Bad news from Athearn

[Anonymous]

Hi!
That's too bad. SD40's are my favorite. You can get a big party of freinds on one of those.
I'm sure you can still find some Athearn SD's on Ebay for years to come.
Rivarossi is also having some troubles and may be bought out.
Motorpurrr

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cwclark

dougal....i just found you an undecorated emd sd 40 t2 athttp://store.yahoo.com/internettrains/atpowunfansc.html for $48.03

Thanks! I did get a two pack (one power and one dummy) a few months ago but now I might get another.

[Anonymous]

Also being an R/C car guy, I have some insight into this debate which few other would have. About two years ago, Horizon Hobby Inc. purchsed Team Losi, one of the major American R/C car manufacturers. To this date, I have never heard of any problems related to this take-over. Some people in the R/C car hobby had misgivings about the merger, just like people here do, but Team Losi has not changed noticeably. Horizon said the same things about Losi that they have been saying about Athearn, that their management will still be up to them, and their headquaters would stay in the same location. In other words, I wouldn't worry to much about it. The only problem that might arrise would be less production of the "Blue Box" kit and more of the RTRs, but that would be purely Athearn's decision. Hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Crewdog

I thought this was bad news a couple days ago, but upon further reflection, there may be a silver lining in this cloud.
If it is true that Horizon only sells to honest-to-goodness, retail-storefront hobby shops, then the guys working out of their garage or basement with a lap top and a phone line will not be getting Athearn products anymore.

My legitimate hobby shop, who has a clean store with good parking, who doesn't sell at swap meets or train shows and who proudly pushed Athearn products for 20 years would love to be an authorized dealer, but can't afford Horizon's extortion fees. A couple years before the Atheran sale, Horizon cancelled his account because they never had anything in stock worth selling to his customers.

So much for loyalty and small hobby shops.

[cwclark]

dougal....i just found you an undecorated emd sd 40 t2 athttp://store.yahoo.com/internettrains/atpowunfansc.html for $48.03

[DTomajko]

My LHS has told me that he has dealt with Horizon on a regular basis for R/C cars and planes and has never exprienced a problem dealing with them. The one thing he said would be different is that instead of multiple distributors of Athearn, like Bowser & Walthers, there will only be Horizon. There have to be the usual takeover gliches and hiccups,but I agree with my LHS that Athearn is far too valuble a company too completely change everything. Also keep in mind that Bowser is its own exclusive distributor and their product availabilty doesn't seem to suffer.Also keep in mind that there are so many model railroad items available today, it is almost impossible to insure that everything will be in stock everywhere at once. I have had to wait as long as three years to get an item on order,(and my LHS was checking with at least 3 suppliers every month).Items will always go in & out of stock in this hobby, just like the R/C and plastic modeling hobbies,and Sears, Best Buy, Lowes, et al. To mutilate a quote;"Nothing is constant but change". Lets just wait and see how things work out before the cries of falling sky and greivous injury overwhelm us all.

I also must be in the minority in that I now do most of my hobby purchases at two hobby shops 20 & 30 miles from home.I have always been treated with nothing but respect & courtesy every time,even at the very first visit. I used to buy a few things at train shows not always handled by the shops,(books, videos,used or rare pieces, etc.),but working on Saturday & Sunday has eliminated that option, but frankly I don't really miss it that much.I have never bought anything from EBay or the web but have used mail-order for books & videos or things from Micro-Mark or DigiKey.

How about everyone relaxing instead spreading rumors until we see how everything shakes out.Good luck and good modeling.

[Fergmiester]

I asked one of the owners at my LHS today about Blue Boxes and he basically said blu boxes are harder to get at this time, but there is ample Athearn RTR. He didn't know what the future held.

[dharmon]

A bunch of years ago, when the Navy was teaching me how to fly, one of my instrcuctors told me that there are a few, but not many "emergencies" that will arise which require no kidding, immediate attention. Other than those, the best thing to do is to regain control of the aircraft, sit on your hands, assess the situation, then act once you got the picture together ........in order......aviate, navigate, communicate......I don't think that enough time has lapsed yet to make an honest or fair assessment of the Athearn/Horizon situation....

Athearn has said that they are continuing to do blue boxes in addition to the RTR stuff. They are apparently doing some retooling too and incorporating the Rail Power molds into their lines ..as they did with the CF7. I'm not sure that Horizon has had a fair chance to get their arms around the big herd of cats they got going, but one thing for sure is that the rumor mill is still going strong......and they are getting bombarded with emails and phone calls, at the same time they are getting ready to move locations in CA, and are dealing with a change in distributorship, back orders...etc......maybe we need to sit on our hands a little while, cut them some slack and let things develop....then complain. This ..I heard from, who got it from, on good authority from an un-named source who knows someone that went to a hobby shop once...just fuels the fire.......Sure prices will go up.....they aways do.....ain't nuthin new here..and it's not just Athearn...and if your LHS is raising prices on Athearn that's already in stock....then it's him you need to be talking about........there are plenty of blue box deals around....one of my LHSs still has plenty, and at every swap meet I've gone to, I've picked up a kit or two..$3 - $8 range. In fact just last weekend I got a dummy SD40-2 NIB, for $11. Stop bellyaching and hit the shows...

.......Ebay.....Ebay sellers are feeding from the sky is falling panic...some of the stuff in the ads....."get these now before they're gone", "not many left", "soon to be collectors items", etc.....

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BRAKIE

Instead of depending on what your dealer said or he said they say go to the horses mouth and ask Athearn..

I e-mailed Athearn with a link to this thread a few days ago and suggested to post a reply or something. So far nothing. Not even an acknowledgement they received my message.

[BRAKIE]

Instead of depending on what your dealer said or he said they say go to the horses mouth and ask Athearn..Sure there is a lack of blue boxes in some areas but stop and think of whats going on..You have panic buying,speculators and collectors all trying buy up the"last" of the blue boxes which is not the case.
Now,If you really want that CR SD40-2 then look no farther the e bay..There is tons of Athearn located there at very good prices..Check the Internet shops they still may have some in stock..Its not all gloom and doom if you know where to look.

[Fergmiester]

I bought an Old Time Caboose the other day and I gotta say it's better than the Athearn Cabooses and for the same price. I realize everyone is concerned with Athearn's stability but they're not the only kid on the block. I know one of my LHS's aren't overly enthused with Athearn as of late, but at least we do have alternatives. I also looked at a bottom end Life Like RTR. one word...... YUuCK!!!

[brothaslide]

Is it just me or does the Athearn website look outdated? It just has this look when websites were first becoming popular back in the late 1990s.

They make great trains but how about a website re-do?!

(I know, I know - my website could use a facelift as well.)

[Anonymous]

hey CBQ_guy -- thanks for calming words of wisdom!

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by joncharlie

About two hours ago i read a post on another forum website which contained a copy of a reply from an Athearn spokesman. He stated that Athearn was NOT going to discontinue the BLUE BOX offerings. Maybe there is not a need to get our underwear in a wad just yet. Why not wait and see?

jon

Righto. My LHS owner had some questions and a week or so ago had some free time, so he locked up his shop and drove over to Champaign, Illinois to try and get some answers. He ended up getting tour of the place and then had a sit down in the Presidents office where they had a face to face.

From what I can remember, he was told they were NOT discontinuing kits. In fact, they were having all of the old molds redone since they were so old and were about worn out. That is being done in China, BUT he said the shells were being shipped back here where they will be molded and painted, and the RTR stuff assembled. Right here in the USA!

Athearn also sent out a newsletter email a week or so ago which said something along the lines of "We will still be making blue box kits, to put that another way, we have NOT stopped making blue box kits!" So anything you read to the contrary is untrue, misinformation, rumor or just plain lies.

Of course we'll have to still wait and see what they actually do, but until then there is no reason whatsoever to go off the deep end on all this.

[Anonymous]

hey cwclark -

If you only purchase brass rod and glue from your LHS, no wonder thr proprietor is trying to sell you something else. That's his job whether he is the owner or an employee. If his advice is suspect or products not to your liking, locate another hobby shop.

The LHS has been the backbone of this hobby (and most hobbies) forever.God forbid if we get to the point of having to buy everything on eBay in the future. Look at what Home Depot has done to the traditional hardware store business or Walmart to the individual ' Mom& Pop' local businesses.

Yes, I buy on the internet for certain stuff, as well as spend a ton of $$ at Home Depot & Loews (only because real hardware stores are an endangered species these days- and that's my point). I have a hard time even entering Walmart, although my wife has gotten used to it (probably for similar reasons as I have for shopping at the orange or blue/white box stores). Before I resort to buying train stuff on the internet, I'll approach my LHS to see if he'll 'strike a deal w/ me', especially if I'm ordering a bunch of stuff at the same time.

[Anonymous]

Remember this post is my opinion and my or may not contain facts. So read with caution.

A little more along the $1000 minimum order thing. This is of course speculation but this whole posts has been justs that. Horizion before the Athearn deal, dealt mainly with Rc Cars, right? Well what they may be doing is trying to get LHS to buy RC cars with the model railroad orders to fill the $1000 min. This way the own two markets in the LHS.

[cwclark]

You can get a credit card and order them from the internet at a reasonable price...I don't like hobby shops..I purchase only glue and brass rod from them.....The guy behind the counter will tell you anything to get a sale and you can't always believe everything you hear..(or see or read as that goes)...The only problem I have with Athearn Locomotives..(I love them and have a fleet of them) is the new plastic handrails...If the Athearn guy is reading this..GO BACK TO USING METAL HANDRAILS!

[AntonioFP45]

[1]

George745,

Thanks for the heads up. [;)] The 57ft. reefer underframe is one of the items I need! [sigh]

I've been a longtime (25 year), loyal Athearn customer and I can understand a company's direction being partially dictated by market trends, but this is getting a little idiotic! [V] I did see some info written about the $1,000 minimum LHS order from Horizon which, IF TRUE, borders on "arrogance". Doesn't Horizon realize that with all of the new competition facing Athearn that many Hobby Shops are not going to "jump and order"? I know mine won't! Maybe a decade ago, but not today. Hopefully this is just rumor.[8)]

Other than the locomotives that I mentioned on my previous reply, I'm greatly curtailing my purchases of new Athearn freight cars, sorry to say. A big chunk of my freight car fleet needs parts that my LHS can't seem to get. Why compound the problem? I recently went to H&R trains, a LARGE model railroad store in Pinellas Park, Florida. Plenty of Blue Boxes but the parts rack: What a joke! I do hope I can still get the parts that I'm about to order directly from Athearn.

I'll continue to buy used, junk Athearn cars at train shows that I can strip for parts.

[2] Mondotrains,

Are you a New Haven fan? Branford Hobbies in Connecticut will be producing a plastic NH "McGinnis" EP5 that fits on an Athearn PA chassis in October.

[Anonymous]

Be careful with the parts department because there is no way to know when a part is in stock. This week I called them abouta 57' reefer underframe to find they are out of them. So it's a hit or miss thing to get parts.

Along the line of this topic horizion has said a 1000 dollar a month quota for ordering. IF you live in a small town with multiple shops ,like I do, it puts a strain on the lhs because they can't sell that many athearn products a month. Be wary because this dollar figure was from the owner of the LHS and it might be a fabrication of truths to push products
Andy

[AntonioFP45]

Hey Amigos!

[1] Please, let's not start "FLAMING" each other again like back in January! You all give some great input and we don't need to be dragged down to the bottom of a dumpster. JEIERMANN did write a rather "low, and degrading" statement, but the best response to something like this is to either "comeback" with a little wit, or IGNORE it! BTW: Good response Bill Mattheson!

Dougal, you've contributed greatly to this forums. Keep posting!

[2] Originally I had intended to ignore Athearn rumors, but now I do find myself wondering.
I only wi***o purchase 3 more Athearn locomotives. Two SCL U33Bs, and one Santa Fe Warbonnet FP45. Future locomotives will be from the FOUR TOPS", (Proto,Atlas, Kato, Stewart)

My big "krunker" with Athearn has been parts. I e-mailed Athearn and the response was that I can order parts directly from them. It annoys me to pay the $5.00 shipping charge, but the body and frame parts themselves are cheap so I'm just going to "bite it" and order a batch of boxcar and reefer underframes as well as some locomotive parts.

BTW: On another thread, one of you stated that for just a dollar or two more, there is a company that makes better detailed freight cars. Can't be Atlas as their cars go for $30+. Anyone know which company it is?

Thanks again Amigos,

Happy Easter!

[cacole]

I have only purchased one Athearn R-T-R item, their flat car with a Coca Cola trailer, and will not bother to ever buy more because it turned out to be a waste of money. Made in China, naturally, and the wheelsets on it are the crappiest of anything I have ever ran across. The only hope of ever being able to pull this flat car is to change the entire truck, if that can be done, because the wheelsets can't be replaced. The manufacturer used a blunt pointed axle that has so much friction that the car drags as bad as an unpowered locomotive.

I attended two train shows in Tucson in January and February, and there was no shortage of Athearn blue box kits, or panic buying. The various dealers had literally thousands of them available, and no one was buying them, either. If your local hobby shop is claiming that Athearn is no longer going to produce kits, they are lying in an attempt to unload the blue box kits they have on hand, and don't know or want to know how to acquire more through Horizon Hobby.

[Anonymous]

It doesn't make sence to me why athearn (herizon) is making rtr so expensive. they are already built so it seams they are aimed at children, but they are rediculasly expensive. they are around $95 american which is around $150 can. i find blue box is a little expensive but with the quality it is well worth it. Kato is too expensive, and spectrum makes no canadian trains. so i buy p1k (p2k is a little out of my price range) and athearn bb.

maybe well should just not buy any of the ahtearn rtr, i know i wont, too expensive and they only have one item that appeals to me: the cp rail AC4400, but i can get a bb kit of it for half the price, and i already have one.

[Anonymous]

And by the way Athearn prices have gone up $10 on $100 engines.

[JoeKoh]

QUOTE: Originally posted by JEIERMANN

Some of the spelling is terrible in these posts . C'mon dougal, you can do better than that I'm sure. If not, quit worrying about Athearn and worry about your future, because if your school is passing you along with those spelling skills then the rest of your education is in trouble also.

Pardon me but did you know einstien couldn't do simple math?give the kid a break.[;)]
stay safe
Joe

[Anonymous]

Thanks a lot. Did you ever think that I can spell great and its the keyboard thats messing up? I'll bet you never had any articles published (I have). The worst part is I want to write for a railroad magizine.[:(]

[Anonymous]

That Stinks

DOGGY

[Anonymous]

hey JEIERMANN --

Brothaslide made an excellent point 2 posts back. Who cares how a fellow modeler 'spells'? It's more important what he or she has to share, or express, or inquire about. . . I believe that you owe 'dougal' an apology, as well as any of the rest of us that sit w/ a dictionary in our lap when on the Forum, or yell out -"hey wife, how do you spell.........?"

Next thing you'll be telling me that I use 'run on sentences' or too many 'commas''. Or, perhaps you'll acuse someone of obviously drawing trackplans in class rather than listening to the tight-***, hair-in-a-bun, Engli***eacher (that dressed like a man on weekends) explain how to not end sentences in a prepositional phrase, such as this.. This Forum is about having fun, examinining the state of the hobby industry, providing assistance, or seeking guidance from fellow model railroaders, or anything else that seems appropriate at the time-not attacking individuals, but only challenging opinions on contoversial topics.

First we had to deal with the 'rivet counting police' Now its the 'spelling bee bureau of investigation'. What's next -- 'the grammar goons', or the 'sarcasism s.s.'?

[METRO]

If you check the Walthers website you'll see a lot of the Blue Box kits are marked "Discontinued When Sold Out" and that's if you're lucky enough to find what you want in stock! There is a huge run on Blue Box right now, and I am truly skeptical that Horizon will even bring all of the old Blues out in RTR. I would bet that the truly annoying "limited run" craze will eventually take over even Athearn. I say annoying because the most desired products seem to be sold-out in pre-orders weeks or months before they hit the shelves. I would hate it if I couldn't go and browse the shelves at hobby stores and not see a full floor-to-celing shelf full of blue boxed kits.

[AlcoRS11Nut]

If this is true, they are shooting themselves in the foot.