More new trains and some old ones with new pics

S

Spawn of Chaos

Member
Jan 15, 2007
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Seattle, Washington
CAUTION: LONG IMAGES!

Ok, to start I just want to say that this is the last thread I'm going to make before I start my layout, so any other new stuff will be put in here.

bigboyconsistcg9.jpg


dd35u28cdd35ontrackhh3.jpg


empirebuilderalmostcompdp5.jpg


empirebuilderenginespd5.jpg


up080switcherpw9.jpg
 
cool stuff. it looks like you are out of luck with those hand rails though! luckily i think they are still available for your locomotives by athearn. if not, their are still kits out there for them.

going back to you comment on another thread, don't be affriad to work on your models. i know those locomotives have atleast some sort of dimple that mark the locations of grab irons. all you need to do is get a #80 drill bit and a pinvise, as well as some grab irons. (in fact, you should probably pick up a Details Associates GE U33C detail kit. i kno you have a U30C, but its more or less the same stuff).

it is extremely easy to add these simple details to your model and worth while.
 
That's a U28C goofball. And I have the handrails for those two, they just weren't installed by the previous owner.

The two new ones (which are actually the U28C and the DD35 on the RIGHT (I switched the shells) don't run very well because the previous owner didn't take very good care of them and they are badly corroded. The U28C does run, but it kicks up more sparks than my dad's old American Flyer #295! Stinks to high heaven too. The new DD35 doesn't run due to its inability to pick up power from the rails. Oh, and it doesn't help much that my tracks are so old that they're corroded too!

All the others I've more or less shown before, just not quite like this. Oh, and I don't think I've shown the Empire Builder rolling stock before; I also have an RPO from IHC and a brand-new (to me) Rivarossi Vista Dome.
 
I cleaned up the new DD35 and it runs almost as well as the other one; I asked Athearn about replacement trucks and the internal "band" of metal that goes over the top of the motors and holds the light and they told me they don't make the DD40 anymore and they don't have parts for it...:cry: However, they DO have parts for the U28C, so I'm going to get that all fixed up and ready to go also. The new DD35 still kicks up few sparks every now and then but at least it's moving now!

The DD35 and the U28C both need new trucks and a new "band" of metal like I mentioned above; however, as I also mentioned, Atheran does not have any for the DD35, so I'm stuck with just cleaning the hell out of it.
 
The metal band that you speak of is the weak link in the power supply for these Athearn locos. The simplest cure is to get rid of it entirely, and replace it with wires soldered to the metal strap-thingies on the trucks and to the copper strip on top of the motor. To solder to the copper strip, it's probably a good idea to remove it from the motor before soldering. Be careful when removing it, as the spring for the upper motor brush will attempt to put itself in orbit as you do so.
Btw, neat panoramic pictures: this would be useful for showing wide views of a layout or scene, as most of us don't have the room to back away far enough from the layout to do so otherwise.

Wayne
 
doctorwayne said:
The metal band that you speak of is the weak link in the power supply for these Athearn locos. The simplest cure is to get rid of it entirely, and replace it with wires soldered to the metal strap-thingies on the trucks and to the copper strip on top of the motor. To solder to the copper strip, it's probably a good idea to remove it from the motor before soldering.
Click to expand...

Ok, sounds like a good idea; I hate soldering myself, I'll just get me good old dad to do it for me.

doctorwayne said:
Be careful when removing it, as the spring for the upper motor brush will attempt to put itself in orbit as you do so.
Click to expand...

WOOT WOOT we have achieved spaceflight! sign1

doctorwayne said:
Btw, neat panoramic pictures: this would be useful for showing wide views of a layout or scene, as most of us don't have the room to back away far enough from the layout to do so otherwise.

Wayne
Click to expand...

Ahahahahaha, they're not panoramic! I did indeed have room to back away and take hugeass pics then crop them down! I do get what you mean about on the layout, but these pics were taken on the mantle of my living room, which is like 50X25 feet!

I agree though, panoramic is the way to go on a layout. My camera has a panorama assist function: it places a small part of the last pic on the screen so you can line it up correctly! Really cool thing is that it's smaller than my mouse!

Russ Bellinis said:
Here are a couple of links to my friend Jim Furhman's website with some tips for making Athearn diesels run well and reliably.

http://members.aol.com/JFuhrtrain/tuneup.htm

http://members.aol.com/JFuhrtrain/fivewire.htm
Click to expand...

Thanks Russ!
 
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