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Post by WP 257 on Nov 29, 2014 17:05:43 GMT -8
Hello All--
I was seriously looking to buy some Athearn engines this weekend, not just trying to "eliminate them from consideration", and after the frustration I had trying to find a decent looking Athearn, one dealer made the statement to me, quietly, since his store was full of customers "yeah, their quality control has been slipping".
My final tally for the holiday weekend:
Opened and examined at least 10 Athearn Genesis (non-sound) Reading green and yellow (late '60's repaint) GP-7's. Many of them had some unsightly glue marks, or broken handrails, etc. I was able to find one and only one unit that was "good enough" for me to buy.
Opened and examined 11 Athearn Reading green and yellow RS-3's (recently arrived) to find one and only one unit that was "good enough" for me to buy. This after also rejecting two previous units, one mail ordered and one at another train store. Again, the rejects had some rather unsightly glue marks (non-water-soluble clear shiny glue that stands out from the satin/flat finish) and poor paint masking and/or broken stuff--generally worse than the Genesis units.
I would have gladly bought, or else put on layaway, more units, but there just weren't any others that would be ok for me.
I generally do not experience this kind of frustration with other importers' products. I don't know that I've ever looked through 10 of anything before to find one ok one.
YMMV.
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Post by riogrande on Nov 29, 2014 17:11:33 GMT -8
Athearns QAQC has been at issue for a long as I can remember, although it had gotten a better in the last 5 or 6 years.
But it sounds like there was a bad run there.
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Post by atsfan on Nov 29, 2014 17:11:44 GMT -8
Appears???
How about has been for some time now.
I always inspect in person any of their engines.
Their business model is
1. Pre order only
2. Up to a year wait
3. Raise price or cut discount
4. If you get to see one in person it is rare before actually spending your money
5. Having quality issues as you describe
6. Repeat above
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Post by WP 257 on Nov 29, 2014 17:13:54 GMT -8
I said "appears to be" because the first Athearn Genesis GP38-2 units not that long ago were outstanding. Admittedly, my sample size was small.
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Post by theengineshed on Nov 29, 2014 17:37:34 GMT -8
The C&EI GP9 run was delivered a while back, so slipping isn't a new thing IMO. This is a shot of a new unit just out of the box. Glue smears, crooked lenses in the head lights, fibers glued on with the lenses, crooked horn. Not complaining because the price was right and this can all be fixed with some work prior to weathering. Purchased a few Bowser and Rivarossi locos this year, my impression is that they were more neatly assembled and cleaner, but I'm sure there are exceptions there too. Poor masking on the lettering or a lack of opacity between colors would be a deal killer for me though.  C&EI 237 Short Hood by Engine Shed, on Flickr |
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Post by mlehman on Nov 29, 2014 17:54:16 GMT -8
The C&EI GP9 run was delivered a while back, so slipping isn't a new thing IMO. This is a shot of a new unit just out of the box. Glue smears, crooked lenses in the head lights, fibers glued on with the lenses, crooked horn.SNIP That is pretty rough work there. I could do about that well  BTW, what is that thingamajig standing atop the short hood? RSD5, You're doing the right thing. Send 'em back. The only way management seems to know about QC issues with many off-shore manufactured products is via customer feedback. The only QC that seems to happen in the factory anymore is the manufacturer's -- and that tends to be what they feel is in the interest in getting as many units out the door as fast as possible. People may laugh at the prices Blackstone charges for HOn3 gear, although my fellow narrowgaugers seem to have little complaint about that. But one thing Blackstone does do is get the product delivered to them in Durango, where they do their own QC by sampling from the shipment before it goes to the dealer. It's not absolute proof against getting something you're weren't expecting when you unbox, but it does demonstrate a commitment to the customer that I'm not aware is done on this scale by most other importers. Blackstone has also sent whole shipments back for rework several times, a delay that customers wish wasn't there, but are actually glad for. Anyone else aware of specific vendors who currently do something similar to Blackstone? |
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Post by MONSTERRAILROAD on Nov 29, 2014 18:14:47 GMT -8
Well I FINALLY received the Genesis GP38-2 today in the mail so I have decided I will do a video box open and inspection of the model. I will compare it to other models, Check out the details and check out the sound, ALL LIVE on video. We will see if this is a GREAT one or a bust! Well, what do I do if it is a bust? Hmmm
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Post by grabbem88 on Nov 29, 2014 18:25:48 GMT -8
I understand the glue slop being an issue but the broken stuff could be from "other" people examining these models before you?
I never bought an athearn genesis let alone a rtr because of these horror stories but the first 4 gp38-2's I recieved had not a broken part but did have glue which. A toothpic took care of that issue..
But I have recieved atlas silver master classic that were painted so thick that shells were bonded like glue and warped sills from hell
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Post by theengineshed on Nov 29, 2014 18:29:32 GMT -8
It's a Hancock air horn, this particular model doesn't have the rounded rectangular reflector which directed the sound forward. Kudos for Athearn getting the horn right, even if it was glued on crooked. Alas, the horn is getting replaced, they weren't that loud on the prototype, and the L&N switched them out on ex C&EI units.
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Post by mrsocal on Nov 29, 2014 18:45:19 GMT -8
Big Al, if it is a bust....than tell it like it is. You can't go wrong that way. Me, as far back as I can remember. I am talking 69' to 73', Athearn was the go to for rolling stock and locos as compared to Tyco and Bachmann of the day. Now 40+ yrs later for me.... Athearn is the or at the least close to the Tyco in the industry as new companies have come in and set the bench make or standard to build and sell by. Now in all fairness, I do own one Genesis loco. It is a CSX GP15T that I won at the West Coast RPM meet 2012. I have looked at it but I have not inspected it for details to date. It is in the box on the closet shelf, and for that matter will become a sell item when I get around to it. There is my 2 1/2 cents on Athearn. Remember, I am just one voice among millions. I have never been mislead or had any conflict with the Athearn company. I just think also that they could step it up a notch or two.
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Post by upcsx on Nov 30, 2014 7:43:19 GMT -8
Don't forget Intermountain every Gevo had a missing part at the LHS last Friday.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2014 7:59:02 GMT -8
I'm a solutions type of guy....here is your options
1. Go back to the bare bones models of the Athearn blue box and Atlas yellow box era. You want details.....buy 'em and put them on yourself. Yes, break out the drills, tweezers, etc.
2. Make everything as a kit. You assemble all those parts, if you smudge it up with glue its your own damn fault. Again, break out the modeling tools! If you feel you are not able to assemble the new toy, pay someone to assemble it for you.
3. SLOW the flow of new products. Athearn especially is pumping out new product like OPEC pumps barrels of oil. Just look at all the NEW products Athearn announces each and every month. That factory must be hopping like a rabbit on triple cappuccino's!
4. Seeing that Athearn continues to sell out run after run after run. All the babble about their quality control issues seems to not effect 99% of the people buying their products. So other than venting on this and other online lists and forums, it still isn't doing anything to change Athearn's approach to business.
5. Since, typing away anonymously on this and other online lists and forums while bad mouthing a firm's products is in actuality a form of cowardice. WHY NOT USE THAT COMPUTER OF YOURS WORD PROCESSOR AND WRITE AND ACTUAL LETTER TO ATHEARN TO EXPRESSING YOUR DISPLEASURE'S. INCLUDE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR A REPLY AND SIGN YOUR LEGAL NAME. YOU PUT A $0.49 STAMP FROM THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE ON SAID LETTER AND MAIL IT TO BOTH HORIZON IN CHAMPAGNE, ILLINOIS AND ATHEARN IN LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA. AFTER A PERIOD OF TWO TO THREE WEEKS, IF YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE, E-MAIL BOTH HORIZON AND ATHEARN WITH A STRONGLY WORDED E-MAIL REQUESTING A RESPONSE AND INCLUDE YOUR LEGAL NAME.
These forums with nothing but some made up user name is not how you effect change. You must get face to face with the manufacturers to get constructive responses......or make them so angry they want to boil you in oil.
In 1999 I received a three unit set of brass Great Northern passenger F7's from Challenger Imports. They were garbage! One didn't run, one had a dead short and the axles were falling out of the third!!! They cost me over $1,000. They were sent back to Challenger for repair. When I got them back, I think whoever worked on the F7B had been eating Cheetos while working on the model! There were fingerprints ALL OVER THE MODEL. The second unit was now missing glazing and barely ran. The third unit was still leaving its axles behind.....I WAS ANGRY!!!!!
I had bought these through my best friend and his hobby shop. I could tell Willie wasn't getting anywhere with CIL, so I wrote a four page manifesto to Challenger and mailed it in the U.S. Mail to Iowa. Within three days, my friend Bill got his ear blown off by Al Ickelson, the principle of Challenger. Bill said, Al could have just opened the window and Bill would have heard every word being shouted from Iowa. My $1000 worth of F's took another trip to Iowa....they came back perfect......
A few years ago, I got an A-A set of PRR Proto 2000 with sound and DCC from my local hobby shop in Green Bay. One unit was put together so poorly it had shed a part which was missing. I contacted Walthers and my dealer contacted Walthers. Nearly two months later, my dealer was still getting the run around from Walthers. It appeared that Walthers really didn't take it seriously. I BLEW ANOTHER BLOOD VESSEL. I wrote only a two page manifesto this time to Walthers, put a stamp on it and within a week, I had my part and my dealer had the part!
People hide behind these computers. If you have problems get face to face with these companies and you generally will get results. Personal confrontation can be good for your blood pressure!
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Post by markfj on Nov 30, 2014 10:21:54 GMT -8
Well, I’ve learned to take the good, the bad, and the ugly in this day of RTR and preorders. That said, I’m not ready to throw Athearn completely under the bus and say they’re a bunch of slackers. However, you gotta wonder what’s going on when you pull a NIB loco out for a test run and this happens  :  Thanks, Mark |
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Post by mlehman on Nov 30, 2014 10:54:27 GMT -8
Maybe the Athearn packaging should say "Ready to Run -- Some Assembly Required"?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2014 11:29:37 GMT -8
Maybe the Athearn packaging should say "Ready to Run -- Some Assembly Required"? That might actually solve some of the problems. The drive is complete and some of the parts like the handrails would need to be installed by the buyer. For decades, that is the way the old Blue Box locomotives were sold. Atlas has even recently had the end handrails on units to be installed by the buyer along with a few other parts like horns. The trouble is though this would end the problem of smashed parts, you are now requiring the Chinese labor force to have to think and count. Currently the person assembling the grabs on a unit has a stash of grabs for the model being run in front of them and they fill all the holes and go on to the next shell filling all the holes. They don't have to count out ten grabs, one horn, one right long hood handrail, one left long handrail, etc.. The manufacturers are following the KISS principle in manufacturing these models or Keep It Simple Stupid. The workforce is paid to do repetitive tasks over and over like machines. If there was a way to automate the assembly of these trains using machines, I'm sure the manufacturers would do it. |
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Post by Judge Doom on Nov 30, 2014 11:38:28 GMT -8
Maybe the Athearn packaging should say "Ready to Run -- Some Assembly Required"? "RTR" = "Ready To Return" |
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Post by mrsocal on Nov 30, 2014 11:47:57 GMT -8
I have to agree on that one!!
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Post by MONSTERRAILROAD on Nov 30, 2014 12:01:30 GMT -8
I'm a solutions type of guy....here is your options 1. Go back to the bare bones models of the Athearn blue box and Atlas yellow box era. You want details.....buy 'em and put them on yourself. Yes, break out the drills, tweezers, etc. 2. Make everything as a kit. You assemble all those parts, if you smudge it up with glue its your own damn fault. Again, break out the modeling tools! If you feel you are not able to assemble the new toy, pay someone to assemble it for you. 3. SLOW the flow of new products. Athearn especially is pumping out new product like OPEC pumps barrels of oil. Just look at all the NEW products Athearn announces each and every month. That factory must be hopping like a rabbit on triple cappuccino's! 4. Seeing that Athearn continues to sell out run after run after run. All the babble about their quality control issues seems to not effect 99% of the people buying their products. So other than venting on this and other online lists and forums, it still isn't doing anything to change Athearn's approach to business. 5. Since, typing away anonymously on this and other online lists and forums while bad mouthing a firm's products is in actuality a form of cowardice. WHY NOT USE THAT COMPUTER OF YOURS WORD PROCESSOR AND WRITE AND ACTUAL LETTER TO ATHEARN TO EXPRESSING YOUR DISPLEASURE'S. INCLUDE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR A REPLY AND SIGN YOUR LEGAL NAME. YOU PUT A $0.49 STAMP FROM THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE ON SAID LETTER AND MAIL IT TO BOTH HORIZON IN CHAMPAGNE, ILLINOIS AND ATHEARN IN LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA. AFTER A PERIOD OF TWO TO THREE WEEKS, IF YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE, E-MAIL BOTH HORIZON AND ATHEARN WITH A STRONGLY WORDED E-MAIL REQUESTING A RESPONSE AND INCLUDE YOUR LEGAL NAME.
These forums with nothing but some made up user name is not how you effect change. You must get face to face with the manufacturers to get constructive responses......or make them so angry they want to boil you in oil.
In 1999 I received a three unit set of brass Great Northern passenger F7's from Challenger Imports. They were garbage! One didn't run, one had a dead short and the axles were falling out of the third!!! They cost me over $1,000. They were sent back to Challenger for repair. When I got them back, I think whoever worked on the F7B had been eating Cheetos while working on the model! There were fingerprints ALL OVER THE MODEL. The second unit was now missing glazing and barely ran. The third unit was still leaving its axles behind.....I WAS ANGRY!!!!!
I had bought these through my best friend and his hobby shop. I could tell Willie wasn't getting anywhere with CIL, so I wrote a four page manifesto to Challenger and mailed it in the U.S. Mail to Iowa. Within three days, my friend Bill got his ear blown off by Al Ickelson, the principle of Challenger. Bill said, Al could have just opened the window and Bill would have heard every word being shouted from Iowa. My $1000 worth of F's took another trip to Iowa....they came back perfect......
A few years ago, I got an A-A set of PRR Proto 2000 with sound and DCC from my local hobby shop in Green Bay. One unit was put together so poorly it had shed a part which was missing. I contacted Walthers and my dealer contacted Walthers. Nearly two months later, my dealer was still getting the run around from Walthers. It appeared that Walthers really didn't take it seriously. I BLEW ANOTHER BLOOD VESSEL. I wrote only a two page manifesto this time to Walthers, put a stamp on it and within a week, I had my part and my dealer had the part!
People hide behind these computers. If you have problems get face to face with these companies and you generally will get results. Personal confrontation can be good for your blood pressure!
This dude. Yeah he sounds like a solutions type of guy. Yeah right! Sound more like a cheer leader for the manufactures. People use these forums to air their complaints, frustrations and to talk about how pleased they are with products. No need to spend $0.49 for a stamp and send a letter signed to the manufacture. What is wrong with you? It is not 1985, An email works just fine! Not only that, those manufactures READ these forums so they know what the people are saying. How about you take your POM POMS to a different basketball court and cheer? Just saying... |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2014 12:26:14 GMT -8
I'm a solutions type of guy....here is your options 1. Go back to the bare bones models of the Athearn blue box and Atlas yellow box era. You want details.....buy 'em and put them on yourself. Yes, break out the drills, tweezers, etc. 2. Make everything as a kit. You assemble all those parts, if you smudge it up with glue its your own damn fault. Again, break out the modeling tools! If you feel you are not able to assemble the new toy, pay someone to assemble it for you. 3. SLOW the flow of new products. Athearn especially is pumping out new product like OPEC pumps barrels of oil. Just look at all the NEW products Athearn announces each and every month. That factory must be hopping like a rabbit on triple cappuccino's! 4. Seeing that Athearn continues to sell out run after run after run. All the babble about their quality control issues seems to not effect 99% of the people buying their products. So other than venting on this and other online lists and forums, it still isn't doing anything to change Athearn's approach to business. 5. Since, typing away anonymously on this and other online lists and forums while bad mouthing a firm's products is in actuality a form of cowardice. WHY NOT USE THAT COMPUTER OF YOURS WORD PROCESSOR AND WRITE AND ACTUAL LETTER TO ATHEARN TO EXPRESSING YOUR DISPLEASURE'S. INCLUDE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR A REPLY AND SIGN YOUR LEGAL NAME. YOU PUT A $0.49 STAMP FROM THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE ON SAID LETTER AND MAIL IT TO BOTH HORIZON IN CHAMPAGNE, ILLINOIS AND ATHEARN IN LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA. AFTER A PERIOD OF TWO TO THREE WEEKS, IF YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE, E-MAIL BOTH HORIZON AND ATHEARN WITH A STRONGLY WORDED E-MAIL REQUESTING A RESPONSE AND INCLUDE YOUR LEGAL NAME.
These forums with nothing but some made up user name is not how you effect change. You must get face to face with the manufacturers to get constructive responses......or make them so angry they want to boil you in oil.
In 1999 I received a three unit set of brass Great Northern passenger F7's from Challenger Imports. They were garbage! One didn't run, one had a dead short and the axles were falling out of the third!!! They cost me over $1,000. They were sent back to Challenger for repair. When I got them back, I think whoever worked on the F7B had been eating Cheetos while working on the model! There were fingerprints ALL OVER THE MODEL. The second unit was now missing glazing and barely ran. The third unit was still leaving its axles behind.....I WAS ANGRY!!!!!
I had bought these through my best friend and his hobby shop. I could tell Willie wasn't getting anywhere with CIL, so I wrote a four page manifesto to Challenger and mailed it in the U.S. Mail to Iowa. Within three days, my friend Bill got his ear blown off by Al Ickelson, the principle of Challenger. Bill said, Al could have just opened the window and Bill would have heard every word being shouted from Iowa. My $1000 worth of F's took another trip to Iowa....they came back perfect......
A few years ago, I got an A-A set of PRR Proto 2000 with sound and DCC from my local hobby shop in Green Bay. One unit was put together so poorly it had shed a part which was missing. I contacted Walthers and my dealer contacted Walthers. Nearly two months later, my dealer was still getting the run around from Walthers. It appeared that Walthers really didn't take it seriously. I BLEW ANOTHER BLOOD VESSEL. I wrote only a two page manifesto this time to Walthers, put a stamp on it and within a week, I had my part and my dealer had the part!
People hide behind these computers. If you have problems get face to face with these companies and you generally will get results. Personal confrontation can be good for your blood pressure!
This dude. Yeah he sounds like a solutions type of guy. Yeah right! Sound more like a cheer leader for the manufactures. People use these forums to air their complaints, frustrations and to talk about how pleased they are with products. No need to spend $0.49 for a stamp and send a letter signed to the manufacture. What is wrong with you? It is not 1985, An email works just fine! Not only that, those manufactures READ these forums so they know what the people are saying. How about you take your POM POMS to a different basketball court and cheer? Just saying... Why don't you read and comprehend what I'm saying, if your capable. I'm not defending the manufacturers, I'm saying if you have a problem, talk to them, write them, DO SOMETHING other than whine on these forums. E-mail gets easily ignored or forgotten as I and my dealer found out with Walthers. |
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Post by valenciajim on Nov 30, 2014 12:40:48 GMT -8
I have always found Athearn to be excellent at correcting problems with defective products. You can call them or e-mail them. I typically send them an e-mail witha picture of the defective item clearly showing the defect. Athearn has always gotten back to me within 48 hours and corrected the problem promptly.
I have expoereinced problems with their RTR line, but never with their Genesis products. I have not purchased much recently because I have more inventory than ost hobby shops and I have most everything I want.
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Post by buffalobill on Nov 30, 2014 13:12:47 GMT -8
Jim, have to agree with you. I have not had any real issues with my Genesis engines, but my experience with the RTR units has been spotty. With the exception of Walthers, I have had excellent results with manufacturers correcting issues. I wish I could see before I buy, but that isn't an option here, so you end up taking a chance. If I have an issue, I try an email, and if there is no response, I call.
Bill
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Post by nebrzephyr on Nov 30, 2014 13:52:08 GMT -8
I have always found Athearn to be excellent at correcting problems with defective products. You can call them or e-mail them. I typically send them an e-mail witha picture of the defective item clearly showing the defect. Athearn has always gotten back to me within 48 hours and corrected the problem promptly. Have to agree. When the first GP38-2's came out they had an issue with the "clam shell" package design which lead to the rear handrail being broken on many units. Mine included. Sent Athearn an email with photos of the damage and had new handrails and "correction piece" for the clam shell in a week. Now when many of us no longer have a local hobby shop and have to resort to mail order, don't just put the box on the shelf until later, open, remove and inspect immediately. Guess that goes without saying.  Bob |
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Post by WP 257 on Nov 30, 2014 14:49:08 GMT -8
Athearn only cares about solutions when the solution is simple ie send out a few gratis replacement parts or even a freebee soundboard to replace the defective one received in a new model (which they have done for me).
They absolutely do not care about solutions when the solution is difficult. If I recall, Athearn promised one of our forum members, who actually complained in person that they were going to provide factory replacement shells for all the incorrectly painted Lehigh Valley GP38-2's, and people are still waiting, nearly a year later. Some have said "well the real ones got dirty, so..." they then accepted the too-dark models in lieu of having no model at all. Accepting a model just because no other model exists to fill the void is no solution at all, and we shouldn't have to settle for that.
Now, in Athearn's defense, the one Reading GP-7 I did find is absolutely amazing, but the store will have a more difficult time selling the other nine which were not so amazing.
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Nov 30, 2014 15:06:01 GMT -8
Athearn only cares about solutions when the solution is simple ie send out a few gratis replacement parts or even a freebee soundboard to replace the defective one received in a new model (which they have done for me). They absolutely do not care about solutions when the solution is difficult. If I recall, Athearn promised one of our forum members, who actually complained in person that they were going to provide factory replacement shells for all the incorrectly painted Lehigh Valley GP38-2's, and people are still waiting, nearly a year later. Some have said "well the real ones got dirty, so..." they then accepted the too-dark models in lieu of having no model at all. Accepting a model just because no other model exists to fill the void is no solution at all, and we shouldn't have to settle for that. Now, in Athearn's defense, the one Reading GP-7 I did find is absolutely amazing, but the store will have a more difficult time selling the other nine which were not so amazing. It would seem the vast majority is accepting the status quo, for Athearn is still selling out and still out producing even their nearest competitor by at least twice or three times. Until a majority refuse to buy, then and only then will it prompt the necessary attention from Horizon and Athearn. A few folks may be unhappy and express their views publicly. Which is fine, but it seems the vocal few are just that a few. More people seem to accept and move on and that is just fine with Athearn for the bottom line keeps getting fatter. |
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Post by WP 257 on Nov 30, 2014 15:33:41 GMT -8
Every dog has his day. The Genesis series has caused some other manufacturers to "raise their game". Just in the last few days I was able to see some new cutting edge stuff--cutting edge as to how the detail parts are actually being manufactured. I think we are going to see some really nice surprises from the "other guys".
The competition is currently designing locomotive models that will actually offer as many if not more road specific details than Athearn Genesis while at the same time being better assembled, with better fit and alignment of body parts.
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Post by wmrdgfan on Nov 30, 2014 15:46:34 GMT -8
Every dog has his day. The Genesis series has caused some other manufacturers to "raise their game". Just in the last few days I was able to see some new cutting edge stuff--cutting edge as to how the detail parts are actually being manufactured. I think we are going to see some really nice surprises from the "other guys". The competition is currently designing locomotive models that will actually offer as many if not more road specific details than Athearn Genesis while at the same time being better assembled, with better fit and alignment of body parts. I'm not a Canadian modeler, but I really like what Bowser is doing with their SD40-2s they have announced. |
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Post by mlehman on Nov 30, 2014 16:04:15 GMT -8
I agree with much of what Jim said above. I do disagree with the idea that all people are cowards who want to talk about it with some degree of anonymity on the internet. Yes, sometimes cowardice may apply.
RSD-5's complaint, however, involved action. Not a letter, although that might prove to be useful follow-up. But wading through those locos left a bunch that may be equally unacceptable to others. It kind of depends on what that dealer does with them. Do they go back to Athearn? Or will he attempt to sell them to others, perhaps less attentive customers? One would obviously be noted by Athearn. The other would not be noticed unless a letter is written as follow-up. Depending on his relationship with his dealer, RSD-5 may not want to put them on the spot. Omitting personal identification avoids turning the issue into one of bashing his dealer.
So there are uses for anonymity and good reasons to not identify yourself, while discussing what sound like good reasons to be leery of this group of models. I also don't think a majority refusing to buy will be needed to get the attention of Uncle Irv's inheritors. A 5% return rate would probably be all that is needed get them as excited as a bunch of hens who suddenly discover a fox in the henhouse.
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Post by WP 257 on Nov 30, 2014 16:38:52 GMT -8
I am now trying to stick to phrases like "it appears like" or "it seems like" because I honestly don't want to get sued in the litigious society in which we now live. Sounds stupid, but it can and does happen.
Also, I am deliberately trying not to identify certain dealers, or if I do identify them, I try to do so only in the most positive light--because I have been burned in the past by "unintended consequences" of statements I made on some forum somewhere.
The particular dealer who had all the Reading stuff physically in stock also has a pretty decent mail order operation. Some of the items with broken parts were in the mail order stock area where I'm 99% certain I'm the only person who has opened them, albeit carefully, to look at them--and still there were a few broken parts. I do agree that the ones in the retail store area per se may have been damaged by others who looked at them prior to me.
Regarding returns, the very same dealer has made it clear to me before that they cannot make any money on returns. They end up eating shipping, sometimes more than one direction, which between that cost and the time involved to deal with returns, etc. means there is little or no money left to be made on returned items. Unless an engine totally does not run at all ie a recent RSD-15 I opened and test ran that did go back for credit, engines generally don't get shipped back for what some folks might term to be "minor cosmetic issues". That means they are put out for sale to the next guy, who 9 times out of 10 will just accept it, perhaps try to fix it, or will weather the crap out of it. In extremely rare instances, they'll mark the item down and give somebody a "deal" for the minor defect, but most will just get sold eventually.
According to the store folks I talk to, less than 1 person in 10 will be that upset about the kinds of defects I am describing--but I do believe many of the folks on these forums fall well within that 1 in 10.
I can say that one manufacturer has changed the way they are designing locomotive bodies so that in the future all of them will be straighter and fit much better than even some recent releases.
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Post by espeenut on Nov 30, 2014 17:51:07 GMT -8
...when I look at the numbers in my collection of HO motive power, Athearn is way at the bottom of the list amongst all the major manufacturers, the only one that has less is IM. I have very little faith in Athearn quality, been burned way too many times, and their fetish with crappy light bulbs only puts more nails in the lid of that coffin...
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Post by Chad on Nov 30, 2014 18:49:19 GMT -8
Gosh, I guess I am in the minority here. Maybe I have been lucky but a majority of my engines are Athearn Genesis and aside from one or maybe two units have I have not had any issues. And the issues I did have were very minor. I really like the Genesis and RTR units. Sorry you guys don't seems to like them or have had good luck with them but I think for the vast majority they are very good. Perhaps the price has something to do with it but heck I can't buy a $50,000 car without issues. Hope you folks find a manufacture without any issues and you like.
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