I have recently put on the Walthers detail kit on to my Athearn (blue box) F7, which includes grab irons, windsheild, and port-hole glass. What other accessories should I add, I am personally thinking of adding wipers and mu-hoses.
thanks
gp_haro
American Limited close coupling kit, Accurate lighting, Jay-Bee or NWSL replacement wheels, Keystone cab interior, Detail Associates and Detail West for sun shades, arm rests, windshield wipers, lift rings, antennas, coupler cut levers, number boards,snow plows, winterization hatches. That should get you started.
Wouldn’t it be cheaper just to buy a Genesis unit rather than going through all that?
Less fun, perhaps, but cheaper.
Andre
After seeing the “list” price on Athearn’s website for the Genesis units, I doubt adding all the extras to a bluebox unit will be more expensive.
I bought my F-units a few years before the Genesis units came out.
I’m just starting to detail them after getting Walthers detail kit.
Besides, it’s more fun to do it yourself!
GP, go for it! I’m right behind you in line for those pieces!
Gordon
I’m actually doing this.
Next time, I’m only going to use the glazing from the Walthers kit, their grabs are massively oversized, so I’m stuck replacing half of them after I already mounted them (As the uit I’m doing had a number of non-standard grabs). This time, I’m ditching all the walthers grabs except for the side doors, which look OK.
Of course, since I’m doing a specific unit, I have to add a bell, antenna, new horns, MU, cut levers (Does anyone even make F unit levers? Haven’t been able to find any) air hoses, extra grabs, and lift rings, as well as removing the DB fan & the SG details(Thakn God for Dremel)
I found that it’s easy to close couple these using the recommended Kadee #37s - you just need to trim the tip of the coupler mounting pad to allow the couplers to sit closer in - only the coupler knuckle should protrude beyond the bodywork. You will need to fit the coupler mounting boxes with glue rather than a tapped hole and bolt, but in my experience this works fine and the results are well worth the effort. The locos are still able to handle tight curves after this modification - just make sure the back of the coupler mounting doesn’t interfere with the swing of the trucks.
Andre, Cheaper? Depends. This is a great one to build skills on. You can take this as fast and as far as you want at a pace that’s affordable. And if you goof it, it was an inexpensive blue box, not something expensive. Mike
GP,You are to be commanded for learning how to detail locomotives…[:D][tup]
This will give you modeling skills and experience…You see the higher price locomotives may need detail parts added as well as most does not come with road specific details…Yes,wipers and MU hoses is a excellent idea.[8D][:D]
Btw…I will mention this as food for thought…One of the club members makes his own MU hoses by using ten thousandths wire…He flattens one end for the “glad hands”
Those American Limited Close Coupling kits are great and very easy to install. I have done so on half my Athearn Fs and the results are really nice.
I had thought about the Genesis units, but just love doin’ the detailin’ m’self. Half the fun of runnin’ one of those things is doin’ the detailing and finishing m’self.
True. Sorry if I sounded a bit snide, it wasn’t my intent. I remember adding Walthers dress up kits to a couple of Athearn F’s when Walthers first came out with them years ago (that’s all the detail parts I remember being available in the 60’s). I’m just not sure if I would do it now that the Intermountain and Genesis units are available. I’ve got a couple of the old blue box F’s myself (with the updated sideframes, not the old metal “lumps”). I just haven’t decided what to do with them and I’m not particularly interested in detailing them.
However, I’ve got some other old equipment I’m going to use as practice to see if I really want to switch my allegiance from SP/ATSF to Maine Central. About 20 miles from here is where Maine Central 4-6-2 #470 is displayed. A couple of old Mehano USRA light Pacifics from the 70’s that I paid $15 each for at a closeout years ago are just begging to be made into something closer to #470. These early ones have the advantage of RP25 flanges. The cab needs changing (the old Mantua cab looks close). The sand dome needs to b
Mykroft,
(Does anyone even make F unit levers? Haven’t been able to find any)
Details West
Coupler Cut Lever, F Unit Front for all roads 235-316
for SP 235-317
listed on page 976 in the '04 Walthers catalog.
Mike
Andre,
Sometimes I just need to fiddle with something. As long as it doesn’t involve gun powder, tobacco or propane, it’s OK with the wife. The prototype research and detailing is a great outlet for me for those moments. Then there are other times when it’s “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme” and I just throw money at whatever the lust of the moment is.
It’s a great hobby that offers all of us the options that make it work at the individual level.
Mike
I can only afford blue box locomotives, I have gotten quite good at detailing them. Since the new plastic handrails have come out and some good microscale decals and other detailed parts, I can make a GP38-2 look really good. I work on them a little at a time, so I can finacially do it. Yes I would love to buy a Genesis, but that will be a while. I don’t consider myself less of a model railroader, just a poor one.[:D][:D][:D]
Todd,Let me tell you a little secret…While I had a family to feed,house to buy,car and pickup truck payments and all the other well know bills one has while raising a family and getting 2 kids though their teenage fads all I use was Athearn engines and cars.When I was in N scale during the 80s I used Bachmann GP40s,AHM RSD15s and a MiniTrix switcher…You know what? I was much happier then in the hobby then I am with my current collection of high dollar engines.Shoot! I still prefer my Athearn SW1500 to switch cars with after its all said and done.[:D]
Athearn Blue Box F-units can be nicely decorated without spending $100!
There have been countless photos posted in MRR and RMC in the past 2 decades. The Walthers detailing kit, plus items from Details West can be still done for under $30. Yes, the windshields are too big, but some modelers can live with it. The key is to have fun!
I respect the guys that go all out and machine the fuel tanks, splice on correct noses, etc. But, IMHO for many modelers that like and own F units the added on details and some nice weathering will put big smiles on our faces.
we all ran athearns,for years their was nothing else close,who cared if the hoods were 5 inches to wide,etc, they’re a decent loco, with some work and it looks good, this hobby is a sort of feel good deal amyhow, go for it, every issue of the hobby mags had somebodys super detailed athearn in years ago,enjoy…
Don’t go by the MSRP on the Genesis site. I have been searching the web and purchased a Genesis F7 AB set, new, yesterday for slightly over a $100 off the MSRP.
There are great savings out here if you take time to look.
Check out this month’s RMC. It seems that Cal-Scale is coming out with a bunch of detail parts for diesels. The ad also says it’ll have a detaill kit which includes “lift rings, door grabs, window grabs, pilot grabs, drop grabs, roof grab, ladder grabs, etched brass windshield wipers, brass front and rear MU Hose sets, brass air hoses” MSRP $10.95.