I just checked the Athearn site and noticed that now the SP Mountain or the SP 77’ Pullman car has been delayed until April 09!
The many F’s are constantly been pushed back as well.
I wonder what happens at Athearn; from the many pictures I was under the impression that the SP Mountain and the 77’ Chair car are ready for production. Guess I was wrong.
Does Athearn have any explanation for this major delay?? They showed the MT4 at the Anaheim show last month and it seemed to be fairly close to production status according to their spokesperson at the show.
The only MT4 I would want is the post war version with the skyline. That version is probably way out to late 2009 or early 2010.
It could be the production mill is full for the Athearn products. They have exceeded my level of product to purchase now for the last two years.
CZ
Disappointing news on the 77’ Pullmans. Glad that I recently stocked up on some Walthers passenger cars to tide me over. The modernized SP Black Widow F7s are still showing due date of early Dec. on Athearn’s website.
I am hardly keeping up with Athearn too! They’ve already announced a 3rd D&RGW tunnel motor run!
CZ–
Well, DANG! When I talked to my buddy at Bruce’s, he said that at the Anaheim show, the MT-4 was just about production ready and that it would come with the alternate snap-on Skyline casing included. I don’t need another MT-4 (already have a super brass one), but I was hoping I could pick up a Skyline casing to work a fit for my kit-bashed Spectrum MT-2 and a ‘naked’ brass MT-3 I bought a couple of years ago.
That’s no fun at all! [V] Everyhone else is getting their Hiawatha’s and 20th Century Limiteds, and we out here on the West Coast just have to sit and wait for our Daylights.
It’s a plot, I tell you, a NEFARIOUS PLOT ! Hey, guys, we out here spend just as much money in the hobby shops as YOU do! [soapbox]
Okay, now I feel bette
Well, the Hiaweatha has been shoved back about three months also, so we get some revenge.
All I have to say, I saw a early prototype of the MP15 in 2006 and most of them just started shipping. Good thing I didn’t preorder it or I would of waited for nearly 1.5 years to get delivery. That’s just embarassing.
-Tom
I have e-mailed Athearn inquiring why the delay. I will post the response when I get it. I’ve got Athearn item ATHG97104 reserved. That’s the SP 48 seat chair car 2429 in Tomato stripe.
Charlie
[quote user=“twhite”]
CZ–
Well, DANG! When I talked to my buddy at Bruce’s, he said that at the Anaheim show, the MT-4 was just about production ready and that it would come with the alternate snap-on Skyline casing included. I don’t need another MT-4 (already have a super brass one), but I was hoping I could pick up a Skyline casing to work a fit for my kit-bashed Spectrum MT-2 and a ‘naked’ brass MT-3 I bought a couple of years ago.
That’s no fun at all! [V] Everyhone else is getting their Hiawatha’s and 20th Century Limiteds, and we out here on the West Coast just have to sit and wait for our Daylights.
It’s a plot, I tell you, a NEFARIOUS PLOT ! Hey, guys, we out here spend just as much money in the hobby shops as YOU do! [soapbox]
O
I wonder if those 4500HP turbines will also be pushed back?
Since they mentioned an “early 2009 delivery” at the Anaheim Show and it’s not even announced yet I’d guess it will be a long wait. Maybe 2010 sounds better…?
Patience my friend. Back in the late 1990’s I ordered three Athearn Genisis NYS&W SD70M’s. I was working at a hobby shop at the time. I placed the order ten months after the release announcement in Model Railroader. It took another fifty (yes thats four years and two months) months to receive them. Don’t you just love offshore sourcing. The best part was that within six months after I received them the mail order dealers were selling them for less than I had paid at dealer cost.
I hope those BN F45s don’t get pushed back. I wanted to get at least one for christmas. (IMO, they’d look sweet with my P2K SD45s in a consist[:D])
I received a reply from Athearn today.
Charlie
Charles,
Thank-you for your inquiry. Please note that the delay is due to some
unanticipated pre-production delays.
Sincerely,
Athearn Trains
They have also pushed back the release date of the RTR SW1000’s until Feb. 09! Man i was going to get a couple of the BN’s to have smaller yard power oh well i guess ill wait.
I’ve got one of the BNSF SW1000’s pre-ordered. A blessing in disguise as I have a Overland model’s NP divided chair car on layaway at 90.00/mn and an ESU decoder with sound for an Athearn GP40x on order as well.
Charlie
Darn. I’m mainly hoping that my F45s don’t get delayed. My GP9s and SD9s can handle yard work, but I was wanting one of those SW1000s.
Hope someone will make a sound/DCC decoder for the SW1000 when it comes out.
Well, that really nails it down![:-^]
Its always better to correct the mistakes then rush the model to market only to have it torn to shreds by the so called “serious” modeler.
Exactly. I would rather have a model that has been corrected before release than to have one that has major problems. Unfortunately the “Serious Modeler” can be more detrimental than helpful to the hobby.
Charlie