Switcher chassis's


Smudge617

Well-Known Member
As someone who's knowledge on HO North American Locomotives is still limited, (actually the amount I know is downright dangerous), hence asking our more knowledgeable members.

But a little backstory.

One of the gentleman at the care home I help out with on occasion has these two chassis's, I've checked them over last night while I was there and they both work, it's part of his now dwindling collection, at some point in the past he removed the bodyshells, as he suffers from Alzheimer's he can't remember what loco's they were, but going on what he still has, I'm pretty sure they were UP.

I'd like to see if I can get some bodyshells for them so he can run them on the care home layout that they are building (I keep on trying to get foto's of it so I can show you, which is coming along quite nicely, albeit slowly, but for some weird reason I'm not allowed 😒 )

I think one is a GP9 but I'm really not sure, so any help identifying them would be appreciated.

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Both are definitely Athearn design from the blue box era.
Yes, I recognised the motors as Athearn, but trying to find what they are is being a PIA, so far I've taken 22 bodyshells of my own loco's trying to identify the other chassis. :mad: And I'm rapidly running out of 4 leggers to check against
 
Hi Smudge. I have a bodyshell for chassis 41018.
It is Pensylvania railroad black and has a chassis but no motor or trucks .
You are welcome to it as it is for a good cause.
Please PM me as I live not far from Derby and maybe we can arrange a meeting point in between.
Regards, Colin.
 
Hi Smudge. I have a bodyshell for chassis 41018.
It is Pensylvania railroad black and has a chassis but no motor or trucks .
You are welcome to it as it is for a good cause.
Please PM me as I live not far from Derby and maybe we can arrange a meeting point in between.
Regards, Colin.
Thanks, I've sent you a PM.
 
Met up with Colin (hunslet040) this morning, the SW7 bodyshell is great, and fits on both chassis's, so I need to keep my eyes open for another Athearn SW7/9 shell for the other chassis in the future.

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Being doing some gentle cleaning and lubrication of these two chassis's, this one has already been lightly weathered so will match nicely with the SW7 bodyshell Colin kindly donated, and I decided to upgrade it by adding a 12v headlight, so I need to do a little re-wiring, (and more cleaning) so removed the motor and found (to me at least) a drive I've never seen before except on my DD40 to connect the two motor armatures, would I be correct in thinking this would be an early '70s chassis ?

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Chris here I'll confuse you a bit more The Conrail is a SW1500 The GT is a SW7 and so is the Union Pacific all three are athearn
Notice the headlights are all different and so are the handrails
Athearn called their early SW7 a SW1500 Then they did also have a SW1000 (single exhaust stack) I think I have one somewhere
 

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Chris here I'll confuse you a bit more The Conrail is a SW1500 The GT is a SW7 and so is the Union Pacific all three are athearn
Notice the headlights are all different and so are the handrails
Athearn called their early SW7 a SW1500 Then they did also have a SW1000 (single exhaust stack) I think I have one somewhere
I had to ask didn't I. 😂😂
At least it gives me a better chance of finding a bodyshell to fit, nearly all I've found are in the US, there's one guy with a baldwin, but I'd have to do a total repaint, and find handrails, I don't mind, but getting very time consuming finding stuff for someone else's locomotive.
 
Met up with Colin (hunslet040) this morning, the SW7 bodyshell is great, and fits on both chassis's, so I need to keep my eyes open for another Athearn SW7/9 shell for the other chassis in th
As someone who's knowledge on HO North American Locomotives is still limited, (actually the amount I know is downright dangerous), hence asking our more knowledgeable members.

But a little backstory.

One of the gentleman at the care home I help out with on occasion has these two chassis's, I've checked them over last night while I was there and they both work, it's part of his now dwindling collection, at some point in the past he removed the bodyshells, as he suffers from Alzheimer's he can't remember what loco's they were, but going on what he still has, I'm pretty sure they were UP.

I'd like to see if I can get some bodyshells for them so he can run them on the care home layout that they are building (I keep on trying to get foto's of it so I can show you, which is coming along quite nicely, albeit slowly, but for some weird reason I'm not allowed 😒 )

I think one is a GP9 but I'm really not sure, so any help identifying them would be appreciated.
As someone who's knowledge on HO North American Locomotives is still limited, (actually the amount I know is downright dangerous), hence asking our more knowledgeable members.

But a little backstory.

One of the gentleman at the care home I help out with on occasion has these two chassis's, I've checked them over last night while I was there and they both work, it's part of his now dwindling collection, at some point in the past he removed the bodyshells, as he suffers from Alzheimer's he can't remember what loco's they were, but going on what he still has, I'm pretty sure they were UP.

I'd like to see if I can get some bodyshells for them so he can run them on the care home layout that they are building (I keep on trying to get foto's of it so I can show you, which is coming along quite nicely, albeit slowly, but for some weird reason I'm not allowed 😒 )

I think one is a GP9 but I'm really not sure, so any help identifying them would be appreciated.

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Judging by the top photo, both are SW7/9 by Athearn, from the 70's, & early 80's, as others have said. The one with the darker frame, has the original 'B' switcher trucks.' The other one looks to be from the 80's or 90's, when Athearn changed the design of their trucks. It also looks like the owner added some 'flexicoil trucks,' from one detail part manufacturer or another. The older version might have also been used for Athearn's Baldwin S-12 switcher, which pretty much just had a different shell.

I have an SW7/9 from the late 70', as well as an SW1500 from the 90's. Both models are rather light, in terms of being in good contact with the rail, and being able to lug a cut of cars around a yard, like many prototype switchers of old were able to do. Cary made cast shells at one time, which would add a couple of ounces, and improve starting and lugging capabilities, or should have. Good luck with your project.
 
I have an SW7/9 from the late 70', as well as an SW1500 from the 90's. Both models are rather light, in terms of being in good contact with the rail, and being able to lug a cut of cars around a yard, like many prototype switchers of old were able to do. Cary made cast shells at one time, which would add a couple of ounces, and improve starting and lugging capabilities, or should have. Good luck with your project.
Thanks, I've found an Athearn S12 bodyshell for the second chassis, I'm told it will fit, I'll do the same with this one once I get the paint marks off, seemingly it's a private RR so when I get it I'll see if I can pin it down a bit more. Then I can return them to their owner.
 



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