Athearn N Announcements Friday, September 29

[Mark5]

Announced Friday, September 29:

NEW ANNOUNCEMENT: N 50' FMC COMBO DOOR BOX
http://www.athearn.com/newsletter/092917/09_N_50ft_FMC_Combo_092917.pdf

NEW ANNOUNCEMENT: N 53' GSC FLAT CAR
http://www.athearn.com/newsletter/092917/10_N-scale_53ft_GSC_Flat_092917.pdf

Mark

[Philip H]

much boxcar goodness

[Mark5]

Here's one of the BN cars in 2011 - paint is in great shape considering:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/rsPicture.aspx?id=452217

[C855B]

Here's one of the BN cars in 2011 - paint is in great shape considering:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/rsPicture.aspx?id=452217

Not quite sure this is the same car, albeit similar. The plug door on the Athearn car is smaller. Also, the flyer says "mid 1970s", and the BN car in that picture is clearly of pre-1970 heritage - it has roofwalk brackets, high brake wheel and evidence of ladder lowering.

Shame - ever so slightly too late for my modeling era, plus I was never a fan of the huge "We Can Handle It" on the brown UP cars.

[Mark5]

Not quite sure this is the same car, albeit similar.

It is one of the numbers Athearn is doing. Releases of this body style have been famously foobulous. 

[GaryHinshaw]

The ABOX is pretty cool though.  The prototype is a PCF car, but close enough in my book:

http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=78872 (account req'd)

[sirenwerks]

Wasn't there some sort of issue with the Athearn model in regards to it being an accurate representation of an FMC car, maybe the roof panels were wrong or something?

[ljudice]

I like the ABOX's and MP cars - but didn't UP inherit their matching cars from MP - and thus should have the small shield?

[jmlaboda - RIP]

That flat will fit in a lot of folks eras... definitely nice!!!

[C855B]

I like the ABOX's and MP cars - but didn't UP inherit their matching cars from MP - and thus should have the small shield?

You're right. However, it appears the UP car is correct or really close, even the plug door: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1899471

"We Can Handle It" was gone before the MP acquisition.

Correcting myself: fairly close. That proto pic shows a different sill profile and I think roofwalk brackets are visible. So it's also a pre-1970 car.

I never thought I'd see the day when I was rivet-counting boxcars. [...sigh...] You guys have certainly corrupted me.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I wouldn't throw some of those boxes out of bed for eating cookies.

[wmcbride]

I am just excited to see body-mounted couplers...

[sirenwerks]

Grrr... must resist the urge to up my era to '76.

[Mark5]

I am just excited to see body-mounted couplers...

Hopefully they'll do a better job on body mounts on these than they did on the PS-1 box cars. On the PS-1, instead of lowering the car for the body mounts they lowered the coupler pocket ... 

[ljudice]

You're right. However, it appears the UP car is correct or really close, even the plug door: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1899471

"We Can Handle It" was gone before the MP acquisition.

Correcting myself: fairly close. That proto pic shows a different sill profile and I think roofwalk brackets are visible. So it's also a pre-1970 car.

I never thought I'd see the day when I was rivet-counting boxcars. [...sigh...] You guys have certainly corrupted me.

And not outside braced -  MTL has done foobs of that car too....