Athearn Brain Deadness

[TiVoPrince]

Brain deadness
is the only explination possible for not yet releasing PC&F boxcars, causing Mr. Wallet to begin convulsing...

[sirenwerks]

is the only explination possible for not yet releasing PC&F boxcars

A recent email to FVM with two questions, one being whether they have PC&F cars on their list of to-dos, was answered with only one response, not being to the latter question. Their silence left me to speculate that FVM will do these while Athearn slumbers, like the PS 5344. Frankly, I don't care either way who does them, as long as they get done and done well, and preferably done soon.

[Mark5]

Personally I'd hope Athearn stays away from any new tooling that I'd want to be available on any kind of regular basis.

They seem to be "camping" on the MDC Roundhouse 3 bay hopper tooling. What a waste. I miss Roundhouse - at least they released this tooling on a regular basis ...   >:

[TiVoPrince]

Frankly, I don't care either way who does them, as long as they get done and done well, and preferably done soon.

Agreed
SP modelers need a minimum of dozens and anyone with a lumber consuming industry needs at least a few...

[Chulvis]

I really don't understand where Athearn is going with N Scale. Their rolling stock is all over the map and they don't seem to be able to decide if they want to be what Athearn Genesis is to HO Scale or what Model Power rolling stock is to N Scale.

I really do not understand why they have not introduced a Genesis line for N Scale and leave the old Roundhouse as a Trainman like line. It would be truth in advertising and I think most of us would know what to expect from a line like that. Very frustrating.

[ljudice]

Chuck - I think you hit the nail on the head...

It's hard to understand how they could do the Ethanol tanks which are really superb - just about perfect models (maybe even better than Atlas, since they seem to withstand handling better). But then they re-issue the MDC tank cars - with no upgrade except very nice paint jobs. I would have loved to purchase some of them, but not without the details that even Athearn included in the Ethanol tanks.

The modern boxcars and refrigerator cars were well done - but then they do the 65' mill gons - a nice model that looked like it was dipped in chocolate - and then painted.

There are a ton of things they could do easily - and they would sell:  lots of schemes for those very nice MDC waffleside boxcars;  scrap hauler schemes for the thrall high side gons;  more runs of the 52' gondola - one of the only accurate gons in N-scale.

They will probably do a cab forward next and we'll have two to choose from!

I agree we need to get FVM to do the PCF boxcars - at least they may happen then!!!

Lou

[sirenwerks]

I hope Athearn is listening. Discussions such as this should be invaluable in terms of marketing, and this feedback is free to them. All manufacturers and would-be manufacturers should be here, listening. Granted, there's some feedback which is pretty bruising and some which, well, a manufacturer just can't accommodate, but this discussion is pretty much a general admission buy the purchasing audience to Athearn that "We just don't get what you're doing, and you need to do something about it soon or you'll loose."