Manufacturer
Atlas Model Railroad Co.
378 Florence Ave.
Hillside, N.J. 07205
www.atlasrr.com
Era: 1980s to present day
Comments: Here’s an interesting HO scale model of a modern heavy-duty flatcar fitted with low bulkheads. It represents a common 62-foot, 90-ton capacity prototype built by Thrall Car Co. These cars are often employed to haul heavy loads of steel pipe, rebar, steel plate, and similar products.
This Atlas Trainman-series car has a styrene carbody with most of its major details cast in place. The low bulkheads have realistic bracing and well-detailed end ladders. A die-cast metal frame brings the model up to 4 ounces, but that’s still 11/2 ounces under the National Model Railroad Association’s recommended weight for an HO scale car of this length.
The car is sold assembled and ready-to-run with Accumate knuckle couplers mounted at the proper height. The rigid-frame trucks have metal RP-25 contour wheels mounted on plastic stub axles pressed into tubular axles. The car will negotiate a minimum 18″ radius curve.
Our sample was smoothly finished, and the car is offered in four paint schemes with three car numbers in each color scheme.
