Hello everyone hope all is well here I am doing great,I have the HO Scale Athearn Genesis Up SD70M.Yesterday the Trucks fell off as the train was going down the tracks.Also as I was trying to fix the trucks the copper metal.Piece ha also fallen off and the wire came lose,So how do I fix this issue I am having? And how dose this copper piece go back on? I turned over the copper piece and it has 3 holes.On it so witchway dose the go as.I am confused here where the holes are one side is flat other has.round circles around the 3 holes not sure how it goes back on.I need to soder the wire back on.
Does it have a instruction sheet?
Russell
MetrolinkFan.Yesterday the Trucks fell off as the train was going down the tracks.
Thats odd, as it was running? I don't understand how they could fall off, but anyway, the ends of the axles go into the 3 holes, that's where the motor gets it's power.
There is a little tab on the brass piece that you solder the wire to. Or you can use the little plastic "push-on" covers, that came with the loco.
This diagram shows the brass contact strips you talk of, and this diagram shows how it all goes together.
Be extra carful when removing the bottom cover so you don't break off any of the 4 prongs that hold the side frames on.
Mike.
My You Tube
The little plastic parts broke that are attached to the trucks the whole truck came off.Like I said when I was trying to fix it the copper connector.Also came off too,I will be trying to fix that today.Resoldering the copper connectors & the trucks.I do not like how Athearn did these trucks.Looks like something from Bachmann did cheap.They should have stuck with the original trukcs,Like they did for the blue box version trucks.
So, the tabs on the side frames, that the prongs on the truck bottom cover go through, broke, or a combination of the side frame tabs and the bottom cover prongs, have broke. Nothing you can do about that except get new parts. I don't think any type of glue, like CA, will hold.
With out those tabs on the side frames, it won't stay together. It will keep falling apart.
That brass strip is a much better and reliable power pick up method, than old BB's, although they are more fragile, while working on them, and taking them apart.
MOST of the newer models, Athearn, Kato, Scale Trains, Atlas, all use this type of construction. Even the old Atlas yellow box Atlas/Kato (made in Japan) had this type of construction.
You can buy new side frames from Athearn , or, you can buy the truck assembly from Athearn .
Sometimes you have to pay the price:
http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATHG63833
[edit] Apologies to Mike. I didn't see his link to the same site. I've had to do this sometimes when there is no other recourse. I broke the retainer clip to the top worm gear, which also holds the truck to the frame. I had to buy a whole truck assembly just to get the clip/cover.
Good Luck, Ed
If it's a simple plastic part, try contacting the manufacturer directly for a replacement. I broke the tab inserts off the plastic side trucks of one of my Stewart FTs or F3s when I removed the plastic gear covers to clean & re-lube the gears. When I contacted Bowser about purchasing replacements, they shipped me a full set of four side truck FREE OF CHARGE.
This doesn't mean that Athearn will do the same thing for you. However, they might have the replacement parts you need for purchase but you need to ask if they have them in stock.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
mbinsewior, you can buy the truck assembly from Athearn
I have 1 old Genesis, and it's a great runner. I didn't know they had a warped truck problem.
Excuse the blurry picture.
I hardwired a decoder, added ditch lights and new headlights. I used the wrong color ditch lights. Maybe I can dim them alittle by painting them white.
There was no light board in this.
mbinsewi added ditch lights
I will not be buying these Athean Genesis Diesel Engines anymore cheap faulty power trucks.Failed 3 time they copper pieces came unsoldered.
Suit yourself. Something tells me if they keep coming unsoldered, it's not the locos or Athearn at fault.
Put them on Ebay and I'll buy'em.
MetrolinkFanAthean Genesis Diesel Engines
Yes the blue yellow box.
It must be the box that is mostly yellow, with a blue band on one end. I'm not sure which "run" those are, as far as time period.
I've just never had any problems with them, you do have to be extra carefull when you take the truck assembly apart.
PS. Did some searching around, it appears the SD70 line came out in 1999, with tooling up dates and the SD70ace in 2010.
There's a time line on the right side of the page you can scroll through:
http://www.athearn.com/About/
MetrolinkFanFailed 3 time they copper pieces came unsoldered.
"Unsoldered" or did the wire break off? Heavy-handed wire stripping will damage the strands and it doesn't take much flexing to break them.
Unsoldered? Good practices, clean joints will prevent this. As a belt & suspenders precaution I nearly always slip a short length of heat shring tubing over the joint:
Truck-wire by Edmund, on Flickr
I also replace the cheap PVC wire which gets very stiff with age using super-flexible silicone wire.
Truck-wirB by Edmund, on Flickr
Again, with the exception of the worm gear cap I had to replace, which was damaged in transit, I've never had any defects in the "Athearn clone" trucks. IMHO they are a reliable design. There are some "tune-up" methods that can improve pickup issues and proper cleaning/lubing will generally result in a smooth running, long lasting machine. Sometimes, you make your own luck.
Regards, Ed
MetrolinkFan blue yellow box.
Thanks for all the helpful replies I'll take another look at it see what can be done.
If you could show us some pictures, some good close-ups, we could a lot better.
Igave up tossed it in my parts box not going to waste my time.With this cheap engine.Do not get me wrong the shell adn detail of the engnie,Is great dislike how they did the trucks.Game Over.No one here,wasted there time who replied who had helped.Me through this was a big,Help Thanks Again.
Too bad. Than you better not buy any Atlas, Kato, Scale Trains, Stewart, BLI, Bachmann Spectrum, or any other top of the line locomotive. ( I know I missed a few)
Athearn BB locos are still plentiful, and easy to work on, with a lot of stuff interchangable.
Just go with Tyco.
What Athearn BB ho six axle will fit my SD70M shell?
Try the chassis from a C44-9W. An Athearn Trainmaster but be long enough, bur the trucks will be all wrong.
I have some of each, I'll go check it out and see if a C44-9 will work.
PS. OK, yes, the chassis from an Athearn C44-9W will work. Same length and wheel base as the SD70M, as far as Athearn is concerned.
The prototypes have a difference of 4", with the C44-9W being longer.