What to do with a tired engine

[Anonymous]

Hey All!
Prepare yourselves for a long and dull story. Here we go: I have an Athearn Genesis SD70l that was a fairly expensive and nice model. I ran it around sometimes on the floor with my EZ track while I was building my benchwork, and it ran great. So one day it was sitting on a coffee table, a couple of feet off the wood floor and the cat pushed it over the edge. I needed to put some detail parts back on, but it took the fall well and still ran beautifully. So when the bechwork was completed and track layed down, I took the engine for the first run. Everything was going well until disaster struck and the engine hit the only rail out of alignment. Of course, this happened to be in a place where the track was only an inch away from the edge of the table and down it went again. This fall was well over 4 ft. and again onto a wood floor. Now the engine is not fit to be seen on a half-decent layout. A few peices snapped off and were lost, and the small rear lights ripped free of their wires so no more light back there. The worst damage came to the front axle, where the engine landed. It is bent. Now when the engine starts rolling it sounds like: whum . . . . . whum . . . . whum . . . whum . .whum . whum whumwhumwhumwhum, and the if you look at the engine coming straight at you, you can see it's shaking slightly. It also derails fairly easily on my 18" radius curves. I bent the axle back into position and that cured the shaking but not the whuming or derailing. No doubt, I have definitely learned from my experiences. I'm not that confident or skilled to replace the axle or anything that hard. If you think there is an easier fix please post. What my real question is what to do now? I think trashing it is a waste. I don't think I could get any money for it anywhere, but if you know people who would go for something like this post it here. Should I take it to the engine repairman in town? I really don't want to put any more money into this loco, but if you have had very good experiences with someone like that for reasonable prices, please speak up. Now our LHS is now selling those exact engines for half price, and a new one would be better. I am going to buy some higher radius curves and test the engine to see if it still derails. If it doesn't derail, maybe I can use it on my next layout whenever I need another engine(while I'm alone). It could also be a experiment loco that I use to practice weathering, DCC intallation, etc, etc. Which option should I choose? Or, if you have a better option please say.

Thank you. I feel better already. I hope you aren't too bored. I'll shut up now.[B)]

[Anonymous]

Replacing the axle shouldn't be too hard - not seen one of these locos but if it's like 99% of my HO collection it'll have a baseplate that clips onto the truck - just unclip this (use a small screwdriver to gently unhook the clips) and it'll drop out. Athearn should be able to supply a new axle and it should then run as new. Regarding the bodywork, I'd say to fix it as best you can - rewire the damaged lights, etc, maybe take a look at www.detailswest.com for replacement detail parts. Then weather it - you can cover a lot of minor blemishes with weathering and you should end up with a decent looking loco. An alternative would be to contact Athearn and ask if they are able to supply new bodyshells - you might be lucky and find they have them. Hope this helps!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Skipeo

Hey All!
...Thank you. I feel better already. I hope you aren't too bored. I'll shut up now.[B)]

That is NOT a "dull" story at all, it reminds me of the potential dangers of having track close to the edge of a layout. In fact you've given me an idea: Maybe I should install saftey netting along those high-risk areas of my layout...similar to the netting along the edges of helicopter flight decks on some Navy ships I've been on.

[BRAKIE]

Sorry to hear about your disaster.[:(] The happy news it can be fixed so all is not lost..

I will recommend the following..Go to your LHS and see if they have a repair service..If not then contract Athearn and see if they can help you.

[tstage]

Angus,

Sorry for the mishaps. I wince whenever anyone's train "hits the floor". Will Athearn sell you another shell? Or, if you sent it into them, would they replace the shell and repair the axle for a nominal fee? I forget which company won't sell you a replacement shell. It may be Athearn.

Angus, if your LHS is selling the SD70 at 1/2 price, maybe it would be smart and more economical (in the long run) to buy another one and use the older locomotive for testing your track. Going with the larger radius track is a wise choice. It will make your layout both run AND look better. I run 22" radius curves on my 4 x 8' and have yet to have a locomotive fall off the track. (Derail?..Yes! Fall off?...Nope.)

Tom

Tom

[bpickering]

QUOTE: Originally posted by KenLarsen
That is NOT a "dull" story at all, it reminds me of the potential dangers of having track close to the edge of a layout. In fact you've given me an idea: Maybe I should install saftey netting along those high-risk areas of my layout...similar to the netting along the edges of helicopter flight decks on some Navy ships I've been on.

This month's Scale Rails had a cute idea. A fellow didn't want his expensive brass Doodlebug falling off its ready track, which is close to the edge of the layout. He put in about six nice-strong dowel-based evergreen trees between the track and the edge- plenty strong-enough to hold a brass HO-scale unit, but still lets you see the beautiful unit sitting there. Plus, adds a little spice to the area.

Yeah, the NMRA membership is a little expensive, but still another source of ideas. [:)]

Brian Pickering

[Anonymous]

If you can get a new one at half price, I would get a new one.
Then tinker with the broken one and see if you can fix it.
If you can't fix it , you will have spare parts for the new one if you need them.
You could fix up the shell, gut the chassis and use it as a dummy.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the ideas and posts guys! I think I will buy the half-price one and fiddle with this one. I'm going to try and remove the axle today. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if I remove the axle and that is the problem(I'm about 97% sure) the whum sound should go away when I run it? I'm not keeping it without axle I just want to confirm what's wrong before I contact Athearn. I like those ideas about the netting and the strong trees! I will keep everyone posted with my progress.

[Gluefinger]

One more suggestion...might I add- if your layout has a shops complex or at least room for it, it might be kinda cool to buy some cheap engines/shells and take them apart/sma***hem up a bit too. You could have them lined up next to the shops as if they're in a deadline.

[Anonymous]

First, so everyone understands what I did, a description of my Athearn's wheel/axle set. What this engine has isn't an axle connected directly to the wheels. The inner side of the wheel has a shaft sticking out of it which fits into an axle "tube" which has a gear connected to it. This turns the axle tube which turns the wheels. If you don't understand just say and I'm sure there's someone here who can explain it better. Ok, now that's done I'll explain what I did. I pulled the two front wheels out of the tube and the left one was bent where the shaft meets the wheel. Then I test-drove the engine to check and the whuming had stopped. So I'm pretty sure all I need is another wheel. I'll contact Athearn and see what they can do. Right now I'm going to bed, so I'll post again in the morning about what I plan to do in the long run.

[Anonymous]

Dealine Deadline Daeline, i like deadlines so much old stuff but yet so sad, they are going away

[Berk-fan284]

Check the LHS for ATHEARN replacement parts or if you have internet access check Athearn's website. The one of the local LHS's in my town always seems to have entire power trucks for several different Athearn locos and the price isn't too wild either.

[UNIONPACIFIC4018]

Well locomotives are involved in crashes you can find them on railpictures.net.
I would just remove the motor and place the shell in a shop facility as a damaged loco.

[Anonymous]

Save it until you get another "wreck", then kitbash! I had a similar incedent happen years ago with an Athearn U-boat. Killed the nose, cab, and front truck. I got a replacement truck from Athearn, and an f-unit body shell (cheap train show fodder) and "bashed" the two together and painted it in our train clubs latest paint scheme! It has gone from being an eyesore to a crowd favorite!!
What do ya call a beast like this? An F unit front followed by a U boat body, on its new 2nd life?
Why an FU2, what else??[(-D]

[Anonymous]

I'm going to contact Athearn for a pair of wheels, and this engine will be my experience gainer. I'll practice weathering and install DCC. Maybe I'll even super-detail it. Just a note that I still am going to buy another of these loco's at half price. The deadline idea is pretty neat. I would do it if I hadn't paid $180 for this engine. $180 doesn't seem like a too high a price, but if your making $40 every two months for farm chores you just don't want to throw most of the value of that item away. Also, the road I'm modeling(CN) received their SD70I's in the 1990's so it would be a little unusual to see them in a deadline. Kbfcsme, that FU2 is a great kitbashing job!

[TBat55]

Mount a camera on the nose

[Anonymous]

In the meantime, put some carpet under the "danger spots". My layout is in "danger" 50% or the time. I've had my CPR SD40 (n-scale) fall 5' and only disjointed 1 hand rail.
If you have a wheel gauge, check the alinment of the axles first.
To kbfcsme, that is a Q boat, quear. but i like the paint scheme

[wrumbel]

NWSL makes replacement wheel sets for Athearn engines. I replaces some because they are nickel silver and had better pickup then the old wheels. Check at your LHS they probably have them in stock i know mine has them. Walthers lists them for $9.95 for a set of 12, enough to change them all.
Wayne