Athearn Addiction

[3railguy]

How many of you are addicted to building Athearn kits? I tried to limit myself to one a week. Now I'm averaging three. I still can't get enough.

[BRAKIE]

I have no idea how many Athearn kits I built over the years.Some I kept while others I traded or sold off..Sadly as of now I am not interested in building any type of kit..I have built and tweaked up to 6 Athearn kits on Saturday..This will include painting the trucks,frames and weight . I also painted the axles before I converted to metal wheels.[:D]

[Anonymous]

Before I was in College, I was doing two a day.

James

[Anonymous]

I was doing 7 a week but since joining "AKBA" I'm now down to 4 a week and getting better. It's been a tough road but with a lotta help and support even you can shake off this terribly addicting habit. BTW, "AKBA" is the "Athearn Kit Builders Anonymous"

[Anonymous]

Are we talking about the Athearn blue box "kits" here? The ones where you stick on a few parts and screws? If so, these are "shake the box" kits - a few shakes and they're together? I imagone most experienced modelers could assemble these in the dark.

You want a kit - try assembling one of the Tichy 250 ton cranes - hundreds of teeny parts, many places to put them. No there's a kit that you won't shake together in an evening. And don't get me started on the larger Campbell structure kits, with instruction sheets about two feet square, printed on both sides! [8D]

"Been there, done that!" [:D]

Bob Boudreau

[dragenrider]

I'm addicted to the Athearn engines. They are so easy to build, modify, work on, etc. They may not be the best runners compared to P2K, Atlas & other high dollar locos, but they are tough and dependable.

[Allen Jenkins]

I do find myself buying Athearn RTR, as it just seems fitting, to obtain what I wi***o run, and take advantage of the quality, same as Walthers, even if it cost to pay the wage equivalent of an hours pay for construction, considering styling, and hazardous exposure, as long as the finished product is a palletable, acceptable replica, of the prototype.
enjoy being lazy, for a change.
acj.

[Hawks05]

i don't mind the Athearn kits at all. i could put those together with ease. the ones that give me the most trouble are Accurail and MDC's. the pieces that need to be put into a whole are always way to big so i ended up busting the thing, try to glue and it just never works.

i've never bought a Athearn loco though. i almost did today but was about $5 short and already had bought way to much stuff.

[3railguy]

Thanks for the responses. I bought two more today. LOL.. One is a yellow door B&O 86 monster hy cube. The color and typeface is awesome. Eyed a UP DD40X.

What do you guys think? Will these cars roll better with metal aftermarket trucks? If so, what make? or should I just paint the furnished trucks and replace the wheelsets? Which couplers do you like? Kadees or EZ mates? I'm only running on a floor loop at this time and can't tell the difference.

Bob, I'm just getting back into HO and new to all the other kits. My eyesight has deteriorated a bit. Until I get glasses, Athearn and MDC is about all I can handle at this time.

emerald, yes, we should start an addiction society. Set up a wholesale account, and cure it by feeding it more kits.

[ericsp]

I enjoy assembling kits. 3railguy, have you tried Athearn's 5344 cubic foot Pullman Standard boxcar kit? They have more parts than the rest of Athearn's kits.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FundyNorthern

You want a kit - try assembling one of the Tichy 250 ton cranes - hundreds of teeny parts, many places to put them. No there's a kit that you won't shake together in an evening. And don't get me started on the larger Campbell structure kits, with instruction sheets about two feet square, printed on both sides! [8D]
Bob Boudreau

My thoughts exactly Bob!, Cept I was thinking of Intermountain Cylindrical Grain Cars( Just did 2,,,ugh!), or Quality Craft Brass northeastern cabooses (got 3 on the workbench now!) [}:)] That will slow them down abit!!![}:)][;)][}:)][;)]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE:

My thoughts exactly Bob!, Cept I was thinking of Intermountain Cylindrical Grain Cars( Just did 2,,,ugh!), or Quality Craft Brass northeastern cabooses (got 3 on the workbench now!) [}:)] That will slow them down abit!!!

[BRAKIE]

3railguy ,You will be better off using metal wheels as it add weight to the car at the rail head..Now,with that said I am yet to find a truck as free rolling as a Athearn stock truck with its plastic wheels.[:D]
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Thankfully I never cared for a car kit with a zillion and one iddy biddy pieces.LOL! I guess I got my fill of a zillion pieces when I built the old wooden car and building kits.[:D] Not to mention the old Penn-Line and Varney steam locomotive kits.[:D]

[BRAKIE]

Bob said:Are we talking about the Athearn blue box "kits" here? The ones where you stick on a few parts and screws? If so, these are "shake the box" kits - a few shakes and they're together? I imagine most experienced modelers could assemble these in the dark.
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Bob,You have no idea what needs to be done to get these cars to run smoothly.I am not talking about cutting the boasters(that doesn't need done in the first place) here or the silly 3 point suspension.You need to check the weight,frame and floor to see if they are warp if so straighten as needed.By doing this you will have a smoother and better operating car.[:D] Now take time to paint the frame,weight,floor and trucks you have more then a shake the box kit. Finished? Not yet,Now add the KD couplers(according to the coupler height gauge) and metal wheels and check the gauge.
Now you have a great looking and smooth running car..
Now if you or I assemble that car in the dark we will end up with a problematic car that will cause us nothing but pain and that is how experience modelers trip and fall over their-selves with a Athearn car..They simply don't take the time to build it right and then complain about how crappy the car is..[}:)]
No,There's more to it then shaking the old box.

[eastcoast]

[tup][tup][tup][tup]
I AM A JUNKIE. I AM A JUNKIE.
But I refuse to go to a Trains Anonymous meeting.

I have several Athearn, they make up over half of my
train fleet. I have both engines and rolling stock.
My passenger fleet is 75% made up of Athearn cars.
I love them. They have a good price, and I find I can
customize them very easily to fit the E C R scheme.

I am finding that Athearn is becoming extinct and I am
not getting what I used to. I no longer can find that one
special car like I want. I am not ready to go to RTR, it
just does not fit my needs. I have to purchase undecs
to paint them. RTR does not give me this option.
I've also found that I am having to catalog order more
often as "off the shelf" at my LHS is hard to do now.
I LOVE MY TRAINS. I LOVE MY E C R.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FundyNorthern

Are we talking about the Athearn blue box "kits" here? The ones where you stick on a few parts and screws? If so, these are "shake the box" kits - a few shakes and they're together? I imagone most experienced modelers could assemble these in the dark.

You want a kit - try assembling one of the Tichy 250 ton cranes - hundreds of teeny parts, many places to put them. No there's a kit that you won't shake together in an evening. And don't get me started on the larger Campbell structure kits, with instruction sheets about two feet square, printed on both sides! [8D]

"Been there, done that!" [:D]

Intermountain, Red Caboose, and AMB are my favorites!
Bob Boudreau

[Anonymous]

Actually I may have just finished the last Athearn car I will build. Since the "Blue Box" has gotten to be almost as expensive as Accurail, Branchline Yardmaster & Blueprint, Red Caboose, Bowser, LL P2K and other nicer stuff, that is the direction I plan to head. I really enjoy taking my time and making highly detailed freight cars. As a matter of fact I may be selling some of my Atearn stuff off. Some of you whom like Athearn Cars might be able to bid on some of mine on ebay.

[3railguy]

QUOTE: I enjoy assembling kits. 3railguy, have you tried Athearn's 5344 cubic foot Pullman Standard boxcar kit? They have more parts than the rest of Athearn's kits.

I wasn't aware of them. I did examine a 40 foot auto loader which appeared to have lots of parts. Pretty cool looking. Was also looking at a monster auto rack kit but I can't remember who makes it.

I am amazed at the wealth of quallity products these days. Much more variety than I remember from the 70's when I was into HO.

Brakie, thanks for the tip on wheelsets. I am learning these Athearn kits require more effort than shaking the box to get a good build. You need to build a few before you learn to build them right.

Hawks, LOL on MDC kits. I put one and there was some bad fits. I blemished the body with glue trying to attach them.

Prices are reaching high levels for Athearn kits I agree. The Athearn ready to roll models are a bit pricey compared to kits. The kits with imacculate detail would be redundant for me since I can't see imaculate detail.

[twhite]

Okay, here I go again: My first Athearn kit was for a PFE refrigerator car. It consisted of six zillion metal parts and one wood floor. Trucks and knuckle couplers included. You didn't need any cement at all, but a hammer and anvil helped. Also a non-Philips screwdriver (yes, they used to make them). It took about two evenings and a lot of words that a thirteen year-old shouldn't know back then, but by Gar, when it was finished, it was the most spectacular looking PFE reefer I ever saw. Still have it. In fact, when Athearn went to plastic freight cars, I got really disappointed. They went together too easily and too well and looked too good. Seriously, folks, Athearn started out with metal freight car kits that STILL look good! I've got about six or seven from my mis-spent youth, and with new trucks and Kadees, they roll right along in my Accurail and Intermountain and Red Caboose consists and you can hardly tell the difference. of course the variety was small--they only made box and auto cars, reefers and tankers, I think. Never saw a gondola, hopper or flat car from them. For those, you did Varney. Ah, the good old days when if it stayed on the track, it was because your Parish Priest sprinkled it with Holy Water. I hope Athearn sticks around. Good product--BETTER memories.
Tom

[ericsp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 3railguy

QUOTE: I enjoy assembling kits. 3railguy, have you tried Athearn's 5344 cubic foot Pullman Standard boxcar kit? They have more parts than the rest of Athearn's kits.

I wasn't aware of them. I did examine a 40 foot auto loader which appeared to have lots of parts. Pretty cool looking. Was also looking at a monster auto rack kit but I can't remember who makes it.

The PS boxcar kits were limited run. I know Walthers still has some, as do some other hobby shops I have been to, while others have not.

I am guess the autorack kits were made by Accurail, unless some hobby shop has some old Walthers kits.

[Anonymous]

I have a long standing additction to Athearn kits, both car and loco kits. When Accurail came on the scene I started an addiction to them.. nice looking cars, fairly easy to throw together. They look awesome weathered up.

[3railguy]

Is Front Range still around?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 3railguy

Is Front Range still around?

No they aren't, they folded quite some years ago.

Bob Boudreau

[SSW9389]

I bought my first Athearn kit in 1969, still have it and have put hundreds of the things together. I still buy their locomotives, but have cut way back on the shake the box kits. Many of the old ones I own will be sold off or given to the young'uns in the hobby. My oldest son is strong into Athearn now. He does not have the desire to spend hours building up a craftsman type kit. To each their own.

[Anonymous]

The beauty I've found in the Athearn and MDC kits are they can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make them. I remember as a kid being astounded at a neighbor of mine who would delibritly remove the details with an engravers chisel, usually the grab irons and ladders, then make new ones from wire and reapply them. Today there are suppliers of detail bits for those that want to take the shake a box kit and raise it to a new level. I currently have way to much time in a MDC Harriman combo and I still don't have it done yet.

[3railguy]

I got my first Athearn kit in 1968. I was in the 4th grade. It's long gone but I remember it to be a covered gondola. There was an Athearn clique when I was in grade school too. If you were into Tyco, you were considered a weeniehead or something like that. LOL.. When I was in the 8th grade, my dad bought me my first craftsman kit of basswood and metal parts. I can't remember who made it. I still have it and it's an all door Weyerhaeuser boxcar. He also bought central valley trucks, kadees, and floquil Weyerhaeuser green paint. Now that was a big deal and boy was I proud! LOL! It turned out OK and I must have spent 3 weeks of evenings building the sucker. I had good eyesight then. LOL.

[Anonymous]

3railguy,
My $7 MDC Harriman:Kaydee couplers, P2K wheelsets, American Limited Diaphragm, Palace Car interior and carpet, Red Cap bathrooms which you won't be able to see due to the frosted windows, luggage and crates for the baggage area, Pullman trucks on backorder, can't decide whether to install brake wheel or brake lever, doing research for proper under carriage appointments, looking for local source for sheet lead to add heft, pondering the lighting question, idley thinking whether it will need no knees passengers, using the whole project for justification of buying more books on Harriman passenger cars and 'needed modeling tools', and finally recognizing I'm sticking an overly tooled and appointed saddle on a $7 nag while still believing that it is all absolutly worth it. I use to believe that guys who did this sort of thing had gone around the bend.
Mike

[aloco]

I don't know about an addiction, but from a practical point of view I prefer the Athearn blue box freight car kits. No tiny parts to break off and they look fairly realistic from three feet away. I also have a few Athearn blue box locos, and I bought them because they were a bargain compared to the Kato stuff and the Life-Like Proto series. I also had a few Athearn SW7s, but I got fed up with them stalling on switch frogs and I replaced them all with Life-Like units.

[Anonymous]

You all sound like me. Buy Buy Buy till ya get to the point where you have ask yourself. What am I going to do with of them. I have a 2x2x3' high box in the closet of unused freight cars. Athearn has always made nice kits but you have to ask yourself....WHAT am I doing.

[tstage]

Addicted? No. I have a couple of their kits: a reefer and a tanker. I liked the reefer. The tanker was okay. (For $6, it was a cheap way to give me a chance to try out my hand at weathering for the first time.)

I actually prefer Accurail and Proto 2000. Athearn does have more of a selection of rolling stock than the aforementioned. That's why I decided to try 'em out. They are a good deal for the money.

Tom