Athearn News - December New Releases

[Ntrainz1]

N ACF 2970 COVERED HOPPER
https://www.athearn.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-athearn-us-Library/default/dwb1cadb91/announcements/december-2023/06_GENN_ACF_2970_Hopper_112423.pdf

N PS-2 2893 3-BAY COVERED HOPPER
https://www.athearn.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-athearn-us-Library/default/dw2ad14c97/announcements/december-2023/04_ATHN_PS_2893_Crvd_Hopper_112423.pdf

[JMaurer1]

While HO gets two different engines and several freight cars. Athearn N scale is being sucked into the same black hole that Walthers and ConCor currently reside in. Buy up other N scale MFRs and then rarely (if ever) toss us N scallers a bone...

[learmoia]

For the most part I agree, but they have a much larger variety of HO Tooling to work with, so it makes sense they have more HO releases monthly than N...

To their credit, they are regularly releasing products at the same rate as they are announcing product.

Two per Month seems like a good pace with their production lead time.  Doing more would flood the market with pre-orders and create an Intermountain effect.

~Ian

[kiwi_bnsf]

While HO gets two different engines and several freight cars. Athearn N scale is being sucked into the same black hole that Walthers and ConCor currently reside in. Buy up other N scale MFRs and then rarely (if ever) toss us N scallers a bone...

I would agree to differ regarding Athearn's commitment to N scale. They quietly continue bringing their HO tooling across to N scale. In the last 18 months we've had the following tooling announced:

 • NSC 6000 and 6400 gondolas

 • FreightCar America VersaCoil

 • 13,600 gal Acid Tanks

Plus they continue to announce a steady stream of releases based existing tooling: 33.9k LPG cars, Thrall gondolas, FMC Boxcars, Ice Bunkers, Combo Boxcars, PS-1 boxcars, Bombardier Bi-Levels, F59PHIs, F45s, FP45s, ACF 2970 covered hoppers.

Just this year we've seen the following ship from Athearn: 40/48/53' Containers, 40' Trailers, GATC 2600 hoppers, F89F Intermodal Flats (various toolings), Milk cars, 57' Reefers, Berwick Bathtubs, Cabooses, FP45s, 33.9k LPG cars (multiple toolings), ACF 4600 Covered Hoppers, GATX TankTrain…

I've definitely voted with my wallet with quite of few of the above.


I don't think it's fair to compare Athearn with Walthers or ConCor (or Intermountain). Even Atlas has struggled to keep up a steady pace of releases in recent times.

Athearn do actually deliver what they announce and the quality of their more recently tooled freight cars is very high. They even manage to ship freight cars with metal wheels that look okay and are code 40 compatible — which cannot be said of several manufacturers.

My only complaint with Athearn is their over-size couplers, but they are at least all body mounted and can be easily swapped out.

[CBQ Fan]

Athearn has a consistent monthly product offering that is the same proportion to their HO offings.  In addition they also do a great job of actually delivering the product near the advertised delivery date. They also respond to information that corrects errors in paint schemes.

[JMaurer1]

...but all I want is the SP MT's in N.

[basementcalling]

I would agree to differ regarding Athearn's commitment to N scale. They quietly continue bringing their HO tooling across to N scale. In the last 18 months we've had the following tooling announced:



 • 13,600 gal Acid Tanks

Plus they continue to announce a steady stream of releases based existing tooling: 33.9k LPG cars, Thrall gondolas, FMC Boxcars, Ice Bunkers, Combo Boxcars, PS-1 boxcars, Bombardier Bi-Levels, F59PHIs, F45s, FP45s, ACF 2970 covered hoppers.


I don't think it's fair to compare Athearn with Walthers or ConCor (or Intermountain). Even Atlas has struggled to keep up a steady pace of releases in recent times.


My only complaint with Athearn is their over-size couplers, but they are at least all body mounted and can be easily swapped out.

Those acid tank cars are so badly needed. I do wish they would graduate from the old 2960 ACF to a more modern 2 bay hopper, but a company has to have a money maker. I struggle to get over buying their MDC tooled boxcars given I used to buy those for $5 a kit and toss on a pair of MT trucks and was good to go.

No one will ever do to N scale what Walthers continues to do. Con Cor simply quit making product, but Walthers just continues to refuse to convert any of their many industrial HO offerings into N scale. Why not is beyond me. Thankfully they sold their N scale rolling stock and engine tooling to Atlas, who is using it.

As for couplers, no company offers a good excuse for an N scale coupler these days.

[Jbub]

Those acid tank cars are so badly needed. I do wish they would graduate from the old 2960 ACF to a more modern 2 bay hopper, but a company has to have a money maker. I struggle to get over buying their MDC tooled boxcars given I used to buy those for $5 a kit and toss on a pair of MT trucks and was good to go.

No one will ever do to N scale what Walthers continues to do. Con Cor simply quit making product, but Walthers just continues to refuse to convert any of their many industrial HO offerings into N scale. Why not is beyond me. Thankfully they sold their N scale rolling stock and engine tooling to Atlas, who is using it.

As for couplers, no company offers a good excuse for an N scale coupler these days.

I wish Athearn would have done KCCX reporting marks for the acid tanks for Kennecott Copper. We get full unit trains through here all the time with them. As for the couplers, @turbowhiz and @JaxTerminal both have promising offerings in the near future.