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 Posted - February 28 2011 : 10:16:54 AM
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I really like the way Athearn GP9s run on lousy track with poor transitions and steep grades. Here is a link to December 25 where 3 GP9s in a C&O scheme head 28 box cars around the tree:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXq0hjgB0hM
One engine would not pull the grade around the curves, so a good case for "just add another engine!"
blair
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Posted - October 09 2012 : 07:51:51 AM
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quote: 
Still my favorite. The very rare IMCX unit from the promo train set (early 60's). Unit is Hi-F drive.
Larry
Originally posted by SOU2645Â -Â October 29 2010Â :Â 12:10:27 PM
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A Question has been raised about the set this loco is with. Sean, " Mustangs and Trains " seaks info on it. He has posted his question in set of the week this week.
frank
toptrain
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Posted - October 09 2012 : 08:00:13 AM
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A custom detail and paint I bought years ago...
Mike
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Posted - November 27 2012 : 09:20:21 AM
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A Athearn GP7 painter and lettered by Collectors Corner.
toptrain1
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Posted - November 27 2012 : 11:55:15 PM
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Thinking of getting the Geep soon, but the thing is, I model eastern railroads. PRR is okay, but was there ever a Lackawanna, CNJ, NH, or other similarly sized railroad offered? I haven't seen much Atheran stuff that wasn't painted for a road other than UP, SP, SF, BN, GN. I feel left out here on the east coast...
I would guess that cost of producing smaller lines' liveries, and the fact that Athearn is from California would be to blame, or have I just had no luck in seeing eastern roads?
The toy train evolution; a histroy unto itself!
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Posted - November 28 2012 : 10:18:43 PM
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Bev Bel offered CNJ (red baron scheme), RDG (dark green) and EL. Plus Amtrak "Pumpkin" which were mostly found in the North East Corridor in work train service. I just one of those - and its a very rare error piece since BB put two different road numbers on it (768 and 773).
Larry
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Posted - November 30 2012 : 08:04:27 AM
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Old Athearn and Olympic GP7 bodies and drives. 5600 is athearn. 5641 is Olympic. The drives should be reversed.
frank
toptrain
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!
Edited by - toptrain on November 30 2012 08:05:09 AM
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Posted - November 30 2012 : 11:21:42 PM
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My favorite Athearn GP-9 in an early NJ Transit scheme. My own custom work. I completed the side handrails after the pic was taken.
A sceond version of the NJ Transit GP-9 I painted.
Edited by - AF Kid on November 30 2012 11:24:43 PM
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Posted - December 01 2012 : 01:43:50 AM
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| I have some of these old Athearn GP-9 and it was not until I started reading this post that I put them on my track and WOW!! I think they are the smoothest things I have, it makes me want to start collecting them.
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Posted - December 01 2012 : 01:45:46 AM
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Phillip,
Rubber band drive or the old geared drive?
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid... 
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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Posted - December 01 2012 : 02:01:31 AM
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Nice patch job, AF. 
The Tyco Depot
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Posted - December 01 2012 : 08:33:40 AM
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quote:Phillip,
Rubber band drive or the old geared drive?
Originally posted by EM-1Â -Â December 01 2012Â :Â 01:45:46 AM
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About the old gear drive. They run good. I have a few. Also they run good together with the newer ones. Even though the Athearn diesels provide a diesel growl it doesn't destroy the gears. All the ones I have, i keep lubed and I have never had a gear fail. This is locos from the 1960s. Still going fine. Right off the top of my head, I can think of two companies that are major train makers, one of which Walters owns now and the other sill making locos that can not make that claim to good locos.
* The best thing is you get the growl for free. On new engines the digital sound installed, costs up to $100. additional on ready to run engines. Also for some reason the free growl sound never becomes annoying
toptrain
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Posted - December 01 2012 : 1:55:21 PM
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I have one of those early Athearn drives in an F7 chassis, and it's one of the quietest they ever made. All the noise comes from the big rectangular motor, which I tuned by smoothing the commutator and reducing brush spring pressure. The cheaper spur gear drives that came between these and the modern worm drive were loud enough to wake the dead.
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Posted - December 01 2012 : 5:28:42 PM
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A Athearn Santa Fe GP7 with a Hobbytown drive.
toptrain
toptrain
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Posted - December 01 2012 : 5:34:48 PM
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Another Athearn Santa Fe GP7 with a little different painted cab.
toptrain1
toptrain
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Posted - December 01 2012 : 6:02:15 PM
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I have a late 50s early 60s Rubber band drive SP Black Widow Geep 9 #5600. I've done quiete a bit to it. I got it for $5 at my favorite train store. Needs new bands, I cleaned and repaired both drive shafts, clean and oiled the motor, and cleaned the wheels. She'll be ready next year.
 here she is after I got her
I buy, repair, and collect
http://scvr.weebly.com/
http://seyboldlocomotiveworks.weebly.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheDeputation?feature=watch
Hyde.
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Posted - December 03 2012 : 07:13:03 AM
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quote:Bev Bel offered CNJ (red baron scheme), RDG (dark green) and EL. Plus Amtrak "Pumpkin" which were mostly found in the North East Corridor in work train service. I just one of those - and its a very rare error piece since BB put two different road numbers on it (768 and 773).
Larry
Originally posted by SOU2645Â -Â November 28 2012Â :Â 10:18:43 PM
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Larry ; that is a poor railroads way of multplying the number of your locomotives used in photos by 50%. Different direction - different locomotive. Only problem you will have is if you want to double head the two.
frank
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Posted - December 03 2012 : 07:36:57 AM
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Nelson,
A small section of thin foam on each side of the old motor between the shell and the motor frame goes ALONG ways, EVEN after the tune up you gave it if it still is loud....I have found on the rare time that the tune up silenced the unit.....with no shell on the frame on test runs and then after a good cleaning of the shell and such, and snap the shell on, it being test ran again, made for some noise and thats just the "idle" of the electric motor......to eliminate that, a small section of foam between the motor casing and the inner shell sides made it silent once again!
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid...
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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Posted - December 03 2012 : 07:45:59 AM
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quote:I really like the way Athearn GP9s run on lousy track with poor transitions and steep grades. Here is a link to December 25 where 3 GP9s in a C&O scheme head 28 box cars around the tree:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXq0hjgB0hM
One engine would not pull the grade around the curves, so a good case for "just add another engine!"
blair
Originally posted by offtrackthoroughbred - February 28 2011 : 10:16:54 AM
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Those 3 locomotives under your tree, they C&O models? They look to be but I can't tell for sure if they are or not.......
Nice models tho! Thats some train under your tree, over and under..... nice touch!
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid...
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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Posted - December 03 2012 : 1:02:24 PM
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A Custom painted GP7 locomotive. Pennsy did paint a few tuscan red.
toptrain
toptrain
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Posted - December 10 2012 : 5:08:36 PM
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I have about 30 vintage Athearn GP7's:
ATSF (3) 1 zebra stripe (Hi-F drive)
2 in blue/yellow (dummies, one older one from the 60's with metal trucks pictured in this thread and later issue with the U33C number 8517)
GN (2) a very early all plastic dummy (unassembled) and a 1970's era unit (powered - this one has the "fillet" added to the mold as the mold was damaged in the 70's then subsequently repaired.)
Amtrak (Bev Bel) powered
UP (3) 1 all plastic dummy (unassembled), 1 80's era powered one (same number as the 50's unit but scheme is different) and 1 powered from the early 2000's - one of the last ones made
Wabash (3) all Hi-F drive. 3 different cab color variations (light blue, dark blue and gray). Gray cab is a Lionel issue
BN (Bev Bel) 1 powered
DRGW (Bev Bel) 1 Powered
Southern (Bev bel)1 dummy unit
SP (4) 1 early all plastic black widow dummy, 1 light gray/red letter bloody nose dummy (metal trucks), 1 later run (1970's) bloody nose dummy, and 1 later issue (1990's) black widow powered.
CR 1 powered unit
CN 1 powered unit (older "noodle scheme)
IMCX (2) both Hi-F drive
Undecorated 1 early all plastic dummy
MILW 1 early all plastic dummy (unassembled)
CB&Q (3) 1 black/gray powered (early gear drive), 1 all black/gray all plastic dummy and 1 early release chinese red dummy (red fans, unpainted dynamic hatches etc) metal trucks
WP 1 special edition dummy unit.
Larry
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Posted - December 10 2012 : 6:20:52 PM
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Larry that is a big list. GP 7s and 9s were the workhorses for many years . I wish Athearn had made Lehigh Valley and Lackawanna. Life like I think made the Valley. I dont think anyone made DL&W. Bev-Bel made the EL which was similar.
frank
toptrain
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!
Edited by - toptrain on December 10 2012 6:22:33 PM
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Posted - February 18 2013 : 2:26:39 PM
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Here's a nice mint B&O unit I picked up recently. About 20 bucks to bring it home to my vast collection.
Larry
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Posted - February 18 2013 : 2:45:16 PM
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My Bev Bel Amtrak "Pumpkin" with two different road numbers.
Larry
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Posted - February 19 2013 : 1:31:14 PM
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The Amtrak is most likely a Bev-Bel custom GP7
frank
toptrain
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!
Edited by - toptrain on February 19 2013 1:31:38 PM
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blaneo
Switcher
.JPG)
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Posted - February 19 2013 : 9:50:42 PM
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Larry, that B&O looks so sweet out in the sunlight.
Blane is the name,
Trains are the game.
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Posted - February 20 2013 : 11:50:39 AM
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| Are you sure the mismatched Amtrak didn't just have a cab swapped from another unit? Would be very easy to do and even the orange hue looks slightly different. I sold one about a year ago and its numbers fully matched, though I don't recall which one it was. I want to say it was 773 but I don't know why I would remember that.
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Posted - February 20 2013 : 12:50:40 PM
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this might help ken
http://www.tycoforums.com/tyco/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7086
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