New AEM-7's would go perfect with Amfleet release

I have heard a report from the Amhearst Show that Atlas is announcing in their 2014 catalog new runs on the AEM-7/ALP-44. All engines being rolled out in both Gold and Silver series. New #'s in NJT,Amtrak-As Delivered, Amtrak-Acela, and a number of fantasy engines including GN, Lackawanna, PRR, MILW and Reading. Apparently the catalog says it directional marker and headlights. Three #' in the Amtrak and NJT versions; 2 in the other ones. Engines are due 4th quarter 2014!

Can anyone confirm this or give us more information? If anyone will be there tomorrow could you check this out for me and see if you could find a price or take a picture of the page in the catalog?

It sounds like Atlas agrees that the AEM-7's would go perfect with the Walthers Amfleets. If Atlas is going to rerun the AEM-7, I do believe that now is their best chance. With Walthers really pushing Amtrak/NEC stuff, people with probably pick up AEM-7's to pull their new trains. 2014 is turning out to be an exciting year for Amtrak modelers!!

acelaphillies wrote:I have heard a report from the Amhearst Show that Atlas is announcing in their 2014 catalog new runs on the AEM-7/ALP-44. All engines being rolled out in both Gold and Silver series. New #'s in NJT,Amtrak-As Delivered, Amtrak-Acela, and a number of fantasy engines including GN, Lackawanna, PRR, MILW and Reading. Apparently the catalog says it directional marker and headlights. Three #' in the Amtrak and NJT versions; 2 in the other ones. Engines are due 4th quarter 2014!

Can anyone confirm this or give us more information? If anyone will be there tomorrow could you check this out for me and see if you could find a price or take a picture of the page in the catalog?

It sounds like Atlas agrees that the AEM-7's would go perfect with the Walthers Amfleets. If Atlas is going to rerun the AEM-7, I do believe that now is their best chance. With Walthers really pushing Amtrak/NEC stuff, people with probably pick up AEM-7's to pull their new trains. 2014 is turning out to be an exciting year for Amtrak modelers!!

The PRR AEM-7 would go great with that PRR F59PHI Athearn did. I personally would like a Lackawanna one. All we would need now are matching "Fantasy Amfleets" for PRR, Lackawanna, RDG, and maybe NYC or New Haven.

It's true! I didn't hear it while I was there, but I checked the catalog after I saw your post and sure enough, it's there! MSRP is TBA.

ns3010 wrote:It's true! I didn't hear it while I was there, but I checked the catalog after I saw your post and sure enough, it's there! MSRP is TBA.

Awesome!! Thanks for checking! Were there any drawings? I'm hoping that they will include Amtrak logos on the phase V's. Is the catalog online at all?

It would be nice if they took a play from my book and did the full 10 dcc functions lighting for these new models.

Here we go! The catalog is now online:
http://download.atlasrr.com/Winter2014/5-24.pdf#page=5" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Roadnumbers are:
Phase III: 918, 923, 936
Phase V: 902, 926, 953
ALP-44: 4409, 4428, 443

Phase V looks like a more realistic blue, a correct gray underbody, and also has Amtrak logos on sides! I do wish that they would add ditchlights though. Every Phase V unit has ditch lights. I am not sure how complex or costly it is to modify the tooling, but it would be a large selling point IMO. Even if they are nonworking. I would be willing to pay extra.

Fantasy schemes are:
NEW PAINT SCHEMES
Great Northern
Lakawana
Milwaukee Road
Pennsylvania
Reading

Description:

FEATURES:
• Operating pantographs
• Die-cast chassis
• Dual flywheels
• AccuMate® couplers
• Operating head lights and marker lights which are directional
• Full cab interior with painted crew members
• Separately-applied wire grab irons
• Astounding roof detail
• Accurate painting and lettering where appropriate
• NMRA 8-pin plug for DCC
• Gold version will be sound equipped

I notice no Amtrak Phase 4 AEM-7, SEPTA & MARC in the Atlas catalog.

While I'm not too surprised there's no new SEPTA & MARC AEM-7, since there aren't any current passenger cars for those roads, I am surprised there is no Amtrak Phase IV AEM-7 to go along with the Walthers Amfleet release.

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen,

I've been lurking on and off for the past few months on this forum to no regular pattern, but this thread and the Walthers Amfleet thread motivated me to sign up and post here, so I may express how I feel about what goes on in this specific sub-forum of this website.

I recently got into the hobby a few months back during the late summer when I was attempting to find something to do to help pass the time. So I pulled out my father's old train table and set to work reviving it so trains may once again run on its aging timbers. I hadn't followed the hobby at all for at least 10 years, so imagine my surprise when I found out about the wondrous world of DCC and sound. Also, imagine the shock I felt when I had learned that as of a few months ago, no one was producing any Amtrak Phase IVB equipment at all. I didn't understand at the time (I do now, thanks to the many threads of the "politics" behind model railroading), why the many HO manufacturers did not produce any modern rolling stock of the only real continental passenger carrier in the US: Amtrak. Seeing how Amtrak is by far my favorite road name of any railroad in the history of railroading, I almost gave up hope in the hobby and quit right there due to the lack of availability of Amtrak models. I didn't want to model trains from a time period I had only ever seen on the history channel and old black and white films, I wanted to model something tangible, something I could see rolling down the tracks near my house, something I could walk up and touch and feel the metal under my skin, and something I could ride the rails on.

Then, Kato released the P42's with the incredible Loksound system along with their terrifically detailed Superliners 1. I decided to buy two P42's and all seven superliners and give the hobby a shot. Turns out it was either the best financial decision or worst financial decision I made last year. I got hooked. Now pretty much all of my spare time is looking up anything and everything Amtrak and model railroading related. I even resorted to Ebay to acquire more Amtrak rolling stock, and made a few purchases from there. But now, I don't have to scavenge any longer.

You. Guys. Rock. To all of you who wrote and petitioned to Walthers and Atlas to bring forth the amazing new Amfleets and revive the wondrously well done AEM-7, thank you a million times over. Thank you for being the voice of Amtrak modelers, you are doing wonders for a relatively minor group in the hobby. You have motivated me to stay and become part of that voice. Keep up the good work folks, and remember, the manufacturers are our friends. They spend their money and time developing products in a dying industry so we may continue to do what we love. So if they mess up a relatively minor detail here and there, be forgiving, they are only human too. Thank you Walthers, thank you Atlas, and thank you Amtrak Modelers.

Sincerely,
The-Bandwidth-Limited

The phase 4 scheme never made it to all the units, also its probably the least desired scheme i have found in my trails of buying and selling these units. The phase 3 paint ran up until the current scheme was thought of on some units, so they are almost essentially "timeless" with the current amfleet releases. P3 paint can be run with anything.

It looks like all atlas did was re-release the same model it made years ago. Hopefully they have at least upgraded to LED lighting.

I am curious how the gold version will be sound equiped, and who will make the decoder. If its QSI it will probably sound like a GG1 like the MTH ones do. The sound of these engines blowers are very distinct.

ApproachMedium wrote:The phase 4 scheme never made it to all the units, also its probably the least desired scheme i have found in my trails of buying and selling these units. The phase 3 paint ran up until the current scheme was thought of on some units, so they are almost essentially "timeless" with the current amfleet releases. P3 paint can be run with anything.

It looks like all atlas did was re-release the same model it made years ago. Hopefully they have at least upgraded to LED lighting.

If no remodel of the AEM-7 in Phase IV w/DCC & Sound, aside from the Kato Anniversary P42 in Phase IV, there isn't a model on the market in Phase IV with DCC & Sound...that is strange

Only Phase IV locomotives I know were made:

the old Walthers Trainline F40PH & Dash 8
the old Bachmann F40PH (DCC on Board w/strobe lights, no sound)
Athearn P42 (DCC plug, no sound)
Atlas Dash 8 (Master edition had a factory decoder, no working ditch lights & no sound)

If Walthers want to max out the sales of Amfleets in all phases, there must be some new locomotives coming down the pike with DCC & Sound..

Not everyone wants sound. DCC maybe, but not everyone cares or wants to spend the money on sound decoders. I dont understand why everything doesnt just come with a DCC decoder anymore if it doesnt have sound, the things sell for 15 dollars or less sometimes now and every one of the decoders works in DC mode.

ApproachMedium wrote:Not everyone wants sound. DCC maybe, but not everyone cares or wants to spend the money on sound decoders. I dont understand why everything doesnt just come with a DCC decoder anymore if it doesnt have sound, the things sell for 15 dollars or less sometimes now and every one of the decoders works in DC mode.

You bring up a point. At this stage of the game, RTR DCC & Sound locomotives prices should be coming down to affordable levels since the market is getting saturated with DCC & Sound offerings (heritage series locomotives anyone!!) but it seems to be doing the opposite.

I'm curious if Bachmann's new entry level GG1 w/DCC & Sound ($150) sells well, as it should, will it cause some manufacturers (MTH's GG1 $400ish) to rethink price points to bring more modellers who are being priced out back into the market.

Atlas could make a killing if the Gold Series AEM-7 came in around $150, but the rivet counters will drive it up to $250.

Realitivly Street price on a DCC sound meatball should not be anywhere over 200 bucks. Its the same unit that was sold before, just adding sound. The previous MSRP was $150 with no sound. Street price for the standard DC models was about 130-120 maybe? I paid $50 for mine brand new in box from a guy who couldnt get rid of it.

Like i said before I am not impressed here. I would have though atlas would have at least gone and cleaned up the tooling a little bit. They could have done the distinct differences between the AEM-7 and ALP44 for the cab fronts, horn placement etc.

MTH sound decoders are not quite DCC(NMRA Standard)compatable,they will fuction,but some of the "effects"
may not trigger unless MTH style DCC(aka DCS)system is used.
Atlas will most likey use a soundtraxx decoder,for their "gold" series models.