Can We Make It Run? Athearn Reading F7 That Doesn't Run

[@dkendrick1916]

At this point asking, “Can we make it run?” Is like asking, “do fish swim?”

[@SMTMainline]

Thanks lol.

[@antonbruce1241]

That's Harrison...a repair magician. Either that or he "makes an off they can't refuse"...

[@antonbruce1241]

"At this point asking, 'Can we make it run?' Is like asking, 'do fish swim?'" Or like asking if birds crap on your car. Sorry...had to. You should see my car today.

[@MrTankThatStopped]

Nice Minecraft Diorite Wrap!

[@randallellison6421]

Nice restoration on that Athearn blue box F unit Harrison! For anyone who might be wondering, Digitrax sells a DCC conversion kit specifically for these blue box locomotives. Also if you want to put LED lights on that locomotive, I saw an LED replacement kit for these Athearn blue box F units and if you want to replace the broken horn, Athearn still sells them on their website, take care!

[@antonbruce1241]

Finally, Harrison...you have an overload of talent when it comes to ripping these old locos apart and making them healthy again. I mean really...look at what you did with this old Athearn blue box!! You turned it from a lump of coal into a diamond. You're amazing!

[@kevinshortell7604]

The Athearn F7s that I bought new as a teenager in the mid to late 1980s are still going strong! They aren't as refined or smooth as other engines, but they're darn near indestructible. Their strength is running freight on mainline rather than switching. I love mine (2 powered BN A&B units plus one dummy C&O A unit) and will never part with them. 🚂🚃🚃🚃😎👍💕

[@animalyze7120]

People talk crap about old Athearns especially if they never really owned one. You can bet all those fancy sound and digital dynamo's they are paying $500 for will never do this in 30 years without major work. Sure these old BB's aren't the most detailed, but mine start right up, no stuttering no jerky movements the first time every time. The new stuff is cool and even though I have many newer models I still hold my old Athearn Blue and Yellow box engines close to my heart, my old Band drives too!!

[@davidwinslow9206]

You really inspire those of us who have not had the courage to disassemble our older engines to work on them, the desire to give it a try. Thank you.

[@jgviolante]

I have a slew of Athearn blue box F units and have installed new Genises motors, hex drives, new worm gears, all new wheelsets with gear and Train Control System motherboard and Decoder along with a high bass speaker and they run and sound great. I have a huge number of the blue box PA/B locomotives and did the same thing and was able to put two speakers in but using Tsunami Decoders and two speakers. I run A/B/B/A all modified the same way.

[@kentpool7414]

Extremely helpful. For the first time in my life I feel like I have a chance to bring a non-working engine back to life. Thanks.

[@garymcmanus7288]

Thanks much. You make it look do-able and not too difficult. I'm more of an artist than a mechanic. But you give me confidence to do the mechanics.

[@SMTMainline]

That means a lot to hear.

[@garysprandel1817]

Got er done Harrison. Just an FYI with older Athearn locos is to be careful with those wheels as they're made of a sintered metal which is a metal powder heated and molded to shape but will still soak up oil causing traction issues.

[@lucgagnon5241]

Those Athearn F units were very reliable at the time. My first serious engine was exactly like this one. I learned back then what was an engine with flywheel. Very smooth running.

[@thomaswissmann9073]

You really should purchase a Bowser #22 Foam Cradle when you work on your equipment. It helps cushion your trains, and not damage the paint or details. It also has a compartment area for holding small parts, screws, gears, etc. Another thing to have is a good pair of tweezers with a point. That helps with removing hair from axles, gears, and for holding small parts. Also, 22 awg FLEX wire is what should be used with model trains. It’s the correction gauge wire for model trains, and it’s very flexible. Just a few helpful suggestions for you. I’ve been doing work on all of my trains for over 50 years, and it’s always nice to pass down some helpful information to younger people like you getting into the hobby.

[@MartinSBrown-tp9ji]

In case you don't know, Delrin gears and universals are self lubricating. they don'r need any lube. Taking apart the trucks may just be a point of losing gears or their position . Mine have been running 40 years with no lube and no ware.

[@johnsterling7420]

SMT my friend who has showed me how to repair old locomotive s, he is the best.👍👌

[@forrestsampsel1958]

Athearn drive with a mantua shell. I love it. The mantua shells look better to me then the athearn ones. Lucky score again i need 2 more like that to complete a set im doing.

[@CyclingDinosaur]

After watching one of your videos, I checked out fiberglass pencils. I bought a set of three (fiberglass, brass, steel) for cleaning commutators, brass wheels, old metal wheels). They are great. Thanks for introducing me to them.

[@alcopower5710]

Well done Harry. She’s a good looking runner 💪

[@scottleidenberger4007]

Just a comment on cleaning metal parts with alcohol. It will clean them but is not good as far as electrical contact goes. Consider using CRC contact cleaner and protectant or WD 40 contact cleaner. You can clean your wheels the same way as in the video and do the track as well. You will see a big difference in how well your trains run. Good job on the repair.

[@haganhale3064]

Harrison, Thank you for doing this for me. I have never been good with repairs EVER. Thank you for taking time out of your day and doing this. Also, CONGRATS ON 20K SUBS! *Insert Confetti Here*. Its going to be cool knowing that you ran my train on your layout. See you on the next stream!

[@chuckwalters4759]

I'm new to the hobby and really enjoy your repair videos. Thank you.

[@sirtrailproductions8198]

Well done getting that locomotive running again!!

[@SMTMainline]

Thank you!

[@TRRailfan]

Wow, what a nice looking engine! Great job with the restoration as usual.

[@SMTMainline]

Thank you!

[@jcsgaragejohnc.5027]

Excellent video, Just starting out with HO trains, have watched several of your how to repair videos, Enjoyed them all, looking to purchase a used set, so I can learn to run and work on them, any pointers would be appreciated, TYIA

[@AlleghenyMTNRails]

Another great restoration Harrison. Keep up the great work.

[@SMTMainline]

Thanks!

[@MrTankThatStopped]

Wanna know something? I have a LMS tender. No loco! Got it with my first model railway! Thank you grandpa! :)

[@mylesspear]

Bruh. This is a blast from the past for me! One of my first model trains was an Athern f unit. It had a similar drive train even but no wires. Only strips of metal making loose connections. I still have it and I still run it on occasions. Thanks for the memories!

[@SMTMainline]

Glad this brought you back. They are great models, require only basic maintenance and perform great for what you can buy them for.

[@mylesspear]

@@SMTMainline definitely!

[@Iconoclasher]

Nice old engine. It's a Tyco shell on the Athearn chassis. Note the single headlight and the retaining slots on the sides toward the rear.

[@beckylewthwaite5158]

😀Thanks for that video. It solved my Problem and was the exact same model As my Athern. I've Been watching your videos for about 4 or more years. Your the Best!

[@SMTMainline]

Glad it helped

[@dbtech7914]

Another great job! That's an interesting trick to clean the wheels.

[@harrtwins1237]

Smt is a legend of fixing trains I love your videos

[@eastcoasttrains1032]

F7: my days are gone and I’ll never run again... SMT: n o

[@SMTMainline]

Exactly!

[@LaneMphoto09]

Yes hopefully when I’m like 30 he can fix locos like the sd70ace’s!

[@lehighvalleymodelrailroade7733]

great job SMT reading used to run by one of my close towns. Bob the builder: Can we fix it SMT yes we can

[@sergioarroyoguerrero5434]

Nice locomotive in HO scale, Athearn. Good job in fix you F7 locomotive.

[@SMTMainline]

Thank you very much!

[@cfishel15]

Me: “I can’t get this engine running.” SMT: “Hold my Molson.”

[@mercuryoak2]

Awesome job getting it running. They sure did change the athearn motors vs mine. Having a enclosed commutator.

[@thiruraj3866]

Your really good at restorations no wonder why your called the train doctor

[@SMTMainline]

Thank you!

[@cnwproductions]

SMT: CaN WE GeT it To RUn?!?!? EVERYONE: YESSSSS!!!!

[@mikeday62]

These Athearns are some of the best looking older HO locomotives.

[@gravesclayton3604]

Did you notice that is actually a Mantua 2nd Generation F-7 body shell? The body slots for the snap-in power trucks, side steps and closed front coupler pocket are 3 dead give-aways. Also the road #283 & the lack of steam pipes under the back door, which allows the swinging rear coupler on the original Mantua rear power truck. Athearns have steam pipes under the back door because their rear coupler is stationary. To make the shell fit down all the way on the frame, you may need to trim a bit of the plastic under the rear door as it rests on the coupler pocket. I am not sure who copied whom, but the Athearn and Tyco/Mantua F-7 shells are from the same original molds with one of the two (Mantua, I think) having been modified for production models, , and Tyco/Mantua sold it's 1st generation (1960 - 1974) as an F-9 most likely to avoid patent infringement, lol! The Tyco/Mantua shell has always had the better pilot, and the Athearn had the rear door steam pipes. Mantua changed the profile of the side steps in the late 1970's, and added the side slots for snap-in power trucks and center weight. Athearn F-7 Shells have basically been unchanged since the 1960's.

[@harrisonlamore3438]

Nice train glad it works you did a good job

[@Techmonies92]

Congrats on 20K!

[@SMTMainline]

Thank you!

[@Techmonies92]

@@SMTMainline no problem, I just think your channel has grown a lot since I joined at around 1.5K subs

[@kevinjennerproductions2025]

Lemme tell yall a story. Its about an Athearn Chessie System f7 just like this one. It had an issue in which one truck was believed to be seized and it made this grinding noise when it ran. Well it turned out to be an issue with the driveshaft not being properly connected to the motor. It took me 60 seconds to fix this model once i figured out the problem, she was running fine again after that. Soon enough you may see ol chessie on my channel in 2021. Until then, great video Harrison and i will see you in the next one. -KJP

[@tadpolestrains9901]

Your videos are the best keep up the good work!!

[@phoenicianlocal2363]

SMT the model train restoring King!! 💯

[@antonbruce1241]

And if you want to add a light...use an LED with a small bridge rectifier (less than an amp) and a resistor instead of a bulb. The current draw IS a lot less, and an LED is FAR less likely to burn out. Also LED's can be found in a size that, believe it or not, will fit the lens hole on the front of the cab. I've done that replacement on a couple of my F-units.

[@skeen9703]

cant get enough of your channel!!

[@TunnelMotorMann]

I see Athearn in thumbnail, I say cool . I also see SMT in title, I click instantly.

[@antonbruce1241]

Yep...same here....

[@WTafterburner]

Man I LOVE a the reading! They are just one state down from me, or they were! Ya Ik a New Yorker! NICE VIDEO Smt

[@SMTMainline]

I thought the reading was a PA based railway.

[@readingrailroadfan7683]

@@SMTMainline They are and once the largest corporation in the US at one part. They were the largest anthracite coal hauler until bankruptcy and got taken over by Conrail I could go on and on but I don’t want to bore you Smt

[@WTafterburner]

They were

[@WTafterburner]

I’m in NY. Rochester to be exact

[@teddawg327]

Reading was once the one of the richest companies in the USA

[@CrystalLakeRailway]

Just love these repair videos!

[@mistermadmachine6311]

😮what a helpful wheel cleaning tip 😊

[@stevenspaziani9159]

If someone cant make an a blue box Athearn run then they shouldn't be playing with trains. I literally have hundreds of blue box Athearn locomotives, some were bought for parts and other for restoration. I have made locomotives from parts and pieces of Athearn locomotives, I have fit shells from other manufacturers onto Athearn chassis, there is almost nothing you cant do with an Athearn. Of all the ones I have I have only 2 of them that the motors burned out in, hence scrap loco's for parts. Sadly since Erv Athearn died and they moved operations to china instead of leaving them in california I have only purchased a couple locos and a few cars. But after all that, usually you can get them running with a good cleaning.

[@MoosesWorkshop]

Another nice rebuild.

[@Brian_rock_railfan]

great video 🚄👍

[@modelmainline7278]

That’s a big wait,when it runs it will pull a LOT rolling stock

[@SMTMainline]

Probably so. These Athearn engines can be strong pullers with enough weight.

[@Docnty]

I bought mine used, a Via Rail shell, but no weight, I'm almost envious, it's still pretty heavy with the weight though.

[@IronhorseRailProductions]

I have an F7 A unit and B unit that I have painted to look like the Reading and Northern F7 A and B units. I'm gonna be putting up a video of what they look like when they're done.

[@tinosoares1]

Congratulations for the work I follow you always, I would like to know the name and model of your controlled trains a big hug.

[@ROKMAN1445]

Interesting wheel cleaning strategy... Personally I use a variation of this where I hold a cotton swab in place and turn the flywheels, definitely not as efficient as your strategy but it gets about the same job done.

[@crudecaboose8382]

Nice fix looks like the ones at steamtown

[@DowneastProductions211]

Hey I read alot lol keep up the good work and love the vid

[@SMTMainline]

Thanks!

[@MMRails]

Who does your nails? I can’t find a good place with the restrictions in place. I know a kid on YT who drilled a hole in his thumb. Can you believe that?? I wonder if it ever healed. Great restore and video as always. Keep those show hands safe.

[@SMTMainline]

Think I've met that kid before, same moron who has lamps taped to his ceiling for light lol

[@MMRails]

@@SMTMainline LOL.

[@Docnty]

I've seen you lube the gears before, but not this one, I'm curious as to why not? I'm asking as I'm still learning. Should you not lube plastic gears, only the metal gears?

[@michaeltorrent7829]

Nice work!

[@modelmainline7278]

Never seen a paint sceam like that before

[@garysprandel1817]

Looks to be a more recent issue ( late 80s through early 2ks) so it's either one of the limited run liveries Athearn offered right around the time Irv Athearn passed, one of the aftermarket painted shells or in light of the fact there's the black marker to block the engine weight showing through the porthole and the improvements done a custom DIY paint job. Pretty much do not recall that Reading livery offered as a stock Athearn.

[@artroberttucker4218]

I never seen Reading in Athearn either Stewart / Kato had them . If i see one going to buy it

[@artroberttucker4218]

Upon further review This looks like a Tyco or Mantua shell made to fit an Athearn frame

[@garysprandel1817]

@@artroberttucker4218 thought that headlight plug was rather "bulby" for an Athearn but thought I might be misremembering

[@douglasmaddox7808]

I made a couple of these for my fleet. They came out pretty good. Micro scale decals. I like the Athens BB. Great for customizing.

[@JBofBrisbane]

Maybe do the wheel cleaning trick on some sort of rolling road - I have an H&M Loco Tester that has the rollers at one end and some plain track at the same level at the other end. Purpose is to put the loco on the rollers and the tender on the plain track - important if the current runs through the tender as well. In the case of your diesel, put the alcohol soaked paper towel across the plain track for the wheels you want to clean, and rollers under the wheels at the other end.

[@keepamericayisraelgreat5708]

Like the look of this F7

[@skeen9703]

hey smt i just broke my marx switcher exactly like that one you got the other day. on the communtator the little black plastic piece shattered that colts the bushes up against it? Do you have any clue as to where i could find a new piece i know these things are harder to find than most.

[@hessxpress3016]

I like the solder a wire between the bottom brush of the motor to the front bracket of the headlight and right to the flat plate where the truck contacts the frame. I don’t trust those two little tabs that stick down and contact the frame

[@CR7659]

FWIW, that's a 1980s Mantua shell put on an Athearn drive. Scroll down through ho-scaletrains.com/mantua-f7/ and you'll find a picture of this very one. The thick side steps, the slots in the sides and the fuel tank skirt being shorter and not fitting the Athearn chassis lugs gives it away. Curiously, this shell is a slight revision of the original Tyco tooling from about 1960 - which is itself more or less a clone of the Athearn shell. The only real differences are the nose door being absent and the changes for the Tyco drive.

[@Stanf954]

Hard to kill the Athearn BB locos and always an ez fix. Still have many of them and the LL Protos.

[@TrainBoy-mq3of]

I love your videos

[@robertgregson2183]

can you use the liquid alcohol on the track for cleaning

[@joemama-sl4cn]

I have this old 4-6-2 that just refuses to work, and I was wondering if you could give me any advice on how to fix it

[@SMTMainline]

Who's the engine made by?

[@joemama-sl4cn]

I'm pretty sure it's an athearn, and I took it to my local train guy, who said they don't make the part anymore. But I have an identical one, and I do want to move the part from the new one to the old one because it is very sentimental to me

[@teddawg327]

Nice work

[@crsrdash-840b5]

Great work. Good to see another 1990's version back in service. Are you going to fix that s-curve track that not connected?

[@SMTMainline]

Eventually

[@brendanschyve6876]

You ever considered buying a 20-30W soldering iron? It's a lot easier to use than a large soldering gun (I used to use one of those).

[@liam.m.f4593]

I remember the first time I tried to get into truck of a Athearn engine, and I didn't know what to do. So I just got out a hammer and BOOM, then superglue.

[@WTafterburner]

Haha LOL

[@leroyducharme2477]

That's not an Athearn's body! Looks like a life like!

[@SMTMainline]

It could be but I think someone painted it to look like this and stuck it onto this Athearn drive instead.

[@antonbruce1241]

As to the wire used for this...NEVER use a solid wire - use a stranded instead. The stranded will by its very nature will be more flexible. The solid will not be and will cause trouble with the trucks swiveling correctly. And I would not use any wire smaller that 24-26 gauge wire. A smaller wire might overheat and burn (NOT GOOD!!!) with an amp or more of power being drawn by the engine. Personally, I use 20-22 gauge stranded wire when I perform these types of jumper additions.

[@tadpolestrains9901]

SMT when are you going to restore the penn line GG1?

[@Timothyrucker12]

Love the video

[@Ryanfry262]

What was that table for in the corner of the basement? I seen some track on it, is it another secret project?

[@SMTMainline]

Not entirely secret but a project non the less.

[@Ryanfry262]

@@SMTMainline what is it?

[@antonbruce1241]

That fiberglass pencil? Those are ALSO available at walmart.com, a set of three for about 12usd.

[@robertbiesecker9613]

Do you have a mailing address to send you a small sized package.

[@PapaMav]

Ask for a Weller Soldering Pencil/station, for Christmas or your birthday.

[@antonbruce1241]

A little bit of alcohol applied? Hmm...sounds like me after a really stressful day.... :)

[@animalyze7120]

Old Athearn can we make this run? Sure you can and unless the motor is fried or parts are missing these things will run forever, so yeah you can easily make it run.

[@elleryparsons5766]

Hey Smt How Many Engines Do You Still Have to Work on?

[@SMTMainline]

I'm not sure, maybe 7?

[@timf2279]

Man it's huge!

[@dylanmiskovitz5336]

i have the same loco it a union pacific i cant open it i took off the front copuler and and still wont open

[@evanstraintubeyt6950]

Smt are u going to do a Xmas contest because overdid my Christmas trains

[@michaelg8936]

Smt did you know that back when lionel was making ho scale sets, they made the daylight

[@SMTMainline]

Yes although they shared the same drive system as Bachmann.

[@randallellison6421]

@@SMTMainline I stumbled on a HO scale Lionel GS-4 Daylight several years ago at a store in West Plains, MO, unfortunately I never bought the locomotive and the store was severely damaged in a fire some months later (the store has been repaired and reopened since then). While I know the locomotive was purchased by someone, I don't know how much damage it suffered in the fire!

[@ApacheHalloween]

@@SMTMainline yeah? I have the Lionel version, one of the wheels has a broken axle. Any ideas of what to do? Could I find a replacement?

[@theidahowesternstatesrailfan]

me and my dad clean the wheels on my locomotives by attatching a drill wire brush head and it scratches all the thick gunk off. without hurting the wheels.

[@blakestoner9679]

What's your favourite hockey team

[@SMTMainline]

Ottawa Senators

[@blakestoner9679]

My favourite teams Toronto and Buffalo do you watch nfl

[@bigwoz78]

Nice job, but man do you need to get a proper soldering iron.

[@fanofblueshockey107]

I saw csx Pull a freight train and a passenger train at the same time

[@hhjkii8237]

hey there do you do shoutouts?

[@joycecarter8176]

Use silicone to hold the motor steady. _ Charlie

[@joallawestervelt6918]

Awesomeness

[@RailBrothersProductions]

Nice!

[@HighScore-yh9vc]

Serenity !!!