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
Athearn Ho 84060 Motor C44 9w

   US $6.75
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ATHEARN HO 46500 GP38 2 BODY SHELLS UNDECORATED
Athearn Ho 46500 Gp38 2 Body Shells Undecorated

   US $15.50
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CSX GP38 2 Powered 6126 and GP40 2 Unpowered Athearn HO
Csx Gp38 2 Powered 6126 And Gp40 2 Unpowered Athearn Ho

   US $39.00
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ATHEARN HO 42200 GP35 BODY SHELLS UNDECORATED
Athearn Ho 42200 Gp35 Body Shells Undecorated

   US $23.50
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CSX GP38 2 Powered and GP38 2 Unpowered Athearn HO
Csx Gp38 2 Powered And Gp38 2 Unpowered Athearn Ho

   US $41.00
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ATHEARN HO 18500 COACH BODY SHELL UNDECORATED
Athearn Ho 18500 Coach Body Shell Undecorated

   US $1.99
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Athearn HO Pennsylvania B unit dummy
Athearn Ho Pennsylvania B Unit Dummy

   US $14.99
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FEC GP40 2 Powered Athearn HO RARE
Fec Gp40 2 Powered Athearn Ho Rare

   US $30.00
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ATHEARN HO 75119 GP38 2 PARTS BAG
Athearn Ho 75119 Gp38 2 Parts Bag

   US $1.25
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ATHEARN 55 FTCENTER FLOW UNION CARBIDE HOPPER CAR
Athearn 55 Ftcenter Flow Union Carbide Hopper Car

   US $9.00
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Athearn HO 50 PC F Box car Washington Central
Athearn Ho 50 Pc F Box Car Washington Central

   US $13.99
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ATHEARN 50 FTEVERGREEN PLUG DOOR BOX CAR WEATHERED
Athearn 50 Ftevergreen Plug Door Box Car Weathered

   US $6.00
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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.