Over the Christmas weekend I realized the fact that Athearn makes its passenger cars about 60’ instead of the standard 89’. Is there a reason for that? My old BB cars from the 60’s are also too short so it must be a habbit.
~just confused…~
I think they make them short so they will look better on tight curves that would be found on smaller layouts. Less overhand on curves the better they look. Phil
To allow them to operate on tight radius curves.
Jim
Oh, that makes enough sense…
And the most important question of all.
To make us all ask questions why.
James
In the mid ‘50s sectional track with 15" and 18" radius curves began to become popular and actually when the Athearn cars were new, in the 1956-60 era, they were regarded as a good compromise between the 60 foot train set shorties from Penn Line and English (I think what Model Power still offers) and kits from Walthers and the full length cars. I think the Athearn cars are 73’ or so except for baggage cars.
Dave Nelson
If it weren’t for the BB shorties, I would probibly have odd looking trains traveling my curves and some spectacular collisions with passing trains!!! I had bought the shorties not knowing there was a difference and I’m sure glad I did. Full scale cars would limit the use of some of my more unusual routes.
Dave
RE: Why does Athearn make their passenger cars short?
1.(As previously stated) they’re compromised to run better on smaller layout’s.
2. They are 72’ version’s of AT&SF cars- regarless of what they’re painted as. Walthers’ makes 85’ Budd version’s.
3. Other mfr’s such as ConCor make 72’ for the same reason’s.
4. 60 footers run even yet better on 4X8’s.
Popularity is a fleeting thing. TODAY 85’s are getting bigger money. Up to $65
Yesterday 72’'s were king. Before that, 60 footer’s were popular.
Mfr’s go where the money is. What’s next? Prob.highly detailed shorty’s to look good on 4X8’s.
Dave N. is absolutely correct. In the era that the Athearn heavyweights first appeared, small spaghetti-bowl layouts were what average modelers were building. Track radii were typically 15"-18", with only very large layouts having wide radius track capable of running the likes of the full sized Walthers and other craftmens passenger equipment.
John English/PennLine and Walthers, too, began offering 60’ diecast and stamped metal heavyweight cars, dubbed “Pug” cars by Linn Westcott, for use on small radius “pug” layouts (one of Westcott’s formal names/classes of layout sizes suggested in the mid 1950’s, an idea which never caught on). Athearn came out with their slightly longer 72’ passenger cars after hearing repeated calls in the magazines for something of more realistic but not quite full sized length, to run on average layouts.
CNJ831
Athearn should eventually make HO shorty smoothside streamlined passenger along with their existing HO heavyweight and corrugated streamlined passenger cars. They are shorter than prototype length because most of the rooms in most houses or apartments such as a 10’ X 10’ spare bedroom are too small for bigger HO radius curves such as 30" radius. I have 18" radius curves on my HO model train layout. Athearn could also eventually make shorty or prototypical length passenger cars in N scale which is better suited than HO scale for most smaller rooms such as the 10’ X 10’ bedroom already mentioned.
Let’s not leave out what are probably the two most important reasons here;
- The dies are WELL paid for and have been for years and
- People are still buying them, so there isn’t any reason to change them.
Seems like simple economics to me, these are a good money maker for Athearn and not many people complain about the wrong length.
Actually it is quite simple, people buy them.
No…Actually and the truth of the matter can be found in what Don said.
I actually like the Athearn shorty passenger cars. I have 22 inch radius track and I still think they look a little strange in the curves but no where near my Bachmann Spectrum heavyweights. You can also get them for very cheap on occasion.
RMax1
Based on the number of 4x8 layouts I still see in the magazines I have to think there remains a market need for passenger cars shorter than full scale length, even though there are some really nice scale length cars out there for sale. It is nice to be given the choice, it seems to me.
The Athearn corrugated steamlined and standard cars, and the Con Cor smooth side 73 footers, look best if not mixed and matched with full length cars.
Dave Nelson