I WANT KITS!!!!! Bring back the "Blue Boxes"!

[Anonymous]

I enjoy building my HO scale models and the companies are becoming mostly Ready-To-Run, what's going on?
Horizon buys the Athearn name then gets rid of the "Blue Boxes", then they buy Roundhouse; they better not make that line of kits exstinct or I'm going to be [:(!].

[jsoderq]

Please keep current on the news. Horizon has NOT discontinued the kits. They have just published the production schedule for 2005 available at www. athearn.com.

[orsonroy]

Actually, Horizon HAS discontinued SOME of the kist: all Roundhouse "steam era" cars will now be available only as RTR. The modern Roundhouse cars have been folded into the Athearn line and will be available as RTR or kits, as will all old Athearn cars.

But why bother fixating on Athearn? There are loads of other manufacturers out there that still make freight car kits. Ignoring the resin and wood manufacturers, you still have Bowser, Accurail, Branchline, Red Caboose, Tichy, C&BT Car Shops, Central Valley, Con-Cor, ECW, Intermountain (undec only), IHC, Like Like Proto 2000, Stewart (Bowser), and Walthers.

[mvlandsw]

I agree. I prefer to start with undecorated kits and do my own assembly and finishing work.There are many car types available only RTR. I might not mind if the quality of the work justified the prices, but I don't like to pay high prices for poor work that I will have to undo to make corrections. I have found that even the highest priced cars have sloppy assembly work and painting. Parts are not removed from sprues cleanly. Either a bump is left on the part or a portion of the part is cut away. Parts are not glued on straight and excess glue is used leaving bumps on the surface or under the paint. Paint does not get applied to many nooks and crannies on the cars. No matching paint is available for touch up. The paint colors used are very bright which makes weathering difficult. The unpainted plastic cars like Kadee are even worse. The plastic colors of various parts do not match and weathering affects the different materials in unpredictable manners. Lettering is one good thing. The printing quality on most cars is very good but many times this is damaged in correcting the other problems.

[Anonymous]

I don't like the Blue Box Grain Hoppers. the 5 i have run like crap. I'm gonna be out of luck if Hozion stop production or combines the MDC Roundhouse Grain hoppers with teh athearn blue boxes. I have accurail cars and i like them. But i don't want the majority of my covered hopper fleet to be Smooth side. I like to throw in some RIbside for variety.

[Javern]

many mom&pop type hobby stores still have tons of these kits, git em while u can

[Anonymous]

I am loading up on them off ebay. I will be picking up a few more at shows this year. I dont think they will ever stop making them but we went thru this last year when Horizion first bought Athearn.

[Anonymous]

Jay, did you change out the wheelsets on the Athearn Covered Hoppers. The kits for years came with 33" diameter wheelsets and should have 36" diameter wheelsets. By replacing with 36" diameter metal wheels it will bring the coupler height to the proper height and improve the running qualtities.

Also the Athearn Car is a PS4740 and the Intermountain is a PS4750, which the C&NW had a lot of. This car is available as an undecorated kit and I am sure you can find decorated CNW kits also on dealer's shelves.

Rick

[Anonymous]

check out trainshows,those blue boxes are everywhere,also get some branchline "yardmaster series" boxcar kits, better kit,more accurate model

[BRAKIE]

Guys,Right now the money is in RTR and not kits..Athearn may or may not produce the MDC cars as kits.
Allow me to call your attention to this topic located on the RRF.
http://www.railroadforum.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7051

[IRONROOSTER]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BRAKIE

Guys,Right now the money is in RTR and not kits..Athearn may or may not produce the MDC cars as kits.
Allow me to call your attention to this topic located on the RRF.
http://www.railroadforum.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7051

Current magazine advertising and Horizon Hobby's site list RTR old timers only for the MDC line. With so many kits produced over the years, I am sure they will be around for a while. Still, I would get them now rather than wait.

Athearn's site lists a kit production schedule for 2005 http://www.athearn.com/Media/2005kits.pdf
Enjoy
Paul

Enjoy
Paul

[BRAKIE]

Paul said:Still, I would get them now rather than wait.
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Absolutely!!! A lot of the newer 5344 and 5347 boxcars are sold out and discontunued...I waited a little to long to get the Savannah State Docks boxcar.
Now my hope lays in the next train show..[:(] Of course I may be overlooking a on line shop that may have 'em.