Anyone have the new Athearn U50?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

To me, the U50 is so odd that I should have one, probably one of the SP versions.

Have any of you gotten one?

Please share your thoughs & impressions on it, I’d like to hear what you think of them.

I just got an email ad & the SP one is on sale for a pretty tempting price.

2

Not yet, i’m tempted to get all 3 SP versions!

Dave

3

Thanks Dave,

I can’t swing it right now, & amost considering ‘suggesting’ a Christmas gift, but I don’t like doing that. They are one of those things that you just don’t know if you’ll miss it & never see them agian at a reasonable price. It’s had to call, on that one…

Yeah, I like the SP Cab nose detailing just a little more than the UP version. It does not ‘fit’ what I usually model, but like I said ‘it is odd enough’ I must get at least one of them. But, who knows what I may model in the next few days, weeks, months, etc!

Did I read right, that only the inner, center-most, trucks are powered, or was that a couple of the Turbines?

4

I like the SP version too but Athearn is a little too proud of them for my blood. They are huge! I saw Bachmann DDA40X’s with decoders for $100 in Ft. Worth and have the same thoughts. Love to have one but getting it around my layout might be a problem.

RMax

5

Thanks RMax,

Yeah they are pretty enormous! to say the least, & other than a back-n-forth reverser, I doubt I have anything that they would like to run on right now myself. I guess my draw is that it is a unique unit, like a GP39 & the BQ23, just really different & rare…

6

Why such a high price for a RTR loco? Seems more like a Genesis price…

7

That is what I thought too. That is a Genesis price tag on an RTR product. Granted they may be nice but how nice?

RMax

8

They would make impressive yard/transfer switchers, as SP eventually demoted them to such duties, on several occasion I was fortunate enough to observe them on transfer runs from Colton to Taylor yard, often in the company of such odd ball pairings as Alco 636’s or whatever else SP had on the ready track!

Dave

9

I have one of the Turbines, which uses the same chassis. It may not pull as hard as you’d think it should, but it is one nice runner! And the detail is excellent! It’s actually more detailed than the early Genesis diesels, but it has slightly less than the most recent ones, and kind of poor lighting. That’s the only reason I can find that it’s RTR rather than Genesis. If the U50 is as good as the Turbine (which I suspect it is), it’s a top quality unit all around.

The motor and gearing is more like what you’d find in a diesel by Atlas. Silent, super smooth, efficient, and a lot of torque. Add some Bullfrog Snot to a wheel or two, and it could easily pull 70 to 100 cars.

10

Say, Thanks for the responses, glad to hear that some of you are interested in those units as well.

Please feel free to update if you do get one, & let us know your thoughts!

Thanks agian!!

11

I have one of the Southern Pacific U-50’s that I have tested on DC only and it looks and runs great. I’m waiting on the QSI Titan sound decoders to come out before I change it to DCC. It runs quiet and runs smooth and slow on my old DC power pack. I have not even broke the engine in yet and it just creeps tie to tie.

I have two of Athearns Gas turbines and I am impressed with the detail and running gear on these units. The U-50 seems to have the same frame and running gear as the turbines, just the front truck is different. It’s a shame that Athearn releases nice engines like this with a lousey lighting system, the lights are so dim and unrealistic for the price we pay for them.

Just my opinions.

Jim

12

Jim,

Hey, Thanks for the review! I am really glad to hear your positive comments on those!! I am mostly DC as well, but did get a taste of & an NCE DCC setup!

Yes, I have some of the Ath AC4400’s for the “Unstoppable” locomotives, I added in a couple more Incadecent lights into a stock KCS unit for ditchlights, & it really was not performing as I wanted. ( as in; the board held them very dim until full throttle)… Now that I have overcome my mico LED soldering challenges, I will continue to work on LED mods.

Thanks agian for your response!

13

Seen running in this video Athearn’s new Southern Pacific’s, GE U-50 running with a Kato U-25 B, These two models both run well together on a DC power supply. Back in the 1960s-70s, the two diesel prototypes ran together on Los Angeles transfers from Taylor to Colton Yard and back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=csRA9r8c8Xg

14

Heres the deal Max, if you really want a a U50 you either buy brass, which is super expensive or Athearns U50. If you don’t need one, don’t fret. Beggars can’t be choosers however and prices of new items, well, we’ve already seen upteen locked topics on that so don’t need to go there.

15

Never forget You Tube.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=athearn+u50&oq=athearn+u50&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&gs_sm=s&gs_upl=455l6574l0l9161l11l11l0l3l3l0l243l1362l1.6.1l8l0

Rich

16

If you search the Internet, you can usually find competitive prices. I have many times.

Rich

17

I understand the whole concept about these loco’s. They are unusual and there is not a great big market for them. It is expensive to make the molds etc etc. There is also a line that they cross by making them a Genesis model and really way too expensive. I think it may have been a gamble to make this loco in the first place. This is not an F7 or a GP9 and should demand a higher price just to be even made. I have always liked the looks of the U50 and for me to buy one it is a coolness factor. It doesn’t fit what I model. If it did it would most likely be the center piece of my roster.

Rmax