Did Atlas ever fix the code 55 track availability issues?


P

PPPPPP42

Member
I searched for threads on this first since I assumed it was a discussed topic but everything was almost a year old.

I am looking to switch from HO to N and am rather irritated to find that code 55 still seems to be only half available everywhere with many things sold out including the rather critical flex track.

I considered the high quality peco code 55 but the prices on all of their stuff are so high that its just as unavailable to me as if it were out of stock. They also aren't as widely available to start with as Atlas track.

Atlas could have built a second damn factory and all the tooling from scratch since the problems started judging by the dates on threads I see.

I did find a link to this interesting page but I am inclined to not believe it. http://www.atlasrr.com/containershipping-track.htm

Are they still just trying to work out the impossible backlog or is the supply chain still totally screwed up? I guess I don't really want to commit to N scale until either peco cuts prices by at least 25% or atlas gets their crap together. Its odd that with my HO code 83 is so easy to get whatever parts I want most anywhere.
 
Can't say for a particular code of track but I do know that Atlas has not fixed the availability issues with their track as a result of a breakdown with the (now ex) manufacturer of their track.

The last thing I heard/read (from Atlas) was they had another manufacturer in the pipe line (nothing definite) and would have availability back to normal this year. We heard that sort of thing from Atlas about their HO track last year as well. In fact we heard that turnouts would be available next month for what, 7 or 8 months before they were available in limited quantities? Short answer, yeah, their supply chain is still screwed up and, with a possible huge back log to contend with, probably will continue to be screwed up for a long time to come.

I take pretty much everything that Atlas claims with a grain of salt and believe little (if anything) of what they claim until it becomes a reality. Their history (with their HO stuff from last year) of repeatedly "leading people on" with false hopes justifies that opinion. From what I gleaned from their "claims", they were only stating that stuff in the hope of not loosing customers to another reliable company. In the end, they knew what they were saying was nothing but a lie due to their (final admission) that they didn't have a manufacturer for their track.

As for the cost of Atlas versus Peco Track - while I appreciate that cost is a factor when buying anything, I also wont compromise quality especially when it comes to track for he sake of the $. That being said, Peco Code 55 track does seem to be a little on the expensive side. But I will also say that you get what you pay for too. Even though the Peco Code 55 is a bit more expensive - it IS reliably available and, if anything like their Code 83 Track, is going to be much better than the Atlas stuff, especially when looking at the turnout side of track work.

Personally, I think it would be worth the money to get the better of the two makes of track and know that I could get it when I needed it and not have to wait, in the hope that another manufacturer gets their "shit together" at some point.
 
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My LHS has Atlas code 55 switches in stock, both #5's and #7's as well as curved switches, along with wyes and various crossings and pieces of sectional track.......all code 55. No flex track yet but I trust that it will be here soon. Check out MB Klien' s selection..........not quite everything but it's getting better all the time.
 
Have you considered Microengineering flex? They definitely make a high-quality product, it's only a few cents more per foot than Atlas, and there's plenty available. Though ME flex track is stiffer than Atlas - it will hold the curve you set it to. Some people really don't like that.
Good luck!
 
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