Another of my model manufacturers, Athearn, is now completely on display on this site.

Purchasing Athearn models became an option a few years ago, when I started moving from Rapido to MicroTrains couplers, making them my new choice.

Together with having become the established standard in US model railroading, MicroTrains couplers give the extra benefit that they’re more realistic and guarantee a safer link between cars and locos, thus eliminating one of the worse aspects of Rapido couplers.

Anyway, I think that Athearn models are usually medium-high quality - I’d position them in the upper half of the scale - and they also offer many cars in packs of up to five different numbers, thus allowing longer realistic consists.

Recently, Athearn seems to have moved to high quality locomotives too (some valuable heavy steams and many interesting diesels), equipped with DCC and sound - which is the ultimate state-of-the-art in model trains, at the moment -, and I’m very satisfied with those models that I’ve already been able to put into my collection.