Hi everybody, I recently purchased one of the new old time 2-8-0's based on the old MDC castings but much improved. I'll be happy to provide my experience on that to anyone interested. Surfing Horrizon's Roundhouse site today I found a listing for an old time 4-6-2 (whatever that means) that looks suspiously (sp) like a USRA pacific from the color representation they show. the delivery date advertised is Oct 08. the really odd thing in the description is this statement. "" based on a classic "Genesis" (emphasis (sp) mine) model with modern upgrades, upgraded drive mechanism. Since Horrizon owns both Athearn & Roundhouse, could it be that the Athearn Genesis 4-6-2 is being rereleased with upgrades? I have no idea but there it is. Paul
::)
Paul,
Yes, it is a revised Athearn Genesis USRA light Pacific. It will have a new revised mechanism and will be completely ready to run - no handrails to install.
Aparently Athearn was able to retrieve the tooling and find someone else to revise and manufacture it, as the original manufacturer (I forget the name) is out of business.
The only thing old time about it is that it will represnt the loco as built in 1918, but there where similar locos being built all through the teens before WWI and the USRA, so they are also appealing the freelance crowd with there advertising and marketing.
If the new drive is good, including decent weight/pulling power, I will buy a small fleet, BLI will miss out since their Pacific is still "TBD".
My info came largely from the Athearn News Letter.
Sheldon
I think that the rule of thumb that Horizon uses is if the model is pre WW2 it is a Roundhouse model and if it is post WW2 it is an Athearn. They are clearly related to the Athearn Genesis 4-6-2. Which had its issues as did the 2-8-2. They were kind of funky with a tether from the engine that you attached the decoder to and the whole thing stuck in a hole in the tender. There was no tender pick up. Mine actually worked great right up to the point where the gear cracked. They are now in storage. - Nevin
Hi Sheldon, thanks for the heads up. If I remember correctly, from the MR test , they said it was made by
Samhongsa. I wonder why they are releasing it by Roundhouse rather than Athearn? The whole thing sounds strange. Thanks, Paul
Thank you Nevin. I guess you're post came in while I was responding to Sheldon.
And, they may feel it is not up to the detail standards they want for new Genesis models.
There is really nothing strange about it, Samhongsa got out of the model business and may have gone completely under not long after making the Genesis 2-8-2 and 4-6-2 for Athearn. Athearn was actually lucky if contracts making the tooling theirs where actually honored. Then, finding another vender and correcting the problems with the model would have taken some time - and here we are.
Sheldon
I just received a 2-8-0 old timer DCC ready. I will install a Micro-Tsunami and speaker.
All the Roundhouse locomotives use the same basic tooling so they are the same size and are a big improvement over the original MDC versions.
I have a photo with the 4-4-0, 2-6-0 and 2-8-0 together. They are all the same length.
It does not have the detail of my Spectrum 4-4-0 Richmond loco.
Rich
It would be really nice if Horizon/Athearn/Roundhouse were to agree to exchange the original Pacific for the new one, a la Bachmann.
Gene
Yeh Gene! LOL. Wouldja be interested in some Geooogia swampland by any chance? Heh Heh! only kidding! Paul
High Rich G How does your 2-8-0 run? Mine has about two hours on it & it runs very well though it's still a little jerky coming off the line. Your dead on about the lack of detail. As Jim Pasha ( I think it was him) on an earlier post said, they make great kit bashes. Sadly Bachmann has still not come out with Ma & Pa 23-27 which would be much nicer. Still, you can't beat that price with a stick. While not prototypical, it pulled 17 free wheeling 36 ft freight cars & 5 50 ft free rolling passenger cars (all new Roundhouse) very easily. Paul
I have a 4-4-0 with DCC and sound and for $159.00 it was a great buy. The rivet counters won't like the lack of detail but add your own and the sound is pretty good but those looking for perfection will not find it . It looks and sounds damn good and I really enjoy running it.
Don :)
My feeling about the new Athearn 4-6-2 NOT being advertised as a "Genesis" loco is due to the poor reputation that both the 4-6-2 and the 2-8-2 have garnered for themselves.
Athearn even ran an advertisement in the model press not too long ago adverstising their Challenger, I think it was, as the steam locomotive that started the Genesis range. They completely ignored the 4-6-2 and the 2-8-2.
Revisionist history anyone?
I hope the 4-6-2 is successful though I do feel Athearn should honour their warrenty and replace old 4-6-2s with the new.
Now let's hope the reissue and upgraded 2-8-2.