TheRailwire
General Discussion => Product Discussion => Topic started by: Ntrainz1 on March 25, 2022, 08:42:20 PM
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http://www.athearn.com/newsletter/032522/11_ATHN_PS_4427_Hopper_032522.pdf
http://www.athearn.com/newsletter/032522/02_ATH_Rebranding_Boxcars_032522.pdf
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When I followed the links, I came to the boxcars "celebrating" the "new era". Couldn't figure out what the "new era" is, so went to the homepage where there is a banner on the rotator....
So, when I click on the "Athearn enters a new era" banner at Athearn's homepage. I go to the new product page which links back to the 2 products (plus a lot of not so new products)...
The product page for the boxcars says "In celebration of this new era of Athearn"....
and "rebranding" into "the new brands, Roundhouse, Athearn and Genesis."
Those have been the Athearn brands for decades.
So what is the new era (other than the new era of price increases)?
I don't get it....and I've taken graduate level courses in marketing.
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This may help...
New Era apparently means brand consolidation.
https://www.trains.com/mrr/news-reviews/news/athearn-announces-brand-consolidation/ (https://www.trains.com/mrr/news-reviews/news/athearn-announces-brand-consolidation/)
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What’s curious in that the “N Scale” link is no longer on the home page!
Old site:
https://web.archive.org/web/20220323041302/https://www.athearn.com/
New site:
http://www.athearn.com/
Paul Z.
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More Rock covered hoppers! I don't know whether to be happy or sad (for my wallet).
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This may help...
New Era apparently means brand consolidation.
https://www.trains.com/mrr/news-reviews/news/athearn-announces-brand-consolidation/ (https://www.trains.com/mrr/news-reviews/news/athearn-announces-brand-consolidation/)
Thanks, that is very helpful. It does mention N scale in several paragraphs as part of the Genesis and Athearn lines, so hopefully, the lack of a link on the homepage is temporary.
The downside, from what I see, is that there will be no "Roundhouse" N scale products- which could mean that we won't be seeing re-releases of the former Roundhouse tooling. On the other hand, maybe we will see upgrades, at least on the better selling items in the old Roundhouse line.
I've been happy with the Athearn cars I have (2893 covered hoppers and milk cars, and probably something else I'm forgetting) and most, if not all, of my old Roundhouse stuff (all of which is pre-Athearn, I think) is still running with a few improvements. So I am hoping we see more N scale from them, and that they don't forget all of us who still model timeframes when you still saw steam locomotives and wood freight cars at least occasionally.
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I don't think roundhouse branding was ever used in n-scale - I am sure the ex-roundhouse line will continue in n...
It looks to me that an upmarket genesis class of products is coming to n...
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I just want to say that the HO scale SD40T-2 in Southern Pacific Black Widow paint they just announced is the correct way to do fantasy schemes. Are you paying attention BLI??
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I don't think roundhouse branding was ever used in n-scale - I am sure the ex-roundhouse line will continue in n...
It looks to me that an upmarket genesis class of products is coming to n...
Aren't they using Roundhouse tooling to do the new era cars in N? :D
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I don't think roundhouse branding was ever used in n-scale - I am sure the ex-roundhouse line will continue in n...
It looks to me that an upmarket genesis class of products is coming to n...
So the ex-MDC tooling becomes Roundhouse line at existing prices, and the new N scale Genesis line gets $15 tacked onto it .....
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What’s curious in that the “N Scale” link is no longer on the home page!
http://www.athearn.com/
Paul Z.
I'm guessing that their webmaster is a slacker and this will be fixed.
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If you go here, there's a few other brands that Athearn has http://www.athearn.com/About/
N, Diecast, Roundhouse, McHenry.
Generally, a rebranding is done when sales are falling, and it's used as a way to reduce confusion. All I see is more confusion.
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What I seen in the noon central video on Friday about the rebranding was a whole bunch of catchup from them. Bringing the Genesis line to N scale with light, sound improvements, and pre installed grab irons. Stuff other manufacturers have been doing for almost a decade (or more) now.
Instead of introducing Genesis 3.0, it will just be Genesis like it originally was, but also N scale; Athearn brand is just the old Ready To Roll series; and the Roundhouse is the molded on, entry level details, cheap and affordable series.
All I got was “oh crap, our branding and marketing is all confusing.” And “our n scale offerings currently are lackluster compared to what’s available and what can be done in n scale with sound and lightning” “we must do something or we are going to be left behind”
Jim used the word "Game Changer" but ScaleTrains has used that word so much I tend to laugh when its used anymore.
If you want to watch the stream yourself, then here's a link:
https://fb.watch/c0kERXtP7e/
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Quite honestly, if it's something I want I'll buy it, even if it's from their Mahogany Pickle Line with Sour Level detailing. I think marketing and branding are different for the typical model railroad consumer than some teenagers who are trying to fit in with the cool kids.
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If you go here, there's a few other brands that Athearn has http://www.athearn.com/About/
N, Diecast, Roundhouse, McHenry.
Generally, a rebranding is done when sales are falling, and it's used as a way to reduce confusion. All I see is more confusion.
Athearn's lines are Genesis (top of the line), Ready to Roll (mid-level), and Roundhouse (economy). So, for example, Roundhouse is like Atlas' Trainman line. The McHenry brand is just couplers.
Hope this helps,
DFF
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Athearn's HO lines are Genesis (top of the line), Ready to Roll (mid-level), and Roundhouse (economy).
Fixed.
Athearn does not use the Roundhouse branding in N (or any other differentiation in N, at least up til now).
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Fixed.
Athearn does not use the Roundhouse branding in N (or any other differentiation in N, at least up til now).
Correct, but now they are going to bring "Genesis" to N scale and everything else will be in the Athearn "Athearn" line. They will still not have another "Roundhouse" for N scale. Hence why only two boxcars compared to three for HO.
Supposedly they are looking into S scale too.
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Weird thing is N scale is missing from the menu bar when I go to their site.
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I found it interesting that they now identify the prototype for the old N Scale MDC Roundhouse 50' tank as Richmond Tank Car:
https://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH13728
And I am amused that some of the ex MDC Roundhouse N Scale tooling is now "Genesis":
https://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH24599
The basic tooling on this car is nice, but Genesis? :D
Mark
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Weird thing is N scale is missing from the menu bar when I go to their site.
I googled the Athearn N scale page and it came right up... well, after scrolling past the 5 or 6 links of shops that sell Athearn stuff that pay google to put them on top.
However, the page has (as of 11:50 am EST) not been updated yet for the new branding, although as Mark5 just posted, they obviously have reclassified some, if not all, of their items.
So....I suspect that once the N scale pages have been updated with new branding, the N scale link will re-appear.
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Weird thing is N scale is missing from the menu bar when I go to their site.
I thought I heard Jim mention in either the Noon EST video or the regular 4:30 EST monthly announcement video that the website is being updated due to the rebranding and may take a few days to update... why it takes a few days to update for something they knew was going to change, I don't know :? But that would explain the missing N Scale page, at least for now.
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I am sure they will sort it out sooner or later. It will be interesting to see the final format.
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When Athearn released their N Scale product survey this year, I wonder if those items would fall under the Genesis brand?
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Am I the only person not surprised that the N scale link is missing. Athearn has never seemed to like N scale and barely recognized that it exists. If it wasn't for them getting a bunch of N scale molds from MDC, I doubt that they would have any N scale. I loved Athearn when I was in HO scale (some 30 years ago) and I love some of the things that they have made since then in HO, but I just wish they were more inclusive and make them in N scale (SP MT-4 for example), or even just run (or even better, update) the MDC molds they already have (like the old time passenger cars). It seems like what they do produce in N scale sells out, so I don't understand the problem. Sure their first experience into N scale may have left a bad taste...picking a bad prototype (express reefer) and then putting it in a huge cardboard box, but they need to get over it and use what they have or sell it to someone that will...please?
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They seem to always have smaller but steady flow of N scale monthly. A lot of CBQ in there probably makes it more favorable in my eyes, but they seem better than most on keeping on schedule. But now they are announcing a year out. I just want to pick up my FP45’s and I will be good.
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Am I the only person not surprised that the N scale link is missing. Athearn has never seemed to like N scale and barely recognized that it exists. If it wasn't for them getting a bunch of N scale molds from MDC, I doubt that they would have any N scale. I loved Athearn when I was in HO scale (some 30 years ago) and I love some of the things that they have made since then in HO, but I just wish they were more inclusive and make them in N scale (SP MT-4 for example), or even just run (or even better, update) the MDC molds they already have (like the old time passenger cars). It seems like what they do produce in N scale sells out, so I don't understand the problem. Sure their first experience into N scale may have left a bad taste...picking a bad prototype (express reefer) and then putting it in a huge cardboard box, but they need to get over it and use what they have or sell it to someone that will...please?
I honestly don't think Athearn is THAT bad. Sure, there's room for improvement, but Athearn is way better at N scale than, say Walthers, a company that has TRULY demonstrated that they are anti-N scale. I also enjoyed Athearn Blue Box trains as a former HO scaler, but when I converted to N scale, guess what were my first trains? A couple of 50' boxcars a 3-car set of Bombardier commuter coaches and a matching Metrolink F59PHI to pull them with. Athearn was a familiar brand and they made the transition easier for me. If you watch their product livestreams, their product reps have revealed that they are actual N scale modelers themselves. They know there's a demand for the Surfliner/California cars and there's a huge opportunity being the first in N to release them as a mass-produced model (as they are the first in HO to release them).
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I don't think any company is truly anti N-Scale.
I think some have found the ROI in it that others may not have.
It's not like Walthers is trying to sink N scale modeling.
Remember, these are folks who rely on making this stuff to pay their bills and NOBODY is getting rich off of it.
While we may see as "if they only did X it'd be amazing...", they have many other factors they need to account for.
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I don't think any company is truly anti N-Scale.
I think some have found the ROI in it that others may not have.
It's not like Walthers is trying to sink N scale modeling.
Remember, these are folks who rely on making this stuff to pay their bills and NOBODY is getting rich off of it.
While we may see as "if they only did X it'd be amazing...", they have many other factors they need to account for.
My assessment is that a lot of HO centric companies lack the awareness that the N scale market is unique and different from HO. As a result they produce the wrong products and then blame the market when they fail to sell enough.
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Walthers is still releasing new Cornerstone kits in N scale, so they are not totally out of N scale or anti N scale. I think they have realized that is one of the areas where they have seen commercial success. Their rolling stock was hit or miss. At least they sold the tooling to Atlas.
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Walthers is still releasing new Cornerstone kits in N scale, so they are not totally out of N scale or anti N scale. I think they have realized that is one of the areas where they have seen commercial success. Their rolling stock was hit or miss. At least they sold the tooling to Atlas.
The structures are relatively easy - just scale down the HO structure kit parts and tool accordingly. Easy peasy.
As for the trains...what do you expect from a company that released N scale rolling stock with rapido couplers into the 2010s decade? And re-released the same intermodal well cars and containers with the same schemes from 1995? :D
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My assessment is that a lot of HO centric companies lack the awareness that the N scale market is unique and different from HO. As a result they produce the wrong products and then blame the market when they fail to sell enough.
Yep. I think this is true.
But I also can't blame them. If you know a thing and it's responsible for the majority of your income, you're gonna stick with it.
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Am I missing something? Why is there a picture of an Authenticast box? AFAIK none of those items ever made it into Athearn or Model Die Casting lines.
Or is it like Model Power thinking it is good to bring back the Marx copy of the Varney F3 in HO? Well, Lionel now has MP so maybe we’ll see the Marx NYC Hudson withe the F3 drive in the tender….
Charlie Vlk
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Authenticast stirred questions so I did a little research. It was an east coast company that made spin cast pot metal soldiers, tanks, ships, and airplanes. During WWII they made identification models for the government.
Their box is interesting as it shows early Mantua products…wonder if the made cast parts for them. It was/is common for cooperation between manufacturers; Irv Athearn and Clarence Manteer (sp?) not only had lunch together, they supplied material to each other. Even Con-Cor had MDC cast floors and other parts.
Authenticast also used the Comet trade name. They made cars and trucks, signal bridges, and a few rolling stock items for HO and O Scale. They lasted to the early 1960s and were gone by the time N Scale got going here.
I don’t think there was any connection to the many brands of Athearn.
Charlie Vlk