About a year ago Atlas established a program called the "Golden Spike Club" where for a certain annual membership fee members would receive perks including an annual "Collectors Car" available only to members of the club at the Deluxe level. Having said that, the 2011 "Collectors Car" has been announced and it is the USRA 8 Panel Steel Rebuilt Boxcar in the tan scheme with the "FFF" logo. Members will receive the car in BOTH HO and N scale versions. This looks like te same car Atlas produced in O scale several years ago. For more information, please follow this link. http://download.atlasrr.com/Oct10Catalog/57-62.pdf Bottom line, if anyone wants these cars (both of them) they will need to join the club at the Deluxe level which is $65.00. I think we all realize that these will become instantaneous collectors items.
Neat! I joined the Atlas Golden Spike Club last fall after Bob made me aware of it (see his posting above). Today, I received my 2011 membership card - not a big deal, but what is nice is that it has the Atlas drawing on it of this year's HO/N collector's car that comes with the membership - the Frisco's USRA double sheathed steel-side rebuild in the red/brown/tan "FFF" decor. Car should be out mid-year - I can't wait! Thanks to Bob for making us aware of this. There are other nice membership perks as well. Ken
A pity that Atlas-O forgot the Frisco fans. The Collector Car would have been a nice choice for me to consider joining. Their SL-SF yellow pulpwood car would have been nice too had they left off the modernized data and lub information blocks on the right side of the flat. Modelers wanting to back date the cars have to disfigure the model. I will continue to try and track down the US Hobbies brass models instead! Their model search is complicated too in that you have to sort through all of the product releases instead of searching for a specific model as with the HO site. Joseph Toth The Trinity River Bottoms Boomer
Joseph and All: This car and several others were produced by Atlas several years ago in their regular line. Specifically this car was announced April 27th, 2004 and was released right before Christmas of that year. How do I know this for sure? Easy, it was my Christmas present that year to Friscotony! Good luck trying to talk him out of his! See below: http://www.atlaso.com/osteelrebuilt2.htm
The Trinity River Bottoms Boomer Eats Crow! I guess that is better than being tarred and feathered? Thank you for the Atlas-O site info! Nice car, as is the Sloan yellow Katy version. Somehow I missed the 2004 product listing. It would be much nicer if it were organized like the HO product serarch. You can search for a specific model and not have to scan all the release dates. My eyes start to smart trying to seperate the different products. It is easy to miss a posted item. I contacted Atlas-O about this problem. Hope it will get results. Joe Toth
Since it is way past mid-year, I called Atlas a week or so ago, after we returned from Ireland, to see where the 2011 Atlas club collector car (HO & N) stands. The car was due mid-year. Yesterday I received a letter from Patricia Kimble at Atlas. She notes there have been "production delays" across the board at Atlas from their supplier(s), the Chinese I presume. She advises the 2011 club car, which is the Frisco tan & brown USRA steel rebuild "FFF" box car, will be delivered in early 2012. OK, better late than never. Perhaps this also is the reason behind the delays in the Atlas Frisco U30b's? FYI, the Atlas club car (HO & N) for 2012 is to be a 1932 ARA box car done in the Bangor & Aroostook "State of Maine" red, white and blue livery. Looks neat. Ken
Upon my return from Florida, I found my 2012 Atlas "Golden Spike Club" club car waiting for me - a 1932 ARA box car done up in BAR (Bangoor & Aroostook) red, white and blue "State of Maine" colors. It is very well done, though the trucks were all bolluxed up when I took the car out of the box. An easy fix. I sure hope Atlas, via their Chinese vendors, does an equivalent good job on the 2011 (!) club car - the Frisco USRA double sheathed box car done in the red/brown/tan "FFF" decor, which is now not due until 4Q 2012! And, Atlas, where the heck is the Frisco U30b? Ken
Ken, while you were away there was a discusion about this. Here is the thread: http://www.frisco.org/vb/showthread.php?5475-New-HO-Bay-Window-Caboose&p=44830#post44830 And here is the just of what is going on, terrible news. http://www.trainmaster.ch/Y-807.htm Ethan Enjoy your new car Ken
FYI, here is a pic of the new Atlas Golden Spike Club car for 2012 - BAR 5523 in the "State of Maine Products" colors, very well done. I normally don't like bright, gaudy cars like this - because you saw very few of them in a train. But, Lionel did one of these in the early 1950's and I wanted one for my layout, but never got it - we bought a set of lightweight passenger cars instead. So, now I have one! Hopefully, Atlas (really the Chinese) will do as nice a job as this on the 2011 Frisco car. Ken
I just heard from Atlas this afternoon - they confirmed that the 2011 Atlas GSC HO Club Car (yes, 2011 !!!), a Frisco USRA steel rebuilt box car in the nifty tan, brown & orange "FFF" scheme, will indeed be shipped in the 4th quarter of 2012. That means "soon" folks! It's only a year and a half late. Pic of the Atlas flyer attached. Ken
Well, more delay! I just received notice today that delivery of the 2011 Atlas Club Car, a nice Frisco USRA steel rebuild box car in the tan/brown/orange livery, will now not be shipped until the 1st Quarter, 2013. Yes, I said the 2011 car, which was ordered and paid for in December, 2010. Ken
It seemed to be. I took a look at it when it came in and put it on the rack with my other Frisco rolling stock.
Well, well, well! When we returned from Florida last Friday night, I looked in the mailbox and guess what was there - the long-awaited HO Atlas 2011 Club Car - the Frisco USRA steel rebuild box car in the tan/boxcar red/orange Frisco Fast Freight scheme. Finally! This car was ordered by me almost two years ago. Well, ya gotta be patient I guess. It's a nice car, done in the usual Atlas quality. Nice Andrews trucks, crisp lettering (see following comment), nice detail. I only have two problems, not major, but annoying - the tan is several shades lighter an what I expected, and the Frisco Lines logo is a smidge off-center, plus the orange does not show up well enough against the BCR background. These are, however, minor issues. It is a nice car. I'll post pics once I add a few details - brake line hoses, Kadee couplers, etc. Ken
Attached is a pic of my "just arrived" Atlas 2011 Club Car for 2011, it took two years to get it. As I noted in my post above, I'm a bit disappointed in it, though I remain a big fan of Atlas products. I think the tan is a shade too creamy, and the contrast between the orange and BCR on the logo is not very strong, making the logo hard to read. What the heck - I added Kadee couplers (#148) and Cal-Scale brake hoses and put it in service. Does anybody know if HO decals are offered for this car? I'd like to redo the logo. I know Sunshine offered this car with decals, but I don't know if they are available as separate items, plus, with the sad loss of Marty Lofton, I don't know the future of Sunshine. Ken
Looked thru my left over decals and new packages too! Sorry I cannot find anything to help you out. It does not look very good at all.
