Model Railroading > Athearn AC44 Heritage units

Athearn has announced a late Dec. delivery for its NS AC44Heritage units. They look pretty sharp even though they are not ES44AC's.

My LHS said they arrived here in Buford, GA yesterday. Will be stopping by there today, even though I won't be getting any. I was told that the big A did an excellent job on the paint.

Russ

I highly recommend that people ignore that junk and wait and buy the correct locomotives from Intermountain. The Intermountain locomotives will be correct, highly detailed, have LED's including operating ditch lights, dual DC/DCC boards and run very nice. Intermountain is making the shell changes to mimic the newer GEVO updates. and yes you can order them at a higher price with factory installed Tsunami sound.

Intermountain list price - $179.95
http://www.intermountain-railway.com/newshocomingsoon.html

Athearn list price - $129.95
http://www.athearn.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=AC4400+RTR&CatID=THLD

The Athearn's are old models with thick shells, low amount of detail(no pilot detail, toy plows, no operating ditch lights and cheap bulbs that burn out)

For the addtl $50, spend the money on the right models and not on Foobies so Athearn can make a quick buck on old junk.

And as always, just my opinion!

Thanks Bruce

PS - I am a big Athearn customer FYI. I just want to support companies that are doing the right models.

brfriedm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I highly recommend that people ignore that junk
> and wait and buy the correct locomotives from
> Intermountain. The Intermountain locomotives will
> be correct, highly detailed, have LED's including
> operating ditch lights, dual DC/DCC boards and run
> very nice. Intermountain is making the shell
> changes to mimic the newer GEVO updates. and yes
> you can order them at a higher price with factory
> installed Tsunami sound.
>
> Intermountain list price - $179.95
>
>
> Athearn list price - $129.95
>
>
> The Athearn's are old models with thick shells,
> low amount of detail(no pilot detail, toy plows,
> no operating ditch lights and cheap bulbs that
> burn out)
>
> For the addtl $50, spend the money on the right
> models and not on Foobies so Athearn can make a
> quick buck on old junk.
>
> And as always, just my opinion!
>
> Thanks Bruce
>
> PS - I am a big Athearn customer FYI. I just want
> to support companies that are doing the right
> models.

Agreed. Many spoke out to Athearn that the urge to do these units just so they could be here for Christmas was a waste of time. Still, there are those that are happy with them...and that of course if fine. Im not getting any of them since I dont model GEVO's but if I did, my smile would be alot wider waiting for them vs the ones sitting under a tree.

Bruce you make a very good point if you read your entire post, the only problem is folks will only read the first sentence and fly off the handle thinking your Athearn bashing.


ernie



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/19/12 07:52 by wmfan3798.

I'm a bit torn on this. To me the Athearn units are good if you wanted to buy a couple of any one of them and re-nimber them for a "what if" sort of scenario. Don't get me wrong, the Inter-Mountain units will be much nicer. I just think that the Athearn ones offer up some posibilities as well too.

Not trying to start ANY sort of flame war, just another point of view...

Vince Smith
Gulf Western Modular Railroad Society
Aransas Pass, TX

Just 7 Months til the GW Heads East to NTS 2013 in Atlanta!

Hey Bruce
Nothing like compairing apples to oranges
Way to slam Athearn
note: it's an ac44 compaired to a gevo

cmgnnut Wrote:
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> Hey Bruce
> Nothing like compairing apples to oranges
> Way to slam Athearn
> note: it's an ac44 compaired to a gevo

And his point is that an AC44 is a Heritage Unit foobie. For those who want accurate, instead of first, the Athearns are a waste of money.

Exactly and thanks for supporting my points.

Bruce

cmgnnut Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hey Bruce
> Nothing like compairing apples to oranges
> Way to slam Athearn
> note: it's an ac44 compaired to a gevo

There are two camps of modelers when it comes to the special NS Heritage units.


The first group are people wants a model that starts with a plausible base and has the fancy pretty paint. Maybe, these folks will run them, renumber them for "what ifs" or display them. To borrow a paraphrase from the old Midas Muffler commercials - "They don't want to pay a lot of money for this train". $50 bucks is $50 bucks, and when you are possibly talking about multiple units, the savings of the Athearn versus the Intermountain is in the hundreds. Which for some, that just want the fancy paint is a big deal. This group is more than happy with the Athearn model.

The second group wants the model to be correct. Close isn't good enough. These people may model NS, or the modern era. Some may not run their model, but still want the model to be correct and have the fancy pretty paint. These modelers will only accept the Intermountain offering.

Neither group is right or wrong. Its all about your own personal preferences and budget.

Jim

If you don't want the Athearn offering...don't buy it. Wait for the Intermountains. Don't stress...

Paul Liddiard
Spanish Fork, UT

Intermountain doesn't have the best track record for accuracy in painting and lettering. I am not in the market for NS Heritage GEVOs, but if I were, I would probably wait five years or so for Athearn to presumably produce a proper late-phase GEVO in the Genesis line.

Since I model current day. I am waiting for Intermountains

I like Athearn products. IMO. I just think with the announcement of the Gevo's in the Genesis line they are wasting money, but I may be proven wrong.

Posted from Android

Received the Lehigh Valley, Norfolk & Western, and Southern Railway AC4400CWs yesterday. They look nice. Full review will be forthcoming in February's print/digital edition of Model Railroad News.

Tony Cook, editor
Model Railroad News
http://www.modelrailroadnews.com

Meanwhile, here's a few pics...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/19/12 12:42 by Tony_Cook.

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Visited Mainline Hobbies at Blue Ridge Summit, Pa yesterday,they have the "FANTASY" hence the AC4400 car bodies, NS units on the shelf.

coaltrain45

Went into the LHS today and put my hands and eyes on them. I've decided to cancel all of my Overlands and go with these!

Okay, now back to reality, Athearn did a wonderful job of putting lickstick on a pig. This is not meant as a put down, more as a compliment. They did a wonderful job with the paint and lettering, and even did some light weathering on all of the grills to help them stand out. The plow is from the GP15's and is a fine scale plow, that is pretty close to correct for teh NS GEVO's. The horn is a modern 5 chime that is also found on GEVO's. Athearn went so far as to paint the handrails where there are differences in color from the base color. For example on the original NS unit the stanchions are black and the railing is yellow. They did this correctly. Athearn has to be given credit for a job well done with the model they are using. Yes there are still inaccuracies with the model, but most if not everyone understands that, and my LHS did explain that to a few less knowledgable customers who were looking at them today as well.

Now, would it be nice to have it on a GEVO, yes, however, they are the first to market and the Intermountains will be more accurate, in regards to shell detail. From the existing drawings that show the shell corrections from IM, they still have the wrong sideframes, as all hi-ad GE's now use the C4 base sideframe, which covers all of the NS heritage units, except the Monongahela unit. It will prove interesting to see what MTH and Bachmann both end up offering, as well as Athearn sometime down the road.

To me, Athearn is offering this to the price conscience modeler, I understand it, accept and applaud it, doens't mean I am going to buy them or criticize those that do.

My $0.02 worth.

Russ

I Agree with you 100% NSTopHat, A lot of people do not see the other side sometimes, Some modelers don't care if it's 100% right and like me if this was a couple years back and my son like them I would buy him 2 of them even if the Intermountain's were out, Athearn is thanking of the new modelers who don't care they won't a train to run my son was the same way (What's a GEVO) Let see
1. Buy the Athearn save $50 and he will run the wheels off of them.
2. Spend $50 more for the Intermountain and he will run the wheels off of them and I get to here Daddy this part broke off.

If it was for me Intermountain for my son Athearn, Thank you Atheran

Terry

toledopatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> cmgnnut Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Hey Bruce
> > Nothing like compairing apples to oranges
> > Way to slam Athearn
> > note: it's an ac44 compaired to a gevo
>
> And his point is that an AC44 is a Heritage Unit
> foobie. For those who want accurate, instead of
> first, the Athearns are a waste of money.


I concur!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wait and get the Intermountain ES44AC.

SantaFeRuss