I was a my LHS... well not really local, was an hour drive away but was the nearest one with a good selection of train gear. My intent was to pick up some kadee couplers for converting some of my old stock to knuckle couplers. I was browsing around and found a good selection of Athearn Blue Box kits.
Since my budget didn't allow me to clean them out I settled on a DMIR caboose. This is the first kit I've assembled and have to say it was pretty fun. It sure is nice to brin ghome a ready to run but there is just something satisfying about the challange of assembling everything.
Yeah, I always liked kits better, it is the satisfaction you get from building them yourself. My one LHS had a ton of kits, including a lot of Athearn, and in 1 day the store owner said he sold a little over 200 Athearn, about 60 Bower, 50 Roundhouse, & a couple Proto rolling stock kits to 1 guy. He must of had pretty deep pockets, because at say $8.00 a kit, so that would be around $2500 worth of kits. Geez, he sure cleaned him out. I went that day to buy some 89' boxcars only to find he sold all 5 of them in one shot. I guess that's what I get for waiting. Now he only has about 15-20 Athearn kits left, but there is always my other LHS, who still has plenty (just not 89' boxcars).
I can't tell if Athearn is still making kits based on their website (most of them appear to have been discontinued for quite a long time) but they are nice kits. I do hope they continue making them.
I discovered some of the rolling stock I had as a kid was actually Athearn kits (most likely originally my dad's) and it (for the most part) has lasted over 20 years and has been the easiest to upgrade for knuckle couplers.
Maybe Bachmann could get into the kit business (beyond supplying the couplers that were in the Athearn kit I got)
If you want a good kit that's a challenge, try getting a wooden ambroid kit off of ebay.
Athearn kind of still makes kits, because occasionally they will have special runs of a couple different kits. For example around 05 they made a limited quantity of Pacific Fruit Growers Express 86' flat cars. In 06, they made some gondolas and boxcars mostly and a few locos that were popular. But there are not are being made currently, but there may be a limited amount in the future (depending on demand), such as 1 or 2 cars or a loco, but that would be about it.
Quote from: pdlethbridge on August 08, 2009, 09:52:06 PM
If you want a good kit that's a challenge, try getting a wooden ambroid kit off of ebay.
Those actually do look like a lot of fun I might have to pick up a couple this winter for some "snowed-in" projects.
Quote from: simkon on August 08, 2009, 10:02:51 PM
Athearn kind of still makes kits, because occasionally they will have special runs of a couple different kits. For example around 05 they made a limited quantity of Pacific Fruit Growers Express 86' flat cars. In 06, they made some gondolas and boxcars mostly and a few locos that were popular. But there are not are being made currently, but there may be a limited amount in the future (depending on demand), such as 1 or 2 cars or a loco, but that would be about it.
I have a feeling that demand for kits is down quite a bit from what it used to be. I can't blame them for reducing kit production to account for demand but it would be nice to see a wider variety of kits.
you build one of those Ambroid kits and you'll be patting yourself on the back for months ;D
Quote from: pdlethbridge on August 08, 2009, 11:24:33 PM
you build one of those Ambroid kits and you'll be patting yourself on the back for months ;D
It does appear so, but the winters in Minnesota can be long and cold... looks like one of those my last me a while!
I checked and currently there are 260 Athearn freight car kits available and in stock. Of those most were announced in 2001. The following kits I guess are the most recent, here's some details:
HO KIT 50' Box, C&O Announced Early 2009 Retail Price: $9.00 (Limited Run, No Longer in stock, but the RTR is still in stock)
HO KIT 40' AAR Box, EJ&E (2 colors available) Announced Late 2008 Retail Price: $8.75 (Limited Run, No Longer in Stock, but older run still in stock)
3 passenger cars are still in stock...72' Diner, Observation & RPO all undecorated
3 F7B kits are still in stock as of a month ago
So, I guess the they made 1 new 50' Boxcar kit this year and that's it, and 2 new 40' Boxcar kits at the end of 2008.
Having built numerous rolling stock kits over the years, I would suggest that you consider either an Accurail or Branchline Yardmaster kit. The detail and fit is considerably better than the Athearn offerings. If you want a greater challenge you could step up to a Branchline Blueprint Series kit (you have to install all the brake line goodies). All these kits are still plastic based and turn out a good model. I try to avoid Athearn kits because the car weight is visible on the bottom of the car (although painting it makes it virtually invisible). If it is wooden kits you are after, try LaBelle or, as pdlethbridge said, an old Ambroid kit.
To forestall unnecessary frustration, I would start with simple plastic kits (which it appears you have) and move up to progressively harder ones as your skill level improves. Eventually you can see if a laser cut craftsman kit is your niche. There are lots of offerings out there...all it takes is time, commitment, and money.
Ray
Athearn Blue Box kits! Love them! Save big $$$.
Got many of them.
Easy to assemble,only need a screwdriver,and only takes about 10min if that.
Accurail-
Good kits too, Take only a little bit longer to build, need very little glue.
IF it is a boxcar,stock car or reefer car,,i have found that it is easier to
attach the floor to the top cover part first, Then add the couplers,,trucks
go on last.
Proto 1000 and Branchline
These are hardcore kits.
LOTS of small parts. Delicate small parts. Very easy to break when trying
to remove them from the runner [sprue] small parts.
THEN comes the fun fun fun part.
Trying to get those small parts to fit into dang near MICROSCOPIC HOLES!
I tend to stay away from these.
Better to just shell out the extra $$ for the RTRs.
But then again,,Some people Like these models!
La Belle is making wooden kits and Ye Olde Huff n Puff has numerous HO kits - many of them are the old Main Line kits.
I used to like MDC/roundhouse kits - they were similar to Athearn's but had a nice die cast frame.
Quote from: jbsmith on August 09, 2009, 01:40:39 PM
Proto 1000 and Branchline
These are hardcore kits.
LOTS of small parts. Delicate small parts. Very easy to break when trying
to remove them from the runner [sprue] small parts.
THEN comes the fun fun fun part.
Trying to get those small parts to fit into dang near MICROSCOPIC HOLES!
I tend to stay away from these.
Better to just shell out the extra $$ for the RTRs.
But then again,,Some people Like these models!
want to see "hardcore"? Take a look at Red Caboose. Really well detailed. It's hard to see though because the sticker price will leave you blind. If you can find em old stock they are a good buy, but new...meh. Intermountain markets them now. I found three SP drop bottom gon's at a good price earlier this summer. I'm a huge fan of Accurail, especially since their renumber decals are so easy to use. No fooling around to figure out f you already have a certain road number, just it and re-decal it. I've said it else where I will not shell out for RTR unless it's something I simply cannot get in anyother form. For simplicity sake, the Bluebox are hard to beat and in a large consist they have all the detail one really needs. OK off to work on the switching layout now.
Cheers, Chris
I would rather build a kit than buy RTR any day of the week. The supply is down because most folks want RTR these days.
I have built Athearn, Accurail, MDC Roundhouse and recently, LBF. Never heard of LBF before. They're out of Oregon. It was a 52' box car kit that came with metal wheelsets. It was free rolling without an upgrade!
Haven't tried a laser cut wood kit, yet, but anxious to try one.
Regards,
Jonathan
So, Athearn Blue Box kits, do they involve glue? I'm just trying to clear that up because I'm hoping to go to my not-so local hobby shop, and they have tons of Athearn kits, and I'm not real good with glue, I usually overglue or spill it somehow.
Most of them require a minimal amount of glue for a few detail parts.
-Like my 86' flat cars required the most glue out of any kit I have built. But like Jonathan said if you have to glue something, it is usually only a brake wheel or maybe one other thing. But there may be a few exceptions with unique/unusual cars.
All the rolling stock kits I have built required no glue at all. Just a couple of small tools. Belay my last. Had to glue the brakewheel on one of the kits. Working on a loco kit (another post), that required some skillful gluing of handrails.
Jonathan
Thanks guys. I'm not into all the little details, but I'll still put on a brakewheel. So, what are the tools, just like, screwdrivers, and everyday tools, or special model railroad tool?
Athearn blue box kits are about the cheapest kits you will find. they are simple and easy to build you can use glue for the under car air brake parts or just press fit the parts.
the only thing the athern cars need a little help with is the coupler pockets. I like to install kadee couplers put the metal tab on the pocket then pinch the tab so it holds better. i then put a dab of CA glue on the pocket sides to help keep the metal tab from popping off..
I liked the roundhouse kits as they were also in the same price range.. they sometimes had issues with the metal screw holes.
All the RTR stuff is not my cup of tea.. Its kinda like building a plastic model car and buying a dicast car.
one you can build to make it to your specs a liking the other is just out of the box and on the rails no pride with it and it cost you more...
Quote from: IndianaJones12 on August 09, 2009, 10:04:10 PM
Thanks guys. I'm not into all the little details, but I'll still put on a brakewheel. So, what are the tools, just like, screwdrivers, and everyday tools, or special model railroad tool?
Usually a straight screw driver, an x-acto knife, and model cement are all you will need. I like the liquid cement with the brush in the bottle as it's easier to apply cleanly. I also use a small amount of Cyano Acrylate (CA) glue to hold the weight in place. Blue Box really are the most straight forward kits around followed by the old MDC Roundhouse kits. There are still loads of both available on EBay.
Athearn kits, and other similar kits by MDC, used to be called "shake the box" kits because of the ease of assembly. I don't recall ever having to use glue on an athearn kit. The brake wheel was always a force fit. a small screwdriver and maybe an emery board to remove flash was all that was needed.
Most of the Athearn kits I have built require some gluing on the roof walk, door tracks, and the (already mentioned) brake wheel. I always use liquid cement designed for styrene and apply the glue from the inside of the car body after inserting the part. It is a very good idea to put a little CA on the weight as I have obtained more than one car wherein the weight shifted or is loose in the car body.
Athearn kits are extremely easy to build and one can fill a roster in no time. I strongly suggest you convert the plastic wheel sets to metal (I happen to like Kadee; but the choice is yours). Another suggestion is to obtain some car weights as I have yet to find an Athearn car that is correctly weighted. The NMRA website has a table to guide you in determining suggested car weight...trust me, it makes all the difference in the world.
Ray
I've already been planning on converting my plastic wheels to metal. So, what are some good quality, decent priced metal wheels. Like, what manufacturer makes them. I was just wondering becasuse I know they roll better. So, if I were to upgrade my wheels, would I have to get new trucks? I'm just wondering.
Quote from: CNE Runner on August 10, 2009, 04:32:10 PM
Most of the Athearn kits I have built require some gluing on the roof walk, door tracks, and the (already mentioned) brake wheel. I always use liquid cement designed for styrene and apply the glue from the inside of the car body after inserting the part. It is a very good idea to put a little CA on the weight as I have obtained more than one car wherein the weight shifted or is loose in the car body.
Athearn kits are extremely easy to build and one can fill a roster in no time. I strongly suggest you convert the plastic wheel sets to metal (I happen to like Kadee; but the choice is yours). Another suggestion is to obtain some car weights as I have yet to find an Athearn car that is correctly weighted. The NMRA website has a table to guide you in determining suggested car weight...trust me, it makes all the difference in the world.
Ray
The kit I got came with metal wheels, must be a newer kit.
I think he meant all metal. Yours are probably a combination of metal and plastic.
Quote from: IndianaJones12 on August 10, 2009, 05:18:41 PM
I've already been planning on converting my plastic wheels to metal. So, what are some good quality, decent priced metal wheels. Like, what manufacturer makes them. I was just wondering becasuse I know they roll better. So, if I were to upgrade my wheels, would I have to get new trucks? I'm just wondering.
I've been using Intermountain metal wheels I believe. They are in an unmarked plastic bags so I'm working from memory... (without a net as usual....) As far as trucks go, it's optional to change them. If go with the stock truck, you just spread the plastic truck, pop out the stock wheel and axle, insert new ones and away you go. Some folks recommend enlarging the hole that the axel end sit in. There is a tool for it available from Micromark (http://www.micromark.com/). I pays to note which side of the axel is insulated, and make a practice of putting them on the same side, although (someone correct me if I'm wrong) I don't know if this really matters. There is usually a plastic insert on the insulated side.
So, Chris, about the insulated side on a truck, that means that theres no hole on that side?
The insulated side is non-conducting, the holes can be enlarged to ensure they roll freely and unobstructed, for better operation. There are holes on both sides of the trucks, and it doesn't matter which way you put the wheels in as long as one side is insulated, unless your running lighted passenger cars or other cars that have wipers to get power from the rails.
Quote from: simkon on August 10, 2009, 09:05:15 PM
The insulated side is non-conducting, the holes can be enlarged to ensure they roll freely and unobstructed, for better operation. There are holes on both sides of the trucks, and it doesn't matter which way you put the wheels in as long as one side is insulated, unless your running lighted passenger cars or other cars that have wipers to get power from the rails.
Yep sorry I wasn't clear, the truck isn't insulated, it's one wheel on the axel. I was thinking as far as putting them all on the same side, of limiting shorts over switches and the like... A non issue with plastic trucks, but what about metal ones? I'm also thinking of metal trucks on say an old style MDC kit with the metal chassis. Am I over thinking this? It's been known to happen :-\
It doesn't really matter whether or not your metal wheel sets have plastic axles or not. I always roll a wheel set on a piece of glass to check the axle alignment (I've only found a problem once). Secondly I check the wheel to wheel separation using an NMRA gauge.
Regarding the changing of bolsters: I generally use the bolsters supplied with the kit and 'tune' them with the Micro Mark truck tuner. I do have to admit that I like the look of Kadee sprung trucks (I am not convinced that they ride any better than non-sprung units).
Intermountain trucks are outstanding; although your track better be in gauge - all over the layout - to use the scale wheels as they will not tolerate sloppy clearances.
Ray
In general, trucks with working springs should operate a little better becuase the springs allow some equalization, i.e., each sideframe can rock a bit, making it easier to keep the wheels on the rails over minor rough track. Kadee trucks have metal wheels and Delrin axles, so there is no issue there with possible shorts. Trucks with metal wheels, axles and sideframes are susceptible to shorts, so make sure the insulated wheels are on the same side of the truck. If you also happen to have a metal underframe, then all of the insulated wheels need to be on the same side as well. In the olden days, when virtually EVERYTHING was metal, you could get a short between cars if the insulated wheels on one car were opposite the wheels on the other coupled car.