I’ve was an avid Athearn fan and had hundreds (not exxagerating) of their Blue (and some yellow) Box cars and locos. I can not recall any instance where 1/2 axle/wheel was in use. Of course that doesn’t mean they weren’t, but I’m real curious as to what these were/are used for.
Two half-axles are used to build an axle on a 4- or 6-axle diesel truck. There is a plastic (insulating) drive gear centered between the two axle halves (since one solid metal axle would short the tracks)
Based on JB Wheelsets website, these would be used on “Athearn powered locomotives with plastic sideframes, and pre-Walthers Proto 2000 4-axle locomotives” and “Use on Athearn and pre-Walthers Proto 2000 six-axle locomotives that require a 42” diameter wheel". So sounds to me they would be used in a lot of different HO diesels.
Based on my not really sharp old memory. I don’t recall the stub opposite of the flange on my P2K and Athearn half axles.
The pictured wheels appear to be blackened. Not painted. They would have been dipped in a chemical that puts a coating like blueing a firearm but not as deep.
What does “0**.110” tread**” mean? Shaft thickness? The axles in the link have blunt ends, mine has tapered ends, if that means anything. Could tapered ends mean outside frame?
It seems that the longer stub is for outside frames, so that’s what mine might be.
I’m not at home now but this morning I took a quick look at my old Con-cor switcher. It has outside frames for the axles, and what I was able to see, the axle ends looked the same the ones in my post.
The 0.110 tread width is the width of the wheel that rides on the rail. It does not include the flange. Blackened is a chemical reaction that turns the metals outside surface into a semi protective coating. Commonly some tools will be blackened to make them rust resistant but the wheels are blackened for looks. Blackened metal wheels will show shiny silver tread with use.
Black nickel finish is an electro plating process like chrome. Only omitting the chromium. Chrome plating also includes nickel but black chrome or black nickel is done using a sodium and acid solution heated to nearly a boil. Chrome plating uses hot salt water to electro plate.
Sintered is actually a powdered metal that is pressed into shape. Another common name is pot metal.
Most inexpensive drill bits are blackened. Also the cheap mini screwdriver sets have blackened shafts with chrome plated handles with the spinner on top.
Painting is a ‘layer’ added over something. Like dipping an ice cream cone into chocolate. It coats the ice cream ‘as a layer’, but its still vanilla on the inside. No change to the ice cream.
Blueing, is like dipping the ice cream into food coloring. It soaks into the vanilla changing it to, lets say blue in this case. So as you eat away at the ice cream, its blue until you reach the point the coloring didnt soak into. This is what happens when you ‘blue’ metal. Its a reaction ‘within’ the metal, not a coating like a paint.
As for the wheels themselves, have you contacted who owns Athearn now (Prizm, I think? Maybe? Who is it i dont remember) just to see if they could be of any help?
I haven’t contacted Athearn yet. I should do that, although they might not have any records from that far back. But it’s worth a try, I guess.
When I have time I will try compare with axles on some of my old engines. For example my Con-cor switcher seems that it might have the same axles, but I would have to take it apart in order to find out.
I have been reading along but not had time to offer my thoughts until now. A simple checking of Athearn instruction sheets which exploded parts diagrams may locate that part number.
Athearn has never bothered to put all their parts info on the web. A task that would cost intirely too much money.
They look like they could be Genesis EMD F unit wheels. I will check info I have at home this evening.
I’m sure those wheels could probably fit many locomotives. Even if you don’t need the pointed end. A cut off wheel in a Dremel would take care of it. As long as the diameter is the same.
Just keep in mind these wheelsets weren’t made by Athearn, they were made as replacements for the Athearn part no. listed by Jay Bee (which is now JB Wheelsets). The ‘sintered’ Athearn wheelsets were generally considered “OK”, not great, so many folks replaced them with nickel-silver wheelsets. I believe several companies have made replacement wheelsets for Athearn engines.
I suspect the wheelsets you have pre-date the introduction of Athearn Genesis - the wheelsets may well work in Genesis engines, but were used in other engines by Athearn too (and apparently in some old Life-Like Proto engines).
