As most of you all know by now Horizon Hobby bought out Athearn a long time back. Well now Horizon has quoted "production costs concerns" as their reason for ending a long time staple of the HO model railroader, the Athearn Blue Box Kit. These kits first hit the market in the 1950's and have been very popular among kitbashers, novice modelers, and those who just like to set down and actually build something instead of just opening up a box. But alas, Horizon in it's ultimate wisdom has decided that production costs were just too high to keep the price competitive, and since they can make more money selling a $30 RTR freight car instead of a $8.00 kit, they discontinued the kits. So say goodbye to an old friend, and say hello to eBay. I would like anyone who feels so inclined to post their photos of any blue box kits that they have built over the years to use this thread to do so. Here are some of my photos from kits I have built. I have about 22 blue box locomotives, and almost 100 pieces of blue box rolling stock. FriscoGeorge
My most recent Athearn "Blue Box" was about two-three years ago - SLSF 319, a SW1500. This was the subject of my article in The Meteor, Vol 1, #1. We are going to miss these "Blue Box" kits. Rarely in modeling, in general, has such an excellent line of products been offered for such a reasonable price. Athearn is what switched me over from Lionel to HO in 1961. I'm sure the Horizion bosses think they know what they are doing - but one has to wonder if they really do. BTW, it runs really well. Ken
I have a few pieces of BB rolling stock (though i never have had the privilege to build one). Alas I have only one BB loco, an SDP45 I bought this summy and didn't notice the steam generator. And since I'm DCC I probably wont have any except for for dummies. Maybe I'll buy a SW1500 if I see one and dummy it and run it with my Atlas MP15DC.
Sorry for the low resolution photo. I bought this BNSF beast with the idea of building a diorama of the north end of the Cape Girardeau flood wall where the railroad passes through an opened steel flood door (scratchbuilding time) and a nice trestle leads right up to it and it begs to be modeled. I know it's BNSF now but it used to be Frisco. The kit was bought at Cape Art Mart for about 68 bucks back in 2006 or so. The Hobby Shop is now gone but we still have Hobby Lobby with a fair model RR section. I think I'm more of a diorama builder than a true model railroader. I like too many different eras of my hometown to focus on one thing.
Jim, I altered your statement just a little. I like all railroading up to about the 80's. I don't like any of the "newer" high HP larger loco's nor the larger, longer freight cars. I guess that I am just "old-fashioned".
Hi Guys, Thanks for all your posts and comments on this subject. Here are four more pictures of my Athearn blue box Frisco pride and joy collection that I have customized over the years. Notice the prices on the boxes! FriscoGeorge
NMRA or some group shold get together and buy out the Athern Blue Box line...costs of rtr rolling stock will discourage new model rr guys...lets try to keep it reasonable; if we don't the hobby will whither away, I am afraid, especially with all the computer games and tv the young ones are into...Boy Scouts need to push this as a merit badge achievment. These reasonably priced kits are why I got interested, after operating the real thing!
It's surprising that the hobby has lasted this long! What with the hobby becoming progressivly more expensive and the shabby treatment toward kids. I used to go into hobby shops when I was a kid, and as soon as it was known that I had a Lionel train insted of the vaunted "Aitch-Oh," I'd get the cold shoulder. I wish I had a nickel for every time I got some smart a-- treatment from an older modeler or hobby shop keeper. I've seen the same thing since I've become an adult. In the 50's model RR snobbery toward younger modelers was rife. Maybe not so bad now. But, I became a model railroader in spite of it...
What got me was having the BNSF Ft. Scott (ex. frisco ash grove sub) visible from a big window in my house. That and good ol Thomas the Tank engine. Speaking of which I have a little cousin that likes Thomas. Wonder if his parents will let my get him hook on Model Railroading and the Frisco.
Yes I was actually OK with the old Blue Boxers, Detail Associates and Microscale Decals. Actually building something. And talking about grumpy old men in hobby shops. Anyone ever go into the old Spotlight store on Troost in KC. Ouch. John
Henze's here in St Louis in the old days - on Riverview - was a bit rigorous. Bill, who passed away several years back, was a bit testy. He was a policeman and was usually tired when he got to the shop, though he was a good guy. His wife covered for him when he was working, and she was a load. It was a decent shop, though. There was always a good discussion group going on every Friday night there - lots of Wabash and CB&Q talk as I recall. I miss it. I bought many of my early HO kits there - 1962, 1963, 1964. Ken
Spotlight was a great shop. I remember one guy who was a little gruff in my opinion. What I remember the most about it was the Postal employees accross the street being so rude about parking. They thought they owned the street. Does anyone remember when spotlight closed? Bob Wintle
I had asked about Spotlight right after I joined the group... no one answered. Shop was owned by Leonard Speck who was a TWA pilot. He was just as grumpy with his subordinates on the airline too. He had a real collection of Liberty a/c engines in the back and along with the remains of a couple DH-4's which was a mail plane in the 20's. His dream was to get one flying again. I don;t think it ever came about. I used to help him load parts for the planes in the cargo hole of the connie when I was a-learning. With the old guys, they were not very good teachers, they expected you to know it all from birth - I guess. He had a real gentleman working in the train store while he was still flying by the name of Tim _____. Tim was very nice to all the customers. I miss that shop. It had everything.
I forgot about the parking at Spotlight, yeah that was a hoot. It's been at least ten maybe fifteen years since Spotlight closed. I think it changed hands a couple of times near the end. At the end the stock was so low they closed off half the store, and it wasn't that big in the first place. They did have brass and I can remeber seeing price tags like $350 and wondering who would ever spend that kind of money for a locomotive. Fond memories of those early model railroading years and I was a lot younger. John|-|
I lived at 74th and Oak in KC, and it was a short bicycle trip to Spotlight; parking was never a problem. We bought our PFM Bolshevik ($54.00) and 1500 $75.00) from Spotlight. That was a lot of mowing jobs to cover those locomotive, but worth the effort. The shop indeed had lots of brass, and the Max Gray O scale stuff was a sight to behold. The gentlemen clerk was Tem (not Tim, Tem was short for something else, and it was an odd name, but that I can't remember) Johnson. I believe that he had a hard time making a living selling railroad models, and became a Xerox repairman. Tem grew up an Erie fan, and modeled On3 D&RGW stuff. He was pretty good.
Ah... Spotlight on Troost! I remember him well, Horatio. Well... sort of. Back in the mid-60s, Spotlight was my first introduction to a REAL model railroad hobby shop. It was wonderful place filled with trains, trains, and more trains! When you walked in the door, the shop had a unique, pleasant, smell to it that became synonomous with model trains in my young mind (at the time). One of my first trips to Spotlight I was all fired up from a recent all-day excursion to the Mop's yard in North KC courtesy of a part-time employee at dad's supermarket. I got to go in the engine shops, got the 25 cent tour of the workings of engines, wheel lathes, etc. Got cab tours and cab rides. Rode one of the yard switchers doing it's thing for a long time. To say I was enthused would be an understatement. Anyhoo... entering Spotlight and walking up to the counter, I asked if any Missouri Pacific diesel engines were available in HO scale. Of course, the answer was "nope". HOWEVER... I could "paint and decal it". Say what? "Paint and decal it." With that, the feller dug out a little bottle of blue paint from a paint brand I had never heard of before: Floquil. He then went through a drawer of little tan envelops of something... and laid a few out on the counter top. It was decals from some company named "Champ". Therein was a perfect (to me at the time!) miniature Buzzsaw and numbers to letter a Mop engine! Lastly came a bottle of something called "Solvaset". Following a quick tutorial on "how to" paint and decal. I purchased my stuff and was off. This began my entrance into custom painting my own stuff. My ready-to-run Athearn BB Santa Fe locomotive fleet was transformed into the Missouri Pacific. It was because of Spotlight Model Railroad on Troost. To this day, whenever I pop the top on a bottle of old Floquil, or decal setting solution (they tend to smell simiar)... my mind time trips back to Spotlight, my basement workbench and layout... and the fun and enthusiasm I had for my mode trains. Those were great times! Andre Ming
Tem was very good and very patient with my brother and me. He was a great teacher of the hobby. He taught us a lot about air brushing and decalling, and he provided a critical eye with our work.
Perhaps it was "Tem" that helped me? Spotlight was also responsible for me getting into "craftsman" types of kits. I built several "Quality Craft" kits, those I remember: ATSF Tri-Level Auto Rack GN Tri-Level Auto Rack PRR Tri-Level Auto Rack PRR 60' box w/cusioned underframe ??? In addition to learning about "craftsman kits", I also did a TON of repaints w/decals to replicate equipment I was seeing. Thanks Spotlight and Athearn BB kits!
Does anyone know why kits never took off in O scale like it did in HO? It seems too me that it would have been a lot easier to produce a kit in O scale than HO due to the size. I know a lot of O scalers scratch build their stuff in order to compensate for stuff they can't buy. By the way, while we are on the subject of hobby shops, does anyone remember the old "Battlefield Station" on Battlefield Road in Springfield, Mo? I remember going in there and chatting with Larry (the owner) and strolling through the store gazing in amazement at all the stuff. I was told that when Larry had to give up the place on Battlefield and more over to Campbell that the stress of having to move is what lead to his death. I sure do miss him, he was really nice to every customer. FriscoGeorge |-|
