Adding weight to Blue Box Athearn Engines


F

f1_indy2000

Guest
I read somewhere that if you don't add some weight to them the wheels will get grimy. I have a completed and brand spanking new layout and it seems like every week i have to clean the wheels on my engines. It doesn't make since. It would appear that all the track is clean. I run the trains every day so I can't see how dust would build up. All my freight cars have metal wheels on them. I can see adding weight to help their pulling power. So what do you or more like how much recommend and where is the best place to put the weight? Thanks
 
Adding weight to an engine will have absolutely no effect on gunk building up on the wheels. Athearn BB engines have sintered steel wheels and they have a tendency get black faster than metal wheels on freight cars. The black stuff makes the wheels less conductive which makes the loco run poorly. You can try cleaning the tracks with a rag with some rubbing alcohol before you operate. The best solution I've found is to clean the locomotive wheels and tracks with TV contact cleaner and lubricant you can buy at Radio Shack. This increases the conductivity of both the tracks and wheels even when things get oxidized. I've run when parts of the track were actually black with no problems since starting to use the cleaner spray.
 
Athearn iron wheels

I replace my powered Athearn loco wheel sets with NorthWest Shortline or Jay Bee 42" 110 tread nickel silver sets, which costs about $10 per loco. The nickel silver wheels stay clean much longer. I also switch out the stock plastic wheels on the dummies with the Athearn sintered iron wheels, though one does have to be careful that the dummy trucks (sans gears) line up correctly on the frame when you put them back together, or the loco shorts through the frame, which shuts down operation on the track.

If you check the Athearn iron wheels, they're slightly larger than advertised 40" scale size, so if you have an Athearn loco set up with Kadee couplers at the proper height and switch out the stock iron wheels with the 40" nickel wheels, it'll drop the loco (and coupler) height enough to fowl the coupler operation. If you haven't yet set up the coupler heights on a loco you're building, you can put in the 40" wheels and then set the coupler height correctly. Dropping the wheel size from 42" to 40" has the effect of slightly regearing the loco, meaning it takes more power for the same speed due to the smaller wheels. If you couple a loco with 40" wheels to a (dummy) loco with Athearn's iron 42" wheels, the heights of the two locos won't quite match, which is why I use the 42" wheels on most of my locos (excepting switchers, which don't run in a consist with geeps and f-units).

Weight: I normally can get about an additional 3 ounces or a bit more into most Athearn locos, using "sticky weights" in strips with blocks of 1/4-ounce or 1/2 ounce, with foam backing, inside the shell. Hobby shops sell the stuff, which are auto shop wheel weights for balancing tires.
 
Adding weight after changing out the wheels will help get back the traction that you lose when you swapped out the sintered metal wheels. The OEM wheels have better pulling capability, since they're not smooth. You lose that with the smooth, nickel steel replacement wheels, but if you put some extra weight in, that should make up for much of it.

Kennedy
 
If you have an Athearn F7 with the standard 2 small weights, you can install a "super power" single large weight instead.

Mark
 
CanuckMark said:
If you have an Athearn F7 with the standard 2 small weights, you can install a "super power" single large weight instead.

Mark
Click to expand...

That so-called "super-power" weight is worth its weight in gold. :) Athearn F units have way more torque than is used with the standard weights. The big weight increases pulling power by at least 50% although it also increases current draw so you have to keep an eye out for overheating. I tested an A-B set with normal weights and was able to pull 32 cars on level track. With both units having the super power weight, I gave up after 70 cars because I ran out of track. :) I think they are still available from Athearn and they are pretty inexpensive.
 
windbag said:
I replace my powered Athearn loco wheel sets with NorthWest Shortline or Jay Bee 42" 110 tread nickel silver sets, which costs about $10 per loco. The nickel silver wheels stay clean much longer. I also switch out the stock plastic wheels on the dummies with the Athearn sintered iron wheels, though one does have to be careful that the dummy trucks (sans gears) line up correctly on the frame when you put them back together, or the loco shorts through the frame, which shuts down operation on the track.

If you check the Athearn iron wheels, they're slightly larger than advertised 40" scale size, so if you have an Athearn loco set up with Kadee couplers at the proper height and switch out the stock iron wheels with the 40" nickel wheels, it'll drop the loco (and coupler) height enough to fowl the coupler operation. If you haven't yet set up the coupler heights on a loco you're building, you can put in the 40" wheels and then set the coupler height correctly. Dropping the wheel size from 42" to 40" has the effect of slightly regearing the loco, meaning it takes more power for the same speed due to the smaller wheels. If you couple a loco with 40" wheels to a (dummy) loco with Athearn's iron 42" wheels, the heights of the two locos won't quite match, which is why I use the 42" wheels on most of my locos (excepting switchers, which don't run in a consist with geeps and f-units).

Weight: I normally can get about an additional 3 ounces or a bit more into most Athearn locos, using "sticky weights" in strips with blocks of 1/4-ounce or 1/2 ounce, with foam backing, inside the shell. Hobby shops sell the stuff, which are auto shop wheel weights for balancing tires.
Click to expand...

First and foremost thankyou all for the information about the weight, wheels and tv contact cleaner. I have used and prefer using Jay Bee wheels on my freight cars. They are usually good for three cars a pack. My layout is basically old school of direct current and haven't seen any reason to buy new engines since I have not gone the route of DCC. I have twenty two of these engines that would need to be dealt with. I would like to change the wheels, which might be a small fortune to do. Does Jay Bee sell the replacement engine wheels in bulk? Do I have buy them by the pack and is the pack only good for one engine, half or two engines? I assume there will be a wheel size issue since I have 3 U33bs, 4 Gp38's, 7 Gp40s, 4 Gp35s and 4 Sd40s so it looks like 68 wheels. Yikes! I'm not scared to do it, I just hate how our beloved hobby will nickel and dime you, plus I don't have to do them all at once. I guess I'm just really tired of having to constantly clean the wheels. I guess over the years when I stuck with buying the BB athearn engines I was pleased with the price and they are easy to work on. Could sodering some wires to the contacts make any difference? Or is the type of metal on the wheels is a problem? Again thanks guys
 
It's really the sintered steel wheels that are the problem. They are great for traction but, because the surface is rough, they do pick up more crud from the tracks than nickel silver. Beofre you go to the expense of changing wheels , spend the $10 for the contact tuner and give it a try. Just spray a little on the track and have an engine run around the layout three or four time before you have an operating sessin. I think you'll see a big difference.
 
I don't know if Jaybee sells them in bulk, but you could write them and ask.

I use the NWSL wheels and I have to buy them by the pack. Like you, I need a bunch, but since I don't know how many locos I'll be converting, I can stand buying them by the pack......

Kennedy
 
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