10-11-2011, 05:02 PM
Green_Elite_Cab Wrote:Russ Bellinis Wrote:suspect that one reason that modern passenger paint schemes are hard to find is that Walthers has an exclusive licensing agreement with AmTrak to produce their paint schemes and reproduce their trains.
Sound reasoning on most of the Walthers stuff, but both Atlas and Bachmann produce Amtrak equipment (some would argue that despite paint scheme flaws, the Bachmann Amfleet I car is actually more realistic compared to the Walthers version).
As far as Athearn is concerned, I don't even think they ever did offer even a modern passenger car that wasn't a Bombardier Bi-level or an older streamliner in "new' colors.
I think both Atlas and Bachmann either have licensing agreements with Walthers, or Walthers lets them use their license because both Atlas and Bachmann allow Walthers to distribute their equipment. When ever Athearn has offered a locomotive newer than an F7 or Sdp40-2 in Amtrak colors since the Horizon take over, those Athearn models have been available from Walthers, nothing else made by Athearn or MDC is sold through Walthers. Horizon maintains exclusive distribution rights to Athearn & MDC. As far as modern passenger cars, Walthers made the passenger cars, but Athearn built the modern Ge Genesis locomotives to go with them. Athearn continues to offer the old F7 in the r-t-r line, but I don't think they offer it in Amtrak anymore even though that paint scheme would be appropriate for a modeler in the early to late 1970's era prior to AmTrak receiving the F40ph models.