Athearn March 2022

[Mark5]

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).

[EspeeGoldenState]

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.

[CBQ Fan]

Weird thing is N scale is missing from the menu bar when I go to their site.

[Mark5]

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? 

Mark

[thomasjmdavis]

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.

[Shaggy170]

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.

[CBQ Fan]

I am sure they will sort it out sooner or later.  It will be interesting to see the final format.

[conrail1973]

When Athearn released their N Scale product survey this year, I wonder if those items would fall under the Genesis brand?

[JMaurer1]

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?

[CBQ Fan]

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.

[MetroRedLine]

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).

[Ed Kapuscinski]

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.

[CBQ Fan]

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.

[muktown128]

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.

[MetroRedLine]

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?