Ok I read a posters clinic on putting dcc in a blue box loco. Just as luck would have it I have a gp-9 all weathered and ready to go and I want to install dcc in it. My question as a new commer is how do I get the darn trucks off the body. As you see I haven’t gotten very far with this and would like to get it done sometime today. Any help out there would be great.
mike
To Remove the trucks from an Athearn Locomotive
First Remove the locomotive Shell.
Then with a small screw driver CAREFULLY pry off the worm gear covers at each end of the drive train. They are easy to find, just follow the drive line as it goes from the motor and into the trucks. Then lift up on and carefully pull out the worm gear. then probably best to remove the drive shaft that goes from the worm gear to the motor. Then lift up on the frame and the trucks should remain on the bench.
Hope this helps.
James
In the words of Homer Simpson “DOH!!!”. Figures something so simple gets the better of me. Thank you for your help!!
Mike
Mike,
Call me anytime![swg]
http://hoseeker.net/assemblyexplosionAthearn/Assembly%20Explosion%20Athearn%20GP9%201975.jpg
Here is a direct link to the drawings for your model, this should help you. Good Luck.
Thanks jerry. It was the middle of the day and I was hoping to get it done before my wife got home. BBBUUUUTTTT I couldn’t get the solder to stick to the frame of the truck. Got it to stick to the “L” power lead but nothing else. I tinned the wire, tinned the iron, used 60/40 rosen core electrical solder and flux. Not sure where I went wrong but I did. So the project is now on hold until monday or tuesday as tomorrow is busy running speaker wire for the surround sound upstairs and in the basement. And sunday is spent driving to pittsburg to pick up the airplane to fly to fort myers florida and back sunday afternoon. Any suggestion on better soldering? Have a good weekend Jerry.
Any luck on basement contractors?
The die cast frames don’t like soldering, I find it better to drill and set a screw for the chassie ground. I don’t even like trusting the headlamp bracket as many have started to come loose. Not a decent connection for DCC. I notice that my Proto Power chassis (production offered repowered Athearn chassis) solder the leads to a drilled in pin. The screw works as well.
To add ,the worm gear cover snaps on, it removes from the side. Hold a finger over the cover as it can fly off. When you remove the worm/ drive shaft, be careful not to loose the square bronze bushing.