Athearn Announcements: August 11, 2023

[Mark5]

There's a slew of HO announcements, buy it looks like 40' Fruehaufs are the only N:

https://www.athearn.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-athearn-us-Library/default/dw8c6be3b0/announcements/august-2023/07_ATHN_40ft_Fruehauf_Z_Van_Trailer_072823.pdf

This release will have a bunch of goodies for some of us - Conrail, IC Piggy, Xtra, etc. 

[learmoia]

$24.99 EACH?????   

[Mark5]

$24.99 EACH?????   

Cool! The current release list is $29.99 MSRP. 

Price reduction for a change! 

[EspeeGoldenState]

I love Athearn for the simple fact I know my wallet is safe from N scale announcements every month, but I do wish that wasn't always the case.

Here's hoping to next month!

[lock4244]

Tempted by the Reimer trailer, but also annoyed that they waited until someone else did them first before doing one at the same price.

Hopefully someone else does CN Piggyback trailers so Athearn can do them too.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I swear these trailers are the biggest item driving CPI... from like $15 for a two pack to $29.99 for one. What are these made out of???

[samusi01]

What are these made out of???

They are made of compressed shattered hopes of N scalers, futilely wishing they'd bring some of their HO line to N (like that Maxi-II just announced!), ideally without boxing glove couplers and flanges deep enough to hold a dinner party on.

[Rivet Miscounter]

I swear these trailers are the biggest item driving CPI... from like $15 for a two pack to $29.99 for one. What are these made out of???

Just a guess, but decoration is probably improved.  For one, were the hubs painted previously?  Probably more/better dim data, etc.

Combine that with "different time" and also with supply of competing products (nil) and you've got the formula.

I wandered back into N almost a year ago now, and trying to find 45ft trailers was nearly impossible, and if you did find something on eBay it would likely end up well above $20 before the dust settled.   Now, Athearn announced their 45's and that seemed to light the proverbial fire under Micro-Trains who has been notorious for not running schemes on their trailers over three decades.   Which, is maybe why the price dropped $5 on the Athearns...who knows.    I'm curious to see the MTL Conrail weathered sets in person.   I really just need the least weathered from that set, as I model an earlier timeframe than the more-weathered vans would represent.

[lock4244]

I swear these trailers are the biggest item driving CPI... from like $15 for a two pack to $29.99 for one. What are these made out of???

I have long suspected it was due to a bet to see how high they could go and still sell.

[JMaurer1]

I hated seeing when Athearn bought out MDC knowing that while the MDC stuff wasn't the most cutting edge, it was probably going into the same black hole that Walthers sends their N scale into and I was right.

Athearn usually announces just about everything you ever dreamed of in HO scale followed by a poke in the eye with a sharp stick (when they even bother) to the N scalers.

[mu26aeh]

I hated seeing when Athearn bought out MDC knowing that while the MDC stuff wasn't the most cutting edge, it was probably going into the same black hole that Walthers sends their N scale into and I was right.

Athearn usually announces just about everything you ever dreamed of in HO scale followed by a poke in the eye with a sharp stick (when they even bother) to the N scalers.

Beyond the buy out of the MDC product, all they did was put it in their box and raise the price.  No change to tooling or anything.

At least the LPG cars are great !  Can't wait for the acid cars to show up

[lock4244]

I tend to avoid the old MDC tooling with the exception of some boxcars.

In terms of Athearn N, though their locomotive offerings are largely aren't for me, but they make a good number of decent freight cars:

GATC 2600cf airslides
PS 4427cf covered hopper
PS 2600cf covered hopper
PS 2893cf covered hopper
ACF 4600cf covered hopper
ACF 2970cf covered hopper
30,000gal ethanol tankcar
33,000gal LPG tankcar
F89-F bi-level
F89-F flatcar
Tanktrain tankcars
FGE 57' mech refer (though I've has issues with coupler reliability of a few, of course same goes for every other mfg - MTL, Atlas, Intermountain, Rapido, etc)
*Edit* GSC 53' flatcar which in it's piggyback guise makes a decent stand-in for CP's similar length cars that were in TOFC service into the 2000's

In some ways, in many ways actually, I'm happy to see them release a 25:1 ratio HO:N... makes it easy for me to control my spending.

[TravelingCarpenter]

price is a relative issue.. how bad do you want it.
 I love the airslide and acf 4600,, nice cars. the open auto racks are nice also.

I could see me buying 2 conrail, 2 icg, 1 cotton belt. Do I run a pig train,, nope,, but someday,,maybe......

TC

[mplsjct]

what would be really cool is if they produced vehicles to fill those open sided auto racks, nothing too detailed, just period specific

I'd like to see the Ford C trucks and Mack trucks rerun too