Atlas 53' Single Well Car - N Scale - DaBob's ManCave 🚂🚋🚃

[@DaBobsNScaleMancave]

I have been waiting for any manufacturer to make a single 53' Well Car for years, Atlas finally made one and it is pretty good. These are selling out fast from what I hear.

[@davidallen6333]

Thanks for the review Bob yes I have Kato and Walthers , wellcars , the Atlas looks like a great car , I will look and see if I can get any !

[@northamericarailfan307]

I have a Atlas n scale 53ft well car TTX

[@espeemike3698]

Hi Bob, FYI, this car also has 5th wheel trailer hitch’s on each end of the car for hauling trailers too! Mike

[@DaBobsNScaleMancave]

That is what I thought they were for, it just seemed weird to me. Maybe I will put a trailer on one and see how it goes.

[@metroredline]

Confirmed fit: Deluxe 53' Kato 53' Atlas 53' (needs a little finagling, but it fits) Scale Trains 53' I was not able to make my MTL 53' to fit. But since these are die-cast metal, perhaps heating the end brackets with a hair dryer would expand it to make it fit. I measured a MTL lengthwise with a Kato and the MTL was somewhat longer. Have not tested a JTC 53' container yet as I don't own any of their 53's at the moment (but do own a lot of their 40'ers). I have not tested a Con-Cor 53'. Not a fan of their containers in the first place, but I heard even they won't fit in the Kato or Deluxe well cars because they are too wide.

[@jamesparson]

This is useful info

[@cursed_train_vids342]

I have some JTC 53’ Containers, when I get my atlas 53’ well car I will test it with the JTCs

[@metroredline]

@@cursed_train_vids342 Since I posted that, I have gotten some JTC 53' containers and gotten hold of a Con-Cor 53' for testing purposes. I can confirm that both the JTC and Con-Cor 53' will fit in the Atlas 53' well car.

[@ericcallender1575]

Thanks for sharing. I will see if I can get a few today. TMRCI

[@fredzeppelin3969]

I think that "stand" is actually a weight for running empty strings of these. Put it in the well the other way down.

[@JoeG-firehousewhiskey]

Not to bad, thanks for the review

[@dirtthunder1638]

I have body mounted all my Kato well cars. They do so much better body mounted. I bought the 40' Atlas and they look great. I wonder if BLMA had these in the works before Atlas bought them. Great video!

[@metroredline]

How do you body mount your Kato wells? What coupler do you use and how do you mount it?

[@dirtthunder1638]

@@metroredline The MicroTrains 1027 and a MicroTrains mounting tap and drill bits kit is what I use. You have to start by removing end platforms of the A and B cars. They just press fit to the end of the wells and should wiggle off. Then remove the truck from them. It takes a little fiddling but turn the truck 90 degrees should set it free. Then remove the wheel sets and cutting off the coupler as close to bolster as you can. Sprew nippers work well to do this. This will give you clearance for coupler box. The 1027 has a pin on top of lid along with a hole for the mounting screw. I then use the lid as a guide and aline it to edge of the lid to the end of the car under the silver walkway with the pin facing down. Then drill through the screw hole, through the end of the car and through the silver walkway with small bit in the kit. Then take the lid and push the pin side into the hole you just drilled and align it to the edge of the car. Then use it as a guide to drill the second hole with the larger bit. Then tap the first hole all the way through the walkway. Reinstall the truck. Now assemble the coupler and mount it with a screw to the taped hole and the pin on the lid in the untaped hole. Reinstall the wheel sets. Reinstall the end to the car. Make sure the walk way is properly in place. It may hang up. The screw will stick through the walkway. I cut it off with rail nippers and dab a little green paint on it to cover it up. If you PM me a e-mail address I can send you pictures. Hope this helps :) David

[@northamericarailfan307]

I got Atlas n scale 53ft well car TTX

[@EverythingTrainsMedia]

nice review, might have to get some

[@liamcooper6721]

late to the party but those are MTL 1015 couplers. detail on the underside is right. atleast it has 2 hitches for 2 trailers to be placed at either end

[@dwightatnorthernstar1820]

I could also use one....thanks

[@davebnsfnscale4433]

I don't think you can hold Atlas responsible for other companies over sized containers

[@metroredline]

True, but would it kill Atlas to have the end brackets spaced a tiny hair wider to accommodate the MTLs? Although, MTL container pins don't mate with any other (Kato, ScaleTrains and Atlas have matching pins), so I might get rid of them.

[@DaBobsNScaleMancave]

I am not mad at Atlas for the design, most containers do fit in it without a problem. I have heard that Con-Cor ones don't fit and some MTL fit snugly. The rest fit fine. We are talking about maybe paint thickness on a container or added details like the door locks on the ends that may be in the way. You can always scrape off some paint on the well or the container, your choice.

[@metroredline]

@@DaBobsNScaleMancave Who wants Con-Cor containers anyway? Their paint schemes are a joke! It's like they aren't even trying to be prototypical!

[@DaBobsNScaleMancave]

@@metroredline I don't have any ConCor containers. Your right, who wants them anyway. I get the ScaleTrains and Micro-Trains ones right now. Not sure you can even buy Kato's without the well cars that go with them. I may try some others later on.

[@markhayes6407]

Kato should get out of america with those ridiculous couplers. They fit nothing and even perform poorly within their own. Derailments are common with Kato. Atlas has come up with a good car other than the container fit issue I may get a few. Thanks for the review.

[@johnsanford3596]

Seems to me that any review of a car should include "how much does it weigh"? And the MSRP.

[@DaBobsNScaleMancave]

Sorry, MSRP $34.95, I picked it up for $28, seen it on line at $23.99 but sold out. Weight is .8 oz or 22 g.

[@dwightatnorthernstar1820]

Why not stick to MT?

[@DaBobsNScaleMancave]

Currently MT doesn't have any plans for a 53' Well Car. Weird since they make 53' containers. But so does ScaleTrains and they are not making Well Cars anytime soon.

[@ddavideo]

Hi Bob, are these on metal wheels? Thanks.

[@DaBobsNScaleMancave]

Nope.