AZL will be releasing their 2nd injection freight car late in 2006. As a follow-up to the Bethgon Coal Porters, AZL will be releasing Trinity (Thrall) Tri Level Auto Racks!. These cars will ride on AZL' s roller bearing trucks with metal wheels and AZL couplers. AZL has not announced roadnames or pricing at this time. Rob Kluz
Awesome! Awesome! Glad you all could get that worked out. Are we looking at $40 per car? My wallet hurts. Thank you Rob. Bryan
What a great Information! I'm so happy about the great Items coming in the near future. Do you have more information about the AC-12 Cab Forward? Regards Jürg
I had always thought that the AZL couplers were one piece but noticed this weekend that they are actually two piece. They just operate differently than the MTL couplers do. I had always thought they had to be joined vertically and that makes it impossible to use a re-railer ramp to get them on the track and then join them (I personally don't usually use a ramp). However, I discovered that if you push them together with more force than would be required for MTL's they will spread a little bit and pop together. I'm not sure if this is how they were designed to work or if I was forcing them in a way they aren't supposed to be. Rob, can you clarify please? Randy
Randy, I always use the ram method, which is take one car and ram it agaist the other car. Its little easier coupling a MTL with a AZL, but I was never completely comfortable with it. The good thing about AZL couplers is when they are couple, they stay couple.
I have also found that you can 'force' the cars together. Over time, the couplers loosen a little so it becomes easier. Since the AZL couplers stay together so well, I plan on upgrading a couple of my AZL locos with these couplers for better connectivity. It is almost like using a drawbar! Rob
So Rob ... when are we going to be able to get the first Injection moulded car ... the bethgon coal-porters? thanks G