undec kits as I use these for special models like Reading 200 series 40 foot RBl plug door box cars. These 40 foot plug doors with road names from just about all class ones were all over in the 50's 60's and 70's. Branchline did the 50 footers. Nonone does the 40 footers with separate grabs and ladders. This would be a great addition to the product line. I also would like to see the old roads re issued with new numbers as well.
The ATLAS forum has a good discussion on this subject with a number of pictures of special kit bashes starting with a Branchline kits. Here is 40 foot plugdoor made from Branchline XM Despatch roof and ends from 50 foot kit.
Chris
Atlas makes structures in kit and built up form? Why not freight and passengr cars? Atlas is an old company but is relatively "new" to the loco and rolling stock business. This may all work out very well. Like Athearn they have strong resources and are well established.
When Athearn and MDC were aquired by Horizon there was lots of doom and gloom talk of all sorts - most of it was wrong.
Only time will tell.
Sheldon
One question that I have for the Atlas guys is that Branchline was working on producing newmodels ie they announced in 2004 they were going to release welded-side 40' boxcars with 6', 7', and 8' doors. These never materialized. When I emailed Branchline last year about them, they mentioned they were still in the works and not have been canceled. I for one would like to see this product released. If someone could ask Atlas if this is a future project or if they purchased this project from Branchline when Atlas goes to the show at Atlanta, I would appreciate it.
Nate
Thanks for the update. I may be seeing them if they are at the WGH in Atlanta in a couple of weeks. Many mfgs are supposed to be there. Of course I will push kits and will even have my son there as boys his age seem to prefer kits--at least all of the ones he knows.
Richard
If the DO re-release old road names, I hope they do it with new numbers, then I'd actually be interested in buying more.
I really don't see it being kits, Atlas doesn;t have the support staff to handle kit 'problems' and the basic hobbyist these days doesn't seem to have the skill or time to build kits like the Blueprint series cars. Much as we might wish it, there's little economic sense for Atlas to start selling kits. Production of the kit parts is the same, whether it will be sold as a kit or then assembled. Assembly costs, well, they'll probably have it done in China, so it will add very little to the fixed cost of the product, yet as a RTR they ca sell it for 2-3x what they could sell the same car as a kit. Sad reality. Look for these to be sold as a Gold line freight car and the Yardmaster series to go away. If people can;t be bothered to build a Blue Box kit then forget a slightly more complicated Yardmaster and absolutely forget the Blueprints. The instant gratification mentality of today has been nothing but a win/win for model manufacturers - RTR only costs slightly more than kit to make, but commands a high price premium. And no dealing with missing or broken parts.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
As I stated in the other thread, if Atlas does re-release any Branchline product, it will more than likely be RTR.
The passenger cars would be a good fit for Atlas. As far as I can recollect, Atlas doesn't produce any passenger cars; only rolling stock.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
I just sent a short e mail to Atlas encouraging them to continue the production of Blueprint and Yardmaster Kits as well as Branchline's line of HO parts.
Hopefully they will come on the forum as G Paine encouraged them to do. Failing that, a torrent of e mail requests from those desiring the continuation of Branchline Kits and/or parts might let them know there are a lot of us out here hoping for that outcome.
If the acquisition is recent, it will take time for management to go through the books and determine where the company was making and losing money. Only then can they decide on what stays and goes.
Springfield PA
Last week there was a discussion about the Branchline Trains rolling stock being sold to Atlas. It was locked for reasons unrelated to the topic, and I have some updated informationhttp://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/t/186434.aspx?PageIndex=1
When I was at the Springfield show last weekend I spoke with both Atlas and Branchline about what was going on. Both confirmed that Atlas was taking over all of Branchline's rolling stock production and marketing.
At the Atlas booth, I spoke with someone on the O scale side of the display because the other side was too crowded. He confirmed the purchase and said that his management had not decided on the issue of kits vs ready to run, but would be making a decision in the near future. I advocated for the continued production of kits and he said a number of others had expressed the same concern.
A short time later at Branchline, I had a lengthly discussion with the president of Branchline. He confirmed that Atlas was purchasing all the molds, tooling, inventory, artwork, propriatary information, etc. related to the Branchline rolling stock line. Branchline will continue to produce and expand their line of laser cut structures. He commented that this was not done in any way to slight or give hard feelings to Branchline's customers, but the economics of the situation required a change for the continued health of his company. He said that, as a small injection molding manufacturer, they were having increasing difficulty staying competative with the larger manufacturers like Atlas; particularly with the parts of their production based in CT vs the other large manufacturers who produce in China. Tooling for injection molding is very expensive and requires large and long production runs just to pay off the inital cost. Branchline was having difficulties supporting this as well as bringing new products into the market. He feels that Branchline rolling stock is a good fit to Atlas' product line. Atlas presently does not have any passenger cars, and the line of steam and transition era box cars compliments Atlas' current line of rolling stock. He hopes that Atlas will be able to re-release a number of the road names from Branchline's earlier production runs that they had not been able to bring out again.
I came away from both discussions with a positive feeling. I encouraged both Atlas and Branchline to come on to the forum, and discuss first hand what is going on (like Rapido did a few months ago). The guy from Atlas said he would mention the request to his management, and Branchline said he may be able to do it in a couple of weeks. First, he has to pack up all his inventory and other materials to ship over to Atlas.