Over the past month or so, I’ve been busy giving my Athearn diesels (blue box units) an overhaul, replacing the worn out motors and wheelsets. So far, everything has been going smoothly, and I’m left with three more to go now.
After finishing a couple yesterday, I decided to open up the remaining ones to see what would be needed on them. While the SD40T-2 I have won’t be a problem, I discovered an issue with the other two: an SD9 and an FP45. The SD9 was purchased used, and the FP45 was my first Athearn locomotive. While replacing the motors will be no problem, I discovered an issue with the wheelsets. In the locos that I’ve already overhauled, the wheelsets have bearings on the insides of the wheels between the wheels and the plastic axle/gear sleeve. On the older two locos, the axles extend into bearings on the metal sideframes of the trucks. Looking up the parts diagrams online gave me the part number (#40023) for the wheelsets, but doing a google search, I could only find one source online for them. And that site didn’t have a pic of the item to aid in determining if I was looking at the right item or not.
Does anybody know if it is possible to go ahead and use the wheelsets I’ve been using for my other Athearn locos (not sure if the ends of the axles are long enough for the metal sideframes)? If not, does anybody know a reliable source to find replacements?
Are you using NWSL replacements? If so, the wheels are pressed onto the half-axles, so you can tap the axles out a little, or use a wheel puller to push them out more.
If you don’t want to do that, then NWSL also makes replacement wheels for the older Athearns (outside frame).
As far as replacement wheelsets are concerned, I don’t see the 40023 listed in the on-line part catalogs for either Horizon Hobby or Athearn. North West Short Line used to have replacements, but I can’t figure out their catalog. You caould call them and explain what you are looking for.
There is also a person that advertises in the classified advertising section MR who may have a supply of old parts. That would be RJ Rennie. He is in Berea Ohio and the number listed is 440-234-7186.
That SD9 must be really old. I looked at my SD9 to see if I could be of help to you but it has the newer trucks with the square bearings behind the wheels.
Actually been replacing them with identical (but new) wheelsets since some of the older plastic axle shafts were actually cracked, making a thunking sound as the locos ran.
Unfortunately, Athearn hasn’t had those wheelsets in years. Since they changed pretty much everything over to the inside bearings, there hasn’t been a great need for them. Are the axles cracked on the old style wheelsets? If not, then I’d definitely recommend going to the NWSL wheelsets.
It looks like they have code 110 (same profile as the original Athearn wheels), code 88 (narrower tread profile, closer to scale), and Proto:87 (exact scale) wheelsets available.
The one truck I opened up yesterday on the FP45 looked okay. Didn’t look too closely at the time though. One thing I got to thinking about with regards to just replacing the wheels is that if the plastic axle/gear sleeve would happen to crack, go bad, etc. would the axle/gear sleeves that I pulled from my other locos (the good ones, not the cracked ones) work as a substitute. Granted, they wouldn’t go right up to the backs of the wheels, but from what I saw yesterday, the trucks ride on the ends on the sideframes and on the gear on the center of the axle.
What diameter wheels should I go with? I haven’t actually measured the originals yet, but I’m guessing the 40-inch or 42-inch wheels would be the ones to go with.
I’ve used NWSL 37140-4 - 42" wheelsets on two older locos I have with great success. My challange was finding the proper axle gear as the outside bearing type has a longer shoulder than the newer ones do.
