I was in the middle of routine inspection and maintenance of my engines when I discovered one of my Athearn GP40s had a coupler out of alignment (sitting too high). After removing the shell, I observed that the front portion of the frame, which holds the pilot draft gear box, was bent slightly upwards, causing the coupler to point up at an angle. Thus, it could potentially not couple/uncouple correctly.
Here's where my stupid meter kicks in. I removed the draft gear box, took out a small pliers and proceeded to pry at the frame to bend it back into shape. You guessed it... I was standing there with the main frame in my left and the now broken angle portion in the pliers of my right. After a few choice words I put everything down and walked away.
After I calmed down, I proceeded to mend the broken frame by joining the two pieces with some cement. After letting that dry, I added more cement around the split joint and let that dry. Hoping to strengthen the joint, I then added some left over styrene (90 degree angle stuff) to the inside and outside of the angle where I broke the frame. I then replaced the coupler box, having removed the kadee coupler and replaced it with one of my cheaper plastic spares. I'm hoping the plastic coupler will fail before the frame does. With the shell replaced, all the damage is hidden. By sheer luck, the coupler now sits level and at the correct height. The engine is now relegated to the freight yard for light switching duty. At some point I hope to get brave enough to put it back on the mainline, but I have my doubts about how well my repair will hold (too nervous to give it a stress test).
I feel like I just earned a Darwin Award. The lesson here is don't try this at home kids. There are a lot of coulda, shoulda, woulda's that would have solved a minor problem turned major. I submit this hoping someone will learn from my mistake.
Regards,
Jonathan
you may be able to find a new frame here:
https://www.modelrailcraft.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=140-46729 (https://www.modelrailcraft.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=140-46729)
So I read this and wonder, how did the metal frame get bent in the first place?
I think he left out the juicy part, like maybe when the loco was airborne for a short drop. That sometimes happens if the bungee cord is too long. :D
Or...is there a little brother in the house?
Yeah cause if or was the paraless drop that bent it, that would mean I got off lucky when I lost an atlas dash 8 off an un protected siding leading to a painful 5 foot drop. All I can say is ouch, but in the end I got away with only a few broken handrails and a lost plow but no frame bending.
Sorry, the story doesn't get juicy. My son is not tall enough to reach up to the benchwork. I think it was a defect that was not detected at the manufacturer. I've had the engine for well over a year and just now noticed it myself. I'm still a little new at this. Thanks, pdlethbridge for the info. At least if the frame fails, I know I can get a replacement. Now I just need to learn how to take an engine down to parade rest and put it back together again. I just got the soldering down. Now I may have to learn to unsolder. The fun never ends.
R,
J
Many challenges, many new skills learned, much satisfaction gained.
I liked the part about the piece in the pliers, that was sorta juicy.
I suspect Athearn and similar diecast frames warp because of casting stresses. It seems to take a year or two for all the stress to dissipate. Leastwise, that is my explanation for finding couplers off height when I am sure I installed them correctly and frames that no longer fit in the body quite as well as they did when new.
I guess I have been lucky but I haven't broken a frame by straightening. Usually I strip it down, then put it on a hardwood block (shaped if necessary) and gently tap it back into shape with a soft hammer.
Jim
Yeah, Jim, sometimes I forget to go slow and gentle. Learning...
jonathan, I didn't say I have never broken anything by trying to straighten it. How do you think I learned to go slow and gentle?. ;D ;D
Jim
Also, you may want to check out ALine. Joe has many frames they cast there and he specifically targets Athearn for rebuilds. He also has PPW motors. Not the cheapest but good pricing and he is great to deal with. Stephen
did you double check the problem prone parts maybe you should order a new bogie or were ever the problem is so how does a metal piece get bent
I've had more than a few Athearns with bent frames some of them were brand new.You can straighten the frame with just your hands,you don't need to strip the unit any further than removing the shell to do this .To straighten the frame grasp the unit in one hand at the motor fuel tank and apply a downward pressure on the end just behind the coupler mount,Do this in stages so as to not over bend the frame.
It is really helpful if you can view the frame straight on at eye level setting on track.
HOR, if your question is "how did the frame get bent", an answer is, as Catt somewhat hinted to by mentioning he's found them new, with a bend, is that sometimes when Athearn frames were cast, they were taken out of the molds when still a little "warm". In taking them out when they were still warm, the metal still being soft enough, they would "warp" or bend a little.
As pointed out, it is not difficult to straighten out the frame. They are also some of the easiest locos to strip down and take apart and put back together.
Welcome to the board and our "happy" little (14K +) group.
Don't feel bad - I did the same thing less then a year ago working on an Athearn FP45. As you now know, the metal used in these frames is not conducive to bending without breaking.
However I did perform a fix similar to what you described, using CA adhesive and some styrene reinforcement over the break. Other than looking a bit inelegant with the shell off, it is plenty strong enough to pull a passenger train with no more problems (I wouldn't doubt if it's probably stronger then it was originally).
Last night, as I have done in the past, I took the frame of a GP38-2, put the front end where the coupler mounts in a workbench vise and tightened up the vise on the coupler mount. (Picture the frame sticking up in the air with the front end in the vise), Then, grabbing the frame as close to the vise as possible, I bent it (gently) in the direction I wanted to take out some "warp" and walla, fixed. It is the geep or SD 45 frames that seem to have more of these warped issues than F7 frames that I have come across.
Been there too,had a good clean brake on mine, cleaned with alcohol, used some super glue to mend the break under some pressure by holding it for a good 5 minutes not moving a muscle and it held ever since ,later i cleaned off some of the paint and used a piece of the metal contact strip for the motor to truck contact bent in a vise at a 90 degree angle and glued it in with super glue to to the back side to reinforce and its good as new ! Maybe I CAN SAY I TRIED HEATING ANOTHER ON THE STOVE TO STRAIGHTEN IT OUT AND IT MELTED LIKE SOLDER,, I GUESS THAT IS WHAT AN EXPERIENCED MODEL RAILROADER MEANS,GOOD LUCK!
Good to run into Jonathon at Timonium last weekend and see his Connie-powered work train and EM-1-powered endless wagon-top box car train on the club's modular layout. I scored a sealed-in-the-box B&O Connie for $50 on someone's table, which I plan to run at the club in McKeesport.
Years ago I had bought a unpainted PFM Great Northern Class Q12-10-2.... after learning my way around an air brush got up the nerve to try my hand at a Glacier Park paint scheme on
this engine and have to say at least to my eyes it turned out beautifully.
matter of fact thought it looked so great i left it on a short spur on. the railroad "just so I could admire my work. Oh' did I mention this spur was on the front edge of the layout? Yep need say no more.
thank God I had carpeted the floor.......we all do stupid things in our lives some are just luckier than others.....
Likewise, good to see you at Timonium, ebtnut! Scored a little brass and some craftsman kits this time.
Regards,
Jonathan
I tend to think if I had to straighten one of these frames I'd put a weight on it and maybe heat it up some.
But then if I busted the coupler ear off I think I'd just convert it to shell mounted couplers, like so many engines come now. Unless I planned to pull 100-car trains with it, that should be fine.
Hey Jonathan; maybe you can braze it...
Rich C.