I have an Athearn F7A that I need part for. The windows I think a re item #11016 from Athearn. I also need the coupler system as the unit has no coupler assembly at all so I don't recognize the way this locomotive should look to even know what to search for. Rolling stock couplers are rather straight forward looking and so is the coupling system on my Athearn SW-1 switcher, but the F7A looks foreign to me... any clues as to what I need? Thanks!!
Athearn is definitely in business still and has all of the parts for that model available for repair stuff. The coupler has changed a bit from the '50s era models to today models. The one that I am most familiar is the metal pocket with a stepped (at the top) pin in the middle of the pocket and a spring steel clip that goes over the pocket. This works well with the X2F coupler but not with Kadee couplers. McHenery couplers are plastic so they will work - you don't want to have any electrical connection between the frame and the couplers or you will have strange shorts.
-- Bob May
rmay at nethere.com http: slash /nav.to slash bobmay http: slash /bobmay dot astronomy.net
For the older F7s, I have some answers, but if this is the newer Genesis unit my advice probably doesn't apply.
Anyway - Walthers sells a diesel dress-up kit that has better windows than Athearn supplied for the F7s, I believe it's still available. It has windows, handrails, horns, etc.
As to the couplers, you're really better off drilling and tapping for a 2-56 screw, and then mounting Kadee couplers. I used a #5 in front, and (I think) one of the #40-series in back to get a bit closer coupling. The Athearn mounts use plastic clips, which are easy to snap off but don't really provide a good long-term mounting, especially for Kadees or similar.
- Steven Rio Grande Southern pages -
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