Model Railroading > Athearn a no show at NMRA Nat'l Show

I was in attendance at the National Train Show and shocked to see Athearn wasn't at the show.  They keep extending order deadlines for upcoming product releases due lack of orders.  Then they cannot deliver on products in some cases years overdue.  Now they can't even show up to more than 1 or 2 shows a year? And they wonder why they can't drum up enough pre orders.  Horizon isn't doing the Athearn brand any favors. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/25 10:17 by CO1309.

Shame on Horizon

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

Perhaps they didn't want to get badgered by model railroaders about that very issue?

Victor Baird



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/25 10:54 by wabash2800.

With the current tariff situation I don't blame them for not showing because they probably don't have any answers to your questions.
Why subject your employees to that kind of abuse?

What does one expect? Athearn is a sideline at Horizon. With multi-hundred dollar buy-ins for young model railroaders, only a half dozen class one railroads left and only "Amtrak-level" train trips to daydream about, the hobby's appeal is shrinking. 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/25 17:36 by RRBMail.

Out of respect for their historic presence in the hobby they should have at least had a table with the sign saying ' out to lunch '.

TCnR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Out of respect for their historic presence in the
> hobby they should have at least had a table with
> the sign saying ' out to lunch '.

Why pay for a table you're not going to use? Those things aren't free.

Model Railroader Magazine used to be big back in the day. Fortunately, we have a VERY upgraded RMC magazine from White River Productions along with some other very fine publishers. Athearn is the same way. Fortunately, we have Scale Trains, Rapido, and MANY FINE other manufactures to take their place.....but I DO find it unbelievable that Athearn was not at the NMRA. WOW!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcasm

I don't think you can give Athearn the benefit of th doubt due to the tariff sitiation. Other companies are dealing with the same thing. I have been a steady Athearn buyer of their Genesis line when they acquired the Highliner body, but right now I only have their WP Bicentennial 40 foot trailer reserved. 2 years now and still nothing. They have the tooling and the paint masks, but no place in the production line. High fidelity products with fake paint jobs seems to occupy their time, that just boggles my mind. If Rapido announced that trailer Id cancel Athearn in a heartbeat. Most likely we will be in 2027 before they get it done. I still have reservations with Rapido and ScaleTrains and faith their products will continue to roll in.

I love the out to lunch sign.😂



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/25 15:49 by TomG.

I am very surprised that Athearn wasn’t at the show. I’m getting worried about their long term viability, especially in light of something like this. I sure hope I’m wrong, have had Athearn models since I was a kid, some of them still run in my current layout.

Nathan

Posted from iPhone

I think the only question is how much longer will Athearn be around?  I can easily see Horizon selling the brand because they've squeezed about all they're going to get out of the brand and it's now a shadow of it's former self.

While it’s a business decision I don’t agree with. I will not criticize them. Nor any other company that my come to light that may have made the same difficult decision. I’ll take it a step further and say they went above and beyond for me, not once but twice on a pair of rather left field parts requests.

Posted from iPhone

A M E N  !!!

RRBMail Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What does one expect? Athearn is a sideline at
> Horizon. With multi-hundred dollar buy-ins for
> young model railroaders, only a half dozen class
> one railroads left and only "Amtrak-level" train
> trips to daydream about, the hobby's appeal is
> shrinking. 

Wonder what is up with Horizon as am also into RC airplanes and they suddenly dropped all ads in the AMA magazene. Then this too hard to tell whats up with things these days in the hobby industry.

ATHEARN GOOD OLD DAYS.
Who remembers that guy?

David Harrison

---

I remember the Athearn guy, but I don't recall his name, what was it? Irv Athearn told me that since he was a millionaire from making model trains he was willing to take losses helping his competitors out because he wanted the hobby to grow!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/21/25 09:49 by RRBMail.

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think the only question is how much longer will
> Athearn be around?  I can easily see Horizon
> selling the brand because they've squeezed about
> all they're going to get out of the brand and it's
> now a shadow of it's former self.

Indeed, I've been thinking the same lately...

There was also no Atlas, Intermountain, Tangent.. 

sixaxlecentury Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There was also no Atlas, Intermountain,
> Tangent.. 

Well there you are, the NMRA isn't what it used to be as well. Fortunately, I'm okay because I model D&RGW and so I'm already covered in motive power, rolling stock and CABOOSES! 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/21/25 10:09 by RRBMail.