Athearn 40' Drop Sill Parcel Trailer

[peteski]

As far as UPS licensing goes, each production run requires a new licensing agreement.  And that will only occur if UPS approves the models in advance, as well as samples from the production run. 

UPS is extremely strict about the quality of the models produced, and it is possible to have an entire production run rejected!

Carter

Ok, no problem, so far the manufacturers seem to be doing just fine. I also cannot imagine any of the Trainworx vehicles being rejected (unless the contractor making the models makes a major mistake).  Same goes for Athearn.

What I was saying is  that up until now N scale UPS vehicles were rarer than the proverbial hen's teeth, but now we suddenly seem to have an abundance of them.  Life is good!

What I would also love to see is the 28' drop floor trailers without the beveled edges on the front. I'm not a truck expert so I don't know the official name of those, but those are the ones FedEx uses.  The current Trainworx FedEx run is a foob because of that.

[jagged ben]

I'd like to understand manufacturers, I really would.... Geez...

...

I was pondering this, and have a guess.  For the past few months, every Athearn N scale release has been a duplicate of an HO scale release.  It's like they look at what they're doing in HO and say 'pick three to do in N'.   So presumably they are saving time on research and artwork, but probably not deciding what to do in N based on looking at that market.   The pattern doesn't hold for earlier this year but it does for the most recent releases.   

By the way, one of this month's releases is another brand new tooling for N, a wood sheathed caboose.   Surprised we don't have a thread on it yet.

[peteski]

By the way, one of this month's releases is another brand new tooling for N, a wood sheathed caboose.   Surprised we don't have a thread on it yet.

 I'm hoping that some manufacturer will produce wood-sheated meat reefers superior to the clunky Rapido ones.  Maybe MTL will give us some delicately engraved models.    How's that for a thread drift? 

[wcfn100]

By the way, one of this month's releases is another brand new tooling for N, a wood sheathed caboose.   Surprised we don't have a thread on it yet.

Isn't that the MDC caboose?

Jason

[jagged ben]

Isn't that the MDC caboose?

Jason

Oh, maybe.  I've never heard of such a thing.  But Athearn has not run it yet since getting the tooling, AFAIK.  EDIT:  I always forget you have to check that box to see retired models on their website.   Anyway I guess I was blissfully unaware of this model since it's out significantly out of my era.

[James Costello]

I was pondering this, and have a guess.  For the past few months, every Athearn N scale release has been a duplicate of an HO scale release.  It's like they look at what they're doing in HO and say 'pick three to do in N'.   So presumably they are saving time on research and artwork, but probably not deciding what to do in N based on looking at that market.   The pattern doesn't hold for earlier this year but it does for the most recent releases.   

That's what I don't get though. Surely if "what has sold well in HO" is the first question, then wouldn't the follow up be "let's eliminate from that list what is already available" ???

If manufacturers eliminate a model from production consideration because there's only a couple or even only one road name, then how do the production numbers stack up for when there is an existing model available?

Sure it's different for "current" or modern releases when there's demand for what's hot (insert current locomotive here - i.e., GEVO etc) but 40' drop frames are probably 15 years past their prime. Any pent up demand has gone because of the Trainworx release.

Even as a load for a potential combo with an F89F intermodal flat doesn't make that much sense - especially as Athearn has 28'/40'/45' trailers already available for inclusion.

I guess it's just an example, like Kato and MTL, of we don't care what anyone else makes, we're going to do it our way.

[James Costello]

What I would also love to see is the 28' drop floor trailers without the beveled edges on the front. I'm not a truck expert so I don't know the official name of those, but those are the ones FedEx uses.  The current Trainworx FedEx run is a foob because of that.

I wasn't aware the FedEx drop frame was different, but yes, there are a few minor visual differences between it and the various UPS versions. I think you're going to have to live with this as a stand-in model though.

Like Carter, I'd love to see the far more common (for UPS) bull-nose style 28' straight pup (with the bevelled front corners) than the generic, rounded front corner version Pat has done. I understand the economic reasons for doing so and Pat has previously said to me that he "probably" won't do the bull nose version, so I think it's very unlikely to see a "slightly" different drop frame version.

Hopefully the continued success of the trailer and tractor releases from Trainworx will mean Pat will be able to continue to expand the product line over time with confidence and some of these varieties and different models will become available.   

[peteski]

I wasn't aware the FedEx drop frame was different, but yes, there are a few minor visual differences between it and the various UPS versions. I think you're going to have to live with this as a stand-in model though.

I would not call the beveled-edge nose a "minor visual difference" from the trailer with squared off corners.  It is quite noticeable.

[cfritschle]

I wasn't aware the FedEx drop frame was different, but yes, there are a few minor visual differences between it and the various UPS versions. I think you're going to have to live with this as a stand-in model though.

Like Carter, I'd love to see the far more common (for UPS) bull-nose style 28' straight pup (with the bevelled front corners) than the generic, rounded front corner version Pat has done. I understand the economic reasons for doing so and Pat has previously said to me that he "probably" won't do the bull nose version, so I think it's very unlikely to see a "slightly" different drop frame version.

Hopefully the continued success of the trailer and tractor releases from Trainworx will mean Pat will be able to continue to expand the product line over time with confidence and some of these varieties and different models will become available.   

James,

And to make all of this more interesting, UPS has begun taking delivery of all new drop frame 28-foot pups that look nearly identical to the prototype that FedEx uses.  However, I cannot find the link to the photos right now.   

Carter

Edit:  Found it!  It was posted to the modelintermodal Yahoo Group.  https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/modelintermodal/photos/photostream/lightbox/1593619651?orderBy=mtime&sortOrder=desc&photoFilter=ALL#zax/1593619651

I am reasonably certain you would have to be a member of the group to view the photo.

[James Costello]

It is quite noticeable.

Only if you're looking for it.

I also didn't realise until now that Fedex had rounded ends on some drop frames as well.

But like the other style, amongst a sea of trailers, it's first and foremost a drop frame pup.

Like all models, our acceptance of the compromises made in production will vary amongst us all.

[peteski]

Only if you're looking for it.

Like all models, our acceptance of the compromises made in production will vary amongst us all.

You are correct of course. To me the beveled corners stood out like sore thumb on the FedEx trailers.  Alternatively, lack of the beveled corners looked odd on some older foobie UPS trailers. To me that is a very distinctive UPS-type feature.