Well, I got a Genesis SD75M 2 years ago for my birthday. It’s always run a bit jerky from day one because every gear in one of the trucks has it’s hole drilled off center. It’s running has been getting worse and worse since I got it and now it’s completely stalled. Can the gears in there be replaced with Kato gears or should I just buy a new truck?[sigh]
email parts@athearn.com and describe your problem. They should send you a new truck free of charge.
Thanks for the info JPM. The SD75 was also my first high quality diesel and my best detailed diesel so far and I want it to keep running as long as I can. I’m also replacing the lights inside with LEDs. So far, two of the lights have broken off their wires from trying to get the stupid things back in the shell, and the ones in the front like to lift the shell off from too much wire.
I agree you should contact Athearn Part’s Dpt. but I’d call them not Email.
You are 2 year’s is past warrantee, but new trucks IS the answer, and it is a good engine when running right.
Installing LED’S is a different deal. Originally they came with 1.4v.bulb’s. LED’s require different voltages. Better to rewire with 1.5v or better bulb’s. Anything coming with LED’s requires a different board - which comes attached to the motor .
I have emailed for parts for my fleet of SD70MACs several times. I usually get the parts within a week. I have never called them though so I dont know if you get faster service or what.
The only thing I have done to mine is make the ditch lights blink back and forth like the real thing, but as far as LEDs. Try and find some 1.5v LEDs. If you cant get 1.5 then go lower and add a resistor. If you get a higher voltage LED it will be very dim if it lights at all.
Can I just wire new 1.5 volt LEDs to the old board? It doesn’t have one of the new DCC ready boards. I’m thinking that maybe I can wire 1 LED for the front and 1 for the back and put lenses in the holes.
I decided to pull the shell up most of the way so I could spin the motor, and when I tried spinning it and the thing got un-stuck. It still runs really ruff but at least it’s not stuck anymore.
JPM335 and
Darth(Vader)
All LED’s I buy won’t light on less than 2.2 volts, and ‘white’ LED’s need 5-6v.
- A Diode lighting board built for 1.4v bulb’s won’t work with LED’s
- Athearn/Genesis (and others) lighting board’s come assembled with motor’s attached.
… and that’s just for DC.
RE ‘CALLING’ recommendation:
- a part’s department or service dept manager has more authority to fix or replace parts on a 2 year old out-of-warrantee product, than people that typically answer EMails.
A Service Department ‘type’ can also explain and make recommendation’s.
I got a 2 year old Genesis out-of-warrantee motor replaced for free - with the Mgr’s OK.-It is stocked with an (attached) board. It also suggest’s the possibility that someone wanting to replace just the board might have to buy the motor.
I was trying to be helpful.
I just ran into a new problem today with an Athearn Genesis SD70M. One of the truck sideframes is so warped that the axle falls out and causes the locomotive to derail.
This, together with the cracked drive gear on Athearn Genesis Mikado steam engines and another SD70 that is deadlined because of a broken drive shaft tells me that I will never purchase another Athearn Genesis product.
Too many inexcusable problems with them and too hard, if not impossible, to get repair parts since Horizon Hobbies bought them.
Ok, weird. I switched a couple gears around and tightened the worm bearings in the truck and now it works like it did when it was new. I guess the problem was the worm got a little loose and could move up and down easily and it would get on top of the gear teeth and get stuck. It still has the jerky running problem, but at least it works.
Maybe I’ll put medium sized 1.5 volt light bulbs in instead to make things easier. Then all I’ll need is some lenses for the shell.[:)]
Contact the parts department for a new driveshaft. Its not hard at all to get parts for the SD70 series. Like I said I usually get my parts within a week. Now the mikado… well, they really screwed up on that thing[B)]
I’m glad I went for the IHC instead of the Athearn. I heard the Athearns have really bad traction and the 2 pilot wheels like to derail. It’s also really expensive. The IHC mikado works as smooth as any good quality diesel, and it’s quieter than a Kato diesel.[:D]
I have several SD70Ms and SD70MACs, and I prefer the Genesis models over the Katos - the MACs feature an Austrien-made Roco motor which will better any Kato when run in. I heve never encountered these problems, all of mine run really good.