Hello. I need some Atlas C55 turnouts to finish my layout, but i see it only at outstock in railroad modell stores! Also i cannot ask Atlas, because Atlas Forum still dont work and probably blocked. Therefore i have a question: What's happens with Atlas, and when Atlas plan to issue c55 turnouts again? ----------- Thanks, Vadim
When one of our Free-moN dudes emailed Atlas, the rep said sometime in mid-February. (Which is after Chinese New Year, for those who don't know). Which means you still have a month to practice those hand-laying skills so you won't be dependant on the smack (I mean "Track") dealers
Thanks, but they dont discuss about Atlas C55 N-Scale turnouts. They discussed about C80 and C55 unitrack. ----------- Vadim
There is no C55 unitrack (True Track actually), that's code 65. I assume that when the code 55 ships, it will include the entire product line.
Here's the reply from Atlas & the original message from Nils: Hello, We switched factories which has caused an HO & N scale track shortage. We expect to have stock replenished by The beginning of February. Steve Steve Millenbach Customer Service Manager Atlas Model Railroad 1-908-687-0880 ext 7147 -----Original Message----- From: Nils Sent: Sunday, December 16, 2012 4:12 AM To: Steve Millenbach Subject: Atlas Model Customer Service Hello, We NEED code 55 turnouts!!! when will you be shipping more. PLEASE! Make more. And make a lot. I would like to go to the hobby shop and see them on the shelf. Then I would buy them and you would get money. NO hobby shops in the Bay Area have any. Please let me know what is going on. Thanks. Nils.
After Chinese New Year is when production *begins* -- in China its' like an extended holiday there, and work schedules get thrown out the window because nearly everyone's on vacation. If the items will be in stores in February, that means they're already on the boat right now or going through customs. It takes about 24 days to cross the Pacific, plus another week or two to get processed by customs, and then another few days for the containers to arrive in New Jersey (where Atlas is located). Chinese New Year this year begins Feb 10. In the PRC, the public holiday lasts from Feb 9-12. It sounds like they'll be in US stores around April.
Vadim, that is a most AMAZING station, and up to your usual very high standard or work. Do you have any more photos of it? I would love to see a track plan and some day time shots of it, as a big passenger station is one of the things I need to build soon. Thank you, --Michael
I'm laying my yard out now with C55 Atlas turnouts. The great photo above demonstrates something I have been noticing, too - the straight side of the turnouts really has a slight inward bow to it. Not sure why, and I can force it out a bit with track spikes but I hope the new batch is perfectly straight on the straight side. It is an impressive passenger terminal. I likey, I likey....
The code 80 turnouts are like that too. I think it's baked into the Atlas design, so the new ones probably won't be any different.
Yes, Atlas Turnouts not so linear... and have a lot of other errors. Moreover, i use Epoxy to ballast all Atlas track in aim to extra glue rails, because spikes are weak. All my photos localized at my gallery there: http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/vadimav/albums/ ---------- Thanks, Vadim.
I'll echo MC's advice. Learn to lay your own. That way, you won't be a slave to Chinese holidays, Chinese economic climate, or Chinese business buy-outs. Additionally, you can easily lay "perfect" turnouts, learn a new skill, and save money (a LOT of money) if you take the time to learn to lay 'em without expensive jigs and fixtures. All handlaid... All handlaid... While you are sitting around on your hands until February, March or April...I'm spending a few hours making my own turnouts, installing them and running trains. On the bench...no expensive jigs or fixtures...#4 wye, #6 wye and #8 LH... Cheers! Bob Gilmore
Bob care to make a video of how you go about it? I have often wondered if I have the talent to make my own. The FastTrack jigs are bit expensive for me right now.
There's a series of videos on youtube about hand laying turnouts: [video=youtube;gp8DhzN6dao]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp8DhzN6dao[/video]
Yes, Hand laying tracks looks more realistic! But: Hand creating of turnouts is too fiddly and time-expensive. I have only small time at evenings, after main work, before sleep. Therefore, i prefere to use ready to use products. Atlas have sufficiently good look and it takes small time to remove errors ( about 2 hous per 1 Atlas Turnout) ready for laying. You can see this at my photogallery: http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/vadimav/album/120478/?p=0 Another disadvantage of Hand Layed turnouts: To switch it we must use much more powerfull switch mashines than Atlas Undertable Switch Machine, because of wing rails havent any joint. -------- Vadim.
Well Vadim...you're wrong. Takes me about an hour and a half to build one Code 55 turnout if I build 'em one at a time and don't make 'em monolithically like in my photo...but I find myself doing that more and more 'cause I like the way they run and look when built that way. If you're spending two hours per Atlas turnout to get 'em right, what's not "fiddly" and "time-expensive" about that? You're taking longer to fix commercial turnouts than it takes me to make one...and when I make one...I don't have to "fix" it. It's both "time-expensive" and just plain old expensive to buy a turnout you've got to spend two hours fixing. I use Tortoises on my turnouts, but not because they take any more force to move the closure points than RTR turnouts. Mine are all hinged, and have been from the start when I began making them back in the early '80's. Just because a lot of people don't hinge their N-scale hand-laid turnout closure points doesn't mean everybody does that. It's not a "rule"...you can actually build your turnouts however you like, as long as they work for you, and I am sure that the Atlas switch machines would work just fine on any of my turnouts whose closure points move very freely...just as free as Atlas or ME commercial turnouts. My closure points... As to a video. I'm thinkin' about it. I do clinics locally about how to hand lay turnouts and teach model railroaders who really want to learn my methods, which are simple and common sense. Lotsa people think making turnouts is "black magic" but that's not true at all. The mechanism (how they work) is very simple and only requires some basic soldering, filing, grinding and measuring skills. Once you get the hang of it, they build very quickly and completely free you up to build your trackwork like you really want to rather than be enslaved to only a few types of turnouts, and the whim of international business. Cheers! Bob Gilmore
Thanks, Bob. Unfortunately, i cannot use tortoizes, they have extra height, and can prevent movements of undertable trains at hidden stations. Another thing: Even i solder small very flexible wire between rails at joint area, Atlas Switch machine have a risk to havent enough force. I think that robust Atlas switch mashine cannot move jointless turnouts. Bob, please tell me , You are using ready for use pre-assembled kit? Please tell me catalogue number. Why you have so fast time of assembling? ----------- Thanks, Vadim.
I have ordered atlas switches and my supplier said it would be about mid feb. also there seems to be a shortage on ME code 55 flex track that i ordered from a hiwwaan store if you will... its been about 8 weeks and i cant even get a email response from them, but i did get half my order. the layout is at a stand still
What about other things besides track? I see that the Atlas 22071 100-ton trucks are out of stock everywhere, and even all the ones on ebay have been gobbled up.
