Edit post

Edit your reply below.

Post Body
Enter your post below.
[quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by Norfolk Southern Railfan Somebody earlier said that it is basically my responsibility to figure out what is wrong with these engines. It is NOT my responsibility to find out what is wrong with a perfectly brand new engine. IfSomebody else said earlier that they can "Fix" their locomotives. Well, believe me you can not fix a warped truck, my friend tried for hours upon hours and could not get it fixed at all. The warpage is like a virus that is embedded into the defective plastic. I am willing to take the time and try to find out what is wrong with a product when it acts up from time to time. I enjoy doing that. But not when several products from the same manufacturer repeatedly mess up over and over again, and not at the risk of losing hundreds of dollars which I really don't have. I would not be on here today if only 1 out of about 8 locomotives messed up, but this is a repeated problem that goes on and on. Also, a local hobby shop in my area with a very respectable dealer has also placed a BAN on athearn products. The dealer no longer sells any athearn products mostly because of these problems I have mentioned. [/quote] Allow me to answer and/or question a few points. 1st, the engine that "broke the camels back". Was it almost new, or had it been in service a year before it had a "heart attack". Your prior posts left this issue cloudy. If it was almost new, then you should have bee-lined it to you dealer, if it was a year, then I'm afraid the repair responsibility falls on you. After all, You have been running it, storing it, and subjecting it to environmental elements of your layout, whatever they may be. Truck warpage, while it is a vexing problem, can only really be fixed 1 way, replace the truck, don't waste time trying to straighten it. But its not a disease! Its more than likely caused by extreme temperatures or storing the loco with the weight of the unit unevenly distributed across the axis of the truck. Summer weather, especially if plastic things are left in the car or stored in an attic, are a killer. That being said, I've yet to see an Athearn truck warp. But I have replaced several Spectrum trucks that warped. Nice part was that Bachmann did send replacement parts at no charge.[:D] Your willingness to try to repair them yourself is to be commended, but don't drive yourself crazy with it. [%-)]Part of Athearns appeal has always been that almost anyone could work on them (NOTE:I did not say FIX them) They have good exploded views of each engine type with part numbers. I would recommend taking these sheets and keeping them in a binder for reference. When a part is bad beyond repair, just order the right part. Fixing a warped truck, for example, is NOT worth the mental stress that a 6 dollar replacement truck will cost you. Also cast metal will not be bent back in place. Its a physics thing, next time, get a new frame and move on. Work smart, not hard. [;)] As far as your local dealer is concerned, what is he smoking?? Has he banned the entire Athearn line , engines, cars, and other accessories?? Methinks his beef is not with Athearn, but rather with the parent, Horizon Hobbies. There may be a hidden adjenda there that he is not disclosing.[|(] There are much bigger pieces of junk out there than Athearn. As I enter my 41st year in this hobby, I can tell you, EVERYBODY at some time, builds a turd. I personally have had P2K gears cracked (on 8 units no less!) Kato SD-40s that COULD NOT negotiate anything less than a 36 inch radius curve, and couldn't even do that if there was a dip in the track, Bachman Spectrum engines with noisey, rattling shells and motor bearings that squealed, Atlas units with factory decoders that went brain dead for no reason, noisy Stewart Baldwins (with the Kato drive). I wont even start to list the problems I've had with some brass pieces! As you can tell, I've got quite a large fleet, and alot of the fleet are Athearn (about 25%) or Athearn powered. Why? Cuz they run! Last year, I got out my very 1st engine, a Lionel FA with rubber band drive and repowered it, just for old times sake. How? With a complete Athearn drive (U-boat trucks, motor, etc.) True, I had to make the truck bolsters, but other than that, the drive is pure Athearn. [:D] Banning Athearn will also limit your modeling choices, by causing you to buy more expensive, higher end versions of the engine you want and avoiding Athearn. That BLI engine is gonna cost you 2-3 times what the Athearn costs. And money spent doesn't always equate to quality. If it did NONE of the high end manufacturers would have a customer service department. They wouldn't need it![;)] BTW, the units in the picture below are chop-nosed Front Range shells, Front Range frames and you guessed it Athearn Drives!!!!![:D][:D][:D]
Tags (Optional)
Tags are keywords that get attached to your post. They are used to categorize your submission and make it easier to search for. To add tags to your post type a tag into the box below and click the "Add Tag" button.
Add Tag

Update Reply

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Model Railroader Newsletter See all

Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!

Subscriber & Member Login

Edit post

Post Body

Tags (Optional)

Subscriber & Member Login

Users Online

Search the Community