# Maintenance and Questions



## Russell (Dec 11, 2009)

I have two old Athearn switchers from around 1985, one is painted in CPR colours and the other is unpainted.










The CPR one has done a bit of track and has what looks like some graphite falling on the metal. 
Questions: Should I clean it? How? With what? Is it graphite? Is it a problem?










I'm not finished  see next post.


----------



## Russell (Dec 11, 2009)

Should I clean the contacts? They seem a bit tarnished. If yes, how should I go about it?









Next the CPR unit has a working light. The unpainted unit has a light in the box but it's unattached. Where it should hold on the metal frame, the frame has a round peg and the light attachment has a hole which fits into this peg. How should I join them: with solder, glue, chewing gum? 

If the bulb is not working, (I don't know yet.) do I just pull it out or is it screwed in?










Last questions coming up


----------



## Russell (Dec 11, 2009)

Two final questions.

First Looking at the photo you see a metal rail along the locomotive horizontally to hold on to with one's hands I guess. Is this accurate or was it a shortcut by Blue Box Athearn? i.e. a short cut for a full side railing with stanchions.










Last question  Looking at the two locomotives next to one another, they look different.









The CPr unit (more used) in the forground has these gold finish rings. For the unit in the background the finish is silver. What is the explanation?


----------



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

You can clean it with a Q tip or eraser. 

Don't bother with differences, they happen over time. I don't follow blue box so I couldn't tell you. The bulds do change out. Some sre soldered and have no socket.

They are the best engines going so a little care and they will work fine.

May be someone else can add more.


----------



## Russell (Dec 11, 2009)

Thank you T Man.


----------



## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

You won't go wrong with those...easy to maintain and repair, you may just have to give your head a second scratch and look a little closer...their mechanisms changed very little after the 1960s. 

Athearn is referred to as the EMD of Model Railroading for their reliability and popularity, as well as the fact that they did mostly EMD units.


----------



## beavis (Dec 3, 2010)

Can you get new axle assemblies for these? I have an Athearn similar to these that's making noise from the front end. Sounds like grinding gears...


----------



## Russell (Dec 11, 2009)

I don't know. I've just started doing maintenance and am a bit of a novice. That's why i asked all the questions. 

Maybe the gears need a bit of grease. But that's just a novice's guess.


----------



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

If the axle mount or the gear broke just pull it out and do without. You will lose some drive but not all.


----------



## Russell (Dec 11, 2009)

T-Man, I'm a little in over my head, but since it's not my tax return, or my road car, the worst case senerio isn't so bad . 

Looking at my photos of the locomotives 'topless' (but not sexy), I see a middle section with the bundle of wires (the dynamo?) then I see the two rings on either side of the middle section. finally, on both ends, above the wheels the plastic 'universal joints'? are to be seen bringing the power to the wheels?

Where in all of this are the gears? They are not visible. Cheers and thanks for your help already.
Problems and all, I'm having fun.


----------



## beavis (Dec 3, 2010)

http://www.mcor-nmra.org/Publications/Articles/Athearn_TuneUp.html

This link was posted by another member in another thread on here, wish I knew who it was to give them credit but they wrote this on another site and has helped me ALOT!!! very informative and illustrated very well!!!!

I've tuned up mine since reading this and it runs like a champ now, haven't hard wired it YET but plan to soon.

Can't say enough about this article!!!!


----------



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Russell said:


> T-Man, I'm a little in over my head, but since it's not my tax return, or my road car, the worst case senerio isn't so bad .
> 
> Looking at my photos of the locomotives 'topless' (but not sexy), I see a middle section with the bundle of wires (the dynamo?) then I see the two rings on either side of the middle section. finally, on both ends, above the wheels the plastic 'universal joints'? are to be seen bringing the power to the wheels?
> 
> ...



Use the Beavis link and find truck upgrade. I used this site long ago on a post for removing the shell.


----------

