Hi all, anyone have any suggestions on where i can locate an Athearn FP45 Phase 1 Amtrak engine? Flea markets here rarely have stuff and the last shows i went to either had none or really old beat up ones. Any stores in your area i can call or older stock online dealers? Ebay came up dry. Thanks for any help. If store names are not allowed to be posted then please PM me. Thanks again!
Athearn is dropping the F45/FP45 in the BB format and will be releasing them in the Genesis line. I just did a search on eBay and there is a Amtrak FP45 in the phase 1 scheme…
Jim
IHC just re-released the old AHM FP-45 and Amtrak was offered I believe. I believe that they have also improved the drive so the performance is up to par with what we have come to expect from bare bones locomotives today, even though the details are a bit clunky.
James
Also,you may find a FP45 at train shows…However E-bay will be your fastest -and maybe the costliest-way to find one of these units.
Thanks for the advice all, i guess i’ll have to wait until the next show and hope some of the FP45’s are in good shape instead of looking like a truck ran them over. I did see the one on Ebay but it is a dummy unit, i’ll keep monitoring the bay though.
I found some brand new ones for sale at a few hobby shops after a quick search on google. I “plugged” this into google for the search: athearn fp-45 for sale amtrak
Sunset,
I check Ebay everyday. I can tell you with certainty that Athearn Amtrak FP45s show up regularly. Some new and some used. Be patient. I don’t recommend the IHC version. I saw one at a trainshow out of the box. The body and drive are inferior in quality.
When on Ebay, read the listing and look over the photos carefully. The older Athearn units from the 1970s have the metal truck sideframes and older style motor with the steel flywheels. Later units have the plastic truck sideframes and more updated drive.
Pricewise I’ve seen Athearn FP45s won on ebay ranging from $20 to $50.
One thing that may be in your favor is that since the news of Athearn producing new re-tooled F45 and FP45s is spreading, prices for the current units might drop since they’ll no longer be an item that will be rare or hard to get (though we still have to wait a year or two for the new ones). I have 5 FP45s and am now considering selling two of them.
Reminds of the the P2K E7s. Just a couple of years ago they were going for $80 to $100+ on ebay, but in 2005 and even now, if you’re patient you can snag one, brand new, for under $60 due to a big glut (O.K, overproduction) from Life Like back in the early 2000s.
Can the older metal frames ( i guess they are the silver colored ones i see?) be switched outright with the newer plastic frames without changing motors? Are the older ones bad?
I have both versions but haven’t taken them apart for maintenance yet. I flipped a pair of them upside down and took a look. The truck side frame mountings do appear different between the 1970s version and the 1990s to present version.
The bottom of the newer version looks similar to trucks on some P2K six axle unis. Also has the square shaped, brass bushings as well.
If I get a chance to disassemble them I’ll chime in with more info.
Sunset, did you see my E-mail?
I have more than I need, in fact one was sent off to Vader Santa Fe to repair a Dash-9 I bought.
I know you thought I want a little much for them, but run well. I switched shell’s to a FP-45 Santa Fa and pulling 36 cars up a 2% grade. I did double headed it to save ware and tear on the motor after a hour.
Here are a few PIC
Personal, I think with new motors. grab rails and tested $35.00 is not that much. Plus a 30 day warranty, if I can not break them, no one can! [:D]
Cuda Ken
You need to switch out the entire truck as they are totally different. The old style is an outside bearing type (the end of the axle is supported by the truck side frame, that is why it is metal as it transfers the electricity to the motor) while the new ones have an inside bearing that floats a little on a metal plate.
But that being said, you can use the new truck with the old motor and drive line parts. I have done just that with the GP 9 and SW’s.
You mention the unit on e-bay is a dummy. If all else fails, pick it up and then at a show get one of those beat up powered ones and do a motor transplant. That is another option that would work. The Athearn units are dead simple to work on and very reliable.
I have one of the old BB FP45s with metal trucks. Runs like a champ. Picked mine up for $25.00 on Ebay.
Something I forgot to point out on my previous post.
My older units with the older style trucks and motor will “outrun” my newer Athearns that I purchased in the 1990s and 2000s. However, these very noisy old puppies really “slurp-up” [dinner] the amps from my powerpack! Not very desirable for DCC.
This is one of the reasons why I gave away the Milwaukee Road SD-9 I had for over 20 years (in very good condtion and appearance ) to a newbie teen who told me he was going to remain in DC. For what I would have had to spend repowering, it’s cheaper for me to just get a newer locomotive off of ebay.