40 year old Athearn SD-45 Demonstrator Saved From The Garbage

[@animalyze7120]

No lie, one of my favorite past times in Model railroading is finding old junk engines especially Athearns and getting them on the rails again. Blue Box Athearns have always been and will always be my favorite brand. They are easy to maintain, repair and work flawless with DC and easily upgraded to DCC is that's your poison. Great video!

[@classicmodeltrains]

I agree with you and like the way you think!!

[@howardkarr4342]

Ron as a model railroader for some 60+ years I recently discovered your channel on KZbin. Although I am a prewar/postwar Lionel train guy who dabbled in HO years ago, a train guy is a train guy so it really doesn't matter. We are all hooked on model trains and in this one particular case "size doesn't matter!" Besides my Lionel collection and layout I collect Revell HO and enjoy collecting and restoring some of their locomotives along with collecting freight cars and buildings in their original Revell boxes. They had a very short stint in the train market and are getting really hard to find. I just want to thank you for your humor and expertise on model trains and keep up the outstanding work, I enjoy it very much! I sure would like to see you tackle a Revell loco some day....they are getting very scarce and parts are near impossible..

[@classicmodeltrains]

I have one Revell F unit. either the motor needs re-wound or magnets need replaced. It has no torque. I have a Varney F unit powered A and powered B that's coming up. I believe these are the predecessors to the Revell's. I also did a Life like F unit, the successor of Revell, in my 4th of July specials. Thats what the life like engineers did to the the original Varney drive. Thank you for your kind words and supporting my channel :-)

[@dirtydanstrains1414]

Great work! I love to see more people bringing old and awfully worn models back to life. Keep it up!

[@classicmodeltrains]

Hey Dirty Dan! Thanks for the kind words. Ive been to your channel in the past, Thanks for dropping in on mine :-)

[@startrekking359]

All I can say is WOW, I've been modeling for over 55 years, thank you so much caring this hobby on and showing kids and adults alike how to do this, I've learned with tyco, Mantua, AHM and many others, now I'm into the more expensive stuff sound digital and so on, you bring me back to my roots, thanks sooo much, I'm glad you enjoy it, I did.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks for your kind words. Thats my goal is to bring back good memories

[@startrekking359]

@@classicmodeltrains And you did🙂

[@gatblau1]

Aah, the simplicity of these old Athearns brings back memories.

[@tracynation2820]

Super. Hello from the Tracy Mountain Railway in Colorado. 💙 T.E.N.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks! Hello from up North of ya in Montana :-)

[@j81851]

Seeing that train run the track and it so PRETTY after it was beat to heck and all but trash is almost spiritual to me. Redemption is a great thing. I love your channel and the delicate detailed work you do. You are a credit to the hobby and just a fine person. KUDOS!!

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thank you so much for your kind words about me and my channel!!!

[@philliprowe2656]

It is cool that you actually respond to viewer comments unlike most channels!

[@classicmodeltrains]

Hello Phillip. Thanks for commenting. I figured If a guy is going to take the time to comment, I should also take some time and reply. Seems only right :-)

[@philliprowe2656]

@@classicmodeltrains here here!that is the attitude to have!

[@morganhay859]

Great video I recently went through the headache of making rails by hand but I superglued the stantions instead of soldering

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks! I ended up using a dot of CA on the other railing I've made. Definitely a bit faster :-)

[@ccrm10]

Excellent job with this Athearn's, I learned quite a bit, especially on replacing the handrails.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Glad it helped!

[@swamphdaddy]

Instead of soldering I would use superglue, the gel version takes awhile to dry but allows you to get the stantions vertical and when applied sparingly there should be nothing to remove and easy to do if you did get too much there.

[@jumijorailroad2925]

You did a wonderful job on the locomotive in general, and the hand rails in particular. Your videos are fast becoming some of my favorites!

[@classicmodeltrains]

J.R.R. Thank you for the nice comments! I'm glad you are enjoying my video's :-)

[@revrup]

Ditto!

[@JerseyHighlandsBruce]

Very nice job fabricating and painting those new railings!

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thank you very much!

[@stevenwaller192]

Hey Ron! That’s a really sweet SD45 . Good job on the restoration! I tinker in N-scale and I learned a trick from other modelers about paint removal. Soaking plastic parts in 409 cleaning solution. Takes a day or two but the paint comes off nicely and doesn’t mess with the plastic!

[@classicmodeltrains]

Yup, Lots of great ways to remove paint for sure!!

[@VintageRoadRail]

Nice loco! Love that color of blue. Also, those old blue box locos are easy to maintain and will last forever if cared for. Great job!

[@classicmodeltrains]

V R & R, The SD-45 Demonstrators do have a very catching paint scheme. I wish they still made loco's as bulletproof as the old blue boxes :-) Thanks for the kind words

[@scottfw7169]

Indeed, those locos were and still are durable and reliable. Very much a favorite.

[@BriansModelTrains]

Amazing work and some really great craftsmanship.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thank you very much!

[@johnbanicki7232]

Great job bringing this old engine back to life.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thank you John!! :-)

[@zendoargos4988]

I love the old Blue Box stuff. I enjoyed building the kits to expand my fleet of rolling stock as a kid and it still looks great to me today. Nice work on those rails, they came out great.

[@classicmodeltrains]

I like the way you think. Thanks for your comment on the rails :-)

[@phildavis4878]

you were smart by Southern Highway than not just Jiggy on it excellent job my friend keep up the good work I'll keep watching

[@classicmodeltrains]

I appreciate the channel support. Thanks!

[@ChristopherBrown-mq1lg]

Looks GREAT !!! Nice restoration 👍

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thank you!

[@damiencx5002]

Fantastic video and great restoration. Been in the hobby for over 35 years, both HO & N scale and rebuilt many locomotives, rollingstock etc but its always great to watch your videos and refresh the mind and learn new ideas & ways to fix and make them run better. I always enjoy them, keep the videos going. 🇦🇺

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thank you for your kind words Sir :-)

[@Soxcessful]

Truly amazing craftsmanship! Wow.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thank you

[@fiddlyphuk6414]

I bought one of these in Santa Fe livery back in the 70's. They will pull like a tank. The Athearn handrails were never put on and were lost thru the years. Got some pre-formed brass ones for $30 (ouch!) and they look good but are delicate compared to the Athearn ones. (Mad at myself for losing the original ones.) One truck had the side frames riveted on crooked (sloppy machining by Athearn) and the 3 axels were not parallel causing misalignment and the front wheels to ride off the track, causing derailments. Drilled out the rivets and realigned one sideframe to be parallel with the other sideframe for proper tracking. Some guys will also remove the center axel bushings to let the axel float so as to prevent derailing problems. Loved your video and it reminded me of all the fun I had working on and fixing my vintage SD-45.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Hello F.P. Thanks for commenting. I'm really surprised how well this -45 pulled. I'm glad it had good machining on it. I'm glad my vid brought back some good memories for you :-)

[@jebbohanan2626]

Excellent job! The handrails especially!

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks Jeb. Just finishing up another video about hand rails

[@tallpaul9475]

That does seem about right. I think in late 70s or very early 80s, my grandfather took me to Talbot's Toyland in Burlingame/San Mateo, and bought it for me. That EMD paint scheme was so memorable. Thanks for sharing your video.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks for watching and commenting. Dig your username!! (I'm 6'7")

[@bradwb6192]

I was wondering where that loco had gotten off to. This is very impressive work, not only on the model, but in the camera and audio efforts as well. Superb job...

[@classicmodeltrains]

Brad, Thank you very much!

[@markwilliams2620]

SD45 EMD Demo unit. Nice work. Agreed on soldering stanchion/handrail is time consuming but the durability built into the model forever makes it worth it. If you want fast/cheap super glue will do the same thing. Not as durable, but good.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Hello Mark, Thanks for the kind words :-)

[@ArcadiaJunctionHobbies]

Super restoration, Well done.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Many thanks!

[@tonyghirxi9826]

Hi Ron. Great work on repairing the Athearn SD45. I live in Europe and it's always great watching your videos. I have 8 Athearn locomotives which I've had for many years. They are reliable and robust. You do excellent repairing locomotives and one can learn allot from you. Keep up the great work.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thank you Tony!

[@kevinb9327]

You're a perfectionist, and it's really fun to watch you succeed. 👍💯

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thank you so much 🤗

[@DinsdalePiranha67]

Somewhere I still have an Athearn SD45 - and not only that, it's in Southern Pacific "bloody nose" colors! I have to say that blue and white livery on your new shell is really striking.

[@classicmodeltrains]

I agree!! Them boy's did a great job with this paint scheme

[@rubenernestocarvajalgutier2417]

Excelente restauración,quedó muy bella y con mucha paciencia y dedicación,un trabajó excelente y de hermosos colores ,saludos desde chile excelente video

[@classicmodeltrains]

Gracias

[@sugarcubeaudio152]

Love the Athearn blue box locomotives they can take abuse and keep right on running

[@classicmodeltrains]

Yup!! They were engineered properly :-)

[@henryszubielski8601]

Sweet! You did an excellent job.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thank you very much!

[@shakeyhandsshedmodelrailwa2494]

saving a trashed gp-20 and about ready to scratch build the rails and stantions , very helpful video thanks , subscribed

[@classicmodeltrains]

Awesome, thank you! Glad It helped ya out

[@michaelzalewski2532]

Beautiful work! Thanks for your excellent tips.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@stevemccall3383]

Wow, I am so glad I found your channel! Very impressed with the efforts you put into that SD45! Looking forward to more good content. Subbed!

[@classicmodeltrains]

Steve, Thank you very much! and Thanks for the Sub!! :-)

[@ecidaho]

Awesome work on the handrails! I have refurbished, repainted and decalled a number of Athearn blue box F7s, GP9s, and others. I unfortunately I have not done any soldering as yet. An Sd-45 is one of the few Athearn blue boxe locomotives I have not reworked as yet. Great work and thanks!

[@classicmodeltrains]

EC, Thanks for the kind words :-)

[@haroldbenton979]

CA glue works great for the handrails on those old Blue Box Atheran locomotives that what I used in the late 80's to early 90's on them. The thicker style of glue applied with a pin.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks for the info!

[@jackoesterlejr.3454]

Your awesome Ron! Great video's! MoPac Jack Kirkwood, Missouri

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks MoPac Jack!!

[@mikethefz07guy79]

Today I learned how to solder rails. Especially the copper wick trick.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Then it's been a good day it sounds like. New skill sets learned :-)

[@PerfectDanceVideos]

great job on those rails!

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks

[@engineerpat5290]

awesome restoration! Keep the videos coming!

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks, will do!

[@UCSPanther20]

The SD45 is a cool locomotive. Effectively EMD's "Muscle car of the Rails" back in the 1960s. I have an N scale Kato model in Great Northern's "Big Sky Blue" livery with the nameplates bolted to the rear handrails.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Right on

[@danhoyland142]

Ok, back again with a comment. When I first commented before I watched the whole video. I did not realize this was a southern pacific so I ran to my basement and realized what I have is the some engine here. Good ole” SP 8803 with nice paint!

[@classicmodeltrains]

I watch video's and start my comments as the video plays out, then wait to the end to hit send. I've P.S. comments many times in the past. The SP with the bloody nose paint scheme is a good looking loco!

[@steveg3981]

Another good video. Thanks. would like to see you work on some classic P2K models from late 90's / early 2000's

[@classicmodeltrains]

Great suggestion Steve! I happen to have a Proto 2000 E-6 A & dummy B. Would make a GREAT Vid. :-)

[@it_is_finished]

Wow! Very impressive.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks :-)

[@Zebrails]

The worm "bushings" are identical to axle "bearings" while the worm "washers" can be replaced with lift-kits for freight car truck adjustments or the same washers from the Athearn passenger car kit truck washers. The engineer side post was missing because it was an SP "L-shaped" window. I'm a "Demonstrator" collector so was happy to see your choice of shell replacement. The Delaware & Hudson bought the demonstrators. I just subscribed to your channel. John

[@classicmodeltrains]

Zebrails, Thanks for the good information. A few people have pointed out the "L" window S.P used. From my research I found they only painted up 4 SD-45's into the demonstrator paint scheme. I always wondered where they went. Thanks for Subscribing :-)

[@XBOXShawn12thman]

Is it me or does Ron look like he's getting younger??? 😳 .... TYCO is the Fountain Of Youth!!! 🤣🤣🤣

[@classicmodeltrains]

my "Mountain Man" look did me no favors

[@SleeperBBQ]

TY nice job on the railings

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks

[@harrisonross4009]

First time watching your videos but I have to say you do amazing work and your patience in building the hand rails WOW four hours . Great job and great video

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thank you very much!

[@harrisonross4009]

@@classicmodeltrains you are so very welcome sir

[@dgwachtel]

Hi Ron. I just stumbled onto your site. Subscribed immediately. I am doing the same kind of restoration of trains I had abused up until I quit model railroading at about fifteen. A few years ago I visited the old steamer trunk upstairs in the attic and after removing the mouse hotel, determined that the old HO trains were in good enough condition to attempt to restore. I have a lot of video in the "can" but not edited yet but you might find what I have posted interesting, at least I hope so. The goal is to restore the locos to like new or better condition and to convert the rolling stock to be as realistic as possible. There is a lot to do. Most of my locomotives and rolling stock are somewhat older than yours. I have a herd of Athearn HiF (rubber belt drive) F7's, a Mantua "Mikado" and some other locos and thrift shop rolling stock donated by a good friend or purchased on the cheap. I'm basically replacing all of the broken pieces, mostly fabricating them from scratch, replacing molded on handrails/steps with wire and so on. I am just getting started with duplicating some pieces by making a mold of good parts and then casting new parts. I've decided to do a moderate amount of detailing on the Mike when I get more time to get back to the trains. Mostly removing the molded on piping and adding some other details. Luckily the old gal didn't have zink pest! It should be lots of fun. Real life has intruded a bit and I haven't uploaded for awhile but there is still a fair amount of content on the site. Very happy indeed to have found your site. -dave (upstate NY)

[@classicmodeltrains]

Greetings Dave, Montana here on this end. Thanks for sharing your great story about your modeling journey. As a kid, we moved a lot so I was unable to still have my childhood models. I'm making up for it now :-) I hope life slows down for you a bit and you can get back to working on your trains. I'm not at the level to super detail anything right now, just trying to get the layout and buildings constructed. In the future I hope to spend a lot of time and really get into the details like what your doing. Thanks for the positive comments, I will have to look your channel up on the KZbin. :-)

[@dgwachtel]

@@classicmodeltrains Thanks for the reply! Beautiful part of the country. I spent a few weeks in Wyoming when doing my archeology degree. Nice work on the SD-45. I'm not up to speed on decorating or applying decals properly. My chemical car decalling was a struggle. I'm terrified of decalling my kit blueprint series reefers. If you can find complete blueprint series kits snarf them up, they are really good. I got two reefer kits for peanuts. Too bad your trains got left behind. The first time I got one of my old locos running again was a real rush! Getting a strong urge to work on the trains again. I had a Lionel O gauge train set that was fully operational as well as an American Flyer set with a burned out loco motor. All were given away in the early sixties. I kept the burned out loco though and my HO stuff. After posting I decided to work a bit on "Mike". When I got distracted by R.L. the loco wasn't running well. Testing the loco it didn't run at all. It seems the ground wire was disconnected but after retrying the test it stalled and derailed over my ancient but restored Atlas snap switches. a lot. This was something new. Two things were wrong. The wire to the tender had come loose. (When I have a chance I intend to drill and tap a hole in the cast shell so that the wire is not attached to the drawbar pivot) The second problem was that the new fiber drawbar was sometimes picking up the front of the tender or pressing down on the back of the loco, lifting up the front pilot enough to cause it to derail. Bending the drawbar a bit cured it. At some point I'll fabricate a new one out of more flexible styrene. Tried the trick of oiling the tender journals to improve electrical connectivity. It helped a lot. Mike now pulls all sixteen of my cars smoothly, with ease and at a fair rate of knots. An old timer suggested very slightly oiling the brass track to prevent arcing. I've been doing this for a couple of years now and it works a treat. When it comes time to clean the track the dirt comes off with a mere swipe of a Scotch Brite pad. Also the track pickup wheels are no longer damaged by arcing. Happy modeling. -dave

[@classicmodeltrains]

@@dgwachtel 16 cars for a Tyco Mikado is a very nice load. Great job on mechanicing in the Ol’ girl!!

[@dgwachtel]

@@classicmodeltrains Thanks Ron. I cleaned, adjusted and lubricated the motor first time around. The drive shaft bearings still need some love though. I had to purchase replacements for the plot, valve gear and a front truck just for the spring. Purchased a replacement for the rear truck (IIRC) but it had zink pest. At least I got a spare spring out of it. The shell was corroded due to mouse urine and had some minor pits that will be filled with Bondo before Mike finally goes to the paint shop. I'm confident that Mike could pull at least 32 regular freight cars on the level. At some point I'll replace the magnet to hopefully get even more power. I just added four heavy Amtrack era passenger cars to the back of my train. Mike just replied: "Hold my beer". The back to back Athearn F7 lashups wouldn't even move the load. So that's 20 cars. The test oval is getting crowded. The tiny engineers are staring at the very last car about 100 feet in front of them. As for the detailing, the loco is not prototypical, having incorrect valve gear and boiler profile as the main flaws. At least I can make it pretty :) Don't forget to use Locktite Blue on the screws holding the trucks to the tender on you Matua Steamers. If there are more turns to the left they have a tendency to unscrew themselves and fall out, particularly if you had to shim them for coupler height. I didn't Locktite them doing testing and one fell out just now. Got it all on video! Progress so far is documented on my site. Do you think that these old locos could be converted to DCC? Some say yes and others no due to excessive current draw. What's your opinion? -dave

[@classicmodeltrains]

@@dgwachtel the original motor has to be upgraded to a can motor. I did a video about converting a Tyco Pacific to DCC. It might help you out with some questions.

[@peanutbutter2597]

Wow dude you do great work

[@classicmodeltrains]

P.B. Thank you for the nice comment!! :-)

[@bryanholtby5541]

Stellar work! Even tho Im an N scale guy you've got a new subscriber. Maybe one day I'll get brave and take my Bachmann DDX apart and try to get it running better.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Hello Bryan, Thanks for subbing! Make that one day soon....get the ol' girl running better ;-)

[@voodooutt]

Nice restoration! I just recently found my HO Scale box from the mid 80's and I found a very similar (if not the same) Athearn locomotive. I took it all apart, cleaned it, lubed it up, wired it up for DCC and it runs smooth! I also found in that box... one Atlas, and two Bachmann's from the same era. I did the same with all... now on DCC and all run very nice. Edit: And I just checked, it's a 4101 SDP40 PWR B&O... and it's got $22.50 marked on it hahahaha!

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thank you! Pretty cool to still have your trains from the old days. Sounds like you have them all tuned up performing well. $22.50? I miss the "good 'Ol days" :-)

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

In the old days when we had to remove paint to make a new paint scheme was dish soap and an old toothbrush. I remember when Ultrasonic Cleaner first came out there was a test in Model Railroader in the old days when it was still the best magazine in the train world ultrasonic cleaners cost almost $600 back then, but they were amazed how well the engine was clean.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Hello Frank. Thanks for commenting. I used to read MR back in the old days also. This ultrasonic cleaner was under $150 if I'm remembering right. :-)

[@nolanknoepfle8044]

Good job

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks

[@williammitchem8274]

Wow nice....I would turned into a zombie train....lol but you went to the next level. Fantastic 👍

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thank you :-)

[@flyboy2610]

That is definitely one of the 'old' blue box locomotives! It's got the gray 'baby elephant' motor, and the side frames are riveted to the trucks.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Yup! It is a bit of an old one.

[@riogrande5761]

There is currently a topic on a forum where people are doing exactly this - restoring old models that would be considered "junk" and enjoying it. In general that's great to restore older models, especially if you limited funds but plenty of time. Regarding the Athearn blue box SD45 here is my story: When I was 14, I wanted an Athearn SD45 for Christmas because I saw them regularly on the Southern Pacific lines that came though my town in northern California back in the 1970's. Santa did bring me one but it wasn't long before but I noticed, even at the age of 14, the Athearn SD45 had a fat nose compared to the real thing - it just didn't look right. I found out later the body shell is overly wide to fit the motor back when they were being manufactured. Being a fan of the Southern Pacific and wanted my models to look fundamentally right, I was so glad when model companies started offering SD45's with scale width hoods, such as Bachmann and Athearn RTR. There are a lot of older models which are basically good for dimensions, like the blue box Athearn SD40T-2, GP40-2 and others. Those would be good candidates for restoration and detailing. The demonstration here would be useful for those wishing to restore many older models. Kudo's.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Yup I've heard about the un-scale width problem of older blue boxes. I would never notice but others can.

[@riogrande5761]

@@classicmodeltrains if you did a comparison with the real thing, you wouldn't be able to unsee it. I noticed it even at the age of 14.

[@arrow1414]

I highly recommend Super Clean to remove paint from styrene plastic! You don't even have to heat up the water to remove the paint. Of course the quickness of the stripping depends on what paint you use. Acrylic paints don't stand a chance lacquer paints are tougher and you may have to soak overnight-or maybe use the ultrasonic cleaner after all. Anyway, I recommend Super clean. Over Simple Green.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Arrow 1. I will have to look into finding some of that stuff. Thanks for commenting :-)

[@chessiesystemrailfanman3741]

I absolutely love the Chessie System ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@classicmodeltrains]

Right on!!

[@exitar1]

Nicely done ✅

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@paulhicks451]

Love your videos. I like the music in this one with a taste of steel guitar in there. Have you heard “Windows Rolled Down”, by the 126’ers? It’s one of those royalty-free tunes. Really nice steel in that one too.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thank you Paul! I have not heard that song. Will try and look it up.

[@seanhogan5673]

Unscented oven cleaner will strip the paint off without damaging the plastic. It will even work on clear pieces.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Ive heard about that practice. Told it works pretty good. Thanks for sharing !! :-)

[@RayBoebel]

New sub here. Nicely done! I never thought to solder the railings...neat idea!

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks for subbing, Glad I gave you a fresh idea :-)

[@RayBoebel]

@@classicmodeltrains No problem! Most of my loco's are 30+ years old

[@crsrdash-840b5]

This is the older style truck assembly not the newer Blue Box type. The older versions have metal and no bronze bearings and that gray motor is a high drain compared to the newer bronze housing kind. Thanks again!

[@classicmodeltrains]

Greetings Dash-8. I was thinking this is an 80's style of motor, because of the flywheels. I have some older B.B.'s and there is no flywheels at all. I was thinking these were 70's. Just an semi-educated guess. Thanks for commenting :-)

[@crsrdash-840b5]

@@classicmodeltrains I realized too that this is Athearn's wide body shell design that they been using from1970's through the end of the Blue Box era (2000's). It's called the wide body shell because of that motor being so big with-wise. The redesigned Blue Box versions have the narrow motor (brass motor casing), square bronze bearings between the wheel sets, and smoother drive. Hope this helps!

[@cmdrflake]

This model were actually SD40X’s 434A-F, put ‘em in UP paint as UP3040-3045 and you’re golden.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks for the info. I just call them what the manufacturer says they are. I know sometimes they blow it :-)

[@magicyeti5630]

My 2 AHM SD-40-2 consists need motors, pulled better than newer Athearns... any suggestions on rpm vs torque?

[@classicmodeltrains]

I did not do any pulling tests with it. I did have it crawling along real slow and it pulled that train up my 2.1% grade with no struggles at all.

[@magicyeti5630]

? 9k rpm vs 14k rpm dc motors, which provides best torque for retrofit projects? 40 yo pemco 3 pole ftwhl drive sd -35 out pulls everything on the layout, wth?

[@williamsantangelo]

Nice!!!!

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks!

[@phildavis4878]

hey one more thing the white railings make the whole thing pop good job

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks! I thought so also. Prototype has the same blue as the body.

[@anthonymunoz6013]

I Am rewatching this vid. Metallic blue?? Wal Mart had a great match. Used it on my dd40.

[@classicmodeltrains]

I will have to go check Wally World out for some paint. Thanks

[@rubenernestocarvajalgutier2417]

Podrías realizar un video instalándo dos motores power torque a una locomotora tyco súper alco 630 ,para aumentar su fuerza ?? Saludos desde chile 🇨🇱 y excelentes videos ,gracias

[@classicmodeltrains]

Hola Ruben, He leído todas tus publicaciones. No leo ni hablo español. Estoy usando el traductor de Google. Es un muy buen momento que con la tecnología, personas con intereses similares, que viven en diferentes partes del mundo y hablan diferentes idiomas, todos podemos comunicarnos. Gracias por todos sus amables comentarios sobre mis videos. Me alegro de que los disfrutes. Continuaré investigando cómo puedo obtener subtítulos en español en mis videos. Mucha gente en América del Sur parece disfrutar de las maquetas de trenes y los trenes Tyco. Cuida de mi amigo.

[@regisbraga3833]

Congratulations! 201 followers!🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉😊😊😊

[@classicmodeltrains]

Holy Moly!! KZbin algorithm must be liking me :-)

[@brianlohr3412]

nice job !!!!

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thank you

[@93greenstrat]

Don't know if this has been mentioned, but it would appear that the broken window post on the original shell was an attempt at representing Southern Pacific's "L" window configuration. As well, the broken steps (footboards) may have been the modeler trying to make it a more modern unit as footboards were banned on American locomotives since at least the very early 70's. But I miss the Blue box era. It was a fun and challenging (in a good way) time for model railroading.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Yup A few Fellers have mentioned the SP's way of doing things. I didnt know back then what I know now :-)

[@wasatchrangerailway6921]

These shells were JUNK!!!

[@classicmodeltrains]

You referring to the wider than prototype body?

[@rickestabrook4987]

Risen from the dead!! Great job, especially the livery, How'd your auction go?

[@classicmodeltrains]

The auction went better that expected Rick. Can now get more broken stuff to whoop into shape :-)

[@rwissbaum9849]

Love the replacement hand rails! According to A-Line, the replacement stanchions have an ID of 0.020", which they say will fit 0.0195" wire. But I see you've used 0.022" wire. Did the stanchions fit over the wire ok?

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks. The stanchions were a bit tight, but worked out good.

[@rwissbaum9849]

By the way, your episode inspired me to dig out an Athearn SW7 I had sitting in the box for years. My hangup had been the handrails - I've never liked the way the handrails and stanchions look on Athearn, but your idea of soldering them in place was just the impetus I needed. My SW7 is now trundling through the yard at 0.5 scale mph. Thanks!

[@rrowan327]

Hi Ron, question about the ultrasonic cleaner. What size did you get and it is a good size for HO & N scale cleaning? Thanks Rick

[@classicmodeltrains]

Its a Rovsun 613HT from amazon. Its about the biggest they offered and yes it would work well for HO and N. I just used it on some 0-27 stuff. Its a Big-un! :-)

[@rrowan327]

@@classicmodeltrains Very Nice, I think 15L is a bit too Big-un! for me. LOL Thanks again

[@johncopenhaver6777]

Love the videos have 200 plus ho engines I am restoring still trying to determine my brass diesels some have individual gear boxes others have plastic body's but frame is all steel with brass parts for trucks If you can recommend any sites to sort them out I would be very grateful john

[@classicmodeltrains]

The only really goos site I know of is hoseeker.net. Lots of info that has been sent in from all over the world.

[@regisbraga3833]

Wonderful work Professor! I really enjoied it, specially the part of the railings (4 hours! Wow! You should be very patient to do that!). The 45 is rolling so smooth. Did you do something with the Jet Motor besides cleaning the commutator? Thank you very much for this video and for quoting my post. Greetings from Brazil (by the way, the broken front of the original shell reminds me the SP “L” shape window, which is present on the real 45 demo units, if I recall correctly)!

[@classicmodeltrains]

Hello Regis. Greetings from up North in Montana, USA. The motor just runs that good. It did get oiled up, and the electrical pickups on the frame and motor were cleaned when it was all disassembled for ultrasonic cleaning. I was really amazed at how well it pulled at such low speeds! It has now become one of the prides of my fleet. I see you have been following and commenting on many of my video's. You were the first to ask me for something specific. I was working on what to film next, and then your comment came along. Solved my problem. It's great to see my vid's are traveling down to South America, and to be sharing interests with others so far away!! Your the second person to bring up the "L" shaped window that S.P. had. I learn new stuff every day. Once again thanks for commenting :-)

[@regisbraga3833]

Dear Ron, it’s been a pleasure to follow our amazing work. Your vídeo production is very, very good. Your patience to explain things is remarkable. You’re always sharing your knowledge about the real world (as, for example, the Sd45 time of production - Jan/66 to Dec./71), showing us that you’re a real railroader! Here you have a fan! Said that, regarding to the 45s, look for on KZbin or Google For DDM45: it’s a 45 on DD trucks (yes, 8 axles). They were produced (83 units) byEMD for an ore hauler here in Brazil, the “Companhia Vale do Rio Doce”, or simply “Vale”. It’s an SD45 on steroids, or a mini DD35A. I have the feeling that you’re gonna like it. New greetings from Brazil! Take care!

[@richardnelson-ux1zz]

Does kadee make replacement couplers for. postwar marx ogauge rolling stock thanks for your help😊

[@classicmodeltrains]

I do not think so. you can check out there website Kadee.com and search it up. I always found the Marx couplers to do a good job, just don't look the prettiest.

[@MosriteCharlie]

Brake fluid removes paint safe than the ultrasonic cleaner. Leave the shell soaking and use a stiff toothbrush to remove the paint after a few hours. The cheaper the fluid the better.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Brake fluid is a hazardous waste. The water/simple green is not as toxic and a lot cheaper. I had the Ultrasonic already, use it to clean carburetors. But I have heard a lot of Fellers use the brake fluid trick and swear by it :-)

[@Greatdome99]

Just painting the handrails will keep them in place. No need to solder. Ultrasonic cleaning should be done on individual components, not assemblies You can strip paint off body shells with brake fluid-no need to use the ultrasonic cleaner.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Hello GD99. The stanchions were loose on the rail. if I removed the railing for paint, the stanchions would have move all over and not lined up for re-assembly

[@mannyfernandez2921]

Love your video's! Where do you get your info?

[@classicmodeltrains]

I get the info about the history and specific locomotive information from searching the internet. I have the skill set from being a mechanic all my adult life. Thanks for watching and supporting my channel :-)

[@lhunter325]

Hello, I believe SP had some diesels with the engineer’s side windshield extended as in your model……check it out on the internet

[@classicmodeltrains]

Hello Ihunter325, I have been informed about the S.P. windshield from several others. Thanks for pointing it out. Everyday I learn something new. Thanks for commenting :-)

[@carltesh9612]

I have just used small pliers to bind the stansons to the railing and used glue and then to hold them in place

[@classicmodeltrains]

I ended up glueing them with CA after this video.

[@whiteknightcat]

I don't know how to tell you this, but ... the broken out windshield post was correct. The demonstrators featured an L-shaped windshield on the engineer's side, a feature SP and other roads adopted with their purchases. The bicentennial unit shown at 1:40 (ATSF 5700) was actually an SD45-2 - longer frame, wider radiator fan spacing, and no flared radiator panels.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Yup. Lots of fellers have points that out to me in the comments about the windshield post. That dang google machine... I type in SD-45 picture, that one pops up and looks good to me so I used it. You have a good eye there picking that out. Thanks for keeping me "on my toes" and watching my Vid's :-)

[@whiteknightcat]

@@classicmodeltrains Sorry. I scrolled down a couple of pages to make sure I wasn't repeating something others had said but I didn't see any window references. I should scroll down further next time. Nice work on the re-condition though.

[@classicmodeltrains]

@@whiteknightcat no worries. I also get an opportunity to learn stuff off these videos I put up. People just sharing information is how I see it :-)

[@danhoyland142]

Ron, I have a athearn blue box southern pacific sd45 that I had my mother bought me new in 1988 when I 5 at a hobbytownUSA. It’s never been ran, not once! When I got home I ran down to my layout and in my excited my tiny hands lost grip and it fell on the ground directly on its side. There was no damage to the engine on the outside but when I put it on the track it would not run. I was to scared to tell my mom I broke it so I put it in the box and hid it. Somehow after 4 moves and evolving into a grown man I still have this thing. When I get a chance I’ll send it to you and maybe you can do a video on it. Like I said I never seen it ran! It’s practically NOS.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Greeting Dan, Thanks for watching & commenting. That story makes me sad. Young you, getting such a nice loco, and accident happens and you've never seen or been able to run it. Are you a model railroader currently? Perhaps this video can help you get the old gal running? Your story and this loco would make a great video :-)

[@danhoyland142]

Yea, it was upsetting but I have to admit I was spoiled when it came to my trains because I was methodical with them so my parents didn’t seem to mind. I must of had ten other blue box locos at the time so being 5 I quickly got over it. I do have a 4x6 layout now and about 500.00 dollars of woodland scenic supplies but I just had another baby and the time just is not there for a project. I don’t half ass things so when I tackle a job I tend to get hyper focused on details and spend to much time on it. Right now modeling would be a bad idea. I am not attached to the sp at all so I wouldn’t mind sending it to you and you could do what you wanted with it. At least you would have the shell of the shell you couldn’t redo and restore your bloody nose sp to its original glory being that they are the identical blue box. If you have just too much stuff from viewers I guess I could eventually figure it out after watching your videos. I’m sure Just a power wire came loose or something. Love your videos and your old Chevy. I just sold my GTO myself.

[@classicmodeltrains]

@@danhoyland142 Congratulations on your new arrival! I am not overloaded with "stuff" I'm good at organizing and building shelves. My address is in the video description of all my Vid's. Thanks for your kind words once again. Did you have to sell the Goat for a minivan? Hoping you found a owner who will love the GTO as much as you did :-)

[@danhoyland142]

Haha nah, already had a minivan. I just sold it bc of the crazy car market I’d be actually able to make a profit on a muscle car for the first time. It was a real GTO optioned 72 Lemans with a 400 4 speed. I flipped a 80 bandit trans am before that to move into that one. It’s all a methodically plan of mine to move up the muscle car food chain without losing my shirt anymore. Next will be a 70 442 or Mach 1. Hoping my kid loves train as much as I do and at least I know doing donuts will make him love cars. Expect to see it in the mail after the holidays. Thanks and merry xmas!

[@classicmodeltrains]

@@danhoyland142 I wished I could make $$ on selling hotrods. I always loose my ass. Glad you figured out the combination ;-)

[@leroyducharme2477]

Kadee suggests that you use #30 or 252 coupler gearboxes.

[@classicmodeltrains]

I use the #242 universals on almost everything. Hate having 50 different options hogging up toolbox space :-)

[@raoulcruz4404]

Ron, you often say in your videos “ it’s not how fast but how slow “ your loco goes. Have you considered an Ernst regear for an Athearn loco?

[@classicmodeltrains]

Hello Raoul, I have not run into a Earnst regear set yet. Ive seen pictures on eBay. Been thinking about doing a video on them if/ when I get ahold of a set.

[@Wildfire86872]

Since it was an SP engine, I think someone took that post off the cab to try and simulate the L shaped window many SP EMD's had.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Hello Graywolf, another comment mentioned the "L" windows S.P. had. I will have to keep my eye out and se if they're all like that. Thanks for commenting :-)

[@hessxpress3016]

You don’t have to solder the handrails thats a lot of work, just crimp them with the pliers it works fine. Awesome job tho

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks for the tip :-)

[@georgiahex7387]

Years ago, I decided to replace the HO sets I had as a kid. One was the Tyco twin diesel in the 70s, early that is. Another favorite was the BAchmann Centennial with the DD40 UP. That set was a Santa gift, I believe in 1984. It was a blast. 16 year old with a hotrod F100 but, I would often stay home on the weekends running my trains. I had a small room so the 4x8 sheet was placed on my bed and I slept on my floor. I started last year building a small layout but, ( not looking for sympathy) experienced a stroke, memory loss and heart attack all at once. Needless to say that my layout has set idle since Feb 2022. Sorry for rambling, I have been watching a lot of your posts and really enjoy them. Do you have a BAchmann DD40? I saw the Athearn version you posted. I am going to be rude, I dig the Chevy, but, you should get a BRONCO. Do you ever host a call in show on your channel? How about slot cars? I am going to continue enjoying your videos. I too have posted a few videos of my HO trains but none of me repairing or running. Sorry again for rambling. GO DAWGS. Ford rules. HO forever. I can keep going but I will stop now. Thanks for your videos. Watching them has reignited my enjoyment of the hobby.

[@georgiahex7387]

Me again. Just curious, do you have the GI Joe or the Bubble Yum train from the 80s, both by Tyco. My youngest brother had the Joe train back then. I wanted the bubble yum train bad but, I was never able to make myself save the needed money to order it out of the Sunday comics

[@georgiahex7387]

I have bothe those sets today

[@classicmodeltrains]

Good evening. I've never had a Bachmann DD40. Sounds like you were into trains quite a bit as a youngster. Thanks for supporting my channel and watching my video's. Sorry to hear about your health issues. Were the same age ( I think ) I just happen to own a Chevy at this time. I'm not devoted to any brand of vehicle but Ive driven Fords for the last 30 years. I would love to own a 68-69 bronco. Ive been thinking about doing a live show on KZbin. have to sit down and do it soon. No slot cars in my future. Glad I help re-ignite your Model Railroad fire!!

[@classicmodeltrains]

I don't own those two sets......YET!! :-)

[@wasatchrangerailway6921]

These Athearn SD45's were very, very derailment prone because there was no flex in the truck frame!!! Athearn changed this with the SD40-2 switching to the stub end axle!!!

[@classicmodeltrains]

Mine ran great through my 22" radius and #6 Atlas switches. Sorry to hear you had one that gave you troubles.

[@bernadettegarbers9552]

I noticed when you put your truck back on the frame you should have cleaned them those are contacts and they were dirty.... An easy thing to miss....

[@classicmodeltrains]

I will re-check them. Thanks for the input!

[@richardnelson-ux1zz]

Where did you get your ultrasonic cleaner st

[@classicmodeltrains]

Amazon has a ton of options available

[@tomg3855]

One thing that ruins the look of a locomotive or a caboose or really any train with no glass on the windows. I just take the package from some food with flat clear plastic. I cut a small piece of the plastic and put some CA on the inside of the model and with a pair of tweezers voila! You have glass! If you need it to curve get it warm. Its cheap and looks great. Sure it doesn't flush into the window but it looks great.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Sounds like a good idea to me Tom!

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

All of the old trains were built simply. Some locomotives came as locomotive kits and had to be put together painted and letters. With just cleaning the wheels and oiling the mechanism periodically outside of that all you have to do is change the brushes in the motor every 10 years when they wear out any engine is good to go again. I just wish they'd never went to plastic plastic is so cheap compared to die cast. Bad for locomotives at least the diecast way of the shell gives you extra traction. The plastic F7 locomotive was just made to be a desk ornament what model railroad is being what they are they can power anyting. Lionel was going to make their F3 logo motives diecast but one of the major plastic companies convinced them that they could make plastic good enough for Lionel trains. It is a shame Lionel did that. I RV athearn was a Model Railroader who modeled in O gauge. His company Supply very good O gauge Cars & locomotive because he like O gauge trains 2 rail not 3 rail even after most of the other manufacturers went with HO scale trains. Most people had room for a 4 x 8 layout and either O gauge or HO scale. You didn't have room for a 100 car train and you probably could not afford to buy one anyway. Only in the last twenty something years have the humongous O gauge layout in these people's houses has become the fashion. And you can take some apart because I have seen estate sales where is the builder of the layout is selling delay out on behalf of the Widow. If it is an excellent way of getting a museum-quality layout at a much lower price than custom ordering a new one. Athearn had to stop production of the famous blue box line of HO scale kits because the average American is unable to read a simple two-page instruction sheet. And those cars were known as shake the box cars there were maybe ten parts to assemble but today's people are as in-depth with tools as with the written word.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Great story (s) there Frank, Thanks for sharing some of your knowledge with me. :-)

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

@@classicmodeltrains thanks for listening I have loved model railroading since I was a small child. I loved taking the elevated train to get to the Hobby Shop. It was so nice to have hobby shops in those days. Most everything you could buy in Ho was of good quality some of the lower-priced engines might have plastic rails or cast into the boiler but these weren't Museum pieces they were meant to be used. I have an old scrapbook where I put and ads for train sets that they used to put out in the newspaper's Before Christmas time. And when you look in the ads in Model Railroader trains were a very inexpensive hobby for a kid to get into. Bachmann trains used to be warrantied for life but that changed with the new owner. Williams O gauge trains used to be guaranteed for life until they got bought by Bachmann. Model railroading is an artform despite what people say. You can have 10 Model Railroad use the same plan from one of the atlas track planning book and every one of them will be different except for the track layout. I hate it on TV where they portray Model Railroader as people who never move out of their mom's house. Or they make you look like a psychotic train nut. We are crazy about trains but we are not psychotic. It is a shame that new toy trains are so expensive that it is virtually on affordable for a kid to get anyting on what they could afford from what they make on a kid's salary. Thank God used stuff is available at train shows. This is such an enjoyable hobby it's a shame for kids to miss out because they get overpriced out of it.

[@classicmodeltrains]

@@frankmarkovcijr5459 Yup. Back in the day my paper route supplied me $$ for my train layout. Kids these days are more into video gaming on the internet. Model railroading isn't as big of a thing anymore for the youth. Although there are some of them out there, caring on the tradition. Kids nowadays have more money that we did 40 years ago.

[@jerryspann8713]

That kid that painted that whole locomotive must of thought he was Earl Scheib. He'll paint any Loco for $29.95.

[@classicmodeltrains]

He he he!! :-)