ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.
this will depend on the motor current draw on a per-locomotive basis. If the motors run well and do not draw more than say half an amp you will be fine with 1 amp decoders such as the NCE D13SRJ.
If the locomotive does not run well or draws excessive current, consider using a proto2000 motor to remotor. I believe A-line also offers prime movers for Athearn locos.
Edit:
Your thing says north of the 49th, and you say you are from Ottawa... Just for the LOL-factor I did some quick digging and found Beaverton, Oregon (technically where I am) to be further north than Ottawa, Ontario...
Just clean out the armature (the part that gets a black carbon trail from spinning between the two brushes) to prevent arcing (which causes some of the noise that you hear).
Lube (but do not overlube) the gears. The blue box motor draws about 1.6 amps max at stall. Digitrax's HO decoders are rated for 1.5amps, NCE is 1.3, 2 max, TCS is 1.3, 2 max.
What this means is that the decoder runs optimally at the rating (1.3 amps NCE/TCS or 1.5 amps Digitrax) but will tolerate up to the max draw (2 amps) without getting destroyed. It's not the best idea to overload it past the rating (1.3/1.5 amps) for an extended period of time since the decoder would start generating excessive heat that would need to be dissipated.
Blue box motors are the same motors that the RTRs use (albeit with slightly upgraded internals and hex keyed flywheels) so there really isn't any reason why the older BB motors can't be wired for DCC.
In fact, I will be wiring one up soon with a Z scale decoder because of space constraints (BB SW1500 which stalls at 0.7 amps, decoder is a DZ123, rated for 1 amp, 2 amps peak)
My engines have seen very little use and all drive trains have been been tuned up according to the Athearn Tune Up guide (I forget the actual title). They run very well.
I will be converting to DCC and hope to have up to 6 locos running at any one time.
To test current draw take your multimeter and set to to measure amperage, then connect it in line between a DC pack and one rail. Connect the other rail as usual. test the engine by placing it on the track, giving it about half voltage, then let it spin its wheels while letting it run against your hand with the wheels spinning. This will give you your nominal draw. To test stall, press down on it until the wheels stop turning. Do this quickly. note the peak current draw. this is your stall current. Your decoder rating should be above this peak. Any more and you will burn out your decoders.
If you are planning on running about 6 engines at once on the layout, you will definitely need a 10amp system. this can be achieved by any combination of base station and boosters to get the current you need. You must also account for current draw of any of your controllers as well as each locomotive. Figure 1 amp per locomotive, 0.5 amp for controller, and 1.5 for a sound locomotive.
For a little extra cash, at the time of purchase/ordering, you can replace the DCS-100 5 amp command station that comes with the Super Chief, with the DCS-200, their 8amp command station.
Blue box motors are the same motors that the RTRs use (albeit with slightly upgraded internals and hex keyed flywheels) so there really isn't any reason why the older BB motors can't be wired for DCC.
I thought that Athearn changed the motors to a "gold sided" motor around 10 years ago, more or less. Since these locos are from the 1980's, I doubt that these older motors are the same ones in their RTRs.
Those 1980's motors would have a rounded magnet case made out of steel and not brass. Totally different motor.
There are two types of Blue Box motor. The gold can, and the gray can (I use can loosely, they're both open-frame). The gold cans are in the RTR today. The gray can was discontinued after the gold can came out. Both types existed as switcher motors, and both types existed for the rubber band drive locos.
As for DCC systems, I'm not sure if the club has a 5 amp or 8 amp system, but we have boosters in every block. (We use Digitrax boosters and the (now defunct) Loy's Toys boosters)
Uh, No those, motors weren't even thought of then.
The rubber band drive motors, back when every thing Athearn made had rubber band drives, used a motor very similar in shape but not size to the image below. (That motor is a Bowser.)
Those motors were discontinued when Athearn developed the gear drive in the 1960's. The motor was replaced with a motor similar to the rounded steel cased motors of the 1970's and 1980's, but still not a great motor, IIRC, called the Jet 400. Up until they were replaced by the brass sided motors, the motors in Athearn switchers, specifically the SW's were smaller motors than the ones in them today.
When Athearn started putting flywheels into their engines in the early to mid 1970's, The motor changed to the one I was referring to, the round steel case motor that was replaced eventually by the brass straight sided encased motor.
Nope. The gray jet style motor with rubber bands was used in the hustlers, the gold motor with the rubber bands were used in the RDCs. I had both of those models at one point.
Here's a gray open-frame on a rubber band drive:
Here's a gray can "jet" motor that was sort of adapted from the previous motor for the geared drive:
Here's a gold can on a rubber band drive:
And here is something similar to your motor from the red-box era:
Gold cans, unless seriously corroded and/or demagnetized from constant use, can safely be wired for DCC.
Eric, I owned at one time almost 150 Athearns. They dated from the mid 1950's to the late 1970's. All except the 1950's, I bought brand new. I had mechanisms in my F-7's that went from rubber band drives to brass flywheel equipped. They all had different motors. All were Athearn motors. Their first motor was similar to the one I showed a picture of. It came in the RDC, F-7, and GP-7/9 the first couple of years they were produced.
MR, back in the late 1970's early 1980's published articles on the various manufacturers. I think the first one was on Athearn. You may want to read it.
After the intro of the gear drives, the Hustler and the RDC's were the only locos left with the Hi-F drive.
I'm pretty sure that Athearn used the gold sided motors since the 80s. My RDCs were from that production timeframe. (they were bought new, but they were new in that they weren't used. The rubber bands disintegrated so I had to put new ones on)
Athearn used many motors in the blue boxes, but the two I mention, the gray jet motor and the gold sided ones are the two most recent for blue box. Although it IS possible to wire up a gray can for DCC, it's very risky since those older motors draw a bit more power than their gold sided counterparts.
The current Athearn RTR drive uses the gold sided can. If you swap the flywheels, the motors are a drop-in replacement because they're identical! (externally at least. The RTR motors are skew wound, the BB motors are not) Athearn started using the hex drive (presumably copied from Kato) around 2000. Unless of course, you have an Athearn RTR SW1000/SW1500. Those use Mashima can motors.
Bernie said that he performed the Athearn Tune Up (there's a tune-up guide on the internet) so his engines should be good to go.
(It's 4:20AM so my memory may be a bit fuzzy. (time for bed!) Forgive me if I remembered wrong!)
I believe it was more like the late 80's to early 90's.
Either way, he still needs to run a stall test on those locos. We've, my club, have even come across cases where the loco had a "can" type or "low draw" motor, but when a stall test was run, the amps pegged at almost 4 amps, and in one case, overloaded the power pack, (MRC 2500) before the amps peaked.
These were all P2K, E-units and PA's from the late 90's thru early 2000.
Nah. I decided years ago that I needed to have only the number of locos that I could comfortably maintain as I got older. So I sold off my entire diesel fleet except for a Kato, a P2K, and 3 Hobbytowns. I also sold off almost all of my steamers as well. I kept most of my brass steamers and a few other steamers I've since picked up. I have around 30 locos. And I don't plan on getting any more.
I'll see if I can locate that article in my collection of MR's. May take a few weeks, as of right now my collection is in boxes in storage until I get some Bookcases built.
I picked up an Athearn BN F7 some time back. It eventually became my first DCC'd engine. It had the Grey Jet motor and steel flywheels. I used the motor from a proto 2000 FA to repower it, and a very strange wiring job later it had a lenz back emf decoder. The thing CREEPED along about a half scale mph in speed step 1.
I think that the current batch of motors athearn uses are better than anything before, but P2K have a nice motor.
I picked up an Athearn BN F7 some time back. It eventually became my first DCC'd engine. It had the Grey Jet motor and steel flywheels. I used the motor from a proto 2000 FA to repower it, and a very strange wiring job later it had a lenz back emf decoder. The thing CREEPED along about a half scale mph in speed step 1.
I think that the current batch of motors athearn uses are better than anything before, but P2K have a nice motor.
