the MRH Forum

Athearn RTR! Journals/Blogs
Reply
Active Member 31 posts nick89 Active Member 31 posts
nick89

I have recently purchased two SW1500 RTR switchers, they are now DCC and run great (my first Athearn purchase).

There are a few opinions about the SW1000/1500's having different motors from the other RTR locos. I was considering a SD40-2 RTR dcc ready but I am reading a lot about Ready to REMOTOR or Rebuild, are they noisy? 

However the guy that owns the shop reckons they have the same motor as the sw1000/1500? 
Reply 0
Prof_Klyzlr Moderator 7,956 posts
Prof_Klyzlr

Check the version, not all "Ath SD40s" are the same...

Dear Nick,

I fear that you may be getting info from modellers who are only familar with the original Athearn Blue Box models. The original "Blue Box" units have a long history, and have been thru at least 3 different "eras" of mech and motor configuration.

However, since Horizon Hobbies took over Athearn around 10 years ago, locos sold under the "Ready to Run" series (as distinct from the "Blue Box" versions of pre-HH Athearn),

have generally been equipped with Mashima can motors, 
and have been "DCC ready" (onboard PCB equipped with DCC sockets, just Plug-n-play your fave decoder).

Old Original Open-Frame and "black side" motored Athearn units could justifiably be written off as "Ready to remotor".

Late Athearn era "Gold side" semi-con motor equipped locos can be "ready for DCC" with nothing more than a decent tuning (and a few moments with a soldering iron,
Pre-HH era Athearn loco designs predate the release of DCC, and as such don't have PnP DCC sockets).

...and as you know, current version (HH-era) Athearn locos are can-motor-equipped, and generally "DCC Ready"/"PnP"...

Moral of the story, when recieving critical info about model locos,
it's important to clarify the exact make, "model", and era/batch/release version of the loco in question....

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

 

 
Reply 0
torikoos Active Member 77 posts
torikoos

Athearn RTR motors

I can confirm that the SW1500 has a Mashima motor, I own one.

The other models in the RTR range definitely have better motors than older 'blue box', but I'm not sure if all have mashima's.  

I also have an RTR SD40 (not SD40-2) and a GP35, both have a 'modernised' version motor that looks a bit like the old design, but they are still decent runners. 

Koos
Reply 0
BCRMLW Active Member 37 posts
BCRMLW

No. The SW1000/1500 has a

No. The SW1000/1500 has a higher quality motor than the new releases of Athearn's SD40-2 and other RTR models. The SW motor appears to be the same quality as the motors found in Athearn's Genesis line. Bottom line is don't expect every Athearn RTR model to run like the SW1000/1500's do. The updated releases of the SD40-2 have a reworked Athearn motor that can run well, however not every model seems to run well. Test (if you can) before you buy. Or, you can do as I have done with my Athearn SD40-2's (the new releases) rip out the old Athearn motor and drop a Kato motor in!

-Trevor
Reply 0
ctxmf74 Super User 15,951 posts
ctxmf74

current version (HH-era) Athearn locos are can-motor-equipped

They finally got around to doing what modelers figured out 30 years ago:> )   Do they still retain the simple easy to work on drive? ..DaveB

1990.jpg 
Read my blog
Reply 0
Prof_Klyzlr Moderator 7,956 posts
Prof_Klyzlr

Still imminently servicable...

Dear Dave, Every HH-era Ath loco I've worked on has had the same basic user-friendly drive geometry/technique, just some of the parts have gotten smaller-in-cross-section, which makes for space savings and less dynamic/rotating mass (IE less mechanical losses from the mechanism itself). Of course, smaller cross-section parts mean you have to proceed with a degree of caution, you can't just bodily rip the motor up and out of the frame without first disconnecing and removing the worms/unis, like you could with gold-side era Blue Boxes... (Oh, and the motors are often screw-mounted now, not pressed in place with gummi-bear mounts... ) Happy Modelling, Aim to Improve, Prof Klyzlr
Reply 0
Prof_Klyzlr Moderator 7,956 posts
Prof_Klyzlr

Sure you can, but you don't have-to....

Dear Trevor, Agreed, if you feel so inclined, there's nothing stopping the motivated modeller remotoring any loco, let alone the HH-era "RTR" Athearns. However, re the OP, I'd suggest it's selling the new versions significantly short to purchase them with the full intention of remotoring them from Day1... (The current mechs are electrically "ok for DCC" in terms of current-draw and voltage requirements, and the mechs have been lightened for better dynamic/rotating behaviour. They are a far cry from the decoder-killing "worn out Ath motor drawing 2amps just to get started light-engine" Aths of yore) Happy Modelling, Aim to Improve, Prof Klyzlr PS "test run before purchase" are words to live by, no matter what the model or manufacturer...
Reply 0
arthurhouston Prolific poster 1,154 posts
arthurhouston

Still Run Bad

Stop buying them years ago will never buy another. Both types, they have too many problems for price. Why do you spent that much money to have to come home and work on them. Junk
Reply 0
John Colley Regular poster 354 posts
John Colley

old Athearn SD40-2's

I guess the laugh, and the learning curve, is on me. I have three of them, acquired in trade at various times, and they each have a different motor! I have found that the old open frame motor is indeed a decoder smoker, specially so if you exceed speed 5 on the Digitrax Zephyr Controller 51, you let the smoke out! I am using hard wired SDH164D's, so I will get a can motor at the next show, in February. The second one is a blackside, and works so far! (crossed fingers) The third one is a can motor and I will have it wired and the speaker in it next week. I am hoping it is good! Hey, model railroading is fun! John Colley, Sonoma, CA
Reply 0
ctxmf74 Super User 15,951 posts
ctxmf74

"they have too many problems for price"

Depends on when you bought them. My first Athearn GP7 cost $7.95 and my last SD9 cost $15.19 brand new. And they both still run fine and if they stop I could fix them in about 10 minutes....DaveB

1990.jpg 
Read my blog
Reply 0
jogden Regular poster 128 posts
jogden

Depends on the price too,

Depends on the price too, I've never spent more than $20 on an Athearn engine. It's pretty hard to complain if I decide that I have to do some mechanical work on one!

-James Ogden
Skagway, AK
Reply 0
nick89 Active Member 31 posts
nick89

Thanks

Thanks everyone for the replys.

I have purchased Atlas, Proto2000 and Kato before, so looking for reliable Athearn locos will give me a lot more options to add to the collection.

Nick
Reply 0
rmendell Regular poster 154 posts
rmendell

Athearn RTR GP38-2

My father in law purchased a RTR GP 38-2 last year.  It has the open side frame motor. It is a terrible runner.  We spent two days cleaning up flash in the gear boxes, installing a decoder and shiming worn gears etc.  Even the perl drops treatment to wear in the gears.  It improved 10%, still noisy and jerky. Nothing has helped this thing. For the price I think he paid close to $100CDN, it is not worth it.  I would stick with Atlas. Just my 2 cents... 

Ryan

http://algonquinrailway.blogspot.ca/
Reply 0
JodyG Regular poster 268 posts
JodyG

I guess I am the lucky

I guess I am the lucky one...all of the newer Athearn RTR stuff runs well on my layout. The SW's with the newer motor rival that of Kato. Best solution? Test run it at your LHS and listen for yourself. I wouldn't give much consideration to someone that hasn't bothered to try anything from Athearn because they were bad 20 years ago. If that were the case, Chevy would have folded after the Vega, and Ford would have folded after the Pinto.

 
Reply 0
Reply