chuck wrote:Trains.com has published the list of products that is to use the former MTH tooling. Atlas O has a YouTube video out covering the same. They have purchased the rights to a fairly small selection of Premier Locomotives and rolling stock. They have acquired a lot of the RailKing accessories.
They are now licensee's of PS-3/DCS (apparently the sole licensee). Ownership of the later is still in the hands of a third party, probably the developers of the system. While the patents have expired, the copyright on the software has not, hence the need for a license. I suspect that this provides Atlas with some shielding from DCS woes, you have to deal with them (whomever they are) in regards to issues with the product.
Other than the MTH RailKing accessories I am at a loss as to why they bought what they bought. The passenger cars are not true O scale, they are "close". Previous editions of Atlas O passenger cars were well noted for their true and accurate scale 80 to 85 foot lengths. The locomotives they have selected are nice but nothing that I would consider earth shaking. I am pretty sure they are all relatively new diesels?
The entire acquisition makes little sense........and bodes nothing good for O scale modelers.
