New Athearn's

[GLC 392]

New to the Genesis line are GP38-2's, first run are CN GP38-2lw's!!! MP, SP and southern.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG5F7TnnHA4

[PlymouthStationGuy]

New to the Genesis line are GP38-2's, first run are CN GP38-2lw's!!! MP, SP and southern.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG5F7TnnHA4

That CN Geep 38-2 looks good might have to save my pennies and get one of them

[Michigan Railfan]

I gotta say... I was disappointed about all the hype they created just for this. I was hoping for something better and more modern. However, that CN unit is looking pretty cool. I won't be buying one anytime soon though. They're $180 for a non DCC unit... Overpriced as usual from Athearn.

[SD80MAC]

Dude, we've needed a GOOD, QUALITY GP38-2 for longer than SD70ACe's and Gevo's have even been around. Be patient, modern versions are in the works (with ditch lights!)

[Michigan Railfan]

Dude, we've needed a GOOD, QUALITY GP38-2 for longer than SD70ACe's and Gevo's have even been around. Be patient, modern versions are in the works (with ditch lights!)

I'll admit, the whole geep series Athearn is starting is pretty interesting, but I have a feeling that the rest of the engines in this series will be overpriced. I mean really, $180 for a GP38 that's not even DCC? I think they need to recheck their prices...

[telus6429]

Dude, we've needed a GOOD, QUALITY GP38-2 for longer than SD70ACe's and Gevo's have even been around. Be patient, modern versions are in the works (with ditch lights!)

I'll admit, the whole geep series Athearn is starting is pretty interesting, but I have a feeling that the rest of the engines in this series will be overpriced. I mean really, $180 for a GP38 that's not even DCC? I think they need to recheck their prices...

Well for a GP40-2W for, Atlas was the same price for non DCC... Lots of great products coming out at around that price, and its not going to get any cheaper. The price of items going up, and production is getting expensive now from China, and more factories are closing over there. The next thing is we are going to be paying more and more for some of our items...

[Todd Cline]

I'll echo most of you guys here. I think that the price of new models has reached the point of being profane. Come on now, a molded piece of plastic made in China!!!??? Sure, they are more detailed than the older models, but it'll be a cold day in hell before I can justify paying $200.00 for an HO scale non-dcc-sound equipped diesel. You want to get real nuts? Look at the Athearn UP gas turbine prices. Not too long ago you could get a real nice Atlas diesel for around 50-75 bucks. Sure, no DCC or sound, but most of your die-hard DCC-sound guys like to put in their own systems anyway.
At the end of the day, I would guess (yes,GUESS I could be wrong), that these "$200.00" models cost the manufactures closer to $20.00 to have made for them, if that. And then they wonder why model railroading is a dying hobby.... Instead of trying to make all their yearly profit on just a few sales, they should bring prices back to a reasonable level so more people can afford to buy their products, and that way the hobby can grow, not shrink. I think Irv. Athearn would be spinning in his grave if he could see what has happened to his company.The company he founded on the idea of affordable models for everyone, kind of like Henry Ford and the model "T". Unfortunately though, in todays "corporate mentality", Instant profits are the only thing that matters. They don't think about the "Big-Picture" anymore. At this rate in another 10-20 years there will be no more than a very few, very rich, model railroaders to support their business. At that point I think we can write the obituary for Walthers Inc. And most of the rest of the model railroad businesses in this country.

Just my opinion..
Todd

[SD80MAC]

If you think model railroading is a dying hobby, you haven't seen the DROVES of little foamers showing off their newly purchased $175 Athearn SD70's on youtube. I think we're just fine, for better or worse...

[Hugh]

Interesting, but to new for me.

[conrailmike]

You're not going to see prices fall with the cost of goods going up. These prices will be the norm now if you want the newest ready to run locos. Also, just like any business, they will price them according to what the market will bear.

I really wish we could go back to the days of buying a kit and then the detailing and all the extras were stuff that the modeler would do themselves. There are still a few companies out there that offer the modeler a loco that's closer to kit form but they are few and far between.

It's the same for rolling stock too, I mean, we're now looking at $40-$50 (and sometimes more) rail cars when you used to get them for $20 or less. Sure you might have had to add details but that was the fun part. It's really expensive if you want to build a decent sized collection of rolling stock.

[AC60CW]

when you used to get them for $20 or less

I remember paying $5-10 for blue boxes, and I thought that was high.

[CSX_CO]

when you used to get them for $20 or less

I remember paying $5-10 for blue boxes, and I thought that was high.

Ok, now factor in the cost to get that blue box detailed to the level of a Genesis line locomotive, or any of the other recent releases. I used to have a whole disk of engines with the appropriate detail parts typed out, and their cost. Rail Power Products, for example, needed well over $100 in detail parts to make it look 'good'. That's not factoring in the cost of the shells, underframe, and then all the necessary parts of the running mechanism. Plus, you're getting a factory paint job that blows most custom painters out of the water.

So, factoring in inflation, $150 for a Rail Power Products Shell, Detail parts, etc. (in 1990's dollars) plus time to put it all together, or $180 for a brand new, top of the line, highly detailed, locomotive ready to go out of the box. Which is the better deal?

Practice Safe CSX

[conrailmike]

when you used to get them for $20 or less

I remember paying $5-10 for blue boxes, and I thought that was high.

Ok, now factor in the cost to get that blue box detailed to the level of a Genesis line locomotive, or any of the other recent releases. I used to have a whole disk of engines with the appropriate detail parts typed out, and their cost. Rail Power Products, for example, needed well over $100 in detail parts to make it look 'good'. That's not factoring in the cost of the shells, underframe, and then all the necessary parts of the running mechanism. Plus, you're getting a factory paint job that blows most custom painters out of the water.

So, factoring in inflation, $150 for a Rail Power Products Shell, Detail parts, etc. (in 1990's dollars) plus time to put it all together, or $180 for a brand new, top of the line, highly detailed, locomotive ready to go out of the box. Which is the better deal?

Practice Safe CSX

I'd rather do the detailing myself.

[hoborich]

Might have something to do with our worthless dollar too. China is sitting on a mountain of worthless green ink stained paper already. Most people don't pay any attention to the decline in the dollar. But as it becomes worth less, it takes more of them to buy anything, oil or toys. We are seeing the results of the Feds cranking up the printing presses to warp speed.

[legostudios34]

I'd love to get one of the Southern ones to run with my Athearn SOU Highhood SD40-2.