This article was written many years ago, before the age of DCC, and explains how to replace the faulty wiper strip on older Athearn Blue Box locomotives. It was published on an older version of the Railroad Depot and is being posted here after finding it in the long lost archives.
Contents
- Step 1: Removing the Shell
- Step 2: Preparing to Hard Wire
- Step 3: Soldering the Wire
- Step 4: Reassembling the Locomotive
Step 1: Removing the Shell
The very first step in hard wiring your locomotive of course is to take it apart. The procedure for this will vary depending on the type of Athearn locomotive you own. It’s best to consult the instruction manual which came with your locomotive for instructions on how to remove the shell assembly. However, if you do not have these instructions, follow the steps below:
- Athearn shells with round locating pins below the side sill:
- Use a small screw driver to lift the side sill over the locating pins being careful not to break any parts.
- Loosen all mounting tabs. GP units have two while SD units have four.
- Athearn shells with no round locating pins below the side sill:
- Hold the unit on the sides of the long hood and place your other hand under the fuel tank.
- Pinch firmly on the long hood section while pulling gently on the fuel tank.
- It may take some force but be gentle so you don’t break the locating pins.
Step 2: Preparing to Hard Wire
PLEASE NOTE: There is one very important step here, so don’t forget it! If you do, you will have to buy a replacement part, and it only takes a few seconds to prevent that.
- Remove the metal connector clip that runs across the top of the motor and to the trucks. Do what you wish with it, trash it, eat it, or bend it into the shape of a bird, it’s no longer needed.
- Important Step: Locate the metal clip on top of the motor. Under this clip is a small spring that must be removed before you solder anything. If you don’t, you will warp the spring and loosen the pressure on the commutator. To remove this clip, lift carefully on the part of the clip that curves down around the front of the motor housing. A screwdriver may aid in this step.
- Remove the small spring and set it in a place where it won’t get lost. If you do happen to loose this part, Athearn sells the springs in twelve packs as part number 84014 for $3.60 and should be available to any Walther’s Dealer.
- Snap the top clip back in place to hold it while soldering and you are ready to solder the wire.
Step 3: Soldering the Wire
You will need a few items before starting this step:
- .032 Rosin Core Solder (Radio Shack # 64-005) works the best in this application.
- Soldering iron or gun of your choice. You don’t need a lot of heat for this, and the less is actually better.
- Solder Paste or Flux
- 24 to 20 Gauge Stranded Wire
I have tried many different sizes and types of solder, and found the type I listed to work the best. I have also heard people using heavier wire but it really isn’t necessary here. I suggest 24 to 20 gauge wire (I use the 24 gauge) for a couple of reasons. The main reason is that you want something large enough to carry the current, but not too large to restrict the movement of the trucks. The wire should also be stranded wire to aid in soldering to the flat contacts on the trucks and motor. You can use any type of soldering device you wish, and you do not need a lot of heat. I use a cheap pen type soldering iron from Radio Shack (sorry, don’t have the part number) and get great results. Make sure your soldering device is hot before starting. You should also be using solder paste or flux (also available at Radio Shack). This cleans the surface of the metal while soldering for better adhesion.
- First cut a piece of wire long enough to stretch across the motor and to both trucks. A good rule of thumb is to cut a piece one inch longer then the connector clip you removed earlier.
- Strip a 1/4″ section directly in the center of the wire taking care not to cut too many of the strands. You can cut the wire in half and solder both halves to the motor, but doing it this way adds an extra step.
- Now strip both ends exposing about 1/4″ of the wire. You do not need to twist the ends of the wire unless you have a fetish for doing this.
- Apply small amounts of flux to all of the exposed wire on your jumper. Melt a small drop of solder on the tip of your soldering device and touch it to each end and the center of the wire. This is called tinning the wire and will make the next few steps easier. You should just start to see solder on the exposed wire if this step is done correctly.
- Apply a small amount of flux to the center of the clip on top of the motor. Melt another small drop of wire on your soldering device and touch it to the center of your wire while holding it on the center clip. You should only have to hold the soldering device on the wire for a few seconds for the solder to melt.
- Hold the wire in place until the solder hardens (only takes a few seconds). Test to make sure the wire is soldered firmly to the clip. If not, you can reheat the joint with the soldering device. Try not to hold the soldering device on the motor too long to avoid from melting the plastic parts.
- Before soldering the ends of the wire to the trucks, make sure you have enough wire to allow the trucks to turn completely in the frame. Although your trucks may never turn that sharp, you don’t want the wire snapping off when you are handling your locomotive. If the wire is not long enough, remove the wire from the motor by heating the solder on the clip. Cut a new piece of wire slightly longer and return to step 2.
- You can start with either truck for this step. Put a small amount of solder flux on the metal truck contact. Melt a small drop of solder on your soldering device then touch it to the wire while holding the wire on the truck contact. Again, you should only have to hold it for a couple of seconds for the solder to melt. Hold the wire until the solder hardens and test to make sure you have good contact. Repeat this step for the other truck.
- Rotate each truck to assure that the wire will not prevent the truck from steering into the curves. If your trucks stop turning before hitting the frame on the sides, your wire may be too tight. If your layout has large radius curves and a minimum #6 switch you most likely won’t have problems. Otherwise you may want to replace the wire with a longer piece. The only way you will know is to run the locomotive on your layout. If it derails, your wire is too short.
The finished soldering should look something like what you see above.
Please note: After a few weeks, you may notice rust forming on the truck contacts. This is caused by the flux cleaning the metal and exposing it to the air. Don’t worry, as long as you have a good solder joint, this rust won’t cause you any problems. I have units that have had rust in these spots for 10 years or more and have never had a problem.
Step 4: Reassembling the Locomotive
It won’t take any time at all for the parts you just soldered to cool, so you don’t need to wait to reassemble your locomotive. If you are going to use the standard headlight, make sure the copper clip that comes from the back of the light makes contact with the truck contact. You may even solder a short jumper from the truck or motor to this clip if you want a better contact. However, I suggest replacing the headlight altogether as it is almost never in the correct place anyway.
- Remember that spring we removed? Hopefully you didn’t lose it! You will need to replace that spring before your locomotive will run. Remove the clip the same way you did before and place the spring in the hole.
- Gently press the clip down making sure the spring stays straight in the hole. If you bend the spring, or crimp it even in the slightest, you may not get good contact with the commutator resulting in jerky operations.
- Now place the shell back on the locomotive and you are ready to go.
Once you have done one, the next ones come easier. I had a collection of over 50 Athearn locomotives before I started hard wiring. I did all of them in the matter of only a few hours one night and only had to rewire one of them. After you rewire all of your locomotives, you will notice that they will operate better as the power will be constant to the motor. That is as long as your track is clean!
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