# Help adding flywheels to locos



## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

I have a pair of Athearn Blue Box DD-40 locomotives that are dual motor without flywheels. One has the old style Athearn motors the other the newer. I have the following questions:
1. How many flywheels did the ones that came with flywheels have?
2. Can I use the old style BB motors with flywheels? (I know the newer ones can be since they are the same motor as in my GP35, SD40-2 etc.)
3. Where is the best place to get the flywheels, so far price wise it is looking best to get some parts engines off EBay in a bulk lot.
4. What eles will I need to do this?
5. Is there something else that will improve the performance of hese locos?

Currently these are my best pullers in their stock form. I have kept them running like the day they came out of the box, just wondering if there is a way to make them betere than that day.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

I bought mine with the idea of adding flywheels...I wanted dual motors but knew they came without flywheels installed. There is no real room in a dual motored unit. The single came with flys but I wasn't interested in that. 

My line of thought has always been against dummy locomotives for operations, the idea being that each loco should be powered, just like real life. Since a DD40 is two locos under one roof, I couldn't accept any less than two motors in mine so I dropped the project all together.

It could still be done I'm sure---but---being the stickler I was on this project, I could not interfere with the center pass-thru between the two engines, it had to be see thru as well, just like the real ones. I'll figure it out someday...alas, sigh, groan...

BTW, if you do pull it off, the SP usually ran their DD35s _(the locos that the Athearn models came from)_ with a SD40 in tow. Because they were too big to go in the yards, the crew would send the SD unit in to pickup their train. My plan was to put together the set to run at shows...sigh...


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

shaygetz said:


> I bought mine with the idea of adding flywheels...I wanted dual motors but knew they came without flywheels installed. There is no real room in a dual motored unit. The single came with flys but I wasn't interested in that.
> 
> My line of thought has always been against dummy locomotives for operations, the idea being that each loco should be powered, just like real life. Since a DD40 is two locos under one roof, I couldn't accept any less than two motors in mine so I dropped the project all together.
> 
> ...


The SP I received from you was one I was looking to add them to. I do like the see through effect as you mentioned. I new the DD35s always had an SD40 in tow but never knew why. Thanks for the knowledge. On my layout they have had to settle for a GP35 (Erie Lackawanna) since that is what I have. The SD40-2 has other duties.

The SP with the newer motors is smooth, but fast to come to a stop. The EMD Demonstraighter with the older style motors stops dead when I get it under 10% power. It will make the trailers fly off the flat car. The only thing I can do at this point is turn the momentum option on. I do not like that when my 2 yr old is in the room, little hand accidentally find there way on the track at times and Emergency stops are needed.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

shaygetz- Your DD-40's don't have twin motors or flywheels??
Sorry little confused.
tkruger- Did you get the DD-40's from shaygetz?
I have a set of (4) DD-40's all with 7 pole twin motors and 4 flywheels.
I got them new and I'm 99.9% sure Athern built them that way?
_Here is some info you might find interesting._
There has always been a uproar to "They never made a Real life DD-40 that looked like that!"
Yes this is true! Well sort of.
The real life "DD-40's" they did make were DD-40AX's
The Athern DD-40's that you have are not DD-40AX's or DD-35A's
No models of the DD35 or DD35A have been made.
DD-35 is a B unit and DD-35A is a cab unit.
The Athern DD-40's were designed off of a REAL life set of blue prints that were offered and before they got built they got re-designed to the DD-40AX right before final build and release.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

NIMT.COM said:


> shaygetz- Your DD-40's don't have twin motors or flywheels??
> The real "DD-40's" they did make were DD-40AX's
> The Athern DD-40's that you have are not DD-40AX's or DD-35A's
> No models of the DD35 or DD35A have been made.
> ...


Yes, they were the original 1968 offerings made by Athearn when the prototypes first came out. I have the articles from Mr magazine at that time. From those I learned of the real ones, my plans were to eventually put a 3 unit setup together---2 As and 1 B---coupled with an SD40...7 motors in all, would've really pulled some tonnage.:thumbsup:

The original issues were dual motored without flys and single motored with flys. The most recent model did include duals with flys but by then, Athearn wasn't really Athearn to me. Athearn used to be spelled A-F-F-O-R-D-A-B-L-E until the late 1990s...hwell:


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

I'm not really sure of the year of mine I was thinking 70 or 71?
They are the old blue box version's not the Genesis.


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

The one I have is a BB erra the other may actually be the original issue. The motors in it look tike those from the rubber band powered drives.


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## nsr_civic (Jun 21, 2010)

I have my friends dd40. Dual motors and no flywheels. I am in an advanced machining class at the local comunity college and this semester I will be atempting to turn some flywheels for the dd40 on our cnc lathe. If I get a set that will work ill make extras!. What motors are in your dd40? Are they the origional grey magnet ring motors or the newer brass ring dual magnet motors?


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

I have found a way to do it! And it works, sort of. I wanted to keep the see through effect so I was limited to placing only one flywheel in the front motor. At the same time I was able to convert the DD-40 with the gray motors to the newer style. This required the scarifie of an Atheran F7 and an GP35. The GP has become a dummy and the F7 lost its fly wheels and motor. The F7 was re powered with the old style motor and flywheels from the GP.

What was done was to install the flywheel on the rear of he front motor. Various drive shaft pieces where then taken from the GP and modified to connect the two motors in the DD-40.

How does it run. It stopes much better. Not as well as a normal BB with the dual flywheels but there is improvement, no more of the slam the brakes effect. The one that has had the old motors replaced is a night and day difference. The loco is far quieter now. Pulling power is about the same.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Ok I had to dig threw my packed loco's to find my DD-40's.
I was pretty sure that they had 4 flywheels and that the motors were not connected. Ok I haven't lost my mind, Ok maybe a little! eek:


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

NIMT, Are those Athearn flywheels? All of the Blue Box ones I have ever seen were wider like mine. Somme were longer with a smaller diameter but none that narrow.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Yes they are Athern Blue Box engines. I have a set of 4 and they are all the exact same build besides the numbers. It took some great guys at an Phoenix, AZ train store over 2 and 1/2 years to find them for me.


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