Athearn or Roundhouse?


krn001

Member
Hi all, i have an HO ConRail caboose that is in the wrong box & i'm not certain if it's an Athearn or Roundhouse. Anyway to determine the manufacturer?

Thanks in advance.
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Only a guess but I'd say Athearn - the rails and ladder are missing on the end platforms.

Don't know if Atlas did it like that or not
 
it is the original Athearn Blue Box extended vision cabin car, custom painted for CR 22130. Don't believe Athearn released a CR scheme in it's initial offering. As Willie pointed out, the dead giveaway is the Athearn clip on coupler box covers. Another giveaway is the lack of glazing, and the Athearn standard rails and ladders. The Atlas version comes with greater detail, and glazing.

Athearn subsequently marketed this cab as part of it's Ready to Roll line, and currently markets a RTR version under it's Roundhouse brand. Of course the contemporary version has slightly better detail, and a significantly higher price.
 
Those coupler box clips are the identifying factor for all Athearn freight cars.
The RTR's used screw on covers. On the late 60' high cube box cars, the whole separately cast underframe has to be released by removing the trucks and prising it out. The box is cast into the body and the cover on the subframe. No screw.
 
The RTR's used screw on covers. On the late 60' high cube box cars, the whole separately cast underframe has to be released by removing the trucks and prising it out. The box is cast into the body and the cover on the subframe. No screw.
Not necessarily true. It depends on the lineage of the car. Athearn bought out Roundhouse and upgraded many of their models to RTR with the screw on covers. Those of Athearn lineage that have been upgraded to RTR still have the metal clips.
 



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