Bachmann Trains & Accessories

Bachmann N Scale Northern
Bachmann N Scale Northern

The Atlas Model Railroad Company is based in Hillside, New Jersey. They have a sister company known as Atlas O. Together these two companies produce track, rolling stock, scenery, and Atlas model trains in N, O, HO, and O-27 scales.

Atlas model trains are extremely well known for their flex track products, but they have an expansive product line that offers a lot more than just track. Product development is something Atlas has promoted for many years, and it has paid off big time. Other track products they are known for include Snap Track and Custom Line Turnouts.

Just about any product you could want or need for an HO or N scale railroad layout can be found in the Atlas product line. They offer a freight car collection with exceptional detailing and more than 500 paint schemes.

Atlas has no plans of cutting back on their product development either. Avid train hobbyists can always look forward to new products for their layouts. The Atlas HO ready to run trains offer over 25 different freight car designs in over 250 different color schemes.

Atlas strives to achieve true similarity to the actual prototypes of their products. Each locomotive and freight car is intended to be a true exact miniature of the real prototype. They probably would take offense if you referred to their trains as “toys.”

Atlas offers a wide variety of electrical accessories, and they pride themselves in the instructions provided because they make wiring easy for even the most basic beginner. The wiring is usually the task most railroaders find to be the most complicated, but Atlas is a firm believer in making this part of the process as easy as possible.

There are electrical terms and techniques a modeler does need to know, and Atlas offers “The Complete Atlas Wiring Book” for this purpose. Once you read this book, you’ll see just how simple the wiring aspect of the hobby can be.

They offer a Right Track Freeware download on their website. It is a layout design program that simplifies the creation of your track design. It uses electronic templates of the track systems, structures, switches, buildings, and more. The best part is that it is free.

Atlas offers an extensive array of parts for your train setup. They also offer a nifty product known as the “Atlas HO Master Track Cleaning Car.” Dirty tracks can damage your expensive equipment, so track maintenance is important. The car has a tank for cleaning fluid and comes with a variety of accessories you can attach depending on the type of cleaning needed. This product makes track cleaning a snap.

Atlas keeps a running list of tradeshows they plan to attend on their website. The shows currently seem to be located in several U.S. locations, so you might be able to find and attend a train show near you and see some of their high quality products in action.

One thing Atlas model trains prides themselves on is quality and the ongoing development of new and improved products for the hobby railroader. Visit the Atlas website often for new innovations and products to expand your layout design. Happy railroading!

Jimmy Hardwick has been full steam ahead on model trains ever since his first Lionel set 30 years ago. Check out his website at http://www.modeltrainmastery.com for more info on atlas model trains, and many other great tips on model railroading.

N Scale Bachmann N&W J 611 4-8-4 with Digitrax SDN144PS Sound Decoder