I remember seeing John Deere sets in Walmart around the same time when the JD / Athearn tractors were there. I guess the partnership did not last.
Jim
Great Northern Fan 54 Turns out the other pages were archived, just not the main Page 2. Among them were trains for Richard Petty, International Mineral Chemicals, Railroad Tycoon II, Gaetano, and Carnation. https://web.archive.org/web/20110625201933/http://hoseeker.net/gallery/index.php?album=athearnmaingallery1%2Ftrainsetsproducedforadvertising&image=RICHARD_PETTY_TS.jpg subway surfers just click "next" to get to the others now this page is definitely incomplete, it lacks the Farmall set which I know is real because I own one. So perhaps there are more that are undocumented online.
Turns out the other pages were archived, just not the main Page 2. Among them were trains for Richard Petty, International Mineral Chemicals, Railroad Tycoon II, Gaetano, and Carnation.
https://web.archive.org/web/20110625201933/http://hoseeker.net/gallery/index.php?album=athearnmaingallery1%2Ftrainsetsproducedforadvertising&image=RICHARD_PETTY_TS.jpg subway surfers
just click "next" to get to the others
now this page is definitely incomplete, it lacks the Farmall set which I know is real because I own one. So perhaps there are more that are undocumented online.
As for your question about why Athearn released a Genesis EMD F7 with a decent paint scheme, it's possible that they were simply testing the waters to see how well the model would sell. The F7 is a popular model among model railroaders, and Athearn may have seen an opportunity to expand their product line by offering a high-quality, detailed version of the locomotive in a unique paint scheme.
It's also possible that Athearn was approached by a customer or distributor who was interested in purchasing a custom version of the F7 with a specific paint scheme. In some cases, model train manufacturers will produce limited runs of custom models for specific customers or distributors.
Great Northern Fan 54This page is definitely incomplete, it lacks the Farmall set which I know is real because I own one. So perhaps there are more that are undocumented online.
When it comes to out-of-production models, I have found that locating complete lists of anything online is very difficult.
I was shown this list of Fine Scale Miniatures kits by another forum member, and it is an excellent source.
I also would love to have lists of all the Magnuson kits, but have not found one.
There are many other long-gone manufacturers that lack any on-line resources as well.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
https://web.archive.org/web/20110625201933/http://hoseeker.net/gallery/index.php?album=athearnmaingallery1%2Ftrainsetsproducedforadvertising&image=RICHARD_PETTY_TS.jpg
Follow up:
I did some digging and found HO Seeker's promotional train setlist. Unfortunately, the link is broken so the Wayback machine is needed, and unfortunately only page 1 was archived. But this shows several more trains such as Harvey Davison, Monsanto, Saturn Cars, and the weirdest of all, Joshen.
Sadly Page 2 is broken and unarchived, so who knows how many more Athearn Promotional Train Sets are out there.
https://web.archive.org/web/20101215181138/https://hoseeker.net/gallery/index.php?album=athearnmaingallery1%2Ftrainsetsproducedforadvertising
PM Railfan Hard to believe those are out of the box Athearns. Not sure that i do. At any rate, that is an awesome set of models. Agreed, if it wasnt now a livery for J.D., it would make a great midwestern small class II or III livery. Well done who ever did this part of it. What really stands out is someone actually handling the models in a lab suit (albeit rather haphazardly). Friends and family think im strange for doing this just to 'play with toy trains'. Ofcourse, even when a non-modeller (not a train nut like us) sees the price tag...... they totally understand the suit and gloves. PMR
Hard to believe those are out of the box Athearns. Not sure that i do. At any rate, that is an awesome set of models. Agreed, if it wasnt now a livery for J.D., it would make a great midwestern small class II or III livery. Well done who ever did this part of it.
What really stands out is someone actually handling the models in a lab suit (albeit rather haphazardly). Friends and family think im strange for doing this just to 'play with toy trains'.
Ofcourse, even when a non-modeller (not a train nut like us) sees the price tag...... they totally understand the suit and gloves.
PMR
Yeah, the fuel tank on the "A" unit has definitely seem some rough handling, with all the nicks in the paint clearly visible. The video description doesn't say they are new in box, although calling it an "unboxing" certains implies as much.
Another thing that is interesting to me is how Athearn just sometimes just recolored paint schemes (I found one JD F7 set that is clearly just recolored Canadian Pacific)
Apparently you are not familiar with the Athearn Genesis line of F units? One of the best detailed and best running F units on the market, for several decades now.
Sheldon
SeeYou190 bmtrainmaster I was thinking of napa auto parts. Athearn made that one too! -Kevin
bmtrainmaster I was thinking of napa auto parts.
Athearn made that one too!
To my knowledge, Athearn has released the following
A Plethora of John Deere Train Sets and a Genesis F7 Set
About three Farmall Train Sets
A Napa Train Set
A Motorola Train Set
A GM Parts Train Set
A Cornwell Tools Train Set
and weirdest of all, a Coca-Cola Train Set.
Not sure if there are any more. Do any of you guys know if there are more
PM Railfan Hard to believe those are out of the box Athearns. Not sure that i do.
Hard to believe those are out of the box Athearns. Not sure that i do.
Not sure if I do either. The coupler 'air hoses' are bent upward and it looks like there is some wear on the wheels from running around a track.
Nice units, however. Great detail.
Len S
ATLANTIC CENTRAL SeeYou190 bmtrainmaster Never seen a napa though. The Athearn Napa set is very handsome. I think there actually is a Napa Valley wine train. If there is, I wonder how accurate the Athearn models are. -Kevin Not close at all. The Athearn heavyweight cars are all just freelanced designs. The wine train is pulled by a set of ALCO FA units, not EMD F7's. From the few pictures I could find, the real wine train is a mix of heavyweight and streamlined cars from various builders and time periods. Sheldon
SeeYou190 bmtrainmaster Never seen a napa though. The Athearn Napa set is very handsome. I think there actually is a Napa Valley wine train. If there is, I wonder how accurate the Athearn models are. -Kevin
bmtrainmaster Never seen a napa though.
The Athearn Napa set is very handsome. I think there actually is a Napa Valley wine train. If there is, I wonder how accurate the Athearn models are.
Not close at all.
The Athearn heavyweight cars are all just freelanced designs.
The wine train is pulled by a set of ALCO FA units, not EMD F7's.
From the few pictures I could find, the real wine train is a mix of heavyweight and streamlined cars from various builders and time periods.
bmtrainmasterI was thinking of napa auto parts.
I was thinking of napa auto parts .
Yep there is a Napa valley train.
bmtrainmasterNever seen a napa though.
I know Athearn has made other John Deere sets in the past. I have seen IH sets too. Never seen a napa though.
Looks like John Deere augmented EMD production at the height of dieselization and produced at least one set of F7 demonstrators
This is very much in line with recent foobies by BLI - high quality products in fantasy paint schemes.
JW
This is the first I've seen this. Thanks for posting.
Looks like a nice set.
Mike.
My You Tube
So recently I have gone down this bizarre HO Scale Rabbithole. Athearn's turn of the century Branded Trains.
Around the 1990s-2000s. Athearn released these weird HO Scale Train Sets for brands like John Deere and NAPA. They usually make a train set with an F7 and some common repaints of cars.
However, around 2002 Athearn made a Genesis EMD F7 with a decent paint scheme that IMO would be a swell Freelance Scheme for a Midwestern Railroad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X39IZ2oBSQc
I have no idea why Athearn rolled out this one Genesis model, since to my knowledge. All the other Athearn Branded stuff have been bluebox train sets.