Athearn Trains
Athearn Model Trains
Athearn is a well respected name in the model train industry. The Athearn brand has come to be associated with high standards, high quality and great value. Currently offering sought after models in HO scale, N scale and 1:50 scale, the company continues to release exciting new models and products.
Irv Athearn’s Passion for Trains
Like many good companies, Athearn Trains began out of Irv Athearn’s genuine love of model trains. His success is a true testament to the mantra of “do what you love and the money will follw”. While living at home with his mother, Athearn accumulated quite an extraordinary O-scale layout. Like any great project or hobby vocation, Irv’s train layout was never complete and he was always modifying it. It was about this time around the year 1938 that after placing an ad in Model Railroader magazine, Irv was able to sell the complete set up for $10,000; quite a large amount by today’s standards and definitely huge for 1938-1940. The extremely favorable response and eventual sale of his trains offered Irv Athearn some concrete evidence that he could make a good living selling model railroad items.
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 Athearn Ho 84060 Motor C44 9w US $6.75 --> Ends In 16m <-- |  Athearn Ho 46500 Gp38 2 Body Shells Undecorated US $15.50 --> Ends In 21m <-- |  Csx Gp38 2 Powered 6126 And Gp40 2 Unpowered Athearn Ho US $39.00 --> Ends In 21m <-- |
 Athearn Ho 42200 Gp35 Body Shells Undecorated US $23.50 --> Ends In 24m <-- |  Csx Gp38 2 Powered And Gp38 2 Unpowered Athearn Ho US $41.00 --> Ends In 27m <-- |  Athearn Ho 18500 Coach Body Shell Undecorated US $1.99 --> Ends In 29m <-- |
 Athearn Ho Pennsylvania B Unit Dummy US $14.99 --> Ends In 29m <-- |  Fec Gp40 2 Powered Athearn Ho Rare US $30.00 --> Ends In 32m <-- |  Athearn Ho 75119 Gp38 2 Parts Bag US $1.25 --> Ends In 44m <-- |
 Athearn 55 Ftcenter Flow Union Carbide Hopper Car US $9.00 --> Ends In 45m <-- |  Athearn Ho 50 Pc F Box Car Washington Central US $13.99 --> Ends In 48m <--  |  Athearn 50 Ftevergreen Plug Door Box Car Weathered US $6.00 --> Ends In 56m <-- |
Making a Good Living
Continuing to sell trains from his mother’s house, Irv did good and in 1948 was able to start his own company in it’s own facility in Hawthorne California. Athearn Trains was born. The new company carved out a niche for itself particularly in HO kits and railroad car construction.
Athearn Innovations
Some of the noted Athearn Trains innovations include all-wheel drive, “Hi-Fi” drive, smoothing and improving the drive mechanism and motion transfer to wheels, double ended magnets and fly wheel drive assemblies.
Continuing the Athearn Legacy
Irv Athearn passed away in 1991 but under new ownership, Athearn Trains continues to honor is legacy of quality, innovation and value with high quality model railroad products at reasonable prices. In 2004 under the new ownership of Horizon Hobby, Athearn moved from it’s Compton facility to a brand new facility in Carson, California.
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