As we all know, Athearn had decided to discontinue the reknown, timeless Blue Box kits.

Taking a cue off of Tom's tribute picture in this weeks Photo Fun Thread, I thought it would be cool for everyone to post pictures of their Athearn Blue Box rolling stock and locos.
So, I'll start.
[attachment=3278]
I also have a set of BN Impacts, but they are not on the layout.

Good idea Ed

A large portion of my fleet is based on blue box models, and as many others, my first true model was a blue box.

Here are a few.

Sad news indeed...

An orange box DD40 from 1966(?)...



This Walther's Impact car could never be issued without an Athearn BB bulkhead flat...



An N&W Trainmaster...



MR's 50th Anniversary car was made by Athearn using their 40' car...



Hi-F drive RDC1...



This Roundhouse 3-in-1 kit from the 70s used an Athearn rotary plow blade assembly supplied in the kit...



Steel wide vision caboose...



SW1500...



A classic...the Hustler...even Lionel got theirs from Athearn...



...and their classic four truck heavy duty flat, my favorite car...



...a C44-9W...



...and one of the best paints they did, the Espee '84 Games SD40...

In my best Quint voice(Jaws 1975)Farewell and adieu to you, fair Spanish ladies. Farewell and adieu, you ladies of Spain. For we've received orders for to sail back to Boston. And so nevermore shall we see you again.
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Indeed this simple cars and locomotives was the mainstay of the hobby for years.I guess the hobby grew up.










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Now the mainstay of any roster had some of these.



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While we are remembering the BB car kits I feel such a tribute would not be complete without remembering the Bev-Bel/Athearn partnership.




Gone but,not forgotten.

A Frisco SD40-2...



...L&N U30c...

Being that we're on the subject of Athearn BB, here's an Athearn GP38-2, that while slightly modified with visors, grabs and plastic railings still sports the BB body, trucks, frame and drive and grinds along with the best of them.

Couple more. These aren't on the layout as of yet.

Athearn BB Amtrak SDP40F. It's been patched for the L&A and retro-fitted with a hex shaft drive. It's mate was a dummy and mas been fitted with a Proto 2000 E6 chassis.

I have a lot of BB freight cars but since I bought them at flea markets and didn't assemble them myself i won't take credit. Most of my locomotive roster, however, are BB's that I purchased and put together. Four F units, two SD9s, two U28Cs, a GP9, three GP38-2s, and three switchers. I applied the black dip paint job and PC decals on five of the locos pictured below.




Ralph

Why not Ralph?
You bought them, they are yours, they are on your roster,post them.
This thread it doesen't matter whether you put them together, bought them assembled already by someone else, its more like..."Let's see what Blue Boxes you have."

eightyeightfan1 Wrote:Why not Ralph?
You bought them, they are yours, they are on your roster,post them.
This thread it doesen't matter whether you put them together, bought them assembled already by someone else, its more like..."Let's see what Blue Boxes you have."

One of the reasons I posted the Roundhouse and Walther's kits was to show just how ingrained Athearn was. Many of the Stewart and P2K offering are powered by Athearn drives.

the first Athearn boat kitbash.
[attachment=3297]
An Athearn Hustler kitbash.
[attachment=3296]

Nice work on the Hustler...

This one's mine...



Two Athearn heavyweights, one by a fallen modeler...



...my rendition of a Chapel Car...

A hustler "slug"......I like it!!!!

Sumpter250 Wrote:A hustler "slug"......I like it!!!!

Thanks...I made it using a Hustler with a damaged shell and a Bachmann moving van shell...it give it 4 extra power pickup points as it is permanently "mu'd" to the other unit.