QUESTION FOR A EXPIERIENCED MODEL RAILROADER

[JeremyB]

Hi There

I have a question.In general are Atheran engines noiser than other brands of locomotives? I have heard people say that Atheran are great for their prices,is this true?
Jeremy

[dknelson]

That is a hard question to answer. I have heard my share of Athearn engines that make some noise, often a gear whine. Some have been quite noisy due to gears and drive train noise. IN many cases some troubleshooting and lubrication can improve things.
On the other hand some have been very quiet right out of the box.
On balance I think they are a bit noisier than the best Life Like Proto 2000 engines -- which cost more, have more detail and are generally more accurate models.
It is still possible to get very good prices on Athearn at swap meets. Often for $20 you can have an engine that with proper care should last you a long long time. I do not think you can go too seriously wrong investing in a good Athearn engine. As you learn more you will learn how to correct any noise. As you get more experience you will feel more free to invest in more expensive higher quality engines (but not everything that costs more is higher in quality than Athearn)
Dave Nelson

[Anonymous]

this might sound rather unorthodox, but i enjoy the sounds certain units make. i don't want to invest in a sound system, so i'm content with my noisy athearn units. just use a little imagination, and they sound pretty good. also i have an atlas C30-7 whose shell is a little loose. but what happens is that it vibrates at certain voltages and almost sounds like a real GE chugging away. so go with the athearn, you might be surprised that like it.

[Anonymous]

Don't own Athearn but understand they wear like shoe
leather. Here' two Athearn tune up sites.
www.rrdepot.com and scroll down to modeling train articles.

http://www.horailroading.net/athearn-tune.htm

[bfsfabs]

Jeremy, I will throw in with Dave Nelson's opinion. I have 9 or 10 Athearns dating from the 1950s to just last week. Most are a little bit noisier than the current production by other manufacturers. They can all be beaten into submission after a while, with time and some effort. In general I believe the Athearns are a GOOD deal, run well and, with maintenence, seem to last for ever. Detail and paint do not matter to me as I make them conform to my free lance railroad. Over the long haul I would reccommend Athearn locomotives as a good value and good operators. Especially the ones with "aftermarket" Hobbytown drives.

Lowell Ryder

Pacific & Southwest Railroad Co. HO

[Anonymous]

JEREMY, ATHERN LOCOS DO SOUND A BIT NOISY BUT FOR THE PRICE ITS WORTH IT YOU CAN DO ALOT WITH ATHERN LOCO FAR AS DETAILS SWAP THE MOTOR OUT AND IT WILL RUN MUCH QUIETER EASY TO WORK ON.I HAVE A COUPLE OF THEM WILL BUY SOME MORE.AND THE NEWER ONES THAT THEY ARE COMING OUT WITH ARE SOMEWHAT PRICEY BUT STILL LESS EXPENSIVE THAN KATO,ATLAS

[cp1057]

Hi Jeremy,
When I decided to get into model railroading, my first engine was an Athearn F-7 in green and gold CN colours. It was very affordable, ran reasonably well and was graciously forgiving of my less-than-perfect track. It was a bit noisy and the details were fairly simple but who cares? The drive has brass flywheels making its low speed performance better than typical 'train set' locos. It is capable of hauling a respectable number of cars. I would definitely recommend an Athearn locomotive if purchased from a shop known for reasonable prices

Regards
Charles

[dknelson]

another point, to add to my previous posting, is that thus far Athearn has done a good job of keeping repair parts available.
Dave Nelson

[BRAKIE]

well,let me put it this way..Some units you need to check over and find the source of the noise problem..Fix that add a small drop or two of oil,add some stick on weights to the inside top of the shell-this cuts down the shell chatter and you have a locomotive that will quiet down and that will last for years to come with normal maintenance.
Athearn locomotives are not junk as some claim..Those that do complain,I suspect they lack the modeling skills to fix the problem...

[Anonymous]

hello Jeremy
This is larry and all my units are Athearn they are the best locomotive for the money you pay for them all of mine not only run fairly quietly but pull like a mule with spiked shoes
if you tune them up with the tuning guide book you cannot go wrong they run almost as well as an atlas or kato or even a proto power for alot less money as well
you will have to do some reasearch on this and then decide for your self but in my opinion they are one of the best quality manufacters out there

hope this helps ya

Regards
Larry

[Anonymous]

I have used Crest toothpaste and water drops to lap the really noisy gear sets. My Roundhouse Shay was balky but now it is a hummer. My friend who sells gears says Crest is equivalent to #6000 rougue and much more available. Be sure and wa***he mess off after the growl goes away.
Lindsay

[Anonymous]

Huh! you learn something new every day! While I wasn't the poster of this topic, that toothpaste idea sounds great. I will certainly keep it in mind, should the need arise.......
Todd C.