Yeah I think it's 6" to each side.
You really don't notice it unless you put it up alongside a model with the correct hood width. so if you plan to double head them, get another identical one.
Despite the mis-naming and the extra width (to clear the old black motors - the newer tan ones would fit in a scale width hood), they remain one of the most reliable model locos ever made. It's pretty hard to kill a Blue Box. And one thing Athearn always did right - they kept using the same parts year after year, so spares are ALWAYS out there.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I think it is closer to 12", but probably the hardest thing to fix. Oh well. .
Hey at least I made no mention of the body being 6" too wide
oops.
richhotrain RIVET COUNTERS !!! Rich
RIVET COUNTERS !!!
Rich
Alton Junction
Goes back to an OLD error in MR and other magazines, they called ones with dynamics a GP-9, and ones without dynamics were a GP-7. Even though that is NOT the distiguishing spotting feature, it's the battery box door louvers. Athearn just kept it going that way.
Not DCC related, but it looks beautifully painted! While the box says GP-9, for some odd reason, Athearn mislabeled these blue box models. Because of the louver placement, the model is really a GP-7. Fortunately for you, the Boston and Maine 1556 was a GP-7. If I was you I would change the horn, as it is very out of place.
Sam,
FWIW, at a minimum you could isolate the motor and frame using the pictoral on the TCS site. It's a pretty straightforward conversion and would give you some good experience - even if you should choose to take the unit in for someone else to do the sound install. Do you have a soldering iron? Either way, keep us posted on how it turns out...
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
This is a lot of good advice, and I really appreciate it. Thank you all.
I have always bought locos with factory installed decoders, and this is the first DC loco I bought in my life. I don't dare to take any. loco apart myself. I have to take Rich's advice an take it to someone with experience.Now all I have to do is to just find someone with such experience, but again thank you all.
Sam
Sam:
I will second Tom's recommendation of the Loksound Select! I have several up and running. Can't go wrong!!
I am working on my first Tsunami. So far I have had pretty good luck with all my sound decoders. Once the Tsunami is in (shortly) I will let everyone know how I feel about it.
Dave
P.S. You will have to wait a few days for me to finish the Tsunami. I royally smashed my left shin a week ago Friday night climbing into the hot tub. I am on big time antibiotics because the bugs really like me, and I am stoned out of my tree on pain killers. No soldering for me for a few days!... or drinking,... or walking, .... everything tastes like poop!! .... whine, whine whine!!!
There! That feels much better!
Thank you for your assistance!
Well done all!!!
I'l shut up now!
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Looks like a good buy! I've seen Blue Box locomotives listed at $70, so $55 is a good deal.
Installing a decoder should be relatively easy - BB loco shells are usually pretty roomy compared to newer locos. You should start by removing the shell and assessing the available space. It's been a little while since I disassembled a BB loco, but the Trainmaster that I have has a pair of tabs on the sides that let the shell lift off. It might be necessary to remove the couplers to get the shell off, so it would be a good idea to remove them to make sure there are no hidden screws.
Once the shell is off, isolating a BB motor is easy. Pull off the lighting strip on top of the motor and the light bulb mount from the frame. Save the lighting strip, as it will be easy to use it to get pickup from one side of the trucks. The bulb mount is securely clipped in, so it will take a bit of force to pull it loose (pull straight up.) You will need to add a new light bulb to the inside of the shell, but doing so will eliminate the glow inside the cab.
There should be four rubber plugs sticking through the bottom of the frame, and inside a rubber mount holding the motor in place. Pushing the motor to one side will spread the rubber mount, and by rocking the motor you can get it out. The drive trains will fall apart, but the pieces are just slipped together and reassembly would be no problem. Once the motor is out, solder the motor leads from the decoder to the top and bottom brass clips which connect to the upper and lower brushed. Check which side the frame is connected to on the trucks to determine which side of the motor should be connected to which wire from the decoder.
Solder the one pickup wire to the lighting pickup strip, and the other to the now-empty mount for the light bulb (alternatively, you could solder one wire to each truck pickup hook.) Put a piece of electrical tape over the bottom of the motor mount and another piece over the top of the motor under where the lighting power strip clips on. The tape will isolate the motor from the frame. The speaker can probably be installed over the rear truck, and the decoder can be mounted on a platform over the motor.
I've already converted a BB F7, and I'm waiting for the sound decoder for my BB Trainmaster, and this method seems to work well.
Modeling the Pennsy and loving it!
The T1 is just one decoder, Sam. Depending on the amount of room under the hood, other decoders may fit as well. For that model, all you really need is a 2- or 4-function motion decoder. I would look for one with excellent BEMF for extra slow running ability - especially if you are going to be doing switching with it.
For sound, it's a choice between Soundtraxx, QSI, or Loksound. Because of the terrific motor control, I would go with the Loksound. In fact, their Select decoder has an EMD 567 sound file on pg. 2 of their Sounds for Loksound Select page, which you can listen to. If space is tight, ESU (who makes Loksound) makes a Select Micro.
I have a Select decoder in a Stewart VO-660 and it really purrs at low-speed - i.e. ~0.5 sMPH. I had a Tsunami decoder in a VO-1000 switcher but was very disappointed with both the sound and motor control. That's not to say that all Soundtraxx decoders are disappointing.
Hi Sam:
The locomotive looks to be in pretty good condition and the paint is nice and crisp as far as I can tell from the pictures. To me, that means you got a reasonable deal.
Pretty much every locomotive can be converted to sound but in this case it won't be a simple "drop in". The biggest challenge will be mounting the speaker because there isn't a whole lot there on the frame to mount a speaker on to. Note that the TCS decoder install example is not for a sound decoder.
If you are really lucky someone here will know of an existing how to video or pictures. If not, we can talk you through.
As far as suitable decoders you need one that is narrow enough to fit inside the shell so pay attention to decoder widths. You will also need to figure out where to put a speaker.
Post some clear pictures with the shell off, both of the chassis and the inside of the shell.
Thank you Tom, that really helps a lot. So I guess I'll be in the market for a T1 decoder. Is that correct?
Sound would be nice, but I can live without it.
That looks like a nice buy, Sam. I think you did well.
As far as decoders, although they don't list a GP9 specifically, the TCS web site suggests their T1 for the Athearn GP7, that it's "non-DCC ready" and must be hardwired. As a bonus, if you click on the Athearn GP7 link, there's a handy pictoral of how they isolated the motor and frame and install the T1 decoder.
And it appears that there's no modification of the frame required in order for the decoder to fit properly under the hood. That's a good thing.
Hope that helps...
By the way I had the guy give it a test run before I bought it, and it ran smooth & quiet.
OK thanks guys, I guess it's an older Athearn blue box. The loco is new never been used and also a new paint job. Not a Genesis. Here are two photos.
If this loco can be converted to DCC, is there a particula decoder for it.
Thanks
I agree with Tom.
Any DC loco can be converted to DCC, but the degree of difficulty varies with the model.
First question to answer is which Athearn model, Blue Box, RTR, Genesis?
Isolating the motor from the frame is one issue, finding the space underneath the shell for a sound decoder is quite another issue.
A loco that is DC Only usually does not anticipate a DCC conversion, so space is not taken into account when designing the loco.
Incidentally, some DC Only locos have the motor isolated from the frame, making conversion easier. Those locos just don't have the necessary circuitry arranged for a drop in decoder.
Your best bet is to take the loco to someone experienced in such conversions and get their opinion.
Is the GP9 "brand new" or the custom paint job? Does it say "Genesis" on the outside of the box? If not then you probably have a newly painted older "Blue Box" GP9.
You can convert older BB Athearns to DCC but you will probably have to electrically isolate the motor and frame from one another. Otherwise, your decoder can go *poof* at the next short.
As far as a "good buy" or not, that's entirely contingent on how well the custom paint job is and how well it runs.
Hello to all.
I just got home from a small train show, and I think I got a good buy, but maybe I didn't because I don't know much about this stuff, and I hope some of you can tell me if I got a bargain, or did I get taken. I bought an HO scale Atheran brand new custom-painted DC only GP9 road switcher, for $55.00.
My DCC system is Prodigy Advance, Nothing is mentioned in the paper work that came in the box about DCC ready. Is it possible to convert this loco to DCC, and if so, what decoder should I buy. Also would like sound.
Than you all in advance,