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Above is an October 1973 ad featuring the Athearn-made
COX model train items. COX's advertising campaign in the early '70s, during the Athearn-produced product line, boasted
realism.
Pictured above is a COX Catalog from the early 1970s. Beginning around
the holiday season of 1971 and continuing until the 1975 product line, COX's HO-scale trains were simply Athearn items in
COX boxes. The February 1972 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman magazine includes a new products
report from that year's Model Railroad Industry Association trade show held in Philadelphia. COX was at the '72 MRIA
trade show with its then-new line of Athearn-produced ready-to-run train sets.
The Athearn produced COX line included not only trains, but a few accessories. Pictured above is "Crossing Gate Section"(No.
62 3120), this item was originally offered by Athearn in the early '60s and makes this brief return in the early '70s. When
COX moves production overseas to Hong Kong for the 1975 line, this item is dropped from the catalog. Typical of many
HO-scale train product catalogs, notice the problems in the picture. The left crossing buck is missing the top part of the
"X", the right crossing buck is missing everything above the gate, and the caboose's truck is off the track! Damaged
items and derailed trains are very typical from nearly every catalog reviewed from every producer of model trains. Seems
like these things would be proofed a bit more closely before going to press, but seldom were errors like this caught.
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The Athearn produced COX line included only one item not found among Athearn's catalog. Pictured above is that item, a 50'
Flat Car with Piggyback(No. 61 5010). The basic 50' Flat Car and 40' Piggyback were standard pieces in Athearn's line, the
new feature is the bed cast to hold the Piggyback. This item remains in the COX line after 1975, but the Hong Kong version
differs from this original Athearn creation.
A new item not previously available from Athearn was COX's "Truck Terminal Set"(No. 62 3010), which was a one-piece
plastic-cast loading ramp. The "Van & Truck Set"(No. 62 3020) is the standard Athearn 40' van or piggyback
with a truck that was also among Athearn's product line. All these items remain in COX's line after the 1975 move to Hong
Kong imported trains. The 40' piggyback does become different in style from that of the Athearn. Walthers offered this same
COX 40' piggyback recently in their product line.
The Athearn produced COX line included the F-7A and B; GP-35; SW-1500; U28-C; PA-1; and Hustler locomotives. Rolling Stock
produced by Athearn for COX included the 40' Box Car; 50' Plug Door Box Car; 40' Reefer; 40' Box Car -Grain Loading; 40' Hopper;
40' Cattle Car; 3-Dome Tank Car; 62' Tank Car; Single-Dome Tank Car; 50' Gondola -Covered; 50' Gondola -Open; Caboose -Cupola
Type; Caboose -Bay Window Type; 50' Auto Box Car; and Athearn's Streamline Passenger Cars. All items are dropped
in 1975, with the exception of the PA-1 loco and the Streamline Passenger Cars. All were offered only in Southern Pacific
Daylight and are shown as available separately in the 1975 catalog. They are gone in the 1976 catalog, ending COX's association
with Athearn produced trains.
The majority of the Cox offerings produced by Athearn were items also found
in the Athearn line. Exceptions include the Penn Central F7A, GP35, and Standard Caboose produced for Cox and not found
in Athearn's catalog.
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Please note that this site was created for use by those with an interest in HO-scale model trains and does not necessarily
represent the current line available today. The author is not affiliated with,
nor representing Cox in any way.
This site is intended for your enjoyment and information only.
Images and information presented on this site comes from a variety of sources including magazines, internet, catalogs, visitor
input, and the author's collection.
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