Athearn December 2023 Announcements

[James Costello]

Athearn December 2023 Announcements:

GATX Tank Train:
https://www.athearn.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-athearn-us-Library/default/dw28836616/announcements/january-2024/03_ATHN_Tank_Train_122923.pdf

FMC Offset Double Door Boxcar:
https://www.athearn.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-athearn-us-Library/default/dw14d4b82f/announcements/january-2024/07_ATHN_FMC_5077_Offset_DD_Boxcar_122923.pdf

[jagged ben]

I think MT got the wrong color on their Union Railroad of Oregon.  I have or had one of those somewhere.   Gonna have to check on that would be happy to improve on that one. 

The funny thing is I have CPLT in old MDC kit form.  I passed on the Atlas version and will probably pass on this one too.  But ya'll should get it.   

[nkalanaga]

They're all too modern for me, unfortunately.  Many of the IPD cars were built by FMC/Gunderson in Portland, and came through Pasco on their first run.  So I was among the first to see them in service.

[Ike the BN Freak]

I think MT got the wrong color on their Union Railroad of Oregon.

Is the color supposed to be that odd green or white?

[nkalanaga]

At least some of the Union RR of Oregon cars were an odd shade of pale green.  I don't know how long they kept the color, it may have weathered to white or gray.  I don't remember ever seeing one outside of the brand-new ones.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2639625

[Englewood]

I'm drowning in boxcars, but this is a great selection. I'll probably get the Galveston Wharves cars.

[Rivet Miscounter]

I'll probably get the Galveston Wharves cars.

Same.

These are the old MDC cars, right?   Do they hold up?   Nice that they have metal wheels, knuckle couplers, etc. but otherwise wondering to what extent they're lipstick on a pig. 

I think the only other GW boxars were MTL, correct?  I assume the MTL cars are squashed or is this one that doesn't suffer that affliction....would squashed MTL be better or worse than 40 year old MDC tooling? 

The Galveston Wharves cars were pretty common on the line I model, although less-so as the 80's waned.  And I think they were largely patched and I think Athearn did a BN one even.

[squirrelhunter]

Same.

These are the old MDC cars, right?   Do they hold up?   Nice that they have metal wheels, knuckle couplers, etc. but otherwise wondering to what extent they're lipstick on a pig. 

I think the only other GW boxars were MTL, correct?  I assume the MTL cars are squashed or is this one that doesn't suffer that affliction....would squashed MTL be better or worse than 40 year old MDC tooling? 

The Galveston Wharves cars were pretty common on the line I model, although less-so as the 80's waned.  And I think they were largely patched and I think Athearn did a BN one even.

The MTL car is a squashed double door Plate B FMC 5077, the Athearn car is the MDC tooling but its a correct Plate C FMC 5277 with offset double doors.

Athearn did the primed for grime faded BN Galveston Wharves patch a couple of years ago, so you might try to see if you can turn one or two up somewhere and save yourself some work. I looked into the history of these cars a while back and I think they wwre turned back to the leasor in 1984 or 1985, went to SBD on short term lease and went to BN by 1986 and stayed with BN until the early to mid 90's.

They were certainly distinctive patch out cars for their era, I right up there with the Seattle and North Coast PS 5344 double door cars and the Union Railroad of Oregon FMC 5077 double door cars. I know there is zero chance of anyone tooling a double door PS 5344 (even HO doesn't have one) but I wish Athearn would just run of foobs using their FMC centered double door body.

[dangerboy81]

So, how long is it between announcement and delivery for Athearn? I see these posts but never paid much attention to delivery time. I'd be interested in some more of those Tank Train cars. I bought some by accident at a train show and decided to keep them to build a train.

[James Costello]

So, how long is it between announcement and delivery for Athearn?

For the last couple of years, 12-15 months is a typical duration.

[dangerboy81]

For the last couple of years, 12-15 months is a typical duration.

OK thanks. Bit of a wait, but we'll see where I am at when they get released.

[CBQ Fan]

OK thanks. Bit of a wait, but we'll see where I am at when they get released.

Athearn has been very good about actually hitting their product ETA’s from my experience.

[DirtyD79]

Looks like they got a lot of the same stuff in HO too along with some new SD40-2s and GP18s.

https://www.athearn.com/new-announcements/

[screeh]

Ouch - I've been holding off getting Tank Train cars until Athearn released schemes that turn up in photos of spots I'd like to model, and now they've announced three schemes I could use in one hit!

The LVRC boxcars look nice, too...