Review

In mid-2006, Atlas announced their Trainman Series of N-scale rolling stock, choosing four popular cars for th series' debut: the ACF 5-foot boxcar, 50 foot double-door boxcar, ACF 3560 Centerflow covered hopper, and GATX 40-foot Airslide covered hopper. Since then more cars have been added including the 40-foot PS-1 boxcar, faltcar with stakes, 70 ton ore car, and 42-foot gondola. All cars are offered in multiple roadnames with two roadnumbers each, as well as an undecorated version.

Specific features vary depending upon the car; however, all include accurate painting and printing, weighted and detailed underframes, true scale dimensions with accurate details, and all are equipped with AccuMate operating couplers. In this review we'll take a look at the first four cars in the series, their prototype relatives, and overall N-scale performance.

ACF Industries is a leading builder of various types of rolling stock, including tank cars, boxcars, refrigerator cars, stock cars, flat cars, hoppers and passenger cars. The ACF 50-foot 6-inch boxcar entered production in 1974, designed specifically for Railbox, a subsidiary of TTX, the Trailer Train Company. The bright yellow paint scheme and "next load, any road" slogan would soon become a common sight all over the United States. The production run continued until 1980, during which time nearly 5,400 cars were produced for various railroads, short lines, and leasing companies. So many orders were received and filled that the boxcar market actually became saturated; it just couldn't absorb any more. So in 1981, ACF ceased manufacturing boxcars. As a side note, the 50-foot 6-inch dimension refers to the interior length of the car, not the exterior. This is common practice in the industry since railroads and shippers are interested in capacity, not modeling dimensions.

The ACF 3560 Covered Hopper was produced from 1967 to 1972, with more than 2,200 cars built. Designated as a center-flow covered hopper, it was designed to carry high-density dry goods such as fertilizer, salt, and clay. Three separate storage compartments were provided, sized at 1,271, 1,1018, and 1,271 cubic feet, giving the car a total carrying capacity of 3,560 cubic feet (hence the 3560 in the name) and a weight of up to 100 tons. Since the three compartments were physically separated, three different commodities could be carried in a single car. The center-flow covered hopper was an innovation over the conventional covered hoppers of the day. Its rounded shape, when viewed from the endo fht car, could be loaded more efficiently, using up to 97 percent of the volume versus 93 percent for the conventional design and, when unloaded, left little or no product behind in the car.

Quickly proven to be of superior design, ACF would offer a family of center-flow hopper cars, ranging in capacity from 2,700 to 6,224 cubic feet with 50, 70, 100, and 125 ton trucks. Interiors varied from two to four separate compartments with six different hatch configurations. Since its introduction in 1962, more than 11.5,000 center-flow hopper cars of various sizes have been delivered.

The 50pfoot double-door boxcar represents a rather generic boxcar, seen on many railroads even today. The double-door feature provides and extra-wide load path for large items. Prior to the advent of enclosed auto rack cars, double-door boxcars were used to carry automobiles. Although Atlas does not state a prototype for this model, it appears very similar to cars produced by ACF during the 1940s and 1950s at their St. louis, Missouri plant.

Introduced by General American Transportation Corporations (GATX) in 1953, the 40 foot Airslide hopper was designed for the bulk shipment of dry, granular, or powdered commodities such as flour, sugar, etc. With a capacity of 2,600 cubic feet, the car design uses air pressure to facilitate loading and unloading, hence the name Airslide. This method helped to minimize spillage and ensure even loading of material throughout the car. The use of air pressure would prove to be very successful, paving way for follow-on GATZ designs including Power-Flo, and Power-Flo II cars. The 40 foot Airslide was produced until 1969, with approximately 5, 000 cars being built.

Comparing prototype data to the Atlas models showed all major dimensions to be in agreement, including overall length, width, height, and truck spacing. A visual inspection of the typical spotting features also showed agreement between the models and scale drawings I consulted. No major discrepancies were noted. It is possible that rivet-counters may find some differences between the Atlas models and their prototypes, however, one must keep in mind that the Trainman Series was priced to be within reach of all modelers. There are more highly detailed cars available today, but they bring with them higher prices.

The wheel sets on all cars were correctly gauged, when measured with the NMRA Mark IV standards gauge. These cars use one-piece wheels and axles, molded in brown plastic. The flanges are low profile, enabling them to negotiate the major brands of both Code 80 and Code 55 track with ease.

The AccuMate coupler and trip pin height matched the Micro-Trains coupler height gauge perfectly, making mixed operations between Atlas N and Micro-Trains couplers possible.

NMRA Recommended Practice RP20.1 Car Weight specifies that N-scale cars should weigh ½ oz + .15 oz per inch of body length. Most of the Trainman Series cars achieved this target weight.

Atlas does not include an exploded parts view or parts listing with the Trainman Series; it would appear the simplicity of the design does not necessitate it. According to Altas customer support, rolling stock come with a 90-day warranty against manufacturing defects.

Many will agree that locomotives are often the stars of the railroad, whether they are steam, diesel, or electric. When we think of trains, we think of locomotives. While there's no doubt that locomotives are important, what generates revenue on a railroad is the shipping of goods from town A to town B, and doing so requires freight cars of every size and type. Take a look at your home layout. You may only have two or three locomotives, but chances are you have dozens of freight cars. Amassing such a roster can quickly eat up your hobby budget, but it doesn't have to. Thanks to the introduction of the Atlas Trainman Series, N-scale modelers have a growing selection of rolling stock that is affordably priced, looks good, and runs well. Whether you're building a large car fleet or just adding a Few more cars, I encourage you to consider the Atlas Trainman Series.