# Too Much Powerr



## SantaFeJim (Sep 8, 2015)

I am looking for the easiest way to convert an Athern Genesis F-unit from powered to non-powered. The first step is disconnecting the power leads from the motor. Then I plan on removing the gear box from each truck to make it as free-wheeling as possible.

Have I overlooked anyrhing? Is there a shorter/better method?

Thanks.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Sounds like what you would do to an old blue box Athearn, but I’ve never considered de-powering a Genesis loco......


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Once you remove the power, your loco becomes a very heavy car.
If you can, remove as much weight as possible. Take out the
motor and drive shaft. Remove the power pickup wipers from
the trucks unless you intend it for the lights.

Don


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

What Hobo said.


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

Just curious, why would you un-power a loco?


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## 65446 (Sep 22, 2018)

D&J Railroad said:


> Just curious, why would you un-power a loco?


That's what I was thinking, too.. Maybe he wants a dummy he doesn't have to speed match. Or, similar, he's analog DC and impossible to speed match...Yet if the train has enough cars/weight to warrant a lash up of 2 or more engines why have a dummy in the first place ?
In any event if you must have a dummy, obviously you'd remove every thing under the shell that's removable...No ?


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Well, you’d have to remove everything that doesn’t allow the wheels to roll freely.....that would include drive shafts, gears/sprockets, etc......you could leave the motor in, as long as it’s not hooked up to the drive train.....


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## Stumpy (Mar 19, 2013)

SantaFeJim said:


> Is there a shorter/better method?


Buy a non-powered unit.


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## SantaFeJim (Sep 8, 2015)

Yes, I wound up with a VERY heavy “car” to quote Don. My reason for creating a dummy. Purely for looks. In the 50’s and 60’s Santa Fe ran several daily reefer unit trains between Chicago and the West coast. Almost all of these had at least 4 units pulling 80-100 reefers. 

My train has 26 reefers and a caboose. My grades are 1.8%. With 4 powered units I could easily pull over 100 cars but it I would have to use up 50% of my yard capacity to store that beast.

Now I have an ABA on the point and it looks pretty decent. I am also considering converting an additional B to a dummy. This would, imho, look pretty darn cool.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Stumpy said:


> Buy a non-powered unit.


I believe the OP wanted a dummy Athearn Genesis unit, to match the high level of Genesis detailing of the powered unit, but I don’t think Athearn makes unpowered Genesis units....


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## J.Albert1949 (Feb 3, 2018)

I can't understand why one would spend the $$$ for a Genesis engine, and then ... "de-power" it.

But... that's just me...


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## Stumpy (Mar 19, 2013)

SantaFeJim said:


> Yes, I wound up with a VERY heavy “car” to quote Don. My reason for creating a dummy. Purely for looks. In the 50’s and 60’s Santa Fe ran several daily reefer unit trains between Chicago and the West coast. Almost all of these had at least 4 units pulling 80-100 reefers.
> 
> My train has 26 reefers and a caboose. My grades are 1.8%. With 4 powered units I could easily pull over 100 cars but it I would have to use up 50% of my yard capacity to store that beast.


On a model railroad sometimes it's just not practical to "prototype". 

That said, how is removing power going to save yard capacity if they're going to be in the MU as dummy units?


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## SantaFeJim (Sep 8, 2015)

Stumpy - Maybe I wasn't clear enough for you. It is the *100 reefers* that would suck up 50% of my yard storage capacity.


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## #815Rickster (10 mo ago)

SantaFeJim said:


> I am looking for the easiest way to convert an Athern Genesis F-unit from powered to non-powered. The first step is disconnecting the power leads from the motor. Then I plan on removing the gear box from each truck to make it as free-wheeling as possible.
> 
> Have I overlooked anyrhing? Is there a shorter/better method?
> 
> Thanks.


Hello Jim, Do you have any EJ&E o scale for sale? Thank you. Richard


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## #815Rickster (10 mo ago)

Hello Jim, Do you have any EJ&E o scale for sale? Thank you. Richard


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Irrelevent. Delete.


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