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Build and review of the original "GP9" from Athearn!

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  • Member since
    June 2005
  • 4,365 posts
Build and review of the original "GP9" from Athearn!
Posted by Darth Santa Fe on Saturday, February 17, 2024 10:27 PM

I wondered for a long time about the quality and design of Athearn's original version of the GP9 (which was actually a GP7 of course), which had the "tower" gear drive in metal trucks and a big square motor.  I finally got one, and I have to say, it's an impressively good runner from the 50's!

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  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: west coast
  • 7,654 posts
Posted by rrebell on Sunday, February 18, 2024 9:06 AM

Like the history part the best, very well done.

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,481 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Sunday, February 18, 2024 4:52 PM

I had one of those engines, well, back in the 50s.  When I pulled my old trains out of their Rip Van Winkle slumber decades later, that engine, like all the rest, would barely stutter down the track with assistance.  I also had an old belt drive geep, but that was easy to turn into a dummy and that's the way it stayed.  Eventually I tossed the small pile of non--working engines, sad to see them go but knowing I'd never really see them 'go' again.

It also sounded like a coffee grinder, as I recall, and I'm sure it took gobs of power.  Are you going to remotor and re-gear yours?

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
    June 2005
  • 4,365 posts
Posted by Darth Santa Fe on Sunday, February 18, 2024 5:00 PM

The motor runs surprisingly well, so I'm going to keep it.  As for gearing, that could potentially be done by replacing the tower gears with a belt and pulleys in each truck.  I'm fine with how it runs though.Smile

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  • Member since
    February 2010
  • From: Indiana
  • 225 posts
Posted by mikeGTW on Sunday, February 18, 2024 6:01 PM

Darth I never had one of those but did have several of the rubber band drive ones  

also have these two   they are still rubber band but completly different  and they run at same speed as geared ones

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  • Member since
    June 2005
  • 4,365 posts
Posted by Darth Santa Fe on Sunday, February 18, 2024 6:39 PM

Nice, I think it was Pittman that made those conversion motors!  I've never tried one myself, but I'm sure they were a huge upgrade.

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  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Saturday, February 24, 2024 10:29 AM

Thanks Darth, nice video.

Mike.

  • Member since
    February 2010
  • From: Indiana
  • 225 posts
Posted by mikeGTW on Wednesday, February 28, 2024 11:04 AM

Darth thanks for the info  never could figure out what those motors were

Pittman made a DC700 series of motors  these are the DC703 version  and they run smooth and quite  

They came in a box set from Athearn two engines  the A and B  F units  plus six pieces of rolling stock 

So if someone replaced them they did a good job  If I remember I paid like $10 for the box of stuff  these and a bunch of old Atlas brass switch kits  a few buildings etc   Those old Atlas brass are still shiney as new  must have been a better brass material 

Keep up the videos I like watching them

Mike

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • From: Southeast Texas
  • 5,449 posts
Posted by mobilman44 on Sunday, March 3, 2024 5:54 AM

I'm sure I'm not alone in saying this....."If it wasn't for the Athearn BB locos and cars, I never would have gone from Lionel to HO".

ENJOY  !

 

Mobilman44

 

Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central 

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