What has anybody done to repower old Athern RDCs. Picked up some at a mrr show, but the rubber bands are gone. After detailing and weathering, I would hate use them as static displays on a siding,
Bill Merrow
The only kit I know about is the Ernst Re-Gearing kit. Rather involved, it does work but pretty noisy and pretty slow. The kit’s about $30 or so, and includes a new brass flywheel, a gear tower, about 7 gears, two replacement geared axles, a worm gear, plus a few washers and such. It works, but it’s kind of a pain to do because you have to mill out the frame a bit with a Dremel, make up a new drive shaft using the old one, etc.
BTW, these will not run with the P1K RDC’s, or at least mine won’t unless I want to slow down the P1K’s to match the Athearns.
Paul A. Cutler III
Weather Or No Go New Haven
I’m repowering my old RDC with an NWSL PDT self-propelled truck. It fits under the metal frame/floor. This will enale you to install an interior if you want.
Jeff
I’m not sure but check with Athearn, I thought that I had read somewhere that some later runs had or have a neew non rubberband drive someone else hopefully can confirm or deny this.Also I’m wondering that you may be able to purchase any athearn switcher drive and convert this way an sw-7 maybe. TB
Athearn Part # 90101, rubber band drive belts, 10 for $3.60. Courtesy of brakie, Thanks Larry.
TW sells the PK1 RDC for $20.00 That would be my choice versus repowering.
My choice too! I have quite a few of the original Athearn RDCs, many served as kitbashing material over the years. I have one powered by a NWSL PDT, only because I got it for a really good price. I think the PDTs are/were around $70.00.
I’ve picked up two Proto 1000 RDC’s from Trainworld at their $19.95 price, and one RDC-1 at $$29.95. Wonder why the difference in prices? They probably got a better deal I imagine. They are scale length, single truck motors, interirors, lighting, etc. And NO rubber bands! The Athearn ones are probably 40-50 years old.
Here’s a shot of my RDC fleet - I had them all of the shelf this week doing some dusting. There are RDCs from several different manufacturers here. I have two more Proto 1000’s on my workbench!
Bob Boudreau
Many thanks to everybody for these great replys. I’ll start out with some Athern rubber bands but I think I’ll be trying some of these other suggestions, too. And will be picking up more old RDCs at the next train show I get to.
Thanks All
Bill Merrow
Before you put the car back together pre-test. It’s very easy to reverse one of the bands and what then happens, is that the trucks go in opposite directions so it’s just a matter of reversing the twist over the drive shaft.
If you can’t find a source for the bands let me know & I will check our LHS.
I’ve seen the little Tenshodo “SPUD” (Self Propelled Universal Drive) power trucks used on these models before - basically fitting one involves drilling through the truck mounting (removing the support for the old driveshaft that is above this) and fitting the SPUD using the bolt it comes with. Adding pickups to the unpowered truck might be a good idea, but the only other work involved is fitting the original Athearn truck sideframes to the SPUD. Hope this is of help!
A few years ago I attended a train show. A hobby shop was selling stacks of Athearn RCD dummies, unpainted. Price? Fifty cents each. Mind you this was a hobby shop, and these were not used but factory fresh in blue boxes. I bought four. I still don’t know why. I guess I had some vague notion of using the trucks to scratch build a semi accurate version of the Pioneer Zephyr using an old article in MR but that is a project yet to be attempted.
Dave Nelson
Dave,
You can get really good deals on ebay. There was a hobby shop selling RDC dummies for $2.00 a piece. I got 10 lol. I’m planning on kitbashing these into some sort of Electric MU car - kind of a more modern MP54. Will use some IHC pantographs that I picked up on ebay for that. The biggest challenge will be getting rid of the huge radiator section on the roof. For drive I’m looking at using the Ernst gear set. If that is unacceptable the I’ll check out the SPUD or PDT.
FundyNorthern,
What a nice bunch of RDCs!!! I noticed one on the left center that has two jet engines on the top. Does this represent the NYC RDC that holds the speed record? Where did you get it?
I have an Athearn RDC that I modified with TWO Ernst gear sets. It took a little cutting and effort, but it will pull like an ox and has recessed lights that really look nice when running down the track. I don’t think it has a decoder in it, yet! It is quiet because I took extra time setting the gear towers up and lubricating them.
I don’t know what I would do with 19 or so RDCs. Wow.
Mark C.
Bear with me on this one. I recall so many years ago having a metal RDC that came either from Athearn or Globe. It had nice gear driven trucks and the body matched that of the Athearn except in metal. Does anybody recall these RDC’s? I had thought that the metal units would have survived through the Athearn lineup of later years but like the metal freight cars when Athearn went to plastic the old lines were either sold off or discontinued.
While in high school I worked for Pacific HO which was in San Dimas, California. They had a ton of old Athearn HO metal parts that were obtained from Irv Athearn, enough to probably make up several thousand box cars and reefers. The Athearn metal O scale line was purchased by George Menzies who continued to offer the kits, but only in O. I’m pretty sure it was during this time I saw the RDC’s in metal. George kept a shop a few doors down from Pacific HO, which was next door to Silver Streak, also headquartered in San Dimas.
So, anybody with the gear driven Athearn RDC’s???
Yes that is a model of the 183mph NYC RDC. I kitbashed it some years ago. Here’s a shot of it alone:
Bob Boudreau
I my photo of my RDC’s earlier in this thread, there are four metal Athearn RDCs in the back of the photo, although it is not easy to tell!
I bought them some time ago when I go interested in RDCs, by placing an ad in RMC - this is before the Internet! I found out Athearn made these in the mid 1950’s but they did not appear to have gone over all that well. They even made and RDC-4, and I have one. Two of mine are powered, two aren’t. White metal cast ends and dome, formed sheet metal bodies. Single geared power truck that is kind of klunky when running. Kind of neat for an RDC enthusiast as I am.
I kitbashed the plasic RDC’s into an RDC-2, 4, and 9. The -9 was one with only one diesel engine and no controls at the ends, which had no windows. It was intended to be used as a trailer with other models. I even cut one shell down and fitted it onto an Athearn SW-7 chassis - I call it an RDC.5! I also painted one all black just for the fun of it. RDC’s coming out of my ears! [:D]
Bob Boudreau
Metal Athearn were 1/2/3/4/ but the plastics were only 1/3. Still have many of them unbuilt waiting for the value to go up.
Really like the Jet model have the airplane kit to use but no guts to do it yet. With Athearn known to be too fast it would be perfect. just have to figure out the nose[:D]
Bob,
That is truly a great collection of RDC’s that you have. You did an excellent job on the RDC with the jet engine. I blew up your picture and found the four metal RDC’s. I haven’t seen one for longer than memory serves me, lucky you to have found the four.
I sent an e-mail to a friend of mine that worked during high school for Irv Athearn at his old dirt floored plant near Long Beach. Ron came back with the following information he remembered from the RDC.
"Irv made the RDC series from 1951 to 1954. There were 2, maybe 3 versions. I think we did a baggage model, something that wasn’t repeated in plastic. These cars were unusual in that Athearn made the RDC up as a original type car, meaning smooth ends and smooth doors, just like the original RDC’s were delivered. Later the prototype RDC was modernized with fluted ends and doors and that is what Irv modeled in plastic, so to have both types of cars you need to have both the metal and plastic versions. Irv was convinced that going to plastic was the future in modeling. The metal kits and metal RDC’s were too time consuming and costly compared to the competitions entry into plastic kits and rtr cars. Athearn really went the inexpensive route by introducing the rubber band drive power trains which was fine for the beginning modeler, but the enthusiasts really howled because the rubber band units were not nearly as smooth as the gear driven models. Early Globe and Athearn power chassis were nicely built, but expensive to put together. From the rubber band era we entered the more modern times with the gear driven F7 and GP9, then the super geared F7 then on to what we see with current Athearn. I was told that an Athearn plastic car kit could be produced at the Athearn plant for almost one third what the wood and metal cars were being produced for. Irv was smart in that respect. I haven’t seen one of the metal RDC’s in a long time. The metal material used in construction gave them a very authentic appearance, but the p
Bob,
A request. You seem as good with a camera as you are at modeling. Would there be a chance you could post a picture of one of your Athearn metal RDC’s? I’d like to see what the ends and sides look like as well as the trucks in comparison to the newer models. The same quarter shot that you provided with the jet NYC RDC would be perfect.
Thanks in advance,
Walt
Bob,
And I thought I was an RDC fan! What a great collection. Thanks for sharing it with us!
Jim
I was at my LHS yesterday and asked if he could order Athearn drive belts, providing the part number. The owner sat down at his terminal and placed the order. So, in a week or so I’ll let you know if Athearn is really still supplying these.
According to the owner, a while back Athearn announced they would no longer support these, but the company has since been bought out and it may be that the new owners have had a change of heart. Let’s hope so. I’ve got an old GP9, an F7 and a short switcher that are depending on that rubber band order.