Hi Group!, For Years Atlas N Scale Cars were Always Known as the "Trainmen Cars", Regardless of What the Car Was I Liked this as I Could When Finances Allowed It to Change Out the Trucks to "Micro Trains Trucks/Couplers" Now I See More Cars Coming Out Known as the so Called "Master Line Cars." Don't Have Any Yet, Not Sure I Want Cars All Duplicate of What I Have Already Have and Yes I Go Back Years in Terms of Freight Cars the Various Manufactures. Ok My Questions are That I've heard the New Cars are NOW Body Mount Couplers - Accumate Couplers and Separate Trucks Altogether. Which if So, Chances of using Micro Train Trucks Couplers are Now Out of the Question. My Choice is Micro Trains 1st Choice, the Accumates a 2nd Choice and Unimate Couplers 3rs Choice if I Need to. Can Anyone Confirm My Ideas That Trainmen are Being Phase Out in Favour of Master Line? I Notice a LOT of Manufacturers are Now Using Accumates as Truck/Couplers and Body Mounts as so Called Knuckle Couplers Over Good Quality Micro Trains. Comments Anyone. Tnx., Operator.
Many of the models with body-mounted couplers come equipped with either MTL couplers or the MTL clones. The coupler pockets of most if not all of the models that come equipped with Accu-Mate couplers will accept standard MTL #1015 couplers. Athearn and Bachmann coupler pockets require some modification to allow clearance of the centering nubs on MTL couplers. But all other brands will accept MTL couplers without modification.
I dont think they will phase out the 'Trainman line'. To many modelers who DONT have deep pockets to be able to afford the 'Master Line'. JMO
Trainman is a separate product line offering from Atlas. But you are leaving out other manufacturers who make really nice cars like Fox Valley, BLMA, Bluiford Shops, Trainworx and Deluxe Innovations. This list should also include Intermountain. And granted, they all leave a little sticker-shock compared to Trainman. but when you add the costs for swapping out the trucks and couplers, you are close to these prices already. Just being a bit judicious with your purchases could net you these nice cars and no need to swap the trucks or couplers.
Actually the Trainman line of cars was their older tooled cars. Most of the tooling is from the 80s. So Atlas deemed the less detailed cars Trainman, and the highly detailed cars are classified as Masterline. Trainman is NOT being phased out, they are keeping the line as many modelers don't have the budgets for fleets of higher quality Masterline. As for body mounts, that is not a "type" of coupler, but how it is mounted to the car. Accumates are compatible with Micro-Trains so no need to swap it over. As for body mounts, many companies are doing this, even Micro-Trains has body mounted couplers on all of their new tooled cars.
Other Brands!. David - NOT Knocking the Other Brands. Yes I Do Have Some of Them as Well. as I Liked Them so Got Them. My Original Reasons for Posting is That My Brother Doesn't Have the Internet. Won't Get a Computer so When Things Pop Up I End Up Either Asking Questions or Doing the Research on My Own. Just Wasn't Sure What Atlas was Doing Off Hand Really. Yes Atlas is One of My Favourite Brands, But I do Have a LOT of MT, IM, Fox Valley Models. Like the Short Lines Plus Blue-ford Shops and Athearn etc. We Can Disagree on This But I Still Feel a Lot the Trucks/Couplers are Exact Copies of the Accumate Couplers. I Don't Have the Skills to Change Them Out so for Now I Change to MT Where Its Possible as I LIKE Their Quality etc More Then Anything Else. Enjoy, Operator.
