It has been close
to 10 years since
Athearn made
the last produc-
tion run of this
diminutive indus-
trial locomotive.
In addition to the demo scheme shown on the EMD Model 40,
the “Critter” will also be available decorated for the U.S. Navy.
Painted but unlettered versions of the HO scale ready-to-run
locomotive will be available in black, blue, red, and a combina-
tion of green and gray. The MSRP is $99.98. Operation is stan-
dard DC with 8 and 9 pin connectors to simplify installation of
an after-market DCC decoder.
A new run of GP35 locomotives is scheduled for March. The HO
scale ready-to-run model will be produced using tooling origi-
nally developed by Rail Power Products. Details such as triple
louver sets on the battery box cover, open 36'' radiator center
fans, flat bottom cab number board housings, flat inertial air fil-
ter hatch, and low profile fuel tanks help identify this as a Phase
1a locomotive. Road names will be Atlantic Coast Line, Baltimore
& Ohio, BNSF (Heritage III), N de M (Ferrocarriles Nacionales de
México), Western Pacific, and Santa Fe. The standard DC model,
priced at $119.98, will be DCC-ready using Athearn’s 8 and 9 pin
Quick Plug™ technology.
News column - 6
Also scheduled for release in March is Athearn’s ACF 2970 cu. ft.
twin-bay covered hopper decorated for Burlington Northern,
Chicago & North Western, Northern Pacific, Rock Island, Western
Maryland, and Monon. The cars have a photo-etched roof walk
and either round or trough roof hatches depending on the road
being modeled. The MSRP will be $39.98 each.
Additional new models due from Athearn in March include a
250-ton railroad crane and boom tender at an MSRP of $59.98.
The tender with the CP Rail crane has a paint scheme from
a different era and is fitted with a recycled bobber caboose
(above). In a similar arrangement, a Santa Fe crane (yellow and
blue scheme with Kansas City Derrick on the boom) is matched
with a tender and caboose in MOW gray. Cranes and tenders
without the caboose body include Southern Railway (Industrial
Brownhoist on the boom), and Southern Pacific painted in
Daylight colors.
MRH-Sep 2013
