New Athearn SD45 (HO)

Discussion in 'Diesel Locomotives' started by meteor910, Mar 22, 2010.

  1. Rick McClellan

    Rick McClellan 2009 Engineer of the Year

    The |-|SD45s |-|were in service at last night's ope session on the Northern Division and they did their job well. :) The crews seemed to like the rotating beacon function so I need to get the gyra light housing drilled out and surprise them with the gyra light next time.

    My Frisco operation just getting more and more realistic. Somebody pinch me, I must be in (train) heaven. :D
     
  2. Sirfoldalot

    Sirfoldalot Frisco.org Supporter Frisco.org Supporter

    Sure makes me wish that I was still in Shawnee or Lake Quivira. :)
    Then I think about this past winter there and I change my mind. :eek:
    Anymore even 50 degrees is cold to me! :eek:
     
  3. Iantha_Branch

    Iantha_Branch Member

    Bob Hoover, Next time you talk with atlas, could you put in a request for a Frisco |-|GP40-2|-|?:cool:
     
  4. Sirfoldalot

    Sirfoldalot Frisco.org Supporter Frisco.org Supporter

    Ethan, You want one? I have the one that I purchased from Ken. Never have opened the box. Too "new" for my planed future RR.
     
  5. Iantha_Branch

    Iantha_Branch Member

    Well, if it's one of the Athearn GP40-2's, sorry, but I'm not interseted in one. Ya it was great as my first Frisco loco, but now that I have all the Atlas and new Athearn I don't really have any interest in one of the Athearn GP40-2's, but if it was an Atlas then yes. But one problem, I'm barred from buying train stuff right now.
     
  6. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Well, I finally got the decoder (TCS A6X) installed and programmed.

    I decided to add the Class Lights using 1.5v bulbs just like the ones used for the headlights. I drilled out the centers of the silver painted fake class lights initially with a number 61 bit, followed by a number 55. I inserted the bulbs so just the slightest rounded tip of the bulb protruded to the extent the fake lens did. I used Super Z RC56 glue to glue the bulbs to the inside of the front hood. I did cut about 1/4" off the top of the vertical portion of the frame right behind the nose just below the cutout for the Gyralight.

    I set the Rotary Beacon to F5 and the Class Lights with a dimmed value to F6 (they show a little better to the eye than to the camera).

    Here's the end result, Class Lights Illuminated and extinguished.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited by a moderator: May 10, 2010
  7. bob_wintle

    bob_wintle Member Frisco.org Supporter

    The A6X that Keith installed in his SD45 is a Train Control Systems (TCS) decoder. It is not a sound decoder.
    Bob Wintle
    Parsons, Ks.
     
  8. Iantha_Branch

    Iantha_Branch Member

  9. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Interesting to see that the 927, which is a basic early SLSF SD45 without the nose coonskin logo or the nose gyralight, is being bid up less than the 911 (nose logo) and the 943 (nose gyralight).

    The 927 is the one to buy if you only want one - very likely will cost less, plus that is the configuration of most of the Frisco's SD45's.

    Ken
     
  10. Iantha_Branch

    Iantha_Branch Member

    Any one have trouble with there's derailing on switches? Mine was problems with going through switches that others go through fine, and I don't know why.
     
  11. pensive

    pensive Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Do any of your other locomotives have 3 axles per truck? The wheelbase may be to long to successfully negotiate the switches and the lead wheel may be picking the point of the frog. Model manufacturers build a certain amount of play into thier trucks but running a 3 axle truck though a #4 turnout is putting it to an extreme test.

    Rich
     
  12. Iantha_Branch

    Iantha_Branch Member

    It's the only 3 axle I'm running, and it keeps derailing on my #6's. I have a #4 on the mainline, it goes through it fine, but it only goes straight, when I try to go through the track to that splits off is when it derails.
     
  13. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    It's time to break out the NMRA Standard gauge.
     
  14. Rick McClellan

    Rick McClellan 2009 Engineer of the Year

    Yep, sounds like an axle is out of gauge. My SD45s are rolling through turnouts ok.

     

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