Based on the response to the NS release of the coal porters, AZL is excited to announce CSX and Conrail coal porters! The cars come four to a package. Three sets are available. Each set has cars with different roadnumbers. The cars come with AZL's roller bearing trucks with metal wheels and AZL couplers. AZL couplers are compatible with MTL's couplers. The wheels are blackened. An imitation coal load is included. For modern unit train operators, let the mix and matching commence! Since the breakup of Conrail, CR cars can easily be found mixed with both NS and CSX coal drags. The sets are: 9012 CSX set 1 382107, 382145, 383288, 384155 9012 CSX set 2 382227, 382503, 383100, 383262 9012 CSX set 3 382110, 382212, 384077, 384149 9013 CR set 1 507268, 507786, 507849, 507919 9013 CR set 2 507301, 507445, 507785, 507804 9013 CR set 3 507275, 507432, 507552, 507769 MSRP is $119.00. Ztrack Magazine subscribers are entitled to purchase direct. Ztrack Magazine price is $95.00 per set. Not a Ztrack subscriber? Please contact your authorized AZL dealer to order. Ztrack will have online ordering available later this week. You can order direct via email; ztrack@aol.com. Shipping is to commence after July 4th. I hope everyone has a happy 4th! Rob Kluz
Correct, these are the same wheel sets used in the NS run. The cars may ride up over the frogs of MTL turnouts. There will not be problems with Markin and Wright turntous. I have not tested with Fast Tracks, but I suspect they will operate fine through them. Rob
Does anyone have a closer shot of the wheels and trucks? Oh, and why the cushioned draft gear? Anyway, they do look promising.
Tom, Sorry, I know these cars a too clean for you. I don't have a close up of AZL's trucks. I can see what I can come up with. Here is an image of the original. It seems like a pretty good match: http://www.krunk.org/~joeshaw/pics/ns/coal-gon/ns10472-2.jpg Rob
haha! The coupler box is kind of big looking, but so do the MTL truck mounted coupler boxes. I guess a cushioned draft gear decal is in order!
Anyone else have this issue with the the AZL metal wheels riding over the frogs of MTL turnouts? I bought 4 sets of coal porters (all of which are riding up) and have 24 MTL switches on my layout with more to be added which means this truely sucks. I'm going to either have to buy MTL trucks as replacements for the AZL's or find a way to grind the AZL wheels (which will be near impossible to do consistantly on all my sets of coal porter wheels). Rob, this next statement is not a personal attack on you or AZL, just a customer expressing his opinion on AZL product. I think AZL offers us great products, but when a customer pays a lot of $ for 4 sets of these and they don't run through mass produced switches and then the customer may have to spend more $ on other trucks/wheels to get them to run correctly that makes me think twice about buying more AZL rolling stock before this issue gets fixed and AZL metal wheelsets run through mass produced track. I realize these are the first ones produced and this issue is being addressed, just my 2 cents. Again, I think these are a great addition for Z, but I run what I buy, and right now all my coal porters are sitting. Joe
Joe, the problem are the Switches not the Cars or Engines from AZL. I've the same problem with some of my Märklin Tenders and Cars when they go over the MTL Turnout. Also my MTL Moguls don't go trough. You must modify your Turnouts, there is a how-to here one Trainboard (I think)
Joe, If you go back to the first page of the thread, you will see that we acknowledged the issue and tried to let customers know. When AZL's first run on trucks were produced, they were built to the same standard AZL has been using since 2000. Once the MTL turnouts were released, we found that these would not accommodate AZL and some Marklin wheel gauges. AZL made the decision to release the NS, Conrail and CSX sets since we feel the cars are incredible. AZL is planning on making trucks that will be gauged to MTL turnouts. These will be released with the next series of coal porters. We will have replacement trucks available for customers such as yourself. One important thing to note, though the cars do ride up on the turnouts, they will not derail. I have tested extensively and the weight of the cars keep them on the track. You may also consider making modifications to the turnout. Filing the inside plastic guards to increase the gap between it and the guard will solve the issue. It will also allow the turnouts to be used with a variety of old locos and rolling stock that are of a different gauge. I say let them run and bounce! They are too nice to sit. Rob
