Will a Kato 31500 motor fit in and Athearn GP38?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hi All,

I have an Athearn BB GP38 that did not run well right from when I got it (second hand) on the HOI. I did replace the motor with a Mashima that I has but it is on the small side (1020) and subsequently underpowered with not much torque for starting etc.

Just wondering if any of you have either done a motor replacement with a Kato 31500 motor or can measure and check one motor against the other gap and see if it it indeed will fit? Or do these motors have particular problems in themselves in your experiences?

Regards and Thanks in Anticipation

Trevor www.xdford.digitalzones.com for your interest!

2

The problem with replacement motors on the Athearn BB GP38-2 and related models (GP40-2, GP60) is how the shell was designed to snap onto the frame. There are the two mounting lugs on either side of the motor that can interfere with removing the shell if the motor doesn’t clear sufficiently. I’ve repowered several of these with the A-Line kit intended specifically to work around the clearance issues of this particular series of models. http://ppw-aline.com/re-power.htm