Athearn C44-9W Question.

[Anonymous]

Ok it's me again guys and gals. I have a Prototype Question. Athearns HO C44-9W's. I want to order Two next month. Does anyone own any? Do they run well?
Any thoughts? Thanks. Allan.

[Anonymous]

I own one. It runs pretty good for the price, a little noisy, but then again Im comparing it to Kato and P2K. I did have one problem with it though, The trucks are installed with a lot of play, you can move them back and forth maybe 1/4 inch. Its a little rediculous, you can actually see the trucks move forward before the engine moves. This caused problems on turnouts because the front truck would slide forward and hit the frame inside causing a derailment. I ground the frame down though and now it runs fine. So they are a good buy, but if they have derailment problems check and see if the trucks are hitting anything.

[Anonymous]

i'd like a pair of those myself- they should run good- i like my Athearn AC4400 ,it runs great -a little noise but i don't mind- i want 2 BNSF H1's (DASH 9-44cw)

[Anonymous]

I am like Joe. I have one, and it does not run anywhere near as good as my Katos and P2Ks BUT, it did not cost near as much as the others either!

[Darth Santa Fe]

I have one of the older ones from the mid 90s and it runs very smooth. After I balanced a flywheel and stuffed Kleenex in the 3 piece shafts it also got quiet.[:D]

QUOTE: Originally posted byJPM335

The trucks are installed with a lot of play, you can move them back and forth maybe 1/4 inch.

That's interesting. The trucks on mine are pretty tight in their sockets, but they turn just free enough to not derail. Are the sockets that your trucks go into round? Or maybe the plates on top of the trucks that go in the sockets are too small?

[ac4400fan]

Love em get one ,i ran mine 2 hrs to break it in the lube everything! Quiet as a P2K

Carl.

[Anonymous]

I own Athearn AC4400CWs (two of em') which are almost identical to the C44-9Ws. They run well, but are pretty loud. Well at least the one (CSX 383), but my other (CSX 91) is real quiet! If you're purchasing the R-T-R brand, they are real light-weight, yet durable and run real well!!!!! Hope that helps!!!

................................

[trainboyH16-44]

I had one for a couple months a few years back, had to give it back because it was too long for my railway. Now it would be fine, but back then there was a sharp dip[ in the main.
It runs well, about the same as most athearns, not as good as the Kato, but cheaper. Like most Athearns

[GAPPLEG]

I have the 44-9w and the ac4400 from athearn, no problems both run great, no de-railment problems, wish I could say the same for BLI ac6000. [^]

http://mypeoplepc.com/members/gapplegate/jerryslayout/

[wairoa]

I have 2, also from the mid ninities. No real complaints yet but I have not run them that often compared with some of my other engines.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by GAPPLEG

I have the 44-9w and the ac4400 from athearn, no problems both run great, no de-railment problems, wish I could say the same for BLI ac6000. [^]

http://mypeoplepc.com/members/gapplegate/jerryslayout/

Just curious, whats wrong with your AC6000? Mine runs great.

[Anonymous]

I had an Athearn C44-9w RTR in the canadian national scheme WITH QUICK PLUG IN DCC decoder". I could not get the unit to operate properly, it appeared to be having grounding problems I could not resolve. I kept the shell, my son shoots at the locomotive with his pellet gun. I bought an old blue box locomotive and put the shell on it. That runs fine! The new one rtr forget it! I will not but any Athearn rtr with quick plug in decoder technology again. None of the circuit board wires were soldered, just clipped in the board with a plastic clip holding the wires in place. No thanks!

[Anonymous]

I got one off Ebay for 30$ [:D] ! It was used but after a clean it ran fine, no derailments, with a bit of noise like other people have said. I like the way it looks and runs, and even full price you definitely get your money's worth.

[SMassey]

I have one too. It is again like others have said not as good as my Kato C44-9W but it is still a good loco. When I first got mine it would shudder a little as it ran down the track but that has seemed to fade as I have run it more. I dont have any problems with derailing or my trucks moving. The only thing I dont like about it is that I have the metal handrailings and I like the plastic ones better. Good loco over all maybe need to add a little weight to it tho. I have found that to be common on most Athearn BB locos tho

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Davidvd59

I had an Athearn C44-9w RTR in the canadian national scheme WITH QUICK PLUG IN DCC decoder". I could not get the unit to operate properly, it appeared to be having grounding problems I could not resolve. I kept the shell, my son shoots at the locomotive with his pellet gun. I bought an old blue box locomotive and put the shell on it. That runs fine! The new one rtr forget it! I will not but any Athearn rtr with quick plug in decoder technology again. None of the circuit board wires were soldered, just clipped in the board with a plastic clip holding the wires in place. No thanks!

Maybe you were a little hasty in demoting the engine to target practice. On mine, and on many others I have heard, athearn doesnt scrape the paint off the frame before attaching the screw that picks up power from the frame. Take off the screw, scrape some paint away and put the screw back in. That solved my problems. (except for the trucks thing)

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Darth Santa Fe

I have one of the older ones from the mid 90s and it runs very smooth. After I balanced a flywheel and stuffed Kleenex in the 3 piece shafts it also got quiet.[:D]

QUOTE: Originally posted byJPM335

The trucks are installed with a lot of play, you can move them back and forth maybe 1/4 inch.

That's interesting. The trucks on mine are pretty tight in their sockets, but they turn just free enough to not derail. Are the sockets that your trucks go into round? Or maybe the plates on top of the trucks that go in the sockets are too small?

I could be wrong, but I don't think Athearn made Dash 9s in the 90s in their RTR line. Most likely you have a blue box unit, which from what I've seen do run quite well. As far as I know, I think BNSF Railfan's talking about the RTR units.

[Anonymous]

BNSFrailfan must be talking about RTR- Athearn doesn't make a b-b DASH9-44cw in BNSF paint anymore- the only DASH 9 in BNSF colors is the RTR

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy

QUOTE: Originally posted by Darth Santa Fe

I have one of the older ones from the mid 90s and it runs very smooth. After I balanced a flywheel and stuffed Kleenex in the 3 piece shafts it also got quiet.[:D]

QUOTE: Originally posted byJPM335

The trucks are installed with a lot of play, you can move them back and forth maybe 1/4 inch.

That's interesting. The trucks on mine are pretty tight in their sockets, but they turn just free enough to not derail. Are the sockets that your trucks go into round? Or maybe the plates on top of the trucks that go in the sockets are too small?

I could be wrong, but I don't think Athearn made Dash 9s in the 90s in their RTR line. Most likely you have a blue box unit, which from what I've seen do run quite well. As far as I know, I think BNSF Railfan's talking about the RTR units.

The one Im talking about is RTR. Got it about 6 months ago. SP paint.

[GAPPLEG]

QUOTE: Originally posted by JPM335

QUOTE: Originally posted by GAPPLEG

I have the 44-9w and the ac4400 from athearn, no problems both run great, no de-railment problems, wish I could say the same for BLI ac6000. [^]

http://mypeoplepc.com/members/gapplegate/jerryslayout/

Just curious, whats wrong with your AC6000? Mine runs great.

Mine really lurches as it runs, I'm still hoping it's just a breakin problem. Also the copler height is too high, need to put a drop shank kadee in to lower the coupler.

[Anonymous]

Guys. Yes I am talking about the RTR's. Atheanr does have the C44-9W's.
Allan.

[Anonymous]

I did scrape that screw, soldered the wires and had nothing but grief. I will not buy another rtr with dcc plug in. The older model ran well. My LHS tells me a number of them are being returned around the country.

[sledgehammer]

I love my C44-9W its is my favorite train to run on my layout. I have it going aroung right now with 28 cars hooked to it and does not seem to mind it one bit. Its starting to get a little noisy . My advise is to order them up.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by sledgehammer

I love my C44-9W its is my favorite train to run on my layout. I have it going aroung right now with 28 cars hooked to it and does not seem to mind it one bit. Its starting to get a little noisy . My advise is to order them up.

For a Union Pacific.....That is one good lookn' Motor.
Allan.