I found an old Athearns sw7 switcher that still runs but needs some missing parts, the bracket that holds one set of wheels in the truck, a side plate and some hand rails. Is there anyone who sells those parts so I can use that engine?
I would call or e-mail Athearn about the needed parts.
http://www.athearn.com/About/Contact.aspx.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
thankyou
By "old" do you mean what Athearn marketed as the SW1500 for many years going back to the 1960s? Or the more recent SW7?
Sometimes for older engines it is actually cheaper to pick up a basket case at a swap meet (or other such sources) than pay full price for replacement parts.
Dave Nelson
Welcome to the MR forums.
By bracket, both sets of wheels are held in place by the bottom truck cover, so I guess I'm not sure what you mean.
And side plate? Do you mean the side frame for one of the trucks?
Larry's link to check with Athearn is good, maybe just like a little more clarification of exactly what your looking for will help.
Mike.
My You Tube
If you don't have the instructions for parts numbers, a very good site to check on for those part numbers is https://www.hoseeker.net/athearn.htm. It gives you PDF copies of the Athearn instructions to review and find the needed parts. Presuming it is a "newer" SW7, this would be the link that you need: https://www.hoseeker.net/athearnstandardguide2/assemblyinstructions/1athearnsw7cowcalfnd.jpg.
If you decide on buying a basket case SW7 I will add Athearn's Baldwin S-12 drive will work as well because both the SW7 and S12 used the same drive.
dknelsonBy "old" do you mean what Athearn marketed as the SW1500 for many years going back to the 1960s? Or the more recent SW7?
Actually Dave, I believe that the loco that Athearn marketed as an SW1500 is really an SW7. I have one of those old (1990's) Athearn BB locos and it says "SW1500" on the box, but it looks nothing like any SW1500 that I've seen. it too is an SW7. The one I have I call an SW9, as the SW7 and SW9 as well as the SW1200 are nearly identical, except for maybe some internal upgrades.
Way back when, Irv used to work of EMD preproduction blueprints to bring models to market almost before the real locomotive hit the rails. As was the case with the DD40, which never exhisted but on paper. DD35B's and DD40AX's did. I remember seeing a copy of the print back in an old Model Railroader magazine and EMD was calling it a SW1500 prior to production at that time. Of coarse we all know this changed once the real locomotives when into production. The blue box era SW7 is super common and easy to find a parts donor at swap meets or ebay. Once cleaned up and serviced, they run really well. I myself prefer the older versions with the diecast metal side frames as it adds needed weight for yard work. Also keep in mind, if you double head the SW with another, to use plastic shank couplers or the units will short out thru the couplers. Mike the Aspie
Silly NT's, I have Asperger's Syndrome