When you model small or obscure railroads like the Portland Terminal, you sometimes just take what rolling stock and equipment you can get. So this is what I got.
It’s an Athern kit. The direction sheet seems to be dated (in the lower left corner of the SW1500 page) 1966. My question is this, since it doesn’t have a moter. The second page of directions, at the bottom, shows how to install the moter and power trucks etc. But, none of those parts came with the kit. Does anybody have any suggestions as to how I can either just use this as a shell and use it with some other old frame/moter combination? Or, should I consider starting from scratch with a new moter etc?
Secondly, am I correct in assuming I can obtain new hand rails since the one with the kit are wire and too thick? I’ve never tried on of this kind of work on a locomotive but the prospects appear to be interesting, at least if the work involved is not too difficult.
What you’ve got is a non powered “dummy” GP-9. The Athearn bodies from that time were wider than scale so the large motors would fit inside. So the shell will only fit on similar powered Athearn GP-9’s. I assume there are probably some offered on eBay. If you get one, just put this shell on the powered one.
You can get a complete handrail kit including stanchions. The Athearn part # is 11529. MSRP is $6.00. Your LHS can probably get it for you if he doesn’t have one in stock.
From the looks of the model in the photos the model is a dummy. I recommend if you want to power it buy a used Athearn bluebox at a swap meet. The handrails and chassis of a powered unit are what you need. It is also possible to get the parts to power your chassis but it will cost as much as buying a new chassis. New handrails can be bent using the existing ones as a pattern and bending them from .018 brass or steel wire and using the existing stanchions. Drill out the holes in the body where the stanchions and rails attach with a .020 drill and go clear through so the drill daylights on the inside. After attaching the handrails add ACC glue from the inside of the body and where the handrail and stanchion meet.
The only real good use for a “dummy” locomotive is that the frame makes a respectable nut cracker!
I hope you are aware that this is not an SW1500 which has completely different trucks. I have no idea whatsoever if this GP9 unit can be powered with one of the current Athearn/Horizon Hobbies offerings. Hobbytown of Boston put out a “Universal” kit designed to power/repower Athearn - and others - GP units. In the 1960s I powered a couple of Athearn GP30s with these Hobbytown drives. They would pull the walls down; my two units lugged 75 car freights up a 1.5% grade on a club I once belonged to.
Unfortunately, Hobbytown is now part of the Bear Locomotive Works network and, at last report, they are in demise and are looking for a purchaser for Hobbytown. Perhaps a member here can provide enlightenment as to where you might locate one.
Mark,Where did you find that oddity? That is a very rare bird and if I am not mistaken it was a Bev-Bel /Athearn product.
The bad news first.Athearn hasn’t release this GP7 in a long time and they are getting hard to find and Athearn no longer makes the metal handrails for this unit.
Suggestions
1.Train shows and E-bay will be you best bet on finding a powered unit.
2.I am told the handrails from a Walthers Trainline GP9M will fit the Athearn unit.
The handrails that you have are the ones that came with the loco: while they are a bit on the heavy side, they’re far superior to the oversize plastic ones that come with all but the most recent releases, as they can be easily painted and are more durable than the plastic ones.
Most well-stocked hobbyshops will have the geared trucks and drivetrain parts that you need, and possible the motor, too. These locos were pretty easy to convert to can motors, so that’s another option.
Athearn originally called it a GP9, but that was back in the days when many of us [] thought that the one with the bulges on the long hood (dynamic brakes) was a GP9, and the one without the bulges was a GP7. Perhaps the guys at Athearn got fooled, too. [#wstupid] [swg] Most GP9s had a different arrangement of louvres on the hood doors, and some late-model ones had a different fan arrangement atop the long hood. Both -7s and -9s could have steam generators.
This one’s a -7:
And this one’s a -9:
Originally, the 76 was a dummy, but I eventually powered it and the 403 with can motors. These are very smooth runners and excellent pullers, wide hood notwithstanding. [:)]
There were many versions of the GP 9 unit from Athearn with different types of drive. HiFI, Tower Gear, Strait drive Shaft, and Shaft with Flywheels. They also had different trucks to, the ones yours calls for are the metal side fram assmebly, with the pressed in oilite bearings. In other words the power was picked up through the side frames of the trucks and bearings. These are hard to find, but can be found on Ebay or swap meets.
The frame is new enough you can use the newer style trucks which are plastic side frames, you will need a front and a rear for trucks. Then you will need a motor, flywheels, and worms, truck, clips, drive shafts. It would be just easier for you to buy an off road BB kit and put the shell on the newer powered chassis. If you go to build it, it will cost more.
Here is a link to a drawing of a newer GP9 powered unit.
If you like building your own mechanisms, you can select the appropriate parts and put one together yourself. Check out the Hollywood Foundry web site at www.hollywoodfoundry.com. You are looking for the BullAnt series of drive products. These are made in Australia and are not necessarily the cheapest but they are good units. I have used them before and if done right they are smooth runners.
Tough love time. What you have is indeed an ancient Athearn. I have a couple of them myself, one gear drive, the other rubber band. I cleaned them both up, and put decoders in them. Neither one worked worth squat. So, I pulled the decoders out, and “neutered” the belt-drive one by simply removing the belts, plus the motor to reduce the weight. Now, I’ve got a dummy, which is what you’ve got, too.
Yes, these were un-prototypically wide. Here’s a shot from a helicopter (NOT!) of an old Athearn like yours and a new P2K:
I found a pair of new-in-the-box Proto Milwaukee Gp-9’s at www.modeltrainstuff.com (M.B. Klein) for $40 each. After adding decoders and LED headlights, I have 2 great engines.
So, I would suggest you do the same. Of course, you won’t find the road you’re looking for, but another enjoyable aspect of this hobby is making your own decals, and painting your engines. Sure, it’s the road less travelled, but in the end, you’re going to end up with something you deserve to be proud of.
Another way to power this unit quite effectivly is to buy a Walthers GP-9M and swap out the shell. The Walthers GP-9 Mounting Tab is the same spot as the Athearn mounting tab and so the shell is a drop on fit.
I have some ancient powered Athearn diesels. It’s what I have been running. I got them new, so I guess I am ancient [grin]
I been wondering what to do with them. They worth anything? I’ve just been having fun running them. The old open-frame motors do not run as well as new can motors with flywheels, but I find them eminently satisfactory.
Mark, it would help I have the center frame for power trucks for a F-7 A. I may still have sides frames for them as well. If you want them let me know by posting here then I will PM you. I will have to check but I thing I robbed the drive gears for a driffrent project.
You can still get a motor from Athearn, I have up grade around 6 older Blue Box Athearns with the newer motor for a Athearn Super Weight F-7 A. Cost was around $11.00 last year. I all so have a older Athearn rocket motor from around the 70’s and a pack of spline coupler # 40049 and worm gear covers.
Part numer for the motor is 84040 (just did some digging) flywheels #95000. If F7-A parts will work I have the whole list.
If you don’t want to mess with it let me know as well. time to start some kitbashing on my own.
] thought that the one with the bulges on the long hood (dynamic brakes) was a GP9, and the one without the bulges was a GP7. Perhaps the guys at Athearn got fooled, too. [