I just received in the mail a brand new Athearn AT&SF warbonnet F7A kit. Now I realize this isn’t the premium line, and for the price paid I don’t expect mega-detail, but I noticed right off that the numberboards were painted right over.
That wasn’t what I remembered seeing on the Athearn website, so I double-checked, and sure enough the photo on the website clearly shows the numbers correctly on the numberboard for this particular model (ATH3201, http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH3201).
Then I noticed more discrepancies in detail–such as the fact that the lower headlight on mine doesn’t have a lens (it came with one you install yourself for the top light).
What’s up with that? As I say, I don’t expect everything perfect for that price, but even my old Tyco warbonnet F has numberboards.
This is the first Athearn locomotive I’ve bought since coming back to the hobby after 20 years, but the kits I had back then seemed a little more carefully done. Is this what Athearn kits are like now?
I’m tempted to return this and say, “I’m sorry, this product doesn’t match the manufacturer’s photo at all.” Am I being unreasonable? I just think if they’re going to sell a locomotive where the numberboards are painted over, they should show it that way in the catalog.
The Athearn Illustration in your link is of an F3 not an F7 and may be an illustration of a Genesis model of that type. It is not a Blue Box kit. However, even the ready to run standard models have much improved paintwork over the older kits I have.
The illustration in the RTR section of the ATSF F7 A+B shows the correct shell for the Blue Box kit, but it has road numbers in the front number boards. Of course, the kit might not be painted to the same standard.
the picture that you linked to, looks more like an athearn genesis locomotive not a RTR or BB locomotive, by the way which are you referring to a Blue Box??, if it is and if i recall correctly BBs dont come with number boards.
I think Athearn goofed and put the wrong photo on their website with the product.
The one I bought is a kit, not RTR, by the way. Guess I’ll figure out a decal solution for the number boards.
Have they always painted over the numberboards on the kits? That seems really cheap. As I say, even my old Tyco has numberboards.
I’ve always liked Athearn, and am hoping the new motor on this unit will work well (this looks like updated technology from the old BB kits I used to buy). I may end up letting my young son learn how to handle trains with this one–I have a couple unopened P2K PA units that I was thinking of giving him this Christmas but the details on those are so fine and delicate-looking I’d probably best wait until he’s older.
when i had a couple of the locos they had see through plastic number boards, so i’m pretty sure they have, but i believe you can get printed number board decals to put in, but i find after all the stuffing around, its better to go buy a P2K or Atlas or Kato which run better overall, although im going to get a couple of undecorated athearns to paint into my freelance scheme, either that or spectrums or if i can find it an undec P2K, sorry im going off track…if your happy to fix the number boards and dont mind the other small problems a BB brings then im not about to complain about it…
I have a small fleet of Athearn BB F7s, some of them more than 25 years old. None of them has numbers in the number boards, so this is nothing new. The older ones have double headlights with lenses but the newer shells all have single headlights. I’m not sure when this change was made. It might be the roadname that dictates whether a single or double headlight shell is used. The two I have with single headlights are a Pennsy and a Conrail. If they still sell both types of shells, its possible that they sent you the detailing package for a single headlight shell when you should have received two headlight lenses. Also, did you order directly from Athearn or was this from an online or mail order retailer. Some of those dealers have large inventories of the Athearn BB F7s that could be quite old. I bought a bunch of these several years ago at bargain basement prices and it was obvious from the condition of some of these boxes that they had been on somebody’s shelf a long time.