If you go on Athearn's Facebook page and ask them about new N scale you will get a multi paragraph reply about ALL the money they have spent on new N scale projects which means they are doing not always correct paint schemes on the stuff they have been producing since they got into N scale and that you should be happy they are doing this instead of producing a product every other customer is asking for.
I don't know if I would agree. They've stayed pretty on with most schemes. If do right on prototype, then pretty darn close. They still have a bunch of schems left on the some of the ex-MDC Boxcars they've. The Ethanols have had some schemes that were not spot on for that car, yet it probably still is their best selling N scale freight car. The did the fantasy schemes for the 50' Express reefer that actually sold ok and the F59 fantasy schemes keep getting pushed back.
The main person that kept their facebook page up and was working a a New N scale project or two is no longer there. Combined with the comment from a Horizon rep that N scalers don't buy enough, doesn't make me all fuzzy about new N scale projects. I'll keep hoping for a new project, but I don;t really expect one. Athearn is, was and always will be HO focused and N scale will probably limp on, fizzle out and eventually be realease sporadically. Kind of like another distributor/manufacturer we know.
