I am putting the final details on my Athearn ME&O SW1000 and just realized there is NO HORN nor is any shown in the exploded drawing
I can not believe this
That is like a steamer with no whistle
I am in a state of shock
Google Images of SW1000’s show both prototypes and models, including the Athearn one. On all of the pictures, the horn is on the long-hood end of the cab, just below the roof.
That is true BUT Athearn doesn’t supply one nor is one shown in the drawings for my undecorated SW1000
That is my complaint --I don’t have a horn for my ME&O SW1000
I just emailed Athearn
I’ll report how they respond
Well the pre-decorated ones clearly show a horn sticking out above the front cab windows:
On the undecorated one you can see a tiny hole there for the horn to be inserted into…so I’d assume a horn is included in the detail parts??
Did you loose the horn? It would be very tiny.
If you lost it, there are plenty of aftermarket options, and I am sure Athearn would send you a hundred for free if you raise a stink about it…
David B
My undec SW1000 came with a horn. I can only surmise that yours wasn’t included for some reason or it was misplaced. It’s quite small and is easy to lose.
Do you have a pic ?
Only holes Isee are for the wipers
Well I think I found one
It is a tiny brass object in the bag with the grab irons --I assume thats it
Took a magnifying glass to identify it
I am used to larger horns on the other diesels
My Atlas S1 and Proto SW9 have horns that look like horns
I guess I will have to drill a hole for it
The exploded drawing doesn’t show it as an added part
Look at the inside of the shell, there should be a locating dimple for you to drill for the Single Chime Wabco.
On a side note, which prototype are you doing? It is quite possible the railroad used a different horn.
David B
Thanks for the pic
I have nothing like that
I just found a small brass piece that if I use my imagination could be called a horn
No dimple and I am doing my own RR . I just bought an undecorated SW1000 . That is all it says on the box
Mystery is solved
Here is the reply I received from Athearn
"You e-mailed us to ask about a “missing” air horn in your undecorated SW1000 model.
We do not include an air horn with our undecorated models, as we cannot foresee which air horn will be required for each railroad in which an undecorated model could be painted. It is, therefore, up to the modeler to determine which air horn is appropriate, as well as where it is to be applied, and supply it themselves. There are many after-market air horns available (from Detail Associates, Details West, etc.) that are suitable for this model.
Thank you for you inquiry. We hope you find your SW1000 model to be enjoyable to build."
Well, I guess I should tip my engineer’s cap to Athearn for a quick response, and to you for caring enough to bring this up.
Now, are you going to put sound in the engine? If so, you’ll have to decide on the right prototype horn, and then make sure the decoder you choose supports that particular sound.
I’ll have to admit it. When I configure a sound decoder, I listen to the horns and pick the one I like the best. So far, I haven’t taken the time to study the horn that’s on the engine and match the sound file to the model’s horn. Neither have I shopped around for an after-market horn that matches the sound file most pleasing to my ear. But, you’ve certainly made me thing about it. Thanks for the thread.
No sound or decoder --I have a two oval ( 22"&18") with a cross over and 2 sidings off the 18–Very simple layout
I have 2 MRC Sound Powers and they have steam and diesel sounds built in --I like the diesel horns and steamer whistles they have
And since I have my own RR I really don’t worry about prototyping --the ME&O engines are what I want them to be but they have to have whistle/steamers and horns/diesels