Amherst - West Springfield 2019 Announcements

[James Costello]

Atlas HO - new "Multi-Max" auto-racks and ACF 5250 covered hoppers, from the Atlas Rescue Board:

http://atlasrescueforum.proboards.com/thread/7272/atlas-multi-cars-5250-hoppers

[Pathtimber]

Athearn has announced they are making every container they make in HO in N scale as well.

[Mark5]

Athearn has announced they are making every container they make in HO in N scale as well.

Cool, maybe we'll finally see a 40' "smooth" container!

http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH12174

[cfritschle]

Cool, maybe we'll finally see a 40' "smooth" container!

http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH12174

But isn't that about the only one that has not been made in N scale already? 

Looking at the HO containers on the Athearn web site, the 20-ft reefers, 45-ft corrugated and 48-ft sheet post containers look a lot like the DeLuxe (now Fox Valley) version of those or similar containers. 

Does Athearn make any 53-ft HO scale containers that have not been done in N scale?   

[thomasjmdavis]

Somebody please wake me from my nap if anyone, anywhere, announces anything at all that has a prototype prior to 1956....steam locomotive, Baldwin diesel, prototype size wooden soda bottle cases, Chicago style 3 flat apartment building, or a single windo.....

At this point, I would settle for a pre-announcement of a coming announcement of a pre-order period for something I could actually use.

[ncbqguy]

Well, Walthers did announce a Merchants Row III kit.  Three middle of the block early 1900s brick store buildings in the style of the prior I and II kits.
Charlie Vlk

[Mark5]

Well, Walthers did announce a Merchants Row III kit.  Three middle of the block early 1900s brick store buildings in the style of the prior I and II kits.
Charlie Vlk

Cool. The info: https://www.walthers.com/merchant-s-row-iii-kit

Looks good at a glance!

[Mark5]

But isn't that about the only one that has not been made in N scale already? 

Yes, but essential if you happen to model any time in the 1970s.

[thomasjmdavis]

Well, Walthers did announce a Merchants Row III kit.  Three middle of the block early 1900s brick store buildings in the style of the prior I and II kits.
Charlie Vlk

Thanks Charlie.  I will probably pick one up at some point. When I get to some appropriate city block in layout construction and have run out of DPM buildings I already have. 

[cfritschle]

Yes, but essential if you happen to model any time in the 1970s.

I agree that the 40-ft sheet post container is needed, and essential.  I still have some of the old Interail kits to assemble.   

I will be concerned though if Athearn invests in new tooling for containers we already have, and then wonders why N scale modelers did not purchase them in large numbers. 

I would hate to see a repeat of what happened with the Athearn 40-foot UPS drop frame parcel trailer. 

http://www.athearn.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=40%27+parcel&CatID=TNVT

The N scale market was pretty much satisfied with the Trainworx 40-foot UPS drop frame trailer.   

http://www.train-worx.com/40parcel.htm

Now both manufacturers have unsold inventory, although Trainworx has mostly sold out.

[Mark5]

The N scale market was pretty much satisfied with the Trainworx 40-foot UPS drop frame trailer.   

I partly missed out on the Trainworx version, so I was grateful for the Athearn release.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Bear with me... LONG multi part post ahead...

[Chris333]

That Walther's building does look nice, who told them about N scale?

[DKS]

That Walther's building does look nice, who told them about N scale?

Looks nice at a glance. But on closer inspection it looks like it was tooled in the 60s or 70s, with giant bricks and mortar lines, and fat window parts. In fact, in the unpainted image it looks more like a recent Woodland Scenics pre-fab abomination... I just don't get it, especially when some of their other N Scale kits are so much better...

[wanders off scratching head]

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Well, I can't upload my photo. Ugh.