Athearn Impack Cars

[frisco1519]

Would anyone have a parts list that came in the box with the Athearn Impack cars or a web site that has the diagrams and parts lists for Athearn cars? I need to replace several of the pieces on the intermediate sections that connect to the next car over the boulster. I tried Athearns parts list and found a part number of 55505 for Impack parts group. I needed to see if this was what is listed on that parts list I mentioned.
Thanks in advance.

[sledgehammer]

is this what you are looking for

[frisco1519]

It sure is Derrick. I see a list of parts that I think come in a package in the box. I saved that so I could enlarge it and I can see the number for the list and it is indeed what I need. Would you also know who else makes a good impack car, preferably metal or mostly metal. I have never been really impressed with the Athearn sets.
Thanks very much.
George

[Anonymous]

The Walthers Al-Purpose Spine Car might work: http://walthers.com/exec/productinfo/932-3931
They're hard to find, but these guys have some: http://www.happyhobby.com/hobb_html/walthers.htm

[frisco1519]

Thanks very much, I will go check on those. What happened was that I spent two days working on 35 of those Athean cars, seven sets of 5. I had put metal wheels on them and added some weight to lower the center of gravity. I had them all sitting on a cart that I can roll between my work bench and the layout. A neighbor came over with three young boys to visit and before I could move the cart they knocked it over and sent all 35 cars to the floor. I now have a huge mess with trailers and peices everywhere. It broke many of them, ladders, male and female couplings etc. I am not a happy camper right now and ready to just tra***he entire train and start over.
Thanks again

[Don Z]

Is the neighbor still alive? I'd have handed him the pile and told him to write me a check to cover the damages.....if he were a really good neighbor, you'd think he would have offered compensation on the spot. Sorry to hear of the loss. My LHS has plenty of the Impack cars in stock in different roadnames if you're interested.....let me know if you're interested and I'll supply you with his contact info.

Don Z.

[Andy940CW]

Pretty sure there's some on eBay. Try the hobby shops first. The Athearn and Walthers cars are different though from what I've read. The Athearn cars are old 45' spines. The Walthers cars are 48' cars, and only Alan Curtis makes the 53' and 57' cars (wihch aren't even done yet).

And seriously have the neighbor cover the damages. And no more kids unless they're on those leashes that people have. (Whatever happened to keeping track of them?)

Another thought, if there will be kids, kid-proof your layout. Put up some plexiglass so trees and scenery don't go to CP-FLOOR. And do the same with your transfer table thing. Maybe stabilize it better too. (Put the wheels out further, it'll do wonders, I can practically guarantee it)

[Anonymous]

Glad you are not my neighbor you sound like the hatfields.
Kill your neighbor?

QUOTE: Originally posted by Don Z

Is the neighbor still alive? I'd have handed him the pile and told him to write me a check to cover the damages.....if he were a really good neighbor, you'd think he would have offered compensation on the spot. Sorry to hear of the loss. My LHS has plenty of the Impack cars in stock in different roadnames if you're interested.....let me know if you're interested and I'll supply you with his contact info.

Don Z.

[TomDiehl]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CurtMc

Glad you are not my neighbor you sound like the hatfields.
Kill your neighbor?

QUOTE: Originally posted by Don Z

Is the neighbor still alive? I'd have handed him the pile and told him to write me a check to cover the damages.....if he were a really good neighbor, you'd think he would have offered compensation on the spot. Sorry to hear of the loss. My LHS has plenty of the Impack cars in stock in different roadnames if you're interested.....let me know if you're interested and I'll supply you with his contact info.

Don Z.

In this case it would be justifiable homocide. [:0]

[frisco1519]

Don if you have the contacts available I would appreciate it. Yes the neighbor is still amoung the living for now but will not be back here near my layout again. He did come back over this evening and offered to pay me for the damages. I am going to have to get some prices and he says he will make it good. That was good news to me. It took quite a while as you are all aware to put a 35 car spline car set together with the detailing that needed to be done. I had a lot of time invested in it. I am going to replace it but it will take a little while. Oh well, job security.

[Andy940CW]

At least he's offering to cover the damages. It could be worse. I'll check on eBay for you for some Athearns or Walthers cars.

[frisco1519]

Thanks Andy. I have been looking around a little also. I think there were some Athearn on eBay today. I still hsve to figure up what the cost is going to be to replace at least five sets plus the 25 trailers that broke. Then there is the time invested. How in the world do you put a value on that?

[Don Z]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CurtMc

Glad you are not my neighbor you sound like the hatfields.
Kill your neighbor?

QUOTE: Originally posted by Don Z

Is the neighbor still alive? I'd have handed him the pile and told him to write me a check to cover the damages.....if he were a really good neighbor, you'd think he would have offered compensation on the spot. Sorry to hear of the loss. My LHS has plenty of the Impack cars in stock in different roadnames if you're interested.....let me know if you're interested and I'll supply you with his contact info.

Don Z.

CurtMc, I guess where you live you've never heard of sarcasm....[D)]

Don Z.

[Don Z]

frisco1519,

I received your email and sent you a reply with all of the information you'll need. I'm glad to help you in your situation.

Don Z.

[frisco1519]

Don I will get all of the cars out on my bench tomorrow and see exactly what I am going to need and the road names. Some will need just the impack ends and some the intermediates. I think my trailers are all alright and I had about ten spares I had never used in my parts cabinet.
Thanks again.
George


They told me to cheer up things could get worse. I cheered up and sure enough things got worse.[sigh],

[Andy940CW]

There's 2 on eBay. Both Walthers. Plus, the Walthers cars can carry containers.

[bpickering]

Reviving an older topic for my own nefarious purposes.  :-)

Last night, I started assembling a set of the Impack cars, and want to change out the wheelsets for metal. I measured last night, and they seem to scale out just below 27".

Searching on the Reboxx site didn't lead to any- 33" and 36" only.

Searching on Walthers leads me to the following likely candidate, from NWSL:

• 53-171154 Pointed Axle Wheelset - Weathered -- 28"/110 Wheels

Looking straight at the NWSL site suggests what I believe is the same:
http://www.nwsl.com/Catalog/pg090-cat7-02-v0503.pdf

• 37115-4 28" HO .110 profile 2.0 pointed axle, 1.015”, in Ni/Si for Athearn, MDC, etc.

Any other candidates people can point out for me?

Thanks,

Brian Pickering

[Milwhiawatha]

I wouldnt get to excited tho with Happy Hobby, when I was into model cars half the stuff I ordered wasnt in they hardly update the list online. They dont take checks its basically cash and I believe Credit Cards.

[frisco1519]

Brian,

I changed all of mine to metal wheels and they are 28" wheels. I used Intermountain wheel sets on mine and they worked just fine. Most of my rolling stock has been changed to all Intermountain except the 36" wheels on passenger cars which are all PK2.

George

[bpickering]

Interesting. Searching on Google, I couldn't find any Intermountain 28". I just found their Accessories, page, and it looks like all they have for 28" are semi-scale, and not in the bulk packs which I normally purchase.

40053

28" Semi-Scale Wheels

12 Sets

IN STOCK

$9.95

Pity.

I bid on a batch of 100 36" Intermountain wheels last night for the Gunderson Maxi-IIIs I'm also assembling, and I'm going to keep searching around for any other 28".

Thanks,

Brian

[frisco1519]

That was what I had to purchase also. They are, I think,  in single packs of twelve axels. I had 35 cars to change so I just bought enough to swap the plastic wheels out. I purchased mine from e-bay a few months ago. If you like I can try and find the eBay site where I bought them and email it to you. I do not think I am supposed to post anything like that here and I do not want to have to sit on the "time out bench"all day.

George

I checked Brian and the place I bought them does not have any listings. There are others there that have the 28" semi scale wheels. Just type  Intermountain Wheels in search and they will all list for you. The price is not bad either.

[bpickering]

That's OK. Years ago, when I was still a professor, I literally taught how to search for stuff on the internet.  :-)  To give some idea, Yahoo was still top of the heap, although Altavista had some advantages (who around here still recognizes the latter name? )

These days, Google is my friend (much to the irritation of my FT friends and spouse at Microsoft ).

I'll manage to find them. I'm just mildly irritated that 1) they aren't available in the same .110 profile as I'm using on all my other cars, and 2) that they aren't available in a bulk pack.

Thanks,

Brian Pickering

[Anonymous]

What year did these cars hit the rails back in the day.?

 

[bpickering]

What year did these cars hit the rails back in the day.?

 

Late 70s/early 80s. See page 58 of the following link.

Brian Pickering