My Athearn Mikado has simply stopped working with and without a decoder. I suspect a loose wire but I can't figure out how to remove the shell. The Web, Athearn site and the included instructions have been no help. Can anyone tell me how?
Ray
Ray,
The first thing I would try...check the plug in the tender, to make sure it is seated properly. Turn the tender over and there are two slots in the bottom sides that must be spread with a flat blade tiny screw driver, spread one...stick a tooth pic in it and then do the other, then You can check the plug. Removing the boiler is a very tedious affair without damaging anything, there is so much detail, it is almost impossible to do without damage....But if You have a lot of patience and the correct tools. You have to unplug it from the tender, all You see on the outside are the wires, that's why I said check the plug first....and once plug is removed, You have to remove the front pilot truck, under that You have to remove a long black shafted screw, the backside underneath the cab, has slots that must be pried apart that are attached to the frame, there are also at the back of the cab where the post for the tender bar are, they also must be pried apart.....If You get that far without any damage... God Bless You, If You get that far and it still won't come off....call a Priest, My motor was stuck in mine, preventing Me from taking it off.
Why couldn't it be a front headlight.....that's easy....just pry the smokebox cover off and there it is.
Mine are the Athearn Genesis, You should have the same.
Good Luck!!!!!! I hope it's the plug.
Take Care!
Frank
zstripeMine are the Athearn Genesis, You should have the same.
Ray & Frank
My Genesis 2-8-2 has a pig-tail that comes out of a gap under the cab floor that either the dummy plug or a decoder plugs into, then tucks back into a cavity under the coal space of the tender. You can run the engine without the tender with the pig-tail dragging behind the cab, or tape it ti the cab roof.
If you have 2 very small pins or pieces of brass wire you should be able to insert this into the red and black wire points on the socket and put the engine on the track to see if you have voltage on these two points as you turn up DC voltage to the track.
If you have voltage across the red and black, then place the pins into the socket at the orange and gray wire points and apply DC voltage there and see if the motor turns.
This should narrow down if it is a pick-up problem or a motor problem.
I have three Genesis Mikes and they are all wired this way, maybe a later run has the dummy plug inside the tender? I have never removed the boiler so I'll cede to Frank on that regard.
Good Luck, Ed
The procedure for removing the Athearn boiler assembly is detailed here, in the second paragraph:
bigbluetrains.com/forum/viewtopic
Wayne
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Thanks for the information. I'll try the loose connection approach first. If that's not the problem, I'll check for electrical continuity.