I need to remotor an older Athearn Blue Box locomotive that just draws too much power for DCC operation. Even with a thorough cleaning of the entire chassis and all electrical connections (including the motor brushes), the original motor just sucks up power. I was looking at the Kato replacement can motor the other day and it looked like I might be able to use it to repower this locomotive. Anyone use this motor and what kind of experiences have you had with it?
Hornblower
If it will fit and if it has the correct size drive shaft, the Kato motor would be an excellent choice because they run very smoothly.
I've never used a Kato motor to replace one in a different brand, but all of the Kato HO scale models I own are quiet and powerful, and draw very little current.
I think you may find that your Athearn locomotive runs slower with the Kato motor because Kato in general seems to run slower than other brands.