I have a old Athearn PA that I will more than likely never get a motor for. Besides gutting the trucks of its gears, is there anything else I need to do? I am DCC and want to double check before I start on it.
Like I said, there is no motor to remove, so I think I am safe.
Cuda Ken
You have it right. However, if there is any wiring left in it, I would remove it also just to be double safe.
[:-^]
Hi Ken,
One thing I have done in this circumstance, if possible to avoid the axles, place a little weight in the gear cavity of the trucks. If not there at least add some to the unit on the floor as this really helps in running through turnouts.
Johnboy out…
Ken was this a dummy to begin with or a powered unit? If it was an old BB dummy from the factory they sometimes they had the same set of trucks front and rear. This isn’t a problem unless you upgrade to metal wheels and it then creates a short through the frame. You can isolate one of the trucks pretty easily with a Dremel tool. If you keep the plastic axles or it was once a powered unit this is then moot.
ratled
Howdy, Ken.
If you ever intend to run with this PA as the lead unit, it will need an operating headlight - either a ‘lights only’ decoder or a plug connection to the unit with a normal decoder and wire it as a backup light. I’m assuming you would run it as an A-A pair with the cabs faced outward.
OTOH, if it will only be a trailing unit or engine shop scenery, it doesn’t need lights.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Why, pray tell, would he be trying to make a dummy unit out of a dummy unit?
I agree with Chuck. I have a couple of dummy F7s. I put headlights and a Digitrax sound-only decoder into an A unit. When you start with one of these older dummies, you’ve got the power pickups already there and lots of room for a decoder and speaker. It’s easy to route wires for the headlights, too.
Thinking even more out of the box, have you considered a train-cam for a dummy A-unit? Having the dummy as the lead unit with the powered unit behind works just fine.
I would also add some weights to it. Dummy locomotive trucks are great for popping off the tracks if they are too light.
[(-D]
It was a powered A unit. In fact it is a old Wide Body Athearn. Far as weight, it weights 11 and 5/8 oz with out the motor. So I think I am OK far as the weight. Still has it steel wheels.
Never knew you could make the front engine a dummy. If I do anything with it I was going to run it with my Erie Built s and the trailing engine.
Thanks for all the answers.
Ken
In the package I sent today, there are 1/2 a dozen motors that ready to go and a few more you can use for parts, I also included some motor mounts, so you shouldn’t have any trouble powering up your PA if you want.
Thank You Jay! Looking forward to getting some more engines on the rails! Still don’t think I will power this one, inside of the trucks looks pretty nasty. But you never know, I just might give her a shoot.
Thanks again Ken
Sounds like this is probably one of the ones with the outside bearing trucks? You should eb able to clean it up and make a decent runner out of it. NWSL used to have replacement nickel-silver wheels for those style as well as the more conventional inside bearing trucks.
–Randy