Called my LHS, they called IM and were promised a ship date of Friday, they should be in the shop my mid next week. Then another week for shipping to me (since I moved following the pre-order).
Waiting mine patiently.... but reading this on Atlas forum !!! One guy have one in hand: "My only complaint so far is the fact that the flanges on all the free rolling wheels (lead truck, trailing truck, tender) are to big and I can hear them bouncing on my code 55 track. It's not enough to prevent the locomotive from running or cause it to bounce, it's just a little noise that I can hear." Rails are Atlas code 55 flex (mine are ME Just hope it's not the start of a new saga as the Horrible Oversize sister! Well, we see...
Anyone know when Wigwag will get their delivery? Don't want to call and be the 43rd asking exactly that question, so thought taking the detaour via here. Thanks Andreas
The guy over on the 'other' forum seems to give a good review apart from the wheel flanges, I guess the IM test track doesn't have Atlas C55.
Just another situation where they built the loco to the NMRA Recomended Practice and Atlas track is not up to spec. I hope the new batch of flex track fixes the problem. I have C55 test track at the shop and brand new Atlas loco's will bump on it. Not exactly the best way to sell the stuff.
This might be considered sacrilege to some, but is it possible that the problem is no the wheels on locomotives but the Atlas c55 track itself? (Ducks behind chair.)
You have a very valid point. Heck, it might be the guy's ballast sticking up between the rails. I think some take great pleasure in beating down the newest releases. If it isn't the flanges, it's the pulling power, or the slow speed, or the paint job, or the handrails, or whatever they can find. I don't understand...
Well, in all fairness, I had an LL Heritage 2-8-8-2 and it would hardly pull 12 cars. Sold it. Had two Con-Cor GS-4's and they both had duck waddle so bad it was hard to excuse after paying close to $200 ea for them. Sold them too. While I'm by no means a nit picker, I do expect certain criteria when I drop a bunch of $$$. But your point is valid. Some folks can't wait to beat the poop out of a mfg for very minor reasons.
I have a friend who uses Atlas C55 and any new Atlas engine i bring over to run does make a scrapping sound when running on the C55 which he only uses on sidings. I think the AC12 is and will be ok but the problem seems to be the Atlas C55. They need to fix thier track. Dave
I wasn't trying to be the troll of the day earlier with my comments about Atlas c55. I love the look of Atlas c55, but it seems like any time someone has problems with a loco flanges it is with Atlas c55. Do people using Micro-Engineering track have the same problems? Maybe we should ask Atlas to do something about those simulated "spikes."
You have a point. I have some Micro Engineering On30 C80 track that has smaller spikes than Atlas C55 and they seem to hold the rail well enough. I'm interested in hearing, if anyone's tried it, how the AC12's negotiate that other piece of track everyone loves to bash, the dreaded Unitrack No.4 turnout.
Atlas c55 (particularly c55 flex) has had "issues" since day one. Even RP25 compliant flanges hit c55 spike heads. It's really unfair to ask the rest of the industry to modify their designs based on Atlas' incorrect implementation. Being mostly Ntrak, I run c80, but for my test loop I plan to add some c55 flex and turnouts just to see what hits what.
Unlikely, since Atlas got it's start as a company making easily bendable flex track. The nibs were made bigger until the track flexed like overcooked spaghetti.
Well, in any case, there's a problem if Atlas track has much bigger nibs that get in the way of the wheel flanges on RP25 compliant locomotives. We'll all have to deal with the problem in our own way if the companies will not figure something out.
What about their c55 turnouts? ( mine are the later batch ) Replacing the flex is no big deal to me but to have to replace 12 turnouts would be a bummer.
Well, your choices seem to be: 1) Go with c55 as it is installed. Modify locos to run over it or buy only locos that run on Atlas c55. 2) Try to grind down those nubs. This would be difficult. 3) Replace the track. Sell the turnouts to help finance the new ones. 4) Push for an Atlas recall and repair or replacement program on the track. I don't think this is likely at all, unless there is some tangible safety issue. There isn't an easy way. Since I am an NTrakker anyway I have gone c80 on my two NTrak modules. I am thinking of using c55 and even c40 on some other projects, but I am going to use some test pieces of track before I take the plunge.
