Athearn

Company History: In 1938 Irvin Athearn built a detailed O scale model railroad layout in his mother's house, which gained an overwhelming response when he placed an advertisement to sell it. Deciding to make his career selling model railroad supplies, he became a full-time retailer in 1946. Athearn opened a separate facility in Hawthorne, California in 1948, and that same year he branched into HO scale models for the first time.

Athearn acquired the Globe Models product line and improved upon it, introducing a comprehensive array of locomotive, passenger, and freight car models. Improvements included all-wheel drive and electrical contact. One innovation was the "Hi-Fi" drive mechanism, employing small rubber bands to transfer motion from the motor spindle to the axles. Another was the double-ended ring magnet motor, which permitted easy connection to all-wheel-drive assemblies. Athearn was also able to incorporate flywheels into double-ended drives.

The company produced a model of the Boston & Maine P4 class Pacific steam locomotive which incorporated a cast zinc alloy base and thermoplastic resin superstructure. It had a worm drive and all power pickup was through the bipolar trucks that carried the tender. This item was discontinued after the Wilson motor was no longer available, and was not redesigned for a more technologically advanced motor.

Athearn was purchased in 2004 by Horizon Hobby, which moved the company from Compton to a new facility in Carson, California. At the same time, Horizon purchased Model Die Casting and their line of Roundhouse brand trains. A major international hobby distributor, Horizon Hobby is headquartered in Champaign, Illinois. In 2006, Horizon purchased McHenry Couplers.

Successor/Parent History: For 35 years, Horizon Hobby has been helping people have fun with hobbies. It’s a serious job and we wouldn’t have it any other way. From the early days of distribution to today’s leader in radio control products, there have been many highlights that shaped the company into what it is today. Read the entire story of how Horizon Hobby evolved from the early basement days to the current state-of-the-art facility and distribution center.

IN SOME WAYS, THE STORY OF HORIZON HOBBY IS Horizon Hobby opened for business in October of 1985 – the same month and year as the first Radio Control Hobby Trade Association (RCHTA) expo in Chicago. The rapid growth during the late 80s and early 90s mirrored the rest of the industry. And it was Horizon Hobby firsts, like the HobbyZone® Firebird® and SpektrumTM 2.4GHz technology, that launched the current era of THE STORY OF THE RC HOBBY INDUSTRY ITSELF. RC fun, making the hobby more accessible and enjoyable than ever before. Looking back over the years, Horizon Hobby has many highlights that shaped the company into what it is today. Through it all, though, one thing that never changed was the vital role that innovation played in every chapter of the story.

Brief History: The U.S. is a country of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending the nation’s presence into the Pacific Ocean. Major Atlantic Coast cities are New York, a global finance and culture center, and capital Washington, DC. Midwestern metropolis Chicago is known for influential architecture and on the west coast, Los Angeles' Hollywood is famed for filmmaking.