If the Athearn RTR cars are the same as their Blue Box streamlined cars, then you'll probably like them. The BB cars have been called the best-tracking passenger car models on the market. Very reliable, smooth riding. I've been able to back a 6-car string of them at speed, with the Talgo couplers with which they came equipped, through crossovers and yard switches, without derailments. And with the addition of some American Limited diaphragms, they'll look great.
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Gary M. Collins gmcrailgNOSPAM@gmail.com
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"Common Sense, Ain't!" -- G. M. Collins
http://fhn.site90.net
Little more history for you. The cars are patterned of of the SF coaches built in 1937, and are the first of the Budd Patewnt stainless steel (or is it the welding method? ARGH I should know this I volunteer at the museum who owns the first 8) cars to be rolled out of. When I paced the cars out, they came to less than 80feet, and the Athearsn are 1 window shorter than the prototypes in question. I know of at least one thread where we debated if these were 80ft, 85, 72, 77, or 79. (Basically, the Athearns are shorter, but th eprototype is shorter than the cars the Walthers are modeleld on) These cars started as 52seaters. NJT upped them to 84seats in commuter service. When ITM got their 15 (one burned) they were backed down to between 52 and 60 seats. There is at least one more in another museum of the ATSF set. The 14 I'm familiar with also kicked around New Jersey Transit, one was in Penn Central, but there are hundreds of these cars fro various roads.
BTW: While I cannot speak for the 30 or so that ATSF owned, the 14 that ITM owns that came from ATSF rode The Scout, the Texas Chief, and the El Capitan but not the Chief.
Here's a photo of the Athearn protoytpe in service mid 2000s. http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=865274
One from her ATSF days: http://photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?00002283+OP-2283EDIT: And the Walthers model, you can tell by winders that the Walthers 52seater is not the 1937built 52 seater. http://images.cloud.worthpoint.com/wpimages/images/images1/1/0709/10/1_e5094e5c23bdefe756558729c4579ccf.jpg
-Morgan
The Athern "Blue Box" streamlined cars are most closely modeled on the Santa Fe Chief but there are a few other liveries including SP Daylight and Pennsy. The dome cars included in these sets are incorrect but close to Santa Fe specs. It's true that they track well and are the most trouble free to operate, especially on modular club layouts and other rough track environments. They can be upgraded with diaphrams and antennas and a really dedicated modeler could install grab irons where relevant. Although I'm a KD man myself, I've found that if you just want to pull them around horn hooks work pretty well and provide close coupling to boot. I fit a KD box and coupler on the front and back which is not hard. You just file a notch into the skirt on the rear of the opservation car and screw the coupler box to the underside of the car's deck. A full set of these cars ( used ) should run less than $100.00 at a big train show. The same goes for Athern heavyweight cars as well!
Athearn are releasing at the end of the month some streamliners in the genisis range that include
Travis Malek Yeah im not really a rivit counter just if it looks good to me and it has minimal derailment problems then I will probably look into them, and i would like interior but it doesnt really matter that much.
Yeah im not really a rivit counter just if it looks good to me and it has minimal derailment problems then I will probably look into them, and i would like interior but it doesnt really matter that much.
"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"
Travis,
The Athearn streamliners are decent cars as far as performance. Their weight comes within NMRA recommendations and the rolling qualities are good.
Basically "generic" in appearance with minimal details, they are loosely based on Budd Santa Fe cars, afaik. They are often referred to as "shorties" since the coaches, diners, domes, and observation cars are a scale 72' long, instead of the prototype Santa Fe's 85 foot length.
Athearn manufactured the shorties with modelers that had 18" and 22" radius curves in mind way back in the day when the typical HO layout was a 4'x8' or 5'x9' (you can't even buy 5x9 boards anymore!) .
I had a fleet of New Haven and Amtrak shorties that I sold/traded off because I wanted more prototypically accurate cars.
I don't know if these Athearn cars come with interiors (mine didn't) . If they don't, you can opt to purchase interior kits from Palace Car Company, or get the IHC interior kits (which would have to be cut down to fit inside the shorties).
I have a set of N&W Powhatan Arrow Heavy weights not sure if they qualify as stream liners but I have no complaints what so ever. Nice looking cars pretty well detailed and smooth runners. I'm sure some others may be better but for what I paid for them at a train show I am very happy with them.
I have some of the streamlined athearn cars. For the money, they are OK. I'm not a rivet counter, but they look good to me.
I haven't figured how to put lights in them though.
Hey, I am modeling the late 60's and 70's and I was wondering if the Athearn Streamlined cars are of good quality, They may not be the best, but for the price, I think I should get them. Has anybody owned or see these cars? Are they good on detail? Thanks, Travis