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I picked up an Athearn DD35A locomotive at the Ballarat and District Model Railway Show on Saturday. With eight wheel bogies this loco is huge.
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DD35A
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hello there. the loco is impressive. i have a slightly different one with silver bogies. they run well but they do sound like a bag of spanners dont they!!
If you ever need a spare part, i have a very small box of bits i got from victors to replace a part on mine. the black strip that runs along the bottom of the bogie tends to break at the ends so be carefull of that.
Peter
If you ever need a spare part, i have a very small box of bits i got from victors to replace a part on mine. the black strip that runs along the bottom of the bogie tends to break at the ends so be carefull of that.
Peter
Indeed it looks big - but can it haul big?
I have one in N scale from Bachmann, a EMD DDX40A, the final evolution of the design and the longest diesel ever built apparently:
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Alas Bachmann fitted drive on only one bogie and it has
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all pulling power...a Fleischmann tank engine could shunt it into a siding alas!! It can hardly manage a dozen wagons...let alone an even slightly prototypical train length...
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Goedel
I have one in N scale from Bachmann, a EMD DDX40A, the final evolution of the design and the longest diesel ever built apparently:
Alas Bachmann fitted drive on only one bogie and it has
Goedel
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Goedel, the Athearn has two motors, one per bogie and it does have a lot of "grunt."
I don't know if "Ballarat" has anything to do with Sherlock Holmes, I live in Ballarat which is situated in the Victorian Goldfields in Australia.
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I don't know if "Ballarat" has anything to do with Sherlock Holmes, I live in Ballarat which is situated in the Victorian Goldfields in Australia.
QUOTE (boilermaker69 @ 12 Jun 2007, 19:26) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Goedel, the Athearn has two motors, one per bogie and it does have a lot of "grunt."
A very good idea, just like the prototype! American models above all others really must have this 'grunt' - without it you lose the very essence of the US railways I feel...naughty Bachmann!
Goedel
A very good idea, just like the prototype! American models above all others really must have this 'grunt' - without it you lose the very essence of the US railways I feel...naughty Bachmann!
Goedel
I still have a Bachmann HO DDA40X...not quite such an impressive grunty hauler as the athearn...but easily modified to accept another motor 'bogie'....plus it had a flashing light!
the athearn DD35 was reckoned to draw an awful lot of amps....old american controllers would have put the UK national grid to shame.
I nearly bought a brass UP turbine at the same time.....but my modules would not have been long enough.
the athearn DD35 was reckoned to draw an awful lot of amps....old american controllers would have put the UK national grid to shame.
I nearly bought a brass UP turbine at the same time.....but my modules would not have been long enough.
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QUOTE I don't know if "Ballarat" has anything to do with Sherlock Holmes, I live in Ballarat which is situated in the Victorian Goldfields in Australia.
Ok. I've done my own homework and turned up "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" a short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring Sherlock Holmes. The link takes you to the full text.
David
Ok. I've done my own homework and turned up "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" a short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring Sherlock Holmes. The link takes you to the full text.
David
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QUOTE (dwb @ 13 Jun 2007, 05:45) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Ok. I've done my own homework and turned up "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" a short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring Sherlock Holmes. The link takes you to the full text.
David
I think there was a televised version of this. I remember it because Ballarat is sort of near by. Interestingly enough there is a character callled Anstruther in it which is the name of a fishing village near where I come from in Scotland.
The loco looks pretty huge.
David
I think there was a televised version of this. I remember it because Ballarat is sort of near by. Interestingly enough there is a character callled Anstruther in it which is the name of a fishing village near where I come from in Scotland.
The loco looks pretty huge.
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I had the single motor DD35 and it once got stuck under a bridge on a garden railway and pushed it sideways it had so much grunt. Basic but very reliable I sold mine earlier this year and it still ran well after nearly 20 years! The two motor must be a real beasty!
To make it more realistic you can replace the fans at each end of the central group of six big fans with a smaller fan so you get Small - BIG - BIG- BIG - BIG - Small, Athearn modelled from the design drawings so missed the alterations to the production units evidently.
Google some pictures and you'll see what I mean.
To make it more realistic you can replace the fans at each end of the central group of six big fans with a smaller fan so you get Small - BIG - BIG- BIG - BIG - Small, Athearn modelled from the design drawings so missed the alterations to the production units evidently.
Google some pictures and you'll see what I mean.
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I was actually under the impression that athearn modelled the DD40-which was designed but never actually built and the model is not technically a DD35?
the alterations you have mentioned will result in an accurate DD35. or am i going crackers?
Peter
the alterations you have mentioned will result in an accurate DD35. or am i going crackers?
Peter
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QUOTE (pedromorgan @ 14 Jun 2007, 05:35) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I was actually under the impression that athearn modelled the DD40-which was designed but never actually built and the model is not technically a DD35?
the alterations you have mentioned will result in an accurate DD35. or am i going crackers?
Peter
Correct, the alterations do convert it from the never built 40 to a production 35 I missed mentioning that the design they followed was the 40. I followed an article in a copy of railfan magazine I picked up second hand which said the only external difference was the fans. Unfortunately I passed it on to someone else ages ago.
The higher horsepower 40 design series ended up as the DD40x Cenntenial.
DD35's seem to have lasted longer than the 40x's in general service as they kept cropping up in videos in the 80's over Cajon Pass as booster units.
the alterations you have mentioned will result in an accurate DD35. or am i going crackers?
Peter
Correct, the alterations do convert it from the never built 40 to a production 35 I missed mentioning that the design they followed was the 40. I followed an article in a copy of railfan magazine I picked up second hand which said the only external difference was the fans. Unfortunately I passed it on to someone else ages ago.
The higher horsepower 40 design series ended up as the DD40x Cenntenial.
DD35's seem to have lasted longer than the 40x's in general service as they kept cropping up in videos in the 80's over Cajon Pass as booster units.
pedro....athearn rather jumped the gun with the DD35 and used 'pre-production' drawings etc for their model.....the DD35 was put into production, as was the DD40......apart from horsepower, the other major difference was the DD40 had a 'full width nose'....plus it was bigger.
both are piccied in 'UP motive power review'.......and both dies as a result of UP discovering, it was more economic sense to have two locos with half the horsepower each, than one big one.....especially as US railroads were very much affected by market trends....with many locos ending up beingmothballed.
as an aside to the above..recently on channel 5 were a series of programmes about 'big moves'....documenting the movement by road of extraordinary 'loads'...houses and such.....one prog showed two UP locos..a steam 'Big Boy', and a DD40, being removed from their 'museum' sheds and carted by road to stand on a mountain top as 'monuments'....the DD40 was the same as the Bachmann version...but with more power!
both are piccied in 'UP motive power review'.......and both dies as a result of UP discovering, it was more economic sense to have two locos with half the horsepower each, than one big one.....especially as US railroads were very much affected by market trends....with many locos ending up beingmothballed.
as an aside to the above..recently on channel 5 were a series of programmes about 'big moves'....documenting the movement by road of extraordinary 'loads'...houses and such.....one prog showed two UP locos..a steam 'Big Boy', and a DD40, being removed from their 'museum' sheds and carted by road to stand on a mountain top as 'monuments'....the DD40 was the same as the Bachmann version...but with more power!
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Alistair i thought there were 3 loco's
the DD35 which was built in both A and B variants (service with UP and SP)
The DD40 which was designed but never actually built but is modelled by athearn
and the DDA40X centennial built for the UP and modelled by bachmann and i have also seen brass ones now and then.
But it has been a very long time since i did US modelling so i could well just be going crackers.
Peter
the DD35 which was built in both A and B variants (service with UP and SP)
The DD40 which was designed but never actually built but is modelled by athearn
and the DDA40X centennial built for the UP and modelled by bachmann and i have also seen brass ones now and then.
But it has been a very long time since i did US modelling so i could well just be going crackers.
Peter
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I have been trying to find a decent picture of mine but this is the best i could come up with!!
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Peter
Peter
sorry pedro....so used to referring to the athearn one as a DD35, I got myself jumping the gun!
yes, you ARE right, in that the athearn model was actually done from the proposed DD40 drawing.....which never was...but as it happened ended up being very close in detail to the DD35......and since athearn were quite happy flogging Geeps with over-wide hoods.....I tend to overlook small details like fan size.
I actually 'went off' US modelling, as such, years ago.....although I have all my rolling stock, in drawers, etc....and my DD40 is a bit battered.....Bachmann couldn't provide me with new railings...at the time.
the reason for going off US stuff?
surprisingly, the advent of the 'super-detailed' locos and stock, starting back in the late 90's.
Suddenly, my ham-fisted efforts at adding detail and modifying, on the cheap......as per Chris Leigh, etc......using stuff like Bambi staples, etc for handgrabs.....seemed so pointless.
plus, with the advent of the 'super-detail' off-the-shelf stock, the scenery/buildings side of a layout sudeenly seemed super-crude?
Whereas in the 70's/80's, the levels of detail overall on the layout were very much on a par, now I feel there is a gross mismatch.....and buildings were'nt really my forte.
like today.....somehow, running those marvellous Bachmann locos and mark 1 coaches on Peco track shows up how 'incorrect' the trackwork is.....not particularly regarding gauge......but certainly regarding sleepers and fittings detail.....especially those incredibly unrealistic points?
yes, you ARE right, in that the athearn model was actually done from the proposed DD40 drawing.....which never was...but as it happened ended up being very close in detail to the DD35......and since athearn were quite happy flogging Geeps with over-wide hoods.....I tend to overlook small details like fan size.
I actually 'went off' US modelling, as such, years ago.....although I have all my rolling stock, in drawers, etc....and my DD40 is a bit battered.....Bachmann couldn't provide me with new railings...at the time.
the reason for going off US stuff?
surprisingly, the advent of the 'super-detailed' locos and stock, starting back in the late 90's.
Suddenly, my ham-fisted efforts at adding detail and modifying, on the cheap......as per Chris Leigh, etc......using stuff like Bambi staples, etc for handgrabs.....seemed so pointless.
plus, with the advent of the 'super-detail' off-the-shelf stock, the scenery/buildings side of a layout sudeenly seemed super-crude?
Whereas in the 70's/80's, the levels of detail overall on the layout were very much on a par, now I feel there is a gross mismatch.....and buildings were'nt really my forte.
like today.....somehow, running those marvellous Bachmann locos and mark 1 coaches on Peco track shows up how 'incorrect' the trackwork is.....not particularly regarding gauge......but certainly regarding sleepers and fittings detail.....especially those incredibly unrealistic points?
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