What's wrong with Athearn SW1500?
Michael McIntyre
It's really an SW1000 or SW1200 or SW7 or something like that...
I'm curious, because I've been looking at the line-art drawings of
these different models, and I can't find anything especially wrong
with my Athearn SW1500... Looks like the upper grill on the hood end
is a little too narrow, but all the doors and louvers and hatches and
such are in the right spots.
What am I missing here?
---
D. Michael McIntyre | mmci...@swva.net | USDA zone 6a in sw VA
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/index.html
Paul Charland
There is nothing wrong with the SW-1500, it's Athearn's other switcher.
The one being marketed as an SW-1200 is really an SW-7. The P2K model is
a real SW-9/1200 (no difference in the carbody).
Paul
James D Thompson
>
> I seem to remember it being said that the Athearn SW1500 is all wrong.
> It's really an SW1000 or SW1200 or SW7 or something like that...
and retagged the old one as an SW7, which is basically what it was to
begin with.
David Thompson
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Trainman
The original, issued in the mid 1960's, was done from EMD's pre-production
artwork, and was indeed a good "SW-7", or, if you bought the "calf" also, a
"TR-4". By removing louvers above the letterboard area it also made a
credible SW-9/SW-1200.
About 1990, Athearn FINALLY made a REAL SW-1500 (and SW-1000), and
"relabled" the old model as what it really was, an SW-7.
It's a shame that Athearn didn't offer it as an SW-7 for so many years,
because the two "SW-7" models that were on the market (Revell & Varney) were
ACTUALLY TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE NW-2 !!!
(And the Athearn GP-9 is actually closer to a GP-7 too, but we won't open
THAT can of worms <G>)
Don
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Michael McIntyre <mmci...@swva.net> wrote in message
news:j0933tcfd0irp6khr...@4ax.com...
Andy Harman
<mmci...@swva.net> wrote:
>I seem to remember it being said that the Athearn SW1500 is all wrong.
>It's really an SW1000 or SW1200 or SW7 or something like that...
Athearn released a new, correct SW1500 at least 10 years ago...
although some hobby shops may not be aware of it and still have the
old SW7's labeled SW1500's on the shelf. This was one of Athearn's
most backhanded product announcements... was at Johnny's one day, and
saw the recent run of SW7's labeled "SW7" on the box... and said hey,
does that mean they are finally going to do a real SW1500? Seems like
everybody figured that out immediately, the 1500 was released within a
few months.
Now the SW1000 is more of a kludge, changed the radiator top and
stacks but the sides are still SW1500. I think the door pattern
should be different. But actually the Athearn SW1500 *and* SW7 are
decent models, when correctly labeled. The 1500 is sharper and more
refined, but the 7 is not bad at all - the wide hood is more or less
correct.
Andy
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Peter King
Trainman wrote:
>
stuff deleted...
>
> (And the Athearn GP-9 is actually closer to a GP-7 too, but we won't open
> THAT can of worms <G>)
>
> Don
>
Don, you're absolutely right! Hood-width issues aside, the Athearn
'GP-9' is actually a GP-7. In fact, Athearn even changed the name to
'GP-7' a couple of years ago. Makes me wonder if they were planning to
do a GP-9, but no sign of it. (Yet.)
Peter King in NY
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laughter.
Mike Epler
<p.ch...@sympatico.ca> wrote:
>Michael McIntyre wrote:
>> I seem to remember it being said that the Athearn SW1500 is all wrong.
>> It's really an SW1000 or SW1200 or SW7 or something like that...
>>
>> I'm curious, because I've been looking at the line-art drawings of
>> these different models, and I can't find anything especially wrong
>> with my Athearn SW1500... Looks like the upper grill on the hood end
>> is a little too narrow, but all the doors and louvers and hatches and
>> such are in the right spots.
>>
>> What am I missing here?
>>
some other EMD switcher units out there. These are all HO.
After seeing the discussion that this topic starts in several
different goups, I thought I'd do some checking to just satisfy my
curiosity. I'm sharing it so others can help resolve some of the new
questions this data helps create.
The cross section measurements were done at two consistent points:
<1> Top of hood between the radiator venting and first exhaust stack
[a common bell location] or about 11 to 12 scale feet from the front
of the unit
<2> And on the front nose parallel with the radiator frame.
Except for the brass imports, multiple units were measured. Some are
painted, some are still bare naked. I used a caliper and model
railroad scale rule. Obvious cast on materials like handrails, hinges,
grab irons, etc. were avoided.
Alco Products (KTM) brass SW-1 24 mm wide
Walthers plastic SW-1 24 mm wide
Oriental Lmtd. (SAM) brass SW-9 24.5 mm wide
Kato plastic NW-2 24.5 mm wide
AHM plastic SW-1 24.5 mm wide
Athearn plastic SW-7 25 mm wide
Life Like P2K plastic SW9/1200 25 mm wide
Varney zamac NW-2 25.5 mm wide
Lindsay [Kemtron] cast brass NW-2 25.5 mm wide
Con-Cor [Revell] plastic NW-2 26 mm wide
Lindberg plastic SW600 26.5 mm wide
Threw these in just because I was doing the others:
Con-Cor plastic MP-15 21.5 mm wide
Bowser [Carey] zamac SW1500 24.5 mm wide .
I then went through many drawings/plans to see just what has been
published. Measurements were taken at the same two points listed above
on the published plans:
RMC ( Al Kamm, Jr. in 1965) SW-1 and TR-2 (NW-2)
Both areas were: 23.5 mm wide or 6.67 scale ft. wide
Kalmbach in Cyc 2 - NW-2, SW9, RS1325 [hood], SW600, TR
Both areas were: 24 mm wide or 7 scale ft. wide
Some other older EMD units: SC/SW
Both areas were: 23 mm wide or 6.5 scale ft. wide
Late models: SW1500, MP15
Both areas were: 21 mm wide or 6 scale ft. wide
I do not know what the real life actual hood widths are for any of
these units but based on the published drawings most models in this
class are at least close to the published material in the scale width.
[length as well but not listed above]
I certainly would like to have a source of confirmed real hood widths.
I am not making any other value judgements as to the perceived quality
of any of the units listed above or the relative merits of how well
die sets, etchings, etc were produced. If you want to make comments
relative to those areas, I'll see about adding those to the overall
data collected and posted.
If you have additional information to add/improve, please send it to
me. I certainly would like to add other switcher model units to the
list, like Athearn SW1500 and SW1000. Based on what is sent and other
discussion here, I will collect that information and put it online on
a web page.
Mike Epler
[this was formatted when it left here]
p.s. --
Sometimes discussion about the overall accuracy of drawings and
photos to help prepare commercial models gets started. If you have
access to other scale drawings/plans, I would like to know what
information they show. I would like to add that to the information
base as well.
LARRY020
Athearn showed pre-production samples of the SW1500, SW1000, and the improved
PA-1 at the PSR convention in Torrance in September of 1988. They said they
would be available by Christmas time. They showed up around Christmas time,
1989.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.......
Larry, from Pinole, CA
Jeff de La Beaujardiere
> About 1990, Athearn FINALLY made a REAL SW-1500 (and SW-1000), and
> "relabled" the old model as what it really was, an SW-7.
Do the newer Athearn SW1500s run well,
especially at lower speeds?
-Jeff DLB
Trainman
Jeff de La Beaujardiere <jef...@erols.com> wrote in message
news:3A33D3...@erols.com...
As good as any other contemporary Athearn. (At least my two do, one of
which is actually under an old Revell NW-2 shell)
Michael McIntyre
>especially at lower speeds?
Yes. Mine runs pretty well at slow speeds. My only gripe is that
it's too dang small to put in a constant lighting unit.
Sean S.
>>especially at lower speeds?
>
>Yes. Mine runs pretty well at slow speeds. My only gripe is that
>it's too dang small to put in a constant lighting unit.
I managed to get Accurate Lighting's constant lighting kit (especially made for
the Athearn SW1500/1000) into a CR SW1500 that I modeled. It's a tight fit,
but the kit works very well. Cutting away about a third of each motor brush
spring also improved slow speed performance.
Edward Oates
constant lighting because its DCC.
Ed.
in article 20001210153731...@ng-co1.aol.com, Sean S. at
sean...@aol.comnojunk wrote on 12/10/00 12:37 PM:
JHBRIGHT
it's too dang small to put in a constant lighting unit. >>
Michael, I used four Circuitron 1.5v Mitey Lites #7416 and a Radio Shack bridge
rectifier #1152 to get non-directional constant lighting. A diode in the line
could make it directional. No Fit problem at all. An A-Line can motor also
makes it a much better runner.
J. Bright
Dale Gloer
of room in the front of the hood for 6 diodes for constant voltage
directional lighting. Or if you want DCC there is lots of room for a
Digitrax DH121 or DH140/142.
Of course since you take out the stock bulb you have to replace it with
something. I use just the clear plastic insert for the light, both
front and rear and drill the back side to hold a Miniatronics 1.5volt
micro bulb.
Dale Gloer
Jeff de La Beaujardiere
> > especially at lower speeds?
Trainman wrote:
> As good as any other contemporary Athearn.
I don't own any contemporary Athearns, only P2K
and a non-working c.1978 Athearn GP35....
-Jeff DLB
Victor Parsons
Jeff de La Beaujardiere <jef...@erols.com> wrote in message
news:3A33D3...@erols.com...