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Post by wjstix on Oct 30, 2024 5:37:36 GMT -8
The Super Power F7 was $12.95 in 1971, according to Ed's document. One inflation calculator says that's $102.59 today. Athearn wants $145 for the equivalent model today. The one painted and lettered for Athearn is "only" $130; Do the licensing fees for the other road names cost $15/per piece? The new Athearn/Roundhouse F7 has a body with a more prototypically correct nose contour and more accurate windows (with flush mounted glazing) then the old 'blue box' model, and doesn't have the often incorrect steam generator piping on the rear. It also has all the track connections hard wired to a lightboard with a 21-pin receptacle, and metal tabs for connecting a speaker if you want to install a 21-pin sound decoder in the engine. I paid a bit under $100 for mine online before shipping, so looks to me cost is about the same as 1971 but with a much better model. |
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Post by gevohogger on Oct 30, 2024 5:57:15 GMT -8
The Super Power F7 was $12.95 in 1971, according to Ed's document. One inflation calculator says that's $102.59 today. Athearn wants $145 for the equivalent model today. The one painted and lettered for Athearn is "only" $130; Do the licensing fees for the other road names cost $15/per piece? The new Athearn/Roundhouse F7 has a body with a more prototypically correct nose contour and more accurate windows (with flush mounted glazing) then the old 'blue box' model, and doesn't have the often incorrect steam generator piping on the rear. It also has all the track connections hard wired to a lightboard with a 21-pin receptacle, and metal tabs for connecting a speaker if you want to install a 21-pin sound decoder in the engine. I paid a bit under $100 for mine online before shipping, so looks to me cost is about the same as 1971 but with a much better model. No B units though apparently? I kind of wanted an A-B-B-A set of those "Athearn"-painted F units for my stack train. |
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Post by cpr4200 on Oct 30, 2024 8:00:34 GMT -8
Which model are you referring to? Certainly not the F's? The airslides A few nice LV Airslide decal sets here (sets GA-23 to GA-26): icgdecals.com/ |
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Post by ernestbaron on Oct 30, 2024 8:29:32 GMT -8
An Airslide or two might be tempting but as I'm modelling '57 I don't think I'd need too many more. Is there any good history on Airslides out there, in particular the early years? Joshua Josh, Railway Prototype Cyclopedia Volume 17 Railroad-Owned GATC Airslide 2,600 Cu. Ft. Covered Hopper Cars by Ed Hawkins The author covers the General American 2,600 Cu. Ft. Airslide covered hopper cars that were ordered and owned by several railroads from 1954 to 1959. The article features many pristine builder’s photographs. This is the first part in a series of articles that will also include the General American-owned 2,600 Cu. Ft. Airslide cars. Volume 20 GATC Airslide 2,600 Cu. Ft. Covered Hopper Cars (Part 2) - Cars Leased by Railroads by Ed Hawkins The article is the second in a series, which covers cars from 1954- 1959 built and owned by General American (GACX reporting marks) and leased to railroads during this time period. There are also a few examples of cars originally leased by railroads and then purchased by the railroad. The article contains 49 page-width photographs, two diagrams, and two comprehensive tables. Volume 22 General American Airslide Covered Hopper Cars, Part 3 by Ed Hawkins The article covers the GATC Airslide cars that were leased by numerous companies including Pillsbury, Sunshine Biscuits, Nabisco, International Milling, and many more. It contains 73 page-width photographs, one table of specialty items and design detail changes, and one partial roster. |
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Post by locochris on Oct 30, 2024 17:21:17 GMT -8
Nope. The only reason Athearn did a new A unit was because the old tooling was no longer functional. It sounded like the B unit tooling was still functional. |
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Post by edwardsutorik on Oct 30, 2024 19:15:22 GMT -8
Nope. The only reason Athearn did a new A unit was because the old tooling was no longer functional. It sounded like the B unit tooling was still functional. Interesting. In what ways were the A units no longer functional? And how did the B-units escape this fate? Ed |
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Post by locochris on Oct 30, 2024 19:34:14 GMT -8
Nope. The only reason Athearn did a new A unit was because the old tooling was no longer functional. It sounded like the B unit tooling was still functional. Interesting. In what ways were the A units no longer functional? And how did the B-units escape this fate? Ed That's just what I heard Athearn say during a video. They said the factory contacted them and said the tooling to make the A unit was broken (it was probably 50 plus years old?) so they had to create new tooling. The B unit tooling is not broken, yet. |
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Post by edwardsutorik on Oct 30, 2024 19:44:53 GMT -8
That's just what I heard Athearn say during a video. They said the factory contacted them and said the tooling to make the A unit was broken (it was probably 50 plus years old?) so they had to create new tooling. The B unit tooling is not broken, yet. "Broken"? Yeah, right. That'll be a technical term, if I recall from my classes. Ed |
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Post by sd80mac on Oct 31, 2024 11:28:36 GMT -8
I don't know what's so hard to believe about that. Tooling wears out and breaks eventually, especially on a 50+ year old tool.
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Post by edwardsutorik on Oct 31, 2024 14:46:11 GMT -8
I don't know what's so hard to believe about that. Tooling wears out and breaks eventually, especially on a 50+ year old tool. How many units do you think were produced using the old mold? Ed |
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Post by spsf on Nov 1, 2024 8:27:34 GMT -8
Interesting. In what ways were the A units no longer functional? And how did the B-units escape this fate? Ed That's just what I heard Athearn say during a video. They said the factory contacted them and said the tooling to make the A unit was broken (it was probably 50 plus years old?) so they had to create new tooling. The B unit tooling is not broken, yet. Correct. |
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Post by hudsonyard on Nov 1, 2024 9:51:12 GMT -8
I don't know what's so hard to believe about that. Tooling wears out and breaks eventually, especially on a 50+ year old tool. I'd imagine the tooling for the globe F had many copies, someone is still cabable of farting them out if they REALLY wanted to, somethings got to power those franklin mint political agitprop trainsets. |
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wsor
Full Member
The Route of the Ruptured Duck
Posts: 138
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Post by wsor on Nov 1, 2024 14:31:35 GMT -8
Is that the same way they justified all those New Haven and B&O DD40s back in the 1970s? I guess what they say is true, what's old is new again, or vice versa. Here's a price list for Athearn in 1971: hoseeker.net/AthearnBrochuresAds/athearnpartslist1971pg1.jpgThere's a B&O DD40, but no New Haven. NH got an SDP40, remember? Keep in mind that these models were researched around when the prototypes were first produced, perhaps before, for some. There WAS no DD40. And the SW1500 most definitely did not look exactly like an SW7/9/1500, though it wasn't unreasonable to assume it would. I kinda remember an EMD advertisement in Trains magazine that showed it looking like that. Just as they were predicting what the new EMD prototypes would look like, they were predicting who would buy them. Very freely, admittedly. Ed Athearn tried jumping the gun a bit with the "SW1500", before it was known that the body would change quite a bit. The DD40 was cataloged, but not built. Extrapolated from what the DD35A looked like. |
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Post by Mr. Trainiac on Nov 1, 2024 17:28:47 GMT -8
I don't know what's so hard to believe about that. Tooling wears out and breaks eventually, especially on a 50+ year old tool. I'd imagine the tooling for the globe F had many copies, someone is still cabable of farting them out if they REALLY wanted to, somethings got to power those franklin mint political agitprop trainsets. Franklin Mint/Bradford Exchange/Hawthrone Village sets are Bachmann |
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Post by locochris on Nov 1, 2024 17:34:56 GMT -8
I'd imagine the tooling for the globe F had many copies, someone is still cabable of farting them out if they REALLY wanted to, somethings got to power those franklin mint political agitprop trainsets. Franklin Mint/Bradford Exchange/Hawthrone Village sets are Bachmann Are they really? How did you find this out? Just curious. |
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Post by hudsonyard on Nov 1, 2024 17:38:19 GMT -8
I'd imagine the tooling for the globe F had many copies, someone is still capable of farting them out if they REALLY wanted to, somethings got to power those franklin mint political agitprop trainsets. Franklin Mint/Bradford Exchange/Hawthrone Village sets are Bachmann Is the Bachmann not the Globe F unit mold? It's been years since i've actually looked at such a thing. |
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Post by Mr. Trainiac on Nov 1, 2024 19:50:54 GMT -8
Franklin Mint/Bradford Exchange/Hawthrone Village sets are Bachmann Are they really? How did you find this out? Just curious. The dome cars that come in a lot of the passenger sets are clearly the Bachmann ATSF Big Domes. The train sets come with Bachmann track and controllers. The steam passenger cars are the On30 cars. The On30 steam locomotive might be an original model, but for any of the other rolling stock, you can find an equivalent in the Bachmann catalog |
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Post by NYSW3614 on Nov 17, 2024 6:57:29 GMT -8
If you can find them: Railmodel Journal, DEC 1990 Railmodel Journal, Feb 1991 Railmodel Journal, OCT 1992 Belated thanks for these references; I was able to find them along with some Railway Prototype Cyclopedia back issues of interest.
Joshua |
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Post by crblue on Nov 17, 2024 20:15:27 GMT -8
More foobies. And Christmas tree decorations. WTF? I know, right!? What next, trainsets for around the Christmas tree? Doesn't Athearn realize that this is a adult toy very expensive hobby that not just anyone can enjoy? Think about all of the GG1's and Big Boys they could have tooled up by not making that ornament. |
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