Model Railroading > April Athearn announcements

Just posted-new road names and numbers, nothing really new. FP9A and B. GP38-2, GP50, F7 A and B.

Nothing new, whadda ya drunk?  ESPEE FP7A/F7B sets man!  These are huuuge!  Collect them all.

About time.. now 2 years from now they will be in the stores

I don't have them on the Layout yet but the fabled SP scarlet and grey (!!) FP-7 would be very major.

I don't know why they haven't run them before this, suspect some sort of manufacturing capacity question. I had heard about the splicing of two shells together to make a single FP shell, that and the potential SP market is why I'm saying maybe they had to ramp up just for this.

Did a search and found these links:

http://www.athearn.com/Articles/Hobbywire.aspx

http://www.athearn.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=FP7+ATHG&CatID=THLD



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/15 19:39 by TCnR.

I think Santa Fe also had phase I Gp50's, I would have rather seen Athearn do a phase I Santa Fe rather than another run of the phase II's

Jeff

> I don't know why they haven't run them before
> this, suspect some sort of manufacturing capacity
> question. I had heard about the splicing of two
> shells together to make a single FP shell, that
> and the potential SP market is why I'm saying
> maybe they had to ramp up just for this.

I believe the Scarlet and Gray icicle bar SP units were always in the plans, but the spliced shells of the first FP7 runs were production-intensive, and that took time to correct. All good things come, by and by! Hot stuff... and pretty major around this house, for sure!

~ BZ

TCnR Wrote:

> I don't know why they haven't run them before
> this, suspect some sort of manufacturing capacity
> question. I had heard about the splicing of two
> shells together to make a single FP shell, that
> and the potential SP market is why I'm saying
> maybe they had to ramp up just for this.
>

At the minimum, they had to tool up for icicle breakers and the unique triple lens mars/gyralite.

nygiant Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just posted-new road names and numbers, nothing
> really new. FP9A and B. GP38-2, GP50, F7 A and B.

Spoken like a true Easterner.  The Scarlet and Gray FP7 has been so sought after - especially after the SDP45 came out.  Pointless Arrow early Amtrack too.  About time Athearn went back to their Westcoast roots.  :-)  Looks like they are doing them for release last month ... anybody got theirs yet??? 

I doubt they would do an FP9 though.  I think someone in a foreign land has done it ... eh!

Rick



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/15 17:15 by rschonfelder.

Just noticed that Athearn has announced an FP9 in this posting but if you look at the pdf all say FP7.  I think there is an FP9 in the Mexican part of the announcement so there is likely a typo.  The Mexican FP9's were built in London I believe.

Rick

So now, the Genesis FP's have a shell that's molded in one piece, not "kitbashed" from two shells as earlier?

CPR_4000 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So now, the Genesis FP's have a shell that's
> molded in one piece, not "kitbashed" from two
> shells as earlier?

Correct.

Elizabeth

Well that explains the extensive delay in releasing new road names on the FP7.  I never understood why they didn't just do that in the first place but having said that, I have the WP FP7's and cannot see any seam.  Most of the kitbash is along lines which are hidden behind details added to the Highliner body.  The place where it should have shown is on the corner where the roof meets sides and I do not recall any fault.  I would have liked to know how the machining was done for a production line kitbash given the quantity to be produced on the past models.

Did anyone ever get a FP7 in any form of roadname, which showed a flaw?  If so, pictures if possible.

Thanks,
Rick
 

Maybe its like the Beatle's Strawberry Fields Forever.. you have to know where the cut was for the two versions

I second the wish for phase I GP50's in ATSF.

No re-run of the Bombardier cars, again. Oh well...

Jürgen Dietrichkeit
Weilheim, BY