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 Bev Bel Ho Western Pacific Feather Box Car Kit US $14.99 --> Ends In 15m <-- |  Athearn Ho Burlington Cbq 50 Auto Box Car Kit W Kadee US $7.99 --> Ends In 15m <--  |  Athearn Ho Union Pacific Wide Vision Caboose Kadee US $7.99 --> Ends In 15m <-- |
 Athearn 1799 Ho Amtrak Streamlined Diner Car Kit Nos US $9.99 --> Ends In 15m <-- |  Athearn 1653 Ho Scale Erie Gondola W Cannister Car Kit US $9.99 --> Ends In 15m <-- |  Athearn 5342 Western Dairy Co Gare Reefer Car Kit Nib US $7.99 --> Ends In 15m <-- |
 Athearn 5362 Chesapeake Ohio Wide Vision Caboose Kit US $7.99 --> Ends In 15m <-- |  Athearn 5035 Ho Southern Pacific Auto Car Kit In O B US $6.99 --> Ends In 15m <-- |  Athearn 1802 Ho Pennsylvania Railroad Rpo Car Kit US $9.99 --> Ends In 15m <-- |
 Athearn 5318 Ho Delaware Hudson 54 Covered Hopper US $7.99 --> Ends In 15m <-- |  Ho Athearn Up Diesel Engine Ge C44 9w Stored For 15 Yrs US $55.00 --> Ends In 16m <-- |  Athearn 9506 Pennsylvania Rr Diesel Dummy Mib US $9.99 --> Ends In 23m <-- |
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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