Today's new Product announcements from Athearn include some new Reading Units. The three RS3's that were repainted into the Y/G Scheme are listed, here is the pdf showing the details - www.athearn.com/newsletter/050713/11_RTR_RS3_2_050713.pdf

Price is listed at $114.98

Well,Athearn can keep them.Let's take a look.
First,these units were equipped with dynamic brakes,you know that feature will not be included.Why no manufacturer of the rs3 has produced a dynamic brake version is beyond me.

Second,another key feature is the extended battery boxes left side long hood forward.Many roads who operated rs3's had this feature.An important option that shouldn't be left out.

Third,why are the advertising 445&449 with lengthwise air cooled turbo exhaust stacks? These were changed to water cooled before they received g&y paint.

Fourth,494 paint scheme was applied differently around the cab as compared to the other two units.I can't see them doing that correctly.

The bottom line IMHO at 115.00 suggested price get it right or don't
do it at all.

Chris hit the high points, but let's hit a few more details. Pilot Detail is lacking, including railing and coupler area and footboards are missing MU hose boxes. Also, Athearn railings are incorrect


Now, modelers, I'm not implying that the Atlas unit is perfect, for any number of reasons including that the RS-3 exhaust stack is not tapered as on the Atlas model. I'm with Chris, I can't see spending $114.98 for a paint job that needs so many additional details. If you like the Athearn unit (which I do) you can buy a complete body kit from Athearn as a starting point.

As I'm doing a clinic on RS-3's for the Reading Modelers meet, I can't divulge everything.

And just as I was thinking about ordering these as motive power for the Joanna Turn on my future layout...

This situation is a perfect example of the choices we make as modelers and what defines the "good enough" standard.

Case in point: I'm planning a 2 or 3 deck around the walls layout for the 20x36 pole building I had built in my yard last summer. The main focus will be prototype operation, so I have to ask myself whether the detail issues indicated here are suffciently glaring to cause me not to purchase these, or am I willing to suspend my disbelief in order to see two or three of these yellow/green units hauling the Joanna Turn up into Reading Yard from Birdsboro - seeing the "big picture" or the overall mood/image of the scene.

I guess it all comes down to a question of scope - i.e. larger layout with focus on the overall scope, or smaller layout with a greater level of intricate detail...

Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum of this argument, the fact that the Reading is currently almost always on the "short list" of roadnames for new models is undoubtedly a good thing that's been a long time in coming...

I have 3 Atlas units in olive green.I would probably buy another Atlas unit and paint it myself.

Tom - You make a good point, but maybe you want to have both. Other than the lack of a readily made, commercial Alco Dynamic Brake Casting and the additional louvers, the other parts like the auxilliary equipment box,adding drip strips, etc. and installing Smokey Valley Handrails in the correct configuration are readily available, you just need to find paint to match.


The number of readily available, good quality models todday really is astonishing. Especially for someone like me who started kitbashing Reading Locomotives and Cars in the early 1970's. Back then your RS-3 choices were Hobbytown and Brass (yes, I have 3 Hobbytown RS-3's), your Alco C430 was Tyco or Brass, AHM made a C424 (yep, I got one of those, too) and for C-630's you were scratch or heavy kitbash. No wonder I like GP-35's (Athearn Blue Box).

The RS-3's on my layout now are not as detailed as my current (stalled) projects are turning out to be, but I hope to have prototype operation with correctly detailed locos and cars one day soon.

Now, if you want to run a Joanna turn, We can set you up with a great set of loaners.