rrinker Wow, never saw an RDC with anything but the rubber band drive (or an Ernst gear conversion). That article on Athearn history in MR a number of years ago (20 or more I think - might have been the 50th anniversary issue even) sure missed a lot. The real irony in the early gear days was they had the gear drive, but it only picked up from one side on each truck, or you could get the hi-fi rubber band drive which picked up on all 8 wheels. Which do you chose, better pickup for less stalling, or smoother drive without the snap back effect of the rubber bands... --Randy
Wow, never saw an RDC with anything but the rubber band drive (or an Ernst gear conversion). That article on Athearn history in MR a number of years ago (20 or more I think - might have been the 50th anniversary issue even) sure missed a lot. The real irony in the early gear days was they had the gear drive, but it only picked up from one side on each truck, or you could get the hi-fi rubber band drive which picked up on all 8 wheels. Which do you chose, better pickup for less stalling, or smoother drive without the snap back effect of the rubber bands...
--Randy
Randy,Hobbytown Of Boston made a drive for the Athearn Hi Fi GP7(for years it was called a GP9 by Athearn and Hobbytown) and advance modelers of that era would use the Hobbytown drive..I know of 3 such powered GP7s still being use.
http://www.hoseeker.org/hobbyline/hobbylinegp30diagrampg1.jpg
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
This may be an HO "urban legend" (of which there are a few), but the sequence as I recall it is that as stated above Athearn had their GP30 on the market very close to when it was introduced by EMD, by relying on early information. Initially at least I do not recall any comment about its inaccuracies but that really was before the day of close attention to diesel details (and frankly many of those who wrote for MR and RMC still reflected vestiges of the "all diesels look alike" era --it took MR a long time to finally stop saying that the difference between a GP7 and GP9 was the dynamic brake!
Anyway back to the urban legend, which is that once it was clear the model GP30 differed from the prototype, Athearn took the dies and moldings and recut them to make the GP35, then also a new engine from EMD. So as I understood it they could not have rerun the GP30 even if they wanted to.
And you know, we ran those excess width Athearns -- and many still run them -- and never lost sleep over it. When I buy diesel models today, I don't even think about getting 40 years service out of them, as you could from a classic 1960s Athearn. Of course, in 40 years I'll be 97 .....
Oh one last thing -- some of us geezers remember that at one time you could write in to EMD and receive promptly in the mail, free, a large envelope of beautiful drawings of their latest diesels (of the kind you'd see in the Locomotive Cyclopedia, not to any particular scale but useful for modeling) as well as large prints of their fantastic color ads. I remember getting color ads showing wonderful photos of Soo Line GP30s. And get this -- in the 1960s I asked for any information they could send me on the F3 which at that time had probably been out of production for 20 or more years, and they went into their archives and sent me old drawings! Oh, and a typed letter apologizing that this was all they could come up with! "Public relations" it was called. They knew they were dealing with a young person.
Dave Nelson
rrinker Wow, never saw an RDC with anything but the rubber band drive (or an Ernst gear conversion). That article on Athearn history in MR a number of years ago (20 or more I think - might have been the 50th anniversary issue even) sure missed a lot. The real irony in the early gear days was they had the gear drive, but it only picked up from one side on each truck, or you could get the hi-fi rubber band drive which picked up on all 8 wheels. Which do you chose, better pickup for less stalling, or smoother drive without the snap back effect of the rubber bands...
I have several of the original all metal Athearn RDCs, a powered -2 and -4, and two dummy -1s. Yes they made an RDC-4 at the time. The ends are cast white metal, as is the roof hump. The rest of the body is stamped steel, which may be steel as one of mine has a light rust coating that won't come off. I got them through want ads in a magazine many years ago mostly out of curiosity as I also have quite a few of their plastic ones.
Bob Boudreau
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jrbernier It is an early Athearn from the 60's. It is nowhere nearly close to the prototype GP30. IIRC, Athearn used early EMD drawings for the GP22 testbed engine that eventually was the basis for the production GP30. And it is not even correct for that engine. Another the old 'fat body' engines with the 'built-in 'growl' sound system! Jim
It is an early Athearn from the 60's. It is nowhere nearly close to the prototype GP30. IIRC, Athearn used early EMD drawings for the GP22 testbed engine that eventually was the basis for the production GP30. And it is not even correct for that engine. Another the old 'fat body' engines with the 'built-in 'growl' sound system!
Jim
Actually Jim it was a case of Uncle Irv jumping the gun by having the dies made before EMD finalized the plans for their GP30..The first drawing of the GP30 looked like the Athearn "prototype" but,that wizard of diesel design Dick Dilworth change the the design but,kept that odd GP30 look.
ICRR1964Seems to me, that Athearn did not make the GP30 shell very long, maybe 5 years as I remember right. And I don't think it will fit on a newer flywheel drive chassis without making some adjustments to the shell either. Its real close, but you will have to cut away a little of the opening where the couplers stick out.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Its hard to beleive that Athearn has turned into what we have today for standards. The old tower gear units ran ok, but they sounded like an old corded drill that needed worked on.
Seems to me, that Athearn did not make the GP30 shell very long, maybe 5 years as I remember right. And I don't think it will fit on a newer flywheel drive chassis without making some adjustments to the shell either. Its real close, but you will have to cut away a little of the opening where the couplers stick out.
dragenriderI realize that engine may be an "old hat" to many of you, but I've never seen an Athearn that old before, especially under the shell. It's amazing how far our hobby has come.
And that still isn't their oldest. Check this out:http://www.hoseeker.org/assemblyexplosionAthearn/athearngp9dualgeared1957pg1.jpgAll metal trucks with gear tower bearings nearly a half inch long, and a massive block-shaped motor. Now there's a sturdy chassis!
And even older than that, their all metal RDC with a Pittman drive!http://www.hoseeker.org/assemblyexplosionAthearn/Assembly%20Explosion%20RDC1%202%203%201953pg1.jpgKind of a shame they switched to a cheap plastic body and rubber band drive. This RDC, even though it was also shortened, was far better than the one they sold later and made for another 40 years.http://www.hoseeker.org/assemblyexplosionAthearn/Assembly%20Explosion%20RDC1%202%203%201953pg2.jpg
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Believe it or not, Lionel used that drive under a VERY shortened E33 electric hood (with GP trucks). 45 years ago I got one, even had a brass pantograph. Unfortunately when I was about 14 I "kitbashed" it to make it look more like a GP7 and don't have it any more. I haven't ever seen another on.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
I realize that engine may be an "old hat" to many of you, but I've never seen an Athearn that old before, especially under the shell. It's amazing how far our hobby has come.
The Cedar Branch & Western--The Hillbilly Line!
Thanks. That's what I needed to know. I have several drives that may fit the shell.
Athearn it is for sure. That is a very early gear drive. The shell is dated but is somewhat close to a GP30. The fans are not high enough for one and as stated the body is too wide by about a foot. Still it's a piece of nostalgia from the past. The original price when the model was new was $8.95.
The Athearn Blue Box GP35 chassis should fit right in should you want a more modern drive.
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
I received this in the mail today and can't find a manufacturers name on it anywhere. I've looked all over the chassis and in the shell. The metal trucks suggest Athearn but I want to be sure.