I'm a newbie and started out with Stewart/Kato FT's. I decided to try some Athearn F7's (both BB and Genesis). All 6 of my Athearns with flywheel drive run noisy. (even after lubrication, cleaning, inspection, etc) Some are even NOS.
Is this just the way it is? What makes Athearns noisy and Kato's so quiet/smooth. Is it stricly the motor they use.
Just curious. TIA.
Price (new) makes the difference! The Athearn BB locos (bless them) were my first HO locos back in the early '60s. They were priced right for the times, and the quality was definitely there. Kato/Stewarts/Bowser came out (to my layout) in the early '90s. Their drives were an improvement over the Athearns, but of course cost more.
I ended up with a plethora of Stewart diesels (with kato drives) and they were just outstanding. But back in the '60s and '70s, those Athearn locos were outstanding too! In fact, some liked the noise the Athearns made as it was a tad realistic.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Hi there. BB and Genesis engines are night and day when it comes to noise. The Genesis should be quiet.
Simon
I don’t own any Stewart/Kato locomotives but I have a sack full of Athearn BB locomotives and none are what I would call noisy. My oldest Athearns are PA/PBs from the 70s and I wouldn’t call them nosy. I can hear the motor at higher speeds but that is from the higher motor RPM as compared to other locomotives.I’ve lubed them with Lubriplate white lithium grease since the early 60s and they all run very quite.I have remotored most of my fleet with the exception of two pairs of PA/PBs, I rarely run them as I prefer E7s and all of my E7s are Athearn SD40-2 frames with Cary shells. I remotored them using Mabuchi FK-280SA 13000 RPM motors and they run very quite, don’t remember if they were noisy before the remotering.About the only noise when I run my trains is wheel noise over turnouts.Mel Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California Aging is not for wimps.
If you think Athearns are noisy, wait until you run an MDC/Roundhouse locomotive.
Modeling the Baltimore waterfront in HO scale
There use to be a book that detailed how to fine tune Athearn Blue Box era drives to run much quieter and smoother. Some of the noise is poorly balanced flywheels, a new set from NWSL or Timewell would fix that, sloppy fit in the drive shafts letting them flop around to much and molding flash on the gears in the trucks. The good old degrease, toothpaste in the trucks and run for a set duration in both directions, while using and eye dropper to keep the paste from turning hard, this was followed by a complete tear down and flush of that from the trucks and gears. A relube and she was ready to go, running much smoother and nearly as quiet as a Kato drive was back then. Sometimes one got lucky and the engine ran nice and quiet from the factory. The Blue Box units come from a different era of model railroading. When the modeler was expected to be able to do fine tuning, adding road specific details and stuff like grab irons, ladder rungs and lift rings. But those engines are bullet proof with metal hand rails that are bomb proof.
Silly NT's, I have Asperger's Syndrome
Kato even 30 years ago was using a higher grade of plastic. Their gears are Delrin and very quiet, some of the best drives ever made in HO. They also got the slop out of the drivetrain and got things aligned very well (far better than anything else at that time). Even today, everybody is still trying to copy Kato and achieve that quiet sound, with mixed results.
Some of the Athearn motors themselves have a more pronounced hum (motor noise) than Kato. Depending upon WHICH Genesis F units you may have tried, well, some are just very noisy, and others from more recent years are better. There are a lot of older Genesis models floating around on Ebay...that may not fully measure up to today's Genesis models.
Kato stuff is still made in Japan to very high quality standards, but unfortunately relatively limited models are offered. Most of the rest use China and a few manufacturers have their product made in Korea.
Many of today's current engines are exceptionally quiet, even rivaling or exceeding those older Kato's, but you still generally get what you pay for. The other thing is that today's current run diesels have much more road specific details than the relatively generic engines of 30 years ago. Much of the added cost is in those extra details and the sound, lighting, and dcc features.
Each of the manufacturers does make some absolutely terrific stuff, and what you need for your railroad, era, etc. may dictate whose model you buy. There are pros and cons to all.
In conclusion some of the decoder-to-motor matches are just better than others, and the plethora of electronics does create more noise in some models than others.
John
You can count me among those who Mobilman says enjoy the Athearn growl. I do have quieter locos too.
Jumijo, Roundhouse locos can be reasonably quiet, the steamers anyway. Now if you're talking about the Boxcab or so called Climax, yeah, they're a scream. Literally! Dan
emdmike But those engines are bullet proof with metal hand rails that are bomb proof.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Thanks guys. It sounds like Athearn BB's are just inherently noisier. The flywheel models do look well built and once you add a glazing detail kit to close the holes the detail is acceptable. Best of all they're cheap, easy to work on and the variety is nearly endless. (about 5000 currently on Ebay). Too bad Stewart/Kato exited the HO business. They're sure nice runners.
Somrtimes it just seems to be luck of the draw, got a Stewart that is noisey and one that is not, both are basicaly the same, still haven't found out why.
Athearn Blue Box diesels with the plastic truck sideframes can be made very quiet.
There was a company, Proto-Power-West that sold upgraded Athearn chassis that ran just as well as Stewart/Kato F units.
NWSL also made kits for upgrading Athearn Diesel chassis.
You need to do three things:
1) Replace the motor with something much better. The Blue Box Athearn motor is very rugged and reliable, but is noisier than Kato.
2) Shim the worm gears so there is only about 0.010" end play. NWSL makes shims for this.
3) Replace the wheels with NWSL, Proto-2000, or Athearn upgrades. I use the Athearn pre-assembled wheelsets that come six to a package.
Some people replace the drive shafts with ball-and-socket joints, but I have never felt the need to take that step, unless using the NWSL kit that includes the parts.
There is nothing wrong with the Athearn Blue Box chassis. In fact, many premium locomotives use a virtual clone of this design.
When these were made, the market was happy with "Better Than Tyco", and rugged dependable reliability.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
LastspikemikeAthearn shells aren't tightly clipped to the chassis which doesn't help.
All of mine are. The only loose diesel shells I have encountered are on Stewart models that used the Athearn chassis, like the AS-616.
Is that what you mean?
LastspikemikeI bought a Bachmann Plus GP 35 and the worm gears really howl from time to time. The Bachmann drive towers seem a clever idea at first glance but they move back and forth a lot under power which I'm sure causes a lot of gear noise.
This sounds different from the Bachmann GP-35 I had.
Could you post a picture?
rrebell Somrtimes it just seems to be luck of the draw, got a Stewart that is noisey and one that is not, both are basicaly the same, still haven't found out why.
Before the F3's came out, using the Kato drive, many Stewart units used Athearn drives.
An "expensive model collector"
PRR8259 but you still generally get what you pay for.
but you still generally get what you pay for.
This. I remember when the Stewart F units came out, I paid $55 for one. A blue box F7 could be had for around $25 at that time. The Stewart was such a higher quality over the Athearn that the difference was worth it.
n012944 rrebell Somrtimes it just seems to be luck of the draw, got a Stewart that is noisey and one that is not, both are basicaly the same, still haven't found out why. Before the F3's came out, using the Kato drive, many Stewart units used Athearn drives.
SeeYou190 Lastspikemike Athearn shells aren't tightly clipped to the chassis which doesn't help. All of mine are. The only loose diesel shells I have encountered are on Stewart models that used the Athearn chassis, like the AS-616. Is that what you mean? Lastspikemike I bought a Bachmann Plus GP 35 and the worm gears really howl from time to time. The Bachmann drive towers seem a clever idea at first glance but they move back and forth a lot under power which I'm sure causes a lot of gear noise. This sounds different from the Bachmann GP-35 I had. Could you post a picture? -Kevin
Lastspikemike Athearn shells aren't tightly clipped to the chassis which doesn't help.
Lastspikemike I bought a Bachmann Plus GP 35 and the worm gears really howl from time to time. The Bachmann drive towers seem a clever idea at first glance but they move back and forth a lot under power which I'm sure causes a lot of gear noise.
How long ago? Bachmann has redesigned all the diesel drives over the last 10-15 years.
Sheldon
ATLANTIC CENTRALHow long ago? Bachmann has redesigned all the diesel drives over the last 10-15 years.
I guess it would have been in the mid 1990s. When I first swiched to HO scale, the SGRR was still set in 1968. The GP-35 was my favorite locomotive. I know I had more than a dozen of them from Kato in N scale. I back-dated the SGRR to 1954 a couple of years after switching to HO scale.
My Bachmann locomotives I bought ran pretty well, but this was prior to me owning any Stewart/Kato F units. Those changed everything.
If Kato would have brought out the GP-35, SD-40, and SD-45 in HO scale earlier, I might never have back-dated my railroad.
davefr Thanks guys. It sounds like Athearn BB's are just inherently noisier. The flywheel models do look well built and once you add a glazing detail kit to close the holes the detail is acceptable. Best of all they're cheap, easy to work on and the variety is nearly endless. (about 5000 currently on Ebay). Too bad Stewart/Kato exited the HO business. They're sure nice runners.
The most recent Bowser engines newly tooled from the ground up have been great. I love my SD40-2's and am standardizing my fleet around that model.
PRR8259 I love my SD40-2's and am standardizing my fleet around that model.
Russell
Alyth Yard--
It seems you have not looked at any current or even recently tooled Intermountain and Bowser locomotives. There are NO clips holding those shells on. Sure, 30 years ago, the Stewart F unit shells were held on by a clear plastic window piece that had clips molded into it, as I think did some Intermountain F unit bodies of that time period, but that was then. Even some Athearn Genesis F units had a similar way to snap the bodies to the chassis, but that was a while ago. Bowser has amended most of their legacy shells to slip right on and off the mechanisms, which are now filled to the max with diecast molded weights for added performance. The Bowser shells (at least U25B, C-628, C-630, C-636, and SD40-2) are only held in place via the two screws that secure the coupler boxes. Most Intermountain's that I've ever owned (admittedly not all that many but at least nine units in the last couple years) are the same way. Bodies slip on and off very easily.
Sure, we all have our model preferences, but I only suggest that before making what reads as criticism of given product makes, that folks actually open up a current unit and take a look at them. The new Bowsers--even re-releases of old Stewart models first produced 25 years ago--are far different inside under the shells. I think we owe it to the newbies who might be reading this to provide the most accurate information we possibly can.
Respectfully submitted--
John Mock
Disclaimer: My son and I currently own locos from MTH, Athearn Genesis 2.0, Walthers Proto 2000, and mostly, Bowser. I did have a small fleet of Intermountain GP10's but changed away from modeling ICG...and I have one ScaleTrains SD40-2 on preorder.
LastspikemikeAthearn diesels have slip on (and slip off) shells.
They do not slip on or off. There are tabs in the frame that engage with openings in the shell.
As I said, the only locomotive I have seen with an Athearn mechanism and a slip-on body is the Stewart AS-616 that I owned.
Please post pictures of anything that you have that is different.
Here is a relatively current chassis whose body is very easy to slip on and off.
The Bowser SD40-2 chassis shown is clearly the 2016 and 2017 production run version. NOTE: the 6 brass tabs at the one end ride against contacts inside the nose of the body. Therefore there are absolutely NO WIRES from chassis to body. I don't know how it can get any easier than that. I really love this chassis, and they run very well and quietly.
SD40-2 mechanism:
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.trains.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F10%2FMRRPR0716_02.jpg&f=1&nofb=1
Now the new 2021 production run SD40-2's have returned to wires from chassis to body (only in the front) for the lighting. Not sure why--but still easy to get apart and lubricate model if desired (without needing to cut any wires).
PRR8259 I think we owe it to the newbies who might be reading this to provide the most accurate information we possibly can.
+1
Lastspikemike The Bowser chassis pictured shows what to me are two wedge shaped clips that seem to me to be for securing the shell. If they are then recesses should be in corresponding locations in the shell.
I don't see your picture. Pictures like this would help a lot.
This is an Athearn frame modified with the body mounting lugs removed.
Anyway... the OP's question has been answered by those of us that have collections that inlude Athearn blue box models and Stewart/Kato F units. Kato locomotives have higher quality mechanisms than the old Athearn blue box models.
Newer Athearn products are much better.
Kato via their drives for Atlas Alco RS3 kind of blew the lid off things back then. With a smoothness and really good headlights that nobody had seen before. With some detailing, those early engines still hold their own very well among modern models with less molded on detail. Atlas yellow box diesels with the Kato drive include the RS3, RSD4/5, RSD12, Century series, RS1 and the GP7/9 diesels. The others from the yellow box era have the Roco drive in them.
emdmikeAtlas yellow box diesels with the Kato drive include the RS3, RSD4/5, RSD12, Century series, RS1 and the GP7/9 diesels.
These all run great.
I bought these at a pretty good price years ago. I am not sure what I will ever use them for, but for my money, nothing beats one of these Kato drives.
duplicate post deleted
Alyth Yard/Last Spike Mike--
On the Bowser chassis shown (in the photolink posted above by me), there are NO CLIPS to secure the shell whatsoever and nothing to snap in place either. A single screw passes through the plastic (removable--slides through pilot) coupler box at each end and enters the underside of the frame. That is it! Body slides on and off easily.
They are trying to give the "look" of a prototype frame underneath the model. The recesses you are seeing (in the middle of the diecast frame) might be there to provide a little air circulation so electronics don't get too hot, but I don't know. There are reasons that frames get engineered as they are. Maybe the drive mechanism is designed to fit through a "thinner" section of frame, because Bowser is using a mechanism that would share common parts with other Bowser mechanisms.
To be clear: the Bowser SD40-2 body sits down flush on top the outer (raised) part of the frame.
Many years ago Intermountain sold F unit bodies separately (before the Highliners/Genesis bodies came on the market). That was like 25 or 30 years ago now. For a very brief period of time Intermountain had the "best" F unit body because they had new see-through grills. They may have continued offering some bodies separately, but it would be foolish to expect them to fit on the competition's chassis without some alterations. Nobody makes bodies that are interchangeable between different manufacturers anymore. Economically, the production of bodies to fit another manufacturer's chassis is like shooting one's foot off. Why then should anybody buy your engine if you design the body to fit on the competitor's model? That would be tantamount to saying your own mechanism is not worth buying.