Product Reviews: Athearn 200 crane and PC&F 50' insulated boxcar, August 2024

This product review covers the newly released (August 2024) Athearn 200 ton crane and tender (flat). This is a modern 1990 Illinois Central paint scheme with the gray/white and "Death Star" logo. Additionally, Athearn released a Pacific Car & Foundry (PC&F) 50' insulated box car with 10'6" door. This is a re-release of several previous runs of this model with new road numbers.
All prototype photos used are credited in the video.

[@w.rustylane5650]

I just completed a Walthers 42' maintenance of way flatcar with all its detail. I cut off the molded on grab irons and drilled holes for bronze phosphor wire grabs. Cut off the stirrups and added some from Accurail. I even went between each board with my razor saw & cut the grooves deeper & stressed the deck, even put a hole through the deck with the saw. When I added the weight you could see the weight through the hole I made in the deck so I got out the drill and drilled a hole through the weight so you could see through the hole to the track below. Had to add some realism. I hate RTR (Ready To Roll). I'd much build my rolling stock from kits. Then I can add as much detail as I want. Cheers from eastern TN

[@Rayinn-lw3ej]

it looks like the Illinois Central prototype is an American Crane 250 ton wreck crane and the Athearn model is a Bucyrus Erie 200 ton wreck crane. The kink in the main boom is the key difference. A review of photos of the many Union Pacific wreck cranes seems to indicate that the Bucyrus Erie 250 tons cranes and 200 ton cranes are similar in their booms but not identical. The UP American Crane 250 tons are distinctly different from the Bucyrus Erie 250 ton cranes. The IC crane was built as a diesel crane. I have the original shake the box Athearn 200 ton crane that this appear to be a ready to run version of.

[@illinoiscentralrailroadfan6015]

Yes! More Illinois Central in ho

[@josephcox4319]

Fact is if a guy is willing to do a bit of extra work, a good old blue box kit would be the way to go on the crane instead of paying all the money. Ive omitted the steam stack and truly dieselized all mine plus sanded off the molded on ladders and added prototypical ladders and grabs plus bought nice sprung buckeye trucks and added shelf couplers for alot less than what this costs. As far as box cars go i do the same with blue box car kits as i refuse to pay 35.00 to $60.00 for one railcar plus your not going to see all the details on the bottom. Basically paying for packaging and i would rather buy blue box and do the exterior details myself. I can do a rail car with better details and all the nice features for around $18.00 to $22.00 a car thats the car, details and weights versus well over $30.00 for a new car.

[@DavidMaiers-s5r]

I notice you running larger power such as Athearn SD70 and SD40-2 units, do they derail often on your 18" curves? Do you have problems with cars such as this crane on those curves?

[@ck7813]

@@DavidMaiers-s5r Thanks, David. No, I do not have any issues at all running 6 axle diesels and freight cars (like the crane) on 18” radius curves. The only caveat I will offer is making sure your track work is precise and that you have good technique. I had one section where I put a track spike in a little too far and it caused one rail to be slightly higher than the other and I had a couple locomotives that derailed in that spot. Once I removed the nail, it was perfect!

[@DavidMaiers-s5r]

@ck7813 Thanks for the reply, really like your layout design.

[@rodneystewart8958]

It's hard to keep up with everything coming out I didn't know about these items where did you purchase them

[@ck7813]

@@rodneystewart8958 thanks, Rodney. I got the at Caboose Stop Hobbies in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Given them a call, they ship!

[@rodneystewart8958]

@ck7813 Thanks been online looking since your video I follow several railroads and hard to do it all

[@scotabot7826]

Yea, with the regular "Athearn" models you will not get the extra details or prototype details we've come to expect with the higher end models. I'm sure they are all the same models minus the different paint schemes. Looks OK though. Nice models. For me, once I buy high end models, it's hard to go back to the run of the mill models.