#athearn

Theres no doubt that steam just has that alluring aura that can appeal to folk both young and old, but I’d be lying if I said diesels don’t have similar appeal. In most cases…why not just try for both?

For the holiday season (and my Birthday) I got to snag two new engines for the collection. Both models are Athearn.

The steamer is an Athearn-Roundhouse 2-6-0 Mogul as Denver & Rio Grande Western #942. This is one of their most recent models, which I believe hit the shelves a few months ago as of this Jan. 2026 post. It is representing a G-26 class set from the 1930s to 1941 based on the lettering style. It is by no means an accurate representation of the depicted engine but I don’t think anyone has a model of the real thing so its still a good stand in. This model has DCC & Sound equipped which I have yet to test due to my controller being stored. In time I will swap out the couplers to Kadee 58 or 158 scaleheads. I am not sure if I want to detail the engine or not, since im sure that making an accurate looking G-26 will require me to start with something else entirely.

The diesels on the other hand are Athearn Genesis, representing an EMD F-3 Phase II A-B-A set lettered for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (Also known as the MKT or “Katy” Railroad). The units are 205-A, 205-B and 205-C, representing what I believe are the as-delivered looks from June of 1947. These units are all powered with a can on the inside and appear to have been super-detailed by a previous owner. Such super-detailing includes coupler cut levers, trip-pin less rusty painted Kadees, American Limited diaphragms and even minute weathering near the exhaust vents. These units are still DC operated (or at the very least DCC Ready) and are all very smooth running engines. I cannot wait to get DCC installed and have the trio ready to roar down the rails with a freight train.

Its also worth noting that the photo of the MKT diesels, to me, doesn’t do the engines justice. The red is VERY brilliant in person. Dare I say it’d look better than the Santa Fe’s warbonnet! But the only reason I’m not doubling down on that is because I don’t have any warbonnets yet. Well, I do, but not in HO Scale. The Lionel Super Chief set I’ll showcase another day.

Layout Update | New Locomotive Ops

I should be doing homework but instead I’m looking at a $600 set of Amtrak Surfliner cars and a $280 Surfliner livery SC-44 Charger. I don’t even have the money to buy them but like they’re sooooo pretty.

The eagle has taken flight

HORIZON HOBBY – アメリカの大手RC総合卸売商社

以下、どうでも言い情報かもしれませんが、暇なので調べて見ました。

アメリカの大手RC卸売会社
HORIZON HOBBY （ホライゾンホビー）

https://www.horizonhobby.com/

アメリカのクローラーを調べて行くと、必ず名が上がってくる会社です。
基本的に通販サイトとしての認識の方が一般的ですね。

お抱えブランドが沢山あります。

歴史

1985年
イリノイ州で創設。

1992年
“Hobby Dynamics Distributor”というRC飛行機などを扱う会社を買収し、RCブランドノ販売権を得ると同時に、独自ブランドを起ち上げます。主に飛行機ラジコン。

1998年
一般消費者向けのネット通販を開始

2003年
LOSI® MINI-TというRCカーのヒット商品を生み出します。
その後様々なヒットを記録します。

20…

View On WordPress

#UP #unionpacificrailroad #SD70ACe #papabush #ATHEARN (荏原第一地域センター)
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6mwF3TnUor/?igshid=ymfu3efym57g

#Repost @athearn_model_trains (@get_repost)
・・・
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all our customers! Have a safe wonderful day.

#Athearn #sd45 #sd45dash2 #icccaboose #genesis #hoscale #hoscaletrains #railroad #railroadphotography #trains #trainstation #merrychristmas #santafe #santaclaus #santafealltheway #modelrailroad #modelrailway #railfans_of_instagram #railfan #railfanning #railroadlife
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6ehdCGJQb8/?igshid=1m6rzif4x53vh

This year’s Christmas train is rolling! #christmastree #christmas #christmastrain #christmastrains #athearn #tyco #lifelike #bachmann #atlas #hoscale #modeltrains #modelrailroads #modelrailroading #hobby #worldsgreatesthobby #locomotive #caboose #electrictrains #trainset #railroads #railroading #northcarolina #lionel (at Asheville, North Carolina)
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5ss7zlpVGm/?igshid=4olkqxnjn63d

Athearn HO scale SD70M diesel locomotivev

HOW TO INSTALL SoundTraxx Current Keeper

Let’s install a Soundtraxx current Keeper in an HO scale Athearn RTR sd45 with DCC and sound. I was doing this for my father and thought it might be a good video to do.

HO Scale Santa Fe Warbonnet SD75M Athearn Genesis Product Review

A Santa Fe mail train is about to pass the west switch at Bena and meet a westbound Southern Pacific manifest.

Photo by Clark Bauman

Here is an example of one of the Athearn blue-box 86′ boxcars that I am currently working on. The first image shows a bit of the detailing process. The first step is to get all the lumpy plastic cast details removed using appropriate blades. I also removed the trucks, as is typically done, just to prevent damage. Eventually, this will be painted a rusty blue, so the trucks would have to be removed eventually. So far (seen in the second image) I have carved away all of the plastic castings that are intended to represent bars and steps on the original kit. I have placed a new walkway, but have not done any lift bars or ladders yet.

This one will become HLMX 86153 which is an A806 car, but it differs in a few details from what the stock Athearn shell provides. This car has ladders to the left and right of the coupler walkway that will be added using a Detail Associates part. I will use Tichy wire grab irons and A-Line stirrup steps. The more interesting feature of the prototype is the area seen in the second image filled in with white styrene. The Athearn shell shows this area as a recessed panel, but the HLMX car is flush with a raised riveted seam that I am approximating with a strip of plastic. There isn’t much chance of pushing this kit to any level approaching extreme accuracy, so this small adjustments should be enough once the car is rusty.

Here is a nearly finished Athearn RTR Fruit Growers Express Solid Gold refer car featuring a Ring Engineering EOT that flashes on DC or DCC track. Some areas of the factory-painted logos and text were trashed using some solvents, then the entire car was given a fade of thinned Testors Model Master Desert Camo yellow. The rust effects are a mix of AIM Solutions, artists oils, and pastels. Perhaps this car could use some under-frame details, but it’s a nice simple model to ride at the end of an intermodal or ethanol train as a buffer.

This is an Athearn Genesis NW high-cube weathered with a variety of processes starting with a mild fade effect using a heavy airbrushed coat of AIM Quick Age and a very thinned spray of Polyscale Dirt. The roof was saturated with AIM Real Rust and Dark Rust. This was followed by brushed Windsor & Newton oils and pastels thinned to varying degrees to create the rust and the general rust stains on the car and also to darken and blister the roof more effectively. Many of these NW cars show an erosion of the pant over large areas, but don’t always have blisters of heavy rust. There is no Dull Cote finish on this model, but I did give it an overall blending spray with a mixed Earth tones wash.

Review of Athearn Genesis SD75I with Tsunami Sound

A video review of the new HO scale Athearn Genesis BNSF SD75I. This engine is factory equipped with a DCC Tsunami sound decoder. In the video we’ll listen to the engine sounds, examine the details on the engine and compare it to a EMD SD75M.

Athearn models just announced the new products that will be coming for 2015 and I’m so excited because they have the ES44AC for BNSF and UP. Time to save up. 

Not enough model train pictures on here, I think.

To the left, a Bachmann DDA40X. Kind of a cheap model, but I like it anyway, and in pictures it works when out of focus. The steam engine in the middle is an Athearn Union Pacific Challenger. Beautiful machine. On the right, a Life-Like RS-3 is pretending to shunt under a mining loading station (kit by Faller, slightly weathered). All in N scale.

This is the module where I previously posted WIP pictures.

Awwwee yeaa!! Check it out guys my brand new Athearn canadian national GP38-2W !!! So stoaked wanted once since they came out last year!