Bad news from Athearn

[brothaslide]

Market demands will dictate what Horizon will do. Horizon is in business to make money and if they can do it selling kits for a price that the market will bear, that is what they will do. Even if they did make a shift to all RTR, a new player, or another current manufacturer, would come on the scene to fill the kit void.

I'm surprised that some of you entrepreneurial types aren't chomping at the bit for Horizon to go all RTR with the Athearn line - it's a chance for you to move into the market, gain market share and clean Horizon's clock. IS THIS AMERICA OR WHAT!?!?!?!?!?

Sean

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dougal

QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy

This's horrible, they're taking the modeling out of model railroading.

P.S. Dougal, why would it be so hard to paint a RTR locomotive?

First off I'm a beginer when it comes to airbrushing. Seconly RTR locos have handrails already put on so it would be harder. If this keeps up maybe I should model Cheyane like you![:D][:D][:D]

[:D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D]

[Anonymous]

As a custom painter I have done lots of special limited scheme runs on Athearn locomotives. Athearn Loco's were an economical starting point for me as they were inexpensive and allowed me produce my products better and less expensivly than my competitors who were using Proto-2000 and Kato. Now that Horizon has cut me out. (Becasue they dont want to sell me 20 SD40-2s and 6 F-7s and maybe a box car or two, I know have to switch to Proto-2000 as well. Which essentially made my prices triple. I am not very happy about it because now I feel like I am screwing my customers just to make a profit. When it is Kato's and Proto-2000's higher costs that are making raise my prices.

I might do some singular pieces on Athern from units I scrounge up off E-Bay. But no more 15, 20, or 30 piece runs like I used to do.

Damn it all to hell Im pissed off again. Now I need to go cool down.

Have a nice evening everyone.

James.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ShaunCN

I bought a athearn SD40-2 dummy in Kit form today cost $60 way overpriced.

ShaunCN

I was hoping you would have better luck than me!

P.S. How much would $60 in Can. be worth in the US?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Fergus

Regardless, me thinks it's time to buy up the remaining Athearn.

...which is EXACTLY what Horizon would like you to do. Buy up lots of their product right now. Hey, run the price up by claiming "it'll be gone FOREVER!"

[ShaunCN]

I bought a athearn SD40-2 dummy in Kit form today cost $60 way overpriced.

ShaunCN

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy

This's horrible, they're taking the modeling out of model railroading.

P.S. Dougal, why would it be so hard to paint a RTR locomotive?

First off I'm a beginer when it comes to airbrushing. Seconly RTR locos have handrails already put on so it would be harder. If this keeps up maybe I should model Cheyane like you![:D][:D][:D]

[Anonymous]

[b]NO MORE BLUE BOXES!!!!!!??? WHAT!!!!!!!?????[b]
This's horrible, they're taking the modeling out of model railroading.

P.S. Dougal, why would it be so hard to paint a RTR locomotive?

[Anonymous]

Me too

[Anonymous]

Regardless, me thinks it's time to buy up the remaining Athearn.
Just remember where there is a void. Someone will seize the opportunity and fill it. Hopefully it will not be a long time coming!

[Anonymous]

Yup, sounds like another case of Disgrunteled Hobby shop owners spreading some more of those unfounded rumors again.

Jay.

[Anonymous]

I hope your right!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dougal

Well I just got back from a four hobby shop adventure and not a single one had a CR SD40 (and where almost wiped out of all other Athearn units). All of them said that they weren't able to one for me because Horizon decide to discontinue all Athearn product exept R-T-R stuff and Genesis stuff.

I don't think I believe this just because hobbyshops said it was true.

When ATH came out with R-T-R they all said, "Oh, Athearn's discontinuing the blue boxes," which wasn't true, either.

So I think it's a little early to panic.

[AggroJones]

This is a damn tragedy. [:(][:(][:(][:(]

[Anonymous]

Sorry I'm the one who has to tell you guys this, well here we go. I posted here before saying I was going to get a SD40-2 that I was going to letter for my Allentown Scranton & Northern, note that I said I WAS. I was going to get a Conrail so I could just paint the nose red and get rid of the lettering (the AS&Ns paint scheme is CR blue with SP "bloody nose" paint on the nose and back of the units). There are four good hobby shops in a hours drive that a month ago all had two or three Athearn CR SD40s (one had a couple for six or seven months and nobody bought). Well I just got back from a four hobby shop adventure and not a single one had a CR SD40 (and where almost wiped out of all other Athearn units). All of them said that they weren't able to one for me because Horizon decide to discontinue all Athearn product exept R-T-R stuff and Genesis stuff. One hobbyshop owner said they (Horizon) are going convert everything to RTR and that it was going to cost 90 bucks for one SD40-2! This same one had a SD40 a few months ago for 40 dollers! I can't beleve I will have to pay 90 dollers for a Athearn engine when I can get a Kato, Atlas, and Spectrum engine that are nicer and more detailed for 10 dollers more! It would be a nightmare painting a RTR engine so I might have to stop my AS&N plan. I thought of a few more alternatives and here they are:

Scrachbuild, that would be fun, I would just need a Athe... Next
Railpower, I would just nead a few detail parts and a Athea... Never mind
Kitbash, I could make a SD38 or a SD50 or a SD45-2 using the article in a MR I have on making things from a Athea... Cut
Kato SD40-2, can't afford it.

as you can see I'll have to buy chepo fall apart right away engines for now on thanks to Horizon. Horizon should have thought about us teens and new comers to the hobby before raising the prices on Athearn units! Now when you think Athearn you will think of overpriced junk.

As I said before sorry I'm the one to tell you this, I was going to tell everyone about my new engine but now I have to go on every hobbyshop website in the world (acculy I found one after going on six or seven websites) to find one and give you guys the bad new that Horizon has turned Athearn from affordable good runnng engines to overpriced garbage.

P.S. Does anyone know what the Horizon website is called? I want to email them to see whats going on with raising the prices a third (even though its going to RTR I would rather save money putting it together that pay 90 bucks). [:(][:(][:(]