Vintage Athearn Pacific Steam Locomotive - broken side-rod


A

ArtontheNYC

New Member
I have a vintage Athearn Pacific Steam Locomotive that I have owned since I was a boy. On the left side, one of the side rods has broken off at the point of connection to the drive wheel. The locomotive still runs OK if I bend the side rod up out of the way, but every attempt to reconnect the side rod has failed. Can anyone give me some advice on repairs? I have attempted to locate such a locomotive for parts, but the prices on eBay are more than I want to pay for parts. I am thinking of parking it and trying to find a Rivarossi Santa Fe Pacific to replace it. See pics. I guess I could just park it or sell it for parts to someone else.​

Vintage Athearn Pacific - ATSF - 4.jpg
Vintage Athearn Pacific - ATSF - 3.jpg
 
ArtontheNYC said:
I have a vintage Athearn Pacific Steam Locomotive that I have owned since I was a boy. On the left side, one of the side rods has broken off at the point of connection to the drive wheel. The locomotive still runs OK if I bend the side rod up out of the way, but every attempt to reconnect the side rod has failed. Can anyone give me some advice on repairs? I have attempted to locate such a locomotive for parts, but the prices on eBay are more than I want to pay for parts. I am thinking of parking it and trying to find a Rivarossi Santa Fe Pacific to replace it. See pics. I guess I could just park it or sell it for parts to someone else.​

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OK, done few of these but a couple of quick questions, I have 30 odd steam loco's and I've had similar issues but never seen this type of fixing before. Are these rivets, screws, pins or actual nut and bolts, they look like rivets but it's hard to tell.
 
It's called a return crank #11827 not sure what it's made of maybe either super glue it or as Sherrel says solder if metal

Maybe make a new one from scratch or find a doner engine for parts
 
Many thanks for the replies. The broken piece was attached by a screw to the center drive wheel. It broke where the rod connects to the pass
through for the screw to hold it in place. On the other end, it is attached by a rivet. I have tried super glue and it failed to hold. The piece is some kind of metal, probably a soft metal, but I am not sure. I cannot see to get close enough to the place where it attaches to solder it. I tried and then backed off when I realized that I might get in the situation of soldering something I didn't want to. Maybe I should just cut it off, as the locomotive runs fine with it moved up out of the way. I am simply not sufficiently skillful to fabricate another piece.

You can see in the pics where the hole for the screw to attach to the drive wheel is. In the second and third pictures, you can see the small flange that is riveted to the attachment through which the screw should pass. That flange broke off of the housing.

Again, many thanks for your ideas and advice.

Best regards,
Art

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ArtontheNYC said:
Many thanks for the replies. The broken piece was attached by a screw to the center drive wheel. It broke where the rod connects to the pass
through for the screw to hold it in place. On the other end, it is attached by a rivet. I have tried super glue and it failed to hold. The piece is some kind of metal, probably a soft metal, but I am not sure. I cannot see to get close enough to the place where it attaches to solder it. I tried and then backed off when I realized that I might get in the situation of soldering something I didn't want to. Maybe I should just cut it off, as the locomotive runs fine with it moved up out of the way. I am simply not sufficiently skillful to fabricate another piece.

You can see in the pics where the hole for the screw to attach to the drive wheel is. In the second and third pictures, you can see the small flange that is riveted to the attachment through which the screw should pass. That flange broke off of the housing.

Again, many thanks for your ideas and advice.

Best regards,
Art

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You can get replacement parts, it is fiddly to do, and you'll need a pin hammer, vice, and a punch, but certainly do-able

crank pin.jpg
 
When I saw your thread I ran to dig out my Athearn Pacific. Yes, the crank is made of a soft metal, and I'm not sure if soldering would do more damage than an attempt to fix it. However, in my parts bin I found another crank that may be suitable, and if I have one (although I have no idea from whence it came; maybe old Roundhouse) there have to be others that will work. It would require a bit of reaming for the screw, but the length is the same. The 'rivet' appears to be a 1/32" I.D. tube that is swedged at both ends, rather than a proper rivet. Your engine looks to have metal drivers; mine are plastic, but I think the running gear is the same (different years had slight variations, I know). If you want to try soldering, use a resistance station; that's my advice. Let us know your decision.

Joe
 
Thanks for your reply and suggestions, Joe. Right now I am looking at a used loc on eBay to use either as a replacement or for parts. We'll see what happens.
 
Again, thanks to everyone who replied to my inquiry. I was able to purchase on eBay a nearly identical vintage Athearn Pacific locomotive for parts. The chassis and running gear, including the connecting rods, are in good, used condition. I was able to swap the running gear with the broken side rod out. The replacement parts fit with few challenges. Now my 60-year old Athearn Pacific is almost as good as new. I lubricated it carefully and cannot remember it ever having run so well. I haven't decided what to do with the unit I used for parts. It is assembled and up and running, in fact very well, as I was able to position the defective rod out of the way. Soldering, as some of you suggested, is beyond me. I do wish I could have found a wiring chart for the locomotive. I have an exploded view with all the parts, but no electrical diagram and no instructions. Finally, I am searching for a replacement bell, as the original is missing. BTW, I found out that Athearn made some changes in the innards of the locomotive, depending on the year of release. My original, the parts replacement, and the diagram vary from one another, such as the way in which the headlight is wired.
 
ArtontheNYC said:
Again, thanks to everyone who replied to my inquiry. I was able to purchase on eBay a nearly identical vintage Athearn Pacific locomotive for parts. The chassis and running gear, including the connecting rods, are in good, used condition. I was able to swap the running gear with the broken side rod out. The replacement parts fit with few challenges. Now my 60-year old Athearn Pacific is almost as good as new. I lubricated it carefully and cannot remember it ever having run so well. I haven't decided what to do with the unit I used for parts. It is assembled and up and running, in fact very well, as I was able to position the defective rod out of the way. Soldering, as some of you suggested, is beyond me. I do wish I could have found a wiring chart for the locomotive. I have an exploded view with all the parts, but no electrical diagram and no instructions. Finally, I am searching for a replacement bell, as the original is missing. BTW, I found out that Athearn made some changes in the innards of the locomotive, depending on the year of release. My original, the parts replacement, and the diagram vary from one another, such as the way in which the headlight is wired.
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Glad you got it sorted, eventually :)
 
ArtontheNYC said:
Again, thanks to everyone who replied to my inquiry. I was able to purchase on eBay a nearly identical vintage Athearn Pacific locomotive for parts. The chassis and running gear, including the connecting rods, are in good, used condition. I was able to swap the running gear with the broken side rod out. The replacement parts fit with few challenges. Now my 60-year old Athearn Pacific is almost as good as new. I lubricated it carefully and cannot remember it ever having run so well. I haven't decided what to do with the unit I used for parts. It is assembled and up and running, in fact very well, as I was able to position the defective rod out of the way. Soldering, as some of you suggested, is beyond me. I do wish I could have found a wiring chart for the locomotive. I have an exploded view with all the parts, but no electrical diagram and no instructions. Finally, I am searching for a replacement bell, as the original is missing. BTW, I found out that Athearn made some changes in the innards of the locomotive, depending on the year of release. My original, the parts replacement, and the diagram vary from one another, such as the way in which the headlight is wired.
Click to expand...
"Wiring" is probably a single wire going to the headlight and motor, the motor is grounded to the chassis, and there may be a wire or spring clip going to the tender for pickup. There were no extra things that needed wiring in something that old.
 
I would just keep the locomotive you cannibalized for future projects. Just be careful. Should you run into another locomotive that "just needs a few parts" you could succumb to an addiction to such projects. ;) :eek: Over the past 20 years or so I have acquired and kitbashed at least twenty Mantua steamers, including stretching Mikados and Pacifics to 2-10-2's, 2-10-4's, a 4-8-2 a 4-8-4 and repairing and remotoring and converting some to DCC. I don't need anymore, and don't have room on my layout for even half of them, but... Someone stop me before I kitbash again! o_O
 
I couldn't agree with you more, trailrider. I love kitbashing those old engines. I see one at a train show and think, "Hmm, what can I make from that?" I have six in my cabinet, just waiting for time and inspiration, and two in the works. And no, my Athearn Pacific isn't one of them. I'll leave that one the way it is, for 'historical' purposes. And btw, mine needs a bell, too!
 
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