It most certainly is. I talked to a friend that works at Athearn, and it is most definitely true. Interesting news, to say the least. [ 30. August 2002, 21:33: Message edited by: SP 8299 ]
Thanks Gary! Only thing is that I've never stripped or painted locomotives before and @ $100 plus bucks I'm not sure I trust myself enough to try. Looks like I'll need to learn so maybe I'll start with an inexpensive undecorated unit and see how it comes out. I will keep my open for your auction! Thanks
It will be interesting to see what level of market they will be aiming for? I'd be happy for a good quality locomotive that is at least the same quality of Life like and far more affordable than Atlas and Kato.
This is really big! I hope they fill the gap between the KATO and Atlas and the Bachmans of the world. Kind of like Lifelike but more aggressive and a bigger product line. Seems like the pond is getting pretty crowded lets hope all the fish survive and that maybe this can drive prices down a little. It is already getting hard to earn enough money to support this hobby. Seems strange that they chose that magazine to post this ad but didn't run it in the new MR. I just got mine today, I know ahead of schedule, and they are not saying anything about N scale in this ad. Bryan
Okay we are gaining Athearn. Are we losing Kato? Only one new release announced for 2003 that being the SD 70mac. The P42, RDC's and Amtrak cars were all announced in 2001. The only other offerings were reruns of the SD 40, Mikado and the SD 80/90. Meanwhile they sell off their parts inventory of passenger cars and shed employees. Is the belt tightening going to choke off the North American market?
As far as Kato is concerned, perhaps the Mikado as good as it is, was just a flash in the pan. Trying to get an answer from them with email is like trying to communicate with GOD. You know you are sending, but you're not really sure if anybody is listening.
I guess I had better don my flame retardant suit first, but before I get too excited about Athearn joining the N scale market, I would like to see the quality of their locos.... are they DCC ready? will they have the high level of detail that Atlas and Kato have been raising the bar for? What is their intent as far as price level and detail? How true are they planning to be to prototype reproduction? I think ANYONE can produce an N scale loco... I am just curious what their niche will be. FYI, I used to model in HO and remember the (supposed) 'good old days' when you could walk into a hobby shop and pick up an Athearn loco, as they were usually always available... however, the locos were nowhere near as detailed and smooth running as the locos from Atlas and Kato in N scale today. Harold
Not inflammatory at all- actually, very good questions. But before we go in the same direction the IM tunnel motor thread went, we'd be best advised to wait & see. I also did HO scale, and I remember when all I had were the Atlas & Athearn diesels- they STILL beat Model Power, Tyco & AHM all to heck. I'd still buy an Athearn today, if only because of a restrained budget (and a penchant for superdetailing), but I wouldn't throw rocks at the Atlas & Kato engines. BTW, I have no use for the F59s or the Bombairdier coaches, so y'all can have mine I'll wait to see if they do some good EMDs.
all i have to say is they better be prototypical and have the correct truck spacing and frame length or i won't buy them!!!!
Athearn changed HO scale. I still have a bunch of old Athearn F 7's with the rubber band drive. Then came Bachmann with their one powered truck wonders [you wondered if it would pull itself let alone a train]. I still have one of their GP 20's somewhere. Then Irv Athearn came out with the GP7/9 with the tower gears and both trucks powered. The price was in the $12-17 range and that was full retail. Not a split frame as we know today but more along the lines of the older Lifelike GP 18's. And the Athearn legend was born. This plus the Kaydee coupler [Athearn cars were all body mounts] set the stage for HO to take over from O as the number one scale. Old Irv Athearn never liked N scale. He thought it was too small and toyish and would never be a true contender as a model railroad. Irv had a good thing going and stuck with it. He almost stuck with it too long. In the early seventies he took a lot of flak because the motor he used in his engines was too wide and necessitated that hood units be a scale 6 inches wider than prototype. But Athearn had become the standard in HO. Every hobby shop worth its salt stocked repair parts. But even then a sort of "limited run" production was employed only then it was called "batch production". Athearn introduced the F7 and they sold out immediately with people clamoring for more but none were forthcoming. [some things never seem to change] Athearn did not progress beyond the initial success and in the 70's other manufacturers like Atlas came along. The Atlas SD24 and SD35 had correct width hoods and better slow speed running [cost $25 US]. Other developments came but Athearn didn't change. Sales were slipping badly. Finally Athearn came out with their Genesis line, an upgraded product with correct scale hoods and better detail and motor. I was out of the hobby by then and when I returned it was in N scale. Irv passed on in the early 90's. I understand his children now run the company. I suspect that Irv Athearn's kids have done their homework and have investigated what is available in N scale. They should know that we have been accustomed to expecting more improvement with each successive release. If they do not do what the market expects of them they will suffer the same fate as Lionel did when they tried to get into HO back in the 60's. They weren't there for long and neither will Athearn unless they deliver what the market expects of them. Its a great day for N scale to be sure. Here's hoping we have plenty more.
LISTEN TO THE MOPACSTER!!!! they better be correct (I know how to use a micrometer) or else they'll sit on the shelves and collect dust (kinda like the HO rolling stock does now....) During my drug induced HO days, I was NEVER a big fan of Athearn... LOUD trucks & motors, underweight (anyone use A-line motor mounts??) and a electrical pickup system that required you to solder the pickup wires to the motor. I admit I left HO just after the Genesis line came out, but then again the price of Genesis units approached that of Kato and Atlas HO lokeys!!! Don't get me wrong, competition is a good thing, but let's not make out Athearn to be the saviour of N-scale...Unless VAST improvements have been made in terms of quality, my experience says all we have gained is a loco manufacturer somewhat above lifelike (nowhere NEAR kato/atlas) and a rolling stock manufacturer along the lines of Roundhouse. just my 2 cents worth... Ed Dillard
This all sounds very interesting. Based on some of the genisis stuff I've seen from Athearn, we should be able to expect a good product. Let's all hope for the best! I know I am.
I've heard good words concerning the HO Athearn Genesis line. I do hope this will translate to a quality N scale product. If only they'll be making some units for us people modeling the mid-late 1960's... BoxcabE50
Not a slam on anyone,( including myself), but the Athearn I used to know when I was an HO scale modeler years ago offered out of scale items, (comparatively) poorly detailed items, with old mechanisms, in road names that were not prototipical. That is NOT where I want to go in Nscale..... that is one of the reasons that I left. I understand that the company (Athearn) may have a new direction, and I hope so, if it is to compete in the modern N scale market. Witness the Kato SD40's, re-released after a ~ 7 year absence.... IMPROVED, and not the same items, just painted in different road names. A similar argument could be raised for ATlas and their SD50's... new and improved. I personally would much rather see this approach than having the original issue available for 10+ years on the shelves of hobby shops... Good luck to Athearn, but my hopes of success fall on Atlas and Kato, who continue to work towards product devlopement Harold
If athearn is going to do N-scale they had better be serious about it, Locomotives should run as well as the latest Atlas or Lifelike's, and should be accurate models. Rolling stock should compare to Intermountian or new Atlas. More quality offerings are needed in N-scale. I hope for good stuff from them!
Perhaps Athearn will produce some F7 locos; nobody else seems to have any on the horizon. And is it me or can I not find the same loco from Atlas and Kato? e.g. SD 35, 50, 60, 70; RS 1, 3, 4/5 (Atlas) and SD 40, 40-2, 80/90; RS 2 (Kato) etc... Either way, X-mas money will come in handy!
Oh yeah, one other Athearn tidbit I did my best to forget...... Anyone remember TRYING to mount KD#5's on a geep frame??? Those STUPID tabs that were great for clip mounting a horn-hook, but would cause a short when a metal #5 was attached. Sadly, that was the FIRST time I used a Dremel, only to get a coupler mounted!!! I hope they're not "my Grandpa's Athearn.." If so, I got no financial worries!!!! Ed Dillard
My own opinion, for what is worth, is that Athearn will put out quality engines and the price differences won't be that profound. Fortunately for us, you can't do N scale cheaply, or if you do, it reduces the company to comic relief; the pre-quality Bachman comes to mind. I just can't see Athearn wanting to come in that low. If Athearn doesn't have a great reputation, it does have a good reputation and I can't see them wanting to risk that at this stage in their history. I am sure they are aware that N scaler's can be just a picky as HO'rs. I also suspect they have monitored forums such as here and elsewhere. They would be fools if they didn't as it is a "free" (without the cost of market research) insight into the N scaler's mind set. I look forward to their offerings. [ 01. September 2002, 20:41: Message edited by: rsn48 ]
