Adding weight to a athern genisus 4-6-2... WHERE?

[mikebonellisr]

I seem to have the same problem many others have had with this model...Adding more weight to improve pulling power.First off,I'm intimated with what SEEMS to be a hassle to get the boiler disassembled, If I figure out HOW to do it,then has anyone figured out how & where to add the extra weight?Also I read that removeing the lead & trailing truck springs would help by putting more weight on the drivers.Do you remove them altogether or snip off a few turns? and how does that affect tracking?

[Anonymous]

I'm not an Athearn guy but both the 4-6-2(12.75 oz) & 2-8-2(13. oz) are too lite and suffer from a traction imbalance problems . According to one MR article if there are open spaces in the underside of the boiler, underframe and cab interior fill those spaces with moldable lead that's sold in one ounce packages by A-line.

If possible, try and balance some of the weight over the driving wheelbase to achieve maximum adhesion.

This may be too little, too late. My minimum weight requirement for steam/diesel is 16 ozs.

[orsonroy]

The Athearn steamers are not underweight; they're just poorly balanced. All the weight is in the cab, which lifts the front end of the engines, making them pull badly and prone to hopping off the track.

You CAN successfully remove the boiler, but it's not for the faint of heart. Basically, remove every screw and snap-on part you can find, pry the sides of the cab away from the boiler and remove it, and then remove the boiler. To do that, squeeze in on the firebox above the running boards, lift up until it seperates, and then lift up and forward with the boiler until it's free. It won't work until it feels like it's about to break on you!

Once the boiler's free, you can add weight. Fill the dome areas with moldable lead, as well as the insides of the cylinders. If you're adventurous, you can add a 1/32" thich sabot of lead sheet around the entire boiler weight. Add lead sheet under the frame, under the front two drivers. Add as much sheet lead under the pilot as you can (remove the lead truch's spring while you're at it). Add moldable lead inside the stack. Finally, consider scraping off every cast-on detail and plastic detail part and replacing them with brass parts. I decided to sell of my Athearn Mikes before I did so, but adding twin air pumps and shields to the pilot, ala the NKP's USRA mikes, would add at least 1.5 ounces of weight right where it needs to be.

All in all, they're nice engines, but need work. I got rid of most of mine because I needed better pullers up my 2% plus grades. I went with old Oriental Powerhouse brass/cast mikes, and they run and pull great (and only cost $50 more than the Athearn engines). I expect the upcoming BLI mikes to run as well as the Oriental engines, but at twice the cost!

[baniaj2]

Engines are balanced poorly, weighted maybe a little light.

I am working on balancing a 4-6-2 so that it tracks better and can pull trains. The rear trailing trucks track horribly. Sometimes lead trucks pick switches too.

Overall though, I though the 2-8-2 was not as bad as the 4-6-2.