I wish Athearn would bring back a few of the old blue box diesels, I know they won't , still.


Blues909

Active Member
I see them on the site we all know about and some are asking $40 for dummy units , and a very few powered never used units and a lot of powered used units.

Considering the price of all the new HO units out there now I think $45 to $50 would be fair and I bet they would sell. Just the SW's and S12 and the later correct hood width units. It be real nice it they offered the correct hood width SW7 which is for me close enough but the S12 just a shell. I tried to find just a Stewart/Bowser S12 shell and walkway and maybe cab yet they are not available. I don't mind reworking a shell to get a proper width S12 hood and the frame just needs a bit of trimming, it can be done.
 
Do you want any SD40-2s? I have some extra.

Thank you for the offer , I have two an old one I converted to coupler mount and one later with the coupler mount. What I need are some power trucks like the ones used on the 6 axle Athearns that used the center pin mount like used on the SD 9 and others which I can't recall now so I can finish the rail power SD40 shell and frame I have. I have a pair of the proper power trucks yet they are the old metal side frames and even though not powered I would need to rob one of my old trainmasters and they have different gears beside I don't want to use them. I recall years ago seeing what Athearn offered in the Walters catalog and saw a photo of the Trainmaster behind an SD9 and got an SD9 , I thought the trainmaster was the SD9 then realized it wasn't. I went to every train shop around here and found 6 NOS units and they sold them to me for the old box price. I don't think they ever made one with plastic side frames yet the trainmaster's did have metal ones that were good looking. I imagine the SD40-2 trucks could be used if I had the proper side frames. I did have more of those 6 axle power trucks yet not thinking I gave them away to someone who wanted a set , at the time I never thought Athearn would stop making blue box loco's. I have one S12 I can do and have been trying to locate a powered SW7 even a SW 1500 even though they have the proper hood width I still like the SW7 better the 1500 to me looks like a tractor . I had two undec's when they came out and for some reason Athearn was putting the shell on the wrong way so the brake casting would force the shell out of shape. I just didn't like the look and returned them , I should have just altered the front headlight or made a MP15 out of one.

I've looked around and A'line has the power trucks and side frames yet they are really expensive more than going to the bay plus the worms are extra.

Let me know what you want for a SD40-2 maybe I can still use the power trucks and alter the side frames. I have a motor and flywheels and couplings just need the worms . I had some spares yet looked everywhere and can't find them and I mean every single box. I imagine somehow I tossed them out and I know they were in a Fender strat pickup plastic box.

My main thing is one SW7 and on ebay there were a few , most won't sell without an ebay account and the ones that would I was out bid , once they get over $40 with shipping it's more than I can afford as bad as this may sound.

I keep telling myself to use fewer words in a response to a topic.
 
Yes, I am afraid Bluebox type models are no longer "in vogue" as a new product line. Closest you'll get new, now, are the resurrected Ready to Roll, DC/DCC ready ones under the "Roundhouse" brand, or the Walthers "Mainline", which in the case of the Walthers are lacking much of the add-on detail found on Athearn's Roundhouse, but with current top line Proto drives.
 
Yes, I am afraid Bluebox type models are no longer "in vogue" as a new product line. Closest you'll get new, now, are the resurrected Ready to Roll, DC/DCC ready ones under the "Roundhouse" brand, or the Walthers "Mainline", which in the case of the Walthers are lacking much of the add-on detail found on Athearn's Roundhouse, but with current top line Proto drives.

I know and feel it's a real shame , at least there are old blue box units still around and personally I never had an problem with the way they ran or the lack of details one could always add them. For me that was always the fun of it and the satisfaction I got from the time and work involved. I'd try swap meets yet there are none even close to where I live.
 
I know and feel it's a real shame , at least there are old blue box units still around and personally I never had an problem with the way they ran or the lack of details one could always add them. For me that was always the fun of it and the satisfaction I got from the time and work involved. I'd try swap meets yet there are none even close to where I live.
Swap meets will be "out" for quite a while yet, I would say, so ebay, forums like this or Face Book sales pages/groups, will be the only way open. Just a note on SD40-2 trucks. They are a longer wheelbase than most 6 wheel power trucks fitted to other 6 wheel. SD40, SD35 have a more 'normal' wheelbase.
 
Swap meets will be "out" for quite a while yet, I would say, so ebay, forums like this or Face Book sales pages/groups, will be the only way open. Just a note on SD40-2 trucks. They are a longer wheelbase than most 6 wheel power trucks fitted to other 6 wheel. SD40, SD35 have a more 'normal' wheelbase.

I checked the wheel base on a SD40-2 side frame I have one spare and it is the same as the other 6 axle truck used on the SD9 or the metal ones I have for the SD40 , it's what they seemed to do on model trains . They are close enough for my needs if I trim off the section facing the fuel tanks. The SD9 are to long even though they used the same truck and won't fit the SD40.
 
If I understand correctly, you want to take trucks from an SD40-2 and use them on a Rail Power chassis for an SD40? If so, I am the bringer of bad news, they won't fit. The bolster heights are about a quarter inch different and the part of the truck that connects to the frame is completely different. The SD9 trucks will fit without the sideframes, it's just that the SD9 has extra brake shoes toward the ends of the truck.

The SD40 uses Flexicoil trucks, the SD9 uses Flexicoil with "triple clasp" brake arrangement and the SD40-2 uses HTC trucks. If you can find trucks off an old Athearn C-boat, F45, SDP40, SD45 or FP45, they will work. You'll have to find new sideframes if you use the GE trucks but the others will all fit and have correct sideframes for a RailPower SD40. Make sure they are the old ones though because the new Athearn SD40 trucks are interchangeable in the frame for the SD40-2 trucks. I think they did this for Conrail modelers who's SD40-2s and SD50s came with Flexicoil instead of HTC trucks (but that is another story).

If you still need a SD40-2 or two let me know.
 
Every swap meet I've ever gone to has been stacked to the rafters with old Blue Box, not to mention e-Bay. You should be able to find whatever you want easily. True, swaps will be out for a while, but we'll come out the other side of this.
 
Swap meets will be "out" for quite a while yet, I would say, so ebay, forums like this one...

Just want to mention, we have a “want to buy / looking for” section in the buy and sell area. Have something you’d like to buy? Post a thread there.
 
Like Espeefan stated above the swap meets are loaded with BB locomotives. I've also seen converted and modified BB at bargain prices.

Greg
 
If I understand correctly, you want to take trucks from an SD40-2 and use them on a Rail Power chassis for an SD40? If so, I am the bringer of bad news, they won't fit. The bolster heights are about a quarter inch different and the part of the truck that connects to the frame is completely different. The SD9 trucks will fit without the sideframes, it's just that the SD9 has extra brake shoes toward the ends of the truck.

The SD40 uses Flexicoil trucks, the SD9 uses Flexicoil with "triple clasp" brake arrangement and the SD40-2 uses HTC trucks. If you can find trucks off an old Athearn C-boat, F45, SDP40, SD45 or FP45, they will work. You'll have to find new sideframes if you use the GE trucks but the others will all fit and have correct sideframes for a RailPower SD40. Make sure they are the old ones though because the new Athearn SD40 trucks are interchangeable in the frame for the SD40-2 trucks. I think they did this for Conrail modelers who's SD40-2s and SD50s came with Flexicoil instead of HTC trucks (but that is another story).

If you still need a SD40-2 or two let me know.

I've considered the difference between the SD40-2 truck design and the other BB Athearn 6 axle. I can adapt them to work if I build up the SD40-2 pad with something that is reversible. I could only remember the SD9 yet at some point I did have a C -boat and SD45. I didn't have very many 6 axle Athearns . I only kept one set of the trucks from an SD9 , mainly I had SD40-2 and the tunnel port and they used the same truck design as the SD-2. The 6 axle units worked on my old small layout as long as it was just one unit yet looked odd the SD9 having a much shorter bolster CTC was fine. The main reason I had SD40-2's and other 6 axle units is because I like the look of the units with the short 81" hood and the long porches and the look of 6 axle trucks. As I said it was the SD9 that was the start that lead into the trainmasters.

Yes I still would like at least one SD-40-2 , if I can't adapt the trucks I could still use one. I'll send you my email so you can let me know the details. I did put the RPP SD40 shell together and have their frame just would like to use it even if the trucks are not what was used . The proper trucks I have one pair yet they are in a Model Power E7 that I modified the frame by adding brass bolsters with pivot pins and RPP E side frames. I just finished coupler mounting the shell to the frame since the E7 shell is a Concor and didn't have the screw mount the MP E8 did in the front winter hatch which I never liked the screw now I can use either shell since in all other respects the shells are the same thing.

Once I narrow the S12 hood and mod that frame all I would like is a powered SW7 . I'd still like to do another RS3/EMD rebuild since I sold the ones I did and A-line does have a Front Range GP9 shell
 
I posted and looked in the wanted and for sale area on this forum didn't find what I was looking for. Swap meets are over 2 hours one way from me. Pretty much leaves ebay or time. Thank you all you replied and offered ideas and advice.
 
Yes, I am afraid Bluebox type models are no longer "in vogue" as a new product line. Closest you'll get new, now, are the resurrected Ready to Roll, DC/DCC ready ones under the "Roundhouse" brand,

Most of the old Blue-Box line is very much still around, just in the Ready-to-Roll or Roundhouse lines.

Same body shells, just not in kit form and in the case of the locomotives plastic instead of wire handrails, and upgraded drives. Otherwise same models.
 



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