Model Railroading > Athearn Friday

Athearn posted their monthly stuff, as I know most people follow. I actually like they are getting into scenery items again. Ok, so it's a caboose converted to a food stand. Kind of a neat idea. At least they are doing some variations on their stuff. I do appreciate that. 

On the side that I'm bummed about, is they pushed out their delivery dates on everything yet again. Surfliners are going to be over 3 years from announcement, the sugar beet cars are pushing 6 years. At least I have things pre-ordered and I'm sure eventually will be able to run on the layout. 

Keep up the work Athearn, even if it is very slow. 

Mike ONeill
Parker, CO

Just for the heckuvit I just went thru the Athearn Shipping schedule page by page. 
Nearly 100 pages of crap. woah.
I did not see the beet cars nor the Surfliners. At all.  
I could search them and find them, but they weren't even in all those pages. And the dates; as you said;
are a year from now. July 2024 
Athearn is really slipping when it comes to the good stuff.  Instead it's another run of Roundhouse boxcars.
woohoo    (ugh!)

The Burlington FP45s look cool. I have the WP ones they did. Hoping and praying they do them in Rio Grande next. Before I move on to the great model train set in the sky

Randy in PHX

Posted from iPhone

I got one of the Milwaukee road FP45s in the UP match scheme. No Dynamics! 
it called to me, so I got it.
Now I have the city of "Frisco" on order from Walthers.  dang train mfgs and their stuff.
where's my snuff!

The FP7's in SP/Amtrak or Amtrak look kinda cool.  I missed the previous Genesis Amtrak FP7s.

Still waiting on an announcement of Genesis ICC cabooses.

The new and improved Athearn sucks beyond belief. You can't go by the delivery schedule as it is not a true representation of delivery. Case in point, the BN ICC cabooses. They are part of the same delivery of the BN/CB&Q caboses. There was a delivery schedule for them while some were still available. As the production allotment got snatched up they one by one show out of stock and disappeared from the delivery schedule.

I'm actually liking that Caboose concession stand with working exterior lights and lighted roadside signboard. That follows a longtime tradition that is slowly fading. Here are some examples;

http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photos/businesses/food.htm
 

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

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The Santa Fe FP45 in SuperFleet sure is tempting.

Nathan

Posted from iPhone

And some folks wonder why other model train companies don't bother to say a single word until physical product is sitting on warehouse shelves ready to sell and ship... "Boy, I tell ya' what..."


~ Mr. MRL

I ALMOST pulled the trigger on a pair of the Genesis SD70 in D&RGW scheme with DCC and sound.  Then I looked a bit closer and realized their "Legendary Liveries'" is Athearn-speak for "Fantasy Schemes".  D&RGW never ran those road numbers, nor SD70s.

Back in the day, D&RGW ran a quad set of SD50 helpers out of Bakersfield.  They routinely helped shove the Oil Cans over Tehachapi.  I have a set of 4 D&RGW SD50s that are on my To-Do List to convert from DC to DCC.  I initially assumed the pair of SD70s would save me some time.  However, after comparing the differences between the SD50 and SD70, it was clear that it would be a lot more work than just changing the road numbers.  Those Genesis SD70s are tempting, but I will have to pass...

Dave

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/26/23 23:50 by tmotor.

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MrMRL Wrote:
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> And some folks wonder why other model train
> companies don't bother to say a single word until
> physical product is sitting on warehouse shelves
> ready to sell and ship.
>
> ~ Mr. MRL

In some ways, who can blame them when it take 18 months or much more for announced product to hit the shelves.

tmotor Wrote:
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> Those Genesis SD70s are tempting, but I
> will have to pass...
>
> Dave

I'm sticking with models D&RGW actually ran although the SD70's may be nicely done.  I just ordered my 4th ScaleTrains GP30; they were mixed with tunnel motors and GP40-2s.  Curiously ScaleTrains left the cab shade on the road numbers that were downgraded to B units in 1972 and according to UtahRails.net, were never returned to A unit status while on the D&RGW or D&RGW/SP.

Back to Athearn.  A year or two ago I was told Athearn does plan to include Rio Grande EV cabooses as part of their Genesis ICC caboose series so hopefully those will be coming along one of these months.  In the mean time Rio Grande fans will be watching out for the K Kaiser coal train UP cabooses, presently listed as expeccted October 2023.  D&RGW participated in the Kaiser unit coal train pulled by UP/D&RGW pooled SD45's from Rio Grande rails California.

Kaiser Coal Trains (utahrails.net)

Cheers,
Jim

Once again I just dont get it. The RG SD70 is a real nice looking locomotive, but why make a Tinker bell version that never existed when they make a genesis SD60 and could easily make a very well done SD50. A lot of time went into a never was instead of making something that did.

TomG Wrote:
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> Once again I just dont get it. The RG SD70 is a
> real nice looking locomotive, but why make a
> Tinker bell version that never existed when they
> make a genesis SD60 and could easily make a very
> well done SD50. A lot of time went into a never
> was instead of making something that did.

Because people will buy them. Believe it or not, not all modellers care if their models follow the prototype.

And a lot of people care about quality and fidelity in thier modeling, that's why Scale Trains exists. Personally I think it moves the hobbie backwards and tells manufacturers that accuracy isn't important.

But, I do like the Hot Dog Caboose.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/27/23 14:35 by TomG.

Agree, they made a just fine SD50 with speed lettering a few years ago.

An interesting foobie would have been a modern wide cab SD70 or GEVO of some variation.

Athearn seems to be pre-occupied with something other than Railroad models.

I thought I heard Athearn was planning on Genesis SD50s that was a few years ago.

Posted from Android

Athearn seems to be pre-occupied with something other than Railroad models.
Or is Horizon not giving "The train guy's" enough support to compete.
Credit Line 1 from TCnR, (probably remote control $$$)

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

TCnR Wrote:
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> Agree, they made a just fine SD50 with speed
> lettering a few years ago.
>
> An interesting foobie would have been a modern
> wide cab SD70 or GEVO of some variation.
>
> Athearn seems to be pre-occupied with something
> other than Railroad models.

Yeah, profit.

PHall Wrote:
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> Yeah, profit.

Because they dont make any profit off anything else.

inyosub Wrote:
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> Now I have the city of "Frisco" on order from
> Walthers. 
For the last time don't call it "Frisco"! :)