I have several blue box Athearn locos, including a sw7. Since I am building a industral switching layout (HO), a good switcher is a must. The sw7 I have runs fine at speed but does not do well at slow speeds. I would also like sound and DCC with the switcher, which the sw7 currently does not have. Can i re-engine the old Athearn and upgrade it to sound and DCC or would it be cheaper and easier to simply get a new engine, and if so which one? It needs to be an engine that the EJ&E uses, ie sw7, sw1200, sw1500 etc
Well, Proto SW7s go for about $65-75. Those have a plug for a sound decoder, Soundtraxx DSD-LC, buit I;'m not sure you have room for speakers. Remotoring an Athearn would be harder, but a tad cheaper. Again though you hit issues with sound and room.
The BLI SW-7 with sound has been and is a good slow runner as well as at speed for me. It starts with just a creep. Of course that may be in part by the throttle setting I have on my NCE Power Cab. It’s very good looking as well.
I ran Athearn SW7s for years, then one day I got fed up with them stalling on switch frogs and I replaced them with Life-Like GM switchers. I’ve never seen a Broadway Limited (BLI) GM switcher run, so I can’t comment on that brand. The Life-Like GM switchers run every bit as good as an Atlas or Kato locomotive.
I’ve got a couple BLI SW-7s and they run good. I don’t know if they come in EJ&E paint. I have done many sound installations, but I would not want to try installing sound in a small switcher. Just not much room to work with. You might buy a BLI SW-7, and do a repaint job yourself, if they aren’t available in EL&E. A repaint, and a few decals will be a lot easier than a sound installation in an Athearn SW-7.
I’ve got a Proto SW-7 that I got with DCC and sound for the bargain sale price of a hundred bucks.
It runs fine and sounds great. However, to fit in the speaker and decoder, they made big-time sacrifices of weight. This is by far the lightest engine on my roster. To compensate for the lack of weight, they installed traction tires on one axle. Unfortunately, that takes away electrical contact from that axle, so now the engine is only picking up power on 3 axles. I’ve had to send the track crew out in a few places to improve connectivity and work on dead spots I never knew I had.
If you’re pushing loads up hills, this engine might not be the one for you. It works pretty well on the flats, though.
The all arround best EMD switcher in my opinion is the Proto2000. If you want sound buy one that is already equipped. I did add a LokSound Micro to my switcher bit this requires modifying the weight. The speaker is in the cab. I like the results but this was a challenge.
The BLI SW 7 and NW 2 are good also and are already sound eqipped.
Mister Beasley is right about the weight and the rubber tires. Replace the rubber tire wheels and add some split shot lead weights, etc, any where they fit.
The other good switcher is the KATO NW 2, I have not tryed to add a decoder or sound to mine yet but it looks like it will be a challenge.
This may be an exception but I have a blue box Athearn SW 1500 with a LokSound decoider and dual speakers in the cab. It is one of my best runners and I am happy with it as well.
Look for an improved version of this switcher now being released by Athearn.
I’ve got a few Proto 2000 switchers and they are by far the best switchers I own. They are very simple to convert to DCC. I haven’t added sound to any of mine but if I did I think that it would take away from the performance of them. As they are they will pull a decent amount of cars and crawl at a very slow speed.
I don’t own any sw-7s but have had real good luck with the Atlas silver series MP15DC and the Athearn genesis MP15 AC switchers (with sound). You’re probably not going to get a speaker in them because i had a hard time just getting a decoder in the MP 15 DC. They have been great for yard switching…chuck
I have not tried, nor owned, every switcher available (has anybody?) but of 52 diesels I HAVE, my favorite is Stewart’s ‘Baldwin’. It was so good I bought a second one!
Of my stock, I find all BB Athearn’s the worst. Forgetting iron wheels, light in the cab, etc. they work fine for running around and around, but less so with 'jerky stops & starts. WHY? They take 5-6 volts to overcome friction, (I have meters).
For 'Switching I want slow speed control amd smooth starts & stops. ‘Industrial’ switchers tend to be small as they shuttle few cars at a time. ‘Hump’ yards push ‘strings’ & need more power.
I find P2K’s early road diesels (GP-9,GP-20, GP-30 ) outstanding in this area. They are essentially using Athearn’s BB chassis design, so why not Athearn?. Further, I don’t know what the E&JE used (probably ‘used’) but that depends on the era. If you have insulated frogs, you’ll want ‘all wheel’ pickup’, whatever brand.
Like I said, “I have not tried” every switcher. I’m sure other s have ‘favorites’, including Athearn, But the Stewart (now Bowser) will be the one to beat.
I’m hoping that someone figures out how to install sound in one without affecting the interior detail. If the come up with a dummy calf unit, then I’d get one to put behind it and install a sound-only decoder in it. I’m hoping to get one in BN.
Proto2K makes a fine SW1000 model, I’ve got one. Good slow speed running, nice detailing, good paint.
Athearns can often be improved by taking them apart. Pop the retainling clips off the truck bottoms and the gear towers will come apart. Remove and inspect each gear. Remove any flash. Then wipe each tooth of each gear with a pipe cleaner. When done you will see a few (maybe a lot) of black plastic chips on the pipe cleaner. They used to be in the gear train, increasing friction and making noise. The gears don’t really need lube, being made of slippery plastic, but a drop or two of light oil won’t hurt anything. Check the U-joints for flash and make sure no rotating parts are rubbing on the shell. Put everything back together and it ought to run better.
You can make a ceiling for the cab and put the lamp above the ceiling so it shines out the headlamp lens without throwing light in the cab windows. Glazing the cab windows makes the whole locomotive look better.
VO660 and 1000: Stewart’s the best bet, likely not sound equipped, can be added using Soundtraxx DSD-LC decoder and a bit of work.
SW1200: Is unfortunately out. Nothing in Walthers, period. Nor in Athearn.
NW2: BLI is no longer listing it, but slow to turnover hobby shops may still have it. Athearn sold at one time SW7 Calfs, that might do ya. They were dummies, but often retained the same trucks for weeight and it could be powered
I’m at a loss of the SW1001 and DT-6-6-2000.
Your in luck on the GP/SD38s though. Plenty of those made. I think that’s all the engine EJ&E had