Morning all.
Does anyone have one of these? or any experience with Athearn Loco’s in general? How do they compare in quality to the competition? Thanks for any replies.
Potsie
Anybody have a Athearn Locomotive in general?
Do a search on Athearn Big Boy and you will find all the answers you are looking for.
David B
David,
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I’m new here and to participating in forums in general. I posted my question because I’ve got an opportunity to buy a brand new, never used from a gentleman here in town for a really good price compared to what one would pay in a hobby shop. Don’t have any experience with Athearn though. Thanks again. Potsie
Bottom line with the Athearn Big Boy…Great looking/running locomotive…tis a shame about the sound.
David B
I’ll agree with David on this one. There are many reports of issues with this brand of steamers, and the issues virtually always come down to managing the decoder. Some have complained about the sound, while others rave about it…if it works for your ear, super. As for the looks, I think it is marvelous, and I hear it is a solid runner.
Many guys have simply resorted to replacing their decoder.
Dave it depends on the $. I have had 2 Athearn Big Boys and had nothing but problems. One tracked well but a Blue Box Athearn B40-8 with no decoder could out pull it. Loved the decoder sound when it worked, had to reset it about ever say 2 hours. Tender was its problem, had to much drag and if I pulled over 25 cars the motor would over heat.
Took it back and got the next one, pulled like what I thought a big boy should pull![:D] Problem was the front truck like to pull the left wheels up on a 26" left hand turn?
Worked on the track and the Big Boy it self and it was doing better but still a problem. When the decoder started acting up like the first one off it went like the first one!
That was say 4 months ago and think the way I have my turns wired may have been part of the problem but none of my other DCC Steamers or oil burners have has a problem with them?
My self, may take another crack at one if I can get it for $150.00 or less. If you have the needed $400.00 get a PCM Y6-B it is a 2-8-8-4 but it pulls like what I hoped the Big Boys would! Smaller than a Big Boy, but man it can pull. I have yet to find the max it can drag (working on that) Love the sound of the LOK system now that the speakers are broken in. Right now it is pulling 51 cars up a 1.5% grade and does not slow down when it hits the grade. Throw a track cleaning car in front of it, stays the same speed when they couple up. (done on the fly at slow speed.
Thursday it goes to the club track, shooting for a 100 car drag and 99% sure it will do it.
…a Blue Box Athearn B40-8 …
I don’t recall ever seeing an Athearn B40-8, Blue Box or otherwise.
I have a Walthers B40-8, runs well.
M636C
M636C, you are right. Mine is a kitebash but drive and chassic is all Blue Box Athearn.
All so missed listed the Y6-b as a 2-8-8-4, it is a 2-8-8-2, sorry about that.
Cuda Ken
Potsie,
I bought an Athearn Big Boy 4-8-8-4 when they first came out. They have MRC sound decoders in them and the decoder is not the best. I had trouble with the address. I had to go through the process three times until it took.
After I purchased it I only ran it for a short time because I took my layout apart and am currently in the process of building another layout. In the short time I ran mine I had a few problems with the sound not acting like it should.
If you do a search on the Athearn Big Boy you’ll find many people had problems with the decoders. I plan on putting a Tsunami in mine. The engine itself runs fine and looks good the decoder is the drawback.
As for price, I paid $306.00 online from First Place Hobbies 15 months ago. Now they are $316.00.
Bill