Athearn 25th Jan 2019 Announcements

[milw156]

  Are there any online resources available?  Thank you in advance for any insight.

Jeff

Here is one reference that Craig from Bluford shops has put together
www.bluford-shops.com/bluford_93_024.htm

[cjm413]

I guess its time to lobby Athearn http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=ln480201&o=ln

MDC offered them in this paint scheme, don't know why Athearn didn't chose this one vs the wrong L&N paint.

Unfortunately,  MDC didn't offer a choice of doors like they did with the PS and Berwick 5277's, as those Pickens cars with the PS doors are also nice.

[nkalanaga]

Sirenwerks:  The ends are the first thing I checked.  Non-terminating ends were rare in 1974, so I ALWAYS check a new model with them.  There were a few prototypes around by mid-74, so I can't simply rule out any car with them, but most are either too modern, or incorrect.

Trivia:  The oddest non-terminating ends I've seen were Dreadnaught ends, looked just like the older ones, but with the vertical side plates.  They must have been rare, as I've seen very few, but they were out there. 

[cjm413]

Sirenwerks:  The ends are the first thing I checked.  Non-terminating ends were rare in 1974, so I ALWAYS check a new model with them.  There were a few prototypes around by mid-74, so I can't simply rule out any car with them, but most are either too modern, or incorrect.

Trivia:  The oddest non-terminating ends I've seen were Dreadnaught ends, looked just like the older ones, but with the vertical side plates.  They must have been rare, as I've seen very few, but they were out there.

IC's cars with those ends would be within your era - they're pretty close to Athearn's SIECO 5077 cuft box, but with different doors and sills



PS also had a non-terminating version of their PS-1 ends:

[nkalanaga]

Yep, that IC car has the ends I was thinking of.  I don't remember ever seeing the PS end, but probably wouldn't have notice it anyway.  At first glance it looks like their later "simplified" non-terminating end, and I would probably have thought it was one.

The door on that IC car looks like a replacement.  If it is, was the original the same style?

The "Canadian Freightcar Gallery" says it was built in 1969, so I could definitely use one of those.  Thank you!

[cjm413]

Yep, that IC car has the ends I was thinking of.  I don't remember ever seeing the PS end, but probably wouldn't have notice it anyway.  At first glance it looks like their later "simplified" non-terminating end, and I would probably have thought it was one.

The door on that IC car looks like a replacement.  If it is, was the original the same style?

The "Canadian Freightcar Gallery" says it was built in 1969, so I could definitely use one of those.  Thank you!

Youngstown doors are original

[nkalanaga]

Darn.  I don't mind changing doors, if the original is a separate piece, but carving sliding doors off a shell is NOT my idea of "fun".

Off topic, but I have one of the Athearn models, factory painted for the MILW "Resourceful Railroad" scheme.  The factory left the first "u" out of "Reso rceful".  Both sides, naturally.

It goes well with my ancient KD/MT 40' PS-1 lettered for the "MAIN CENTRAL".

[cjm413]

Darn.  I don't mind changing doors, if the original is a separate piece, but carving sliding doors off a shell is NOT my idea of "fun".

Off topic, but I have one of the Athearn models, factory painted for the MILW "Resourceful Railroad" scheme.  The factory left the first "u" out of "Reso rceful".  Both sides, naturally.

It goes well with my ancient KD/MT 40' PS-1 lettered for the "MAIN CENTRAL".

A Dremel at low speed is a good way to remove a door that has been molded in place on a HO model, but I admittedly haven't tried it yet in N where the car sides are thinner and the surface area that needs to be removed is a bit smaller...

[Mark5]

Off topic, but I have one of the Athearn models, factory painted for the MILW "Resourceful Railroad" scheme.  The factory left the first "u" out of "Reso rceful".  Both sides, naturally.

Yeah, that was widely "discussed" when that was released.

[thomasjmdavis]

Darn.  I don't mind changing doors, if the original is a separate piece, but carving sliding doors off a shell is NOT my idea of "fun".

Off topic, but I have one of the Athearn models, factory painted for the MILW "Resourceful Railroad" scheme.  The factory left the first "u" out of "Reso rceful".  Both sides, naturally.

It goes well with my ancient KD/MT 40' PS-1 lettered for the "MAIN CENTRAL".

I thought the misspelling on one of the MT REA express reefers was some sort of mixup at the MT pad printer, but it turns out there was a mixup at the REA paint shop in the 1950s. The REA car with that road number indeed had the misspelling.

[peteski]

I thought the misspelling on one of the MT REA express reefers was some sort of mixup at the MT pad printer, but it turns out there was a mixup at the REA paint shop in the 1950s. The REA car with that road number indeed had the misspelling.

A misspelled model lettering of a misspelled prototype instantly doubles the collector's value!   

[cjm413]

I thought the misspelling on one of the MT REA express reefers was some sort of mixup at the MT pad printer, but it turns out there was a mixup at the REA paint shop in the 1950s. The REA car with that road number indeed had the misspelling.

When is Athearn going to release a "INTERANTIONAL MTIULFOODS" Airslide?

http://gp30.com/osborn/

[nkalanaga]

For all I know the MILW car may be correct, as I haven't seen a prototype photo of that number.  I'm sure the "Main Central" car isn't...

As long as I've had both, I'm not sure I was on Railwire when the Athearn cars came out.