Model Railroading > Atlas Ho scale

I've heard it mentioned that Atlas is very slow at releasing new models but does anyone know if they have scrubbed the Ho scale U28CGs??

I've heard rumors that brand new projects were put on the back burner until Covid clears up. But these are only rumors. Call them Tuesday.   

Atlas has been having issues long before Covid, but I guess that is a good excuse to use to try to get caught up. 

I have a curious story related to this. Late last fall my local dealer called me and warned me that a big Athearn order and my order for Atlas U28CGs would be coming in soon and to be ready to pay for them. Well, the Athearn order showed up, although it was delayed at least a month. But the Atlas order suddenly changed to TBA for a delivery date. It's as though something unexpected happened after Atlas had talked to some of their dealers. My dealer is down with health issues right now and can't help, so I don't have a good answer. But I have to wonder if this is related to the thousands of containers that have been lost coming across the Pacific this year. ( https://gcaptain.com/msc-boxship-loses-containers-in-the-pacific/ )

Dano
Montana

And yet another big container loss makes the news. This time another 260 containers.
https://gcaptain.com/maersk-eindhoven-loses-containers-overboard-pacific/
I wonder how long the shippers and customers awaiting goods will tolerate these losses? I've heard of some companies paying the extra money for air shipment of their containers. Given the better likelihood of then actually arriving, that might become more popular.

Dano
Montana

Not sure what you mean by tolerate?  How do these ships get around these killer storms that show up unexpectedly and rock the containers off the ship?  You can not control nature. As for air shipping, the costs are much much more and kill any margin. Also air freight space is very tight right now. Bruce

steeplecab Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And yet another big container loss makes the news.
> This time another 260 containers.
> https://gcaptain.com/maersk-eindhoven-loses-contai
> ners-overboard-pacific/
> I wonder how long the shippers and customers
> awaiting goods will tolerate these losses? I've
> heard of some companies paying the extra money for
> air shipment of their containers. Given the better
> likelihood of then actually arriving, that might
> become more popular.
>
> Dano
> Montana

How about train derailments that destroy trailers and containers?

> Not sure what you mean by tolerate?  How do these ships get around these killer storms that show up
> unexpectedly and rock the containers off the ship?

Perhaps this will explain the shippers' concerns, Bruce. There has been push-back already. https://gcaptain.com/carriers-face-pressure-for-load-restrictions-after-latest-container-loss-in-pacific/

Containers don't get "rocked off" of a container ship. They are secured in a rack structure that is apparently not strong enough for the weather conditions being encountered and the greater dynamic forces being generated by the new larger ship designs. Ship owners need to upgrade their container support structures on these ships to withstand these forces. Perhaps, since the ship owners are choosing to declare general average, this will add incentive for the ship owners.

Dano
Montana