This is just an FYI on where to get hard to find parts for old blue box Athearn engines. Here’s a link to a shop called “Browser Manufacturing” located in Pennsylvania. I just ordered quite a stock of motor parts for my DD40 that has the Jet 400 motor. Very reasonable prices but once they are out, they’re out. I guess they have surplus parts from loco repairs…etc. that they are trying to sell.
By the way, the only parts I couldn’t find were either dummy or powered 4-axle trucks for a DD40 that I need to build my home grown DD35 and I need two. If anyone knows where I can get them or has them for sale, please let me know. Many Thanks, Steve
Bachmann recently released a DD40 ( I bought one this summer) and they may have trucks which you could modify/use. I can’t recall if they carried over the old tower trucks.
Have you tried Athearn? They still sell their parts. They have not made the DD40 in a while but you never know. They were able to sell me Delta trailing trucks from the Genesis Pacifics even though they did not have them listed on their web site - give them a call or e-mail. They are good about e-mail communication regarding parts.
Also as an FYI for your information, Athearn never made a DD40, what they did make is a DD35 which is what you have there. The Bachmann model is a DD40X 6900 class.
Mark, was that another famous case of early Athearn mislableing? I don’t model that era, and never cared a hoot about those big bruts, but Athearn “called” it a DD40?
I’m looking at the 1983 Walthers catalog as I type this? Athearn Item #4240 thru 4246, single motor, #4280 thru 4286 dual motor, and 4260 thru 4266 dummy units - clearly labled EMD DD40.
YUP!!! I forget all of the details but as best as I can remember there was some confusion about what the DD40 was going to be and Athearn apparently got their signals crossed and made the DD35 instead of the DD40.
I’m certain that somebody like Jim knows what “all” of the details are on this, it’s been a lot of years I since I like you don’t have any interest in that direction I tend to do a “delete” on this type of information in my memory banks, or just plain forget too! Old age is “sneaky”…and cruel too!!!
EMD did actually plan to release the DD40. Athearn got the blueprints while the real one was still in development and made their DD40 model to come out pretty much along side the real ones. I think the real DD40 ended up getting cancelled because of few or no orders. Only the DD35A and B and DDA40X made it into production.
Athearn did the same thing with the GP30 in the mid 60s. They developed their model before the real ones made it to the rails, and it ended up with major differences in detail that made it a poor model of the revised and finished GP30.
I am having a hard time finding the “rubber bands” for my athearn’s gp-7. I hate to turn it into a dummy unit. Anyone know anywhere to go to find some replacement bands?
Are those the old “Hi-F” type of drive, where the very small rubber band runs around an oversized drive axle and then to the motor shaft; relying upon the belt reduction formula? I didn’t think there were any of those left-in the world! I think you might have some luck at a dollar store of all places.
First off, thanks for this information. I’m fairly new at model railroading and have some of these locomotives. So your saying that these are no longer manufactured and parts will be harder to come by in the future. Are they worth keeping and do all “blue box” loco’s parts interchange?
I also have several Athern Genesis loco’s and wonder if these are still built, I would like to convert the one’s that are DC to DCC but not sure which one to use.
I find them all of the time in this area. Tim’s Toys and Trains http://www.timstrainsandhobbies.com/in Northern Kentucky (formerly the train department from Johnny’s Toys) has had them in the store and The Hobby Shop http://www.thehobbyshoponline.com/ in Dayton, Ohio has also had them in the store. The Hobby Shop also shows them available on line and currently in stock.