04-11-2013, 08:41 AM
I haven't heard anything, and will believe it when I see it. Keep in mind that Athearn several years ago simply cleaned out all its manufacturing facilities and moved to an office building in Long Beach -- they'd have to make major changes to bring back equipment, hire new people, and so forth. And a big reason some companies moved to China is that the US environmental requirements for painting are much more stringent than in China. Plus the unpredictability of US taxes and regs.
It's definitely true that the move to China has been hurting the hobby in the medium term, with things like Atlas track and Athearn RTR harder to get, with these being the bread and butter of many train stores, but "moving manufacturing back" is a little like trying to get the toothpaste back into the tube.
It's definitely true that the move to China has been hurting the hobby in the medium term, with things like Atlas track and Athearn RTR harder to get, with these being the bread and butter of many train stores, but "moving manufacturing back" is a little like trying to get the toothpaste back into the tube.