Athearn N Scale Announcements 11/25/2022

[James Costello]

A rather generous four releases this month, including a surprise.

4600cuft Covered Hopper - New Run:
http://www.athearn.com/newsletter/112522/10_ATHN_4600_Covered_Hopper_112522.pdf

53' CIMC Container - New Run, now sold as 6-packs:
http://www.athearn.com/newsletter/112522/12_ATHN_53ft_CIMC_Container_112522.pdf

89' F89F Channel Sided Flat - New Run (Trailer Train Brown, TT Yellow, SP, KCS (ex-SP).
PDF link is broken so here's the the search link:
http://www.athearn.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=89+flat+TOFC&CatID=TNRF

45' Fruehauf Trailer - New Tooling:
http://www.athearn.com/newsletter/112522/11_ATHN_45ft_Fruehauf_Z_Van_Trailer_112522.pdf

The MTL 45' Fruehauf has been a mainstay of the N Scale intermodal scene for 30 years now, so it's disappointing to see Athearn tool up this prototype when there are some even better choices for a never-done 45' trailer, but here we are: Athearn does what Athearn wants.

[jagged ben]

Ooh, Clipper 45ft trailers.  And Transamerica.
Might be down for a Santa Fe W hopper.  Maybe an SP flat. 
Expensive month for me maybe.

[lock4244]

SOO hoppers... nice.

[Ted Thorson]

Oof, I really wish they run some more of the FGE reefers.  Particularly in the all yellow scheme, and in additional sill/seam combinations.

[Rivet Miscounter]

I'm happy about the trailers.   In true MTL fashion, over 30 years they've done a grand total of about a dozen schemes, not counting the one-off's like the BN City stuff.  Athearn is doing 1/3 of that total in one at-bat.  Of course, I'm referencing Trovestar so maybe those numbers are off.     But still....finding them now in any scheme isn't easy.   I'm not sure if they're still available as undecs.   

I'm in for BN, Transamerica, and XTRA.  That white BN scheme is one of my faves.  Mostly clinging to life in my era and statistically should only have one probably.   But regardless, an extra "homer" is definitely in the cards.  If my research hasn't failed me, those BN's are stretched 40s.

[C855B]

I need to not skip the TTX flats this time around. If I expect to model ~1970s trains like Santa Fe's Super-C or UP's VAN I may as well take the wallet hit for a few.

The VAN was fun. In 1974-1976 it was four - count 'em, four - DDA40Xs with 30-35 cars. Smokin' hot. The excess horsepower shaved hours off the run solely because acceleration out of curves and other speed restrictions was drag-strip worthy. It was intended to compete with the Super-C's CHI-LAX schedule, but the problem UP had was the CHI-Omaha connection they had little control over.

[SP-Wolf]

No transition era love -- Mr. Wallet is safe.

Regards,
Wolf

[bbussey]

A generous four announcements rather than releases. These are 13 months away.

[C855B]

A generous four announcements rather than releases. These are 13 months away.

Which I'm fine with at the moment. I'm standing by for the BLI Allgators to drop in a few weeks and then a brace of ScaleTrains' 40-2's to hit in... February? (Crap. I checked. Pushed to summer 2023.) My poor plastic will be set ablaze between those. This versus spending nearly $0 in 2022 for various reasons.

[ljudice]

Meanwhile, 53' trailers sell for over $100 on Ebay....


I don't get it.

[ai5629]

The Athearn 45' trailer announcement does not indicate if they are 45x96 or 45x102 trailers.  I have a 06/85 OIER, and the BN vans depicted are 45x96.  The Transamerica and Clipper are not listed.  The Xtra trailers with CFKZ reporting marks are not listed in the OIER, but the identical number series with XTRZ reporting marks are 45x102.  I guess we will find out when they hit the streets.  I am on the fence on whether to reserve the BN's and XTRA's.  The Transamerica, while I remember those from the mid to late 80's running on Conrail TV and Mail trains, appear to be too new for me.  Thanks.

Jeff

[sirenwerks]

Meanwhile, 53' trailers sell for over $100 on Ebay....


I don't get it.

Because there were trains before the 90s?

[samusi01]

...and the HO collective gets SD45T-2s, which we will only see new ones if scaletrains deigns to make some whilst we wait for our Intermountain units to succumb to zinc rot.

[ljudice]

Because there were trains before the 90s?

And I'll bet you in 13 months when these come out, we'll still be waiting for the TW trailers.

[mu26aeh]

Glad I'm happy spending a couple bucks a piece on DigCom trailers.