Can any one(1) tell me when Athearn’s AMD-103 Amtrak diesel locomotive product set changed to “all wheel electrical pickup” starting with Road Number & Athearn product number??? Thank You…
Athearn’s AMD-103 started as a ‘Blue Box’ model. It has always been ‘all wheel’ electrical pick up. Those early models had ‘sintered’ iron wheel sets, and the usual metal electrical tabs. Jim
I can’t remember a time when ANY of Athearn’s engines weren’t all wheel pick-up. (?) Even my old rubber band drive GP9 from the early 60s had all wheel pick-up !
Mark.
The only Athearn diesel I know for sure had 4-wheel pickup was the original gear drive GP9 with the all metal Globe tower drive. That was quickly upgraded with the plastic tower drive, but the Globe version was far better.
The AMD-103 has had the same drive chassis since they started making it, with only minor improvements. With the RTR line, they changed the sintered wheels to blackened nickel-silver, the old universals to the hex and dogbone style, and the metal contact strip with a wired DCC ready circuit board with directional micro-bulbs. Other than that, they’re exactly the same.
Ummm, the Hustler?
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/173909.aspx
Part of me wishes Athearn would bring this back, but with a better drive.
Good point, I forgot about that one for no reason.