Athearn Blue Box GP-7

[atsfguy]

 After a fifty year hiatus, I have begun building a layout and preparing to purchase and install RP components in one of my locomotives. I will probably ask some stupid questions but there are operations involved in RP that we didn’t need to do back then.
  Here goes; How is the motor attached to the frame in these old blue box engines? Mine appears to be held in place by four plastic lugs but I have no documentation after all these years. Athearn’s website has no diagrams that I could find.
 Thanks for your help.
Cecil

[G8B4Life]

Is the GP-7 50 years old? Athearn changed their drives over the years so it would help to know what vintage we're dealing with. Is it a rubber band or universal drive? Also remember that the old Althearn motors quite often drew a lot of current. You may need to tune the motor to try to avoid overstressing the RailPro module.

I couldn't find a diagram for the GP-7 but this one for the GP-9 would be similar if your GP-7 is universal drive.

http://hoseeker.net/assemblyexplosionAthearn/Assembly%20Explosion%20Athearn%20GP9%201975.jpg

The motor will be held in place by a lug on each side that pushes down into the fuel tank. You can push the lugs up through the fuel tank with the end of a pen or similar to release the motor. The motor will have to be isolated from the frame by bending back or cutting off the little tabs on the bottom of the motor and placing an insulator on the frame where the motor sits.

This guide from TCS for a GP-7 should get you started in the right direction: http://tcsdcc.com/installation/ho-scale/athearn-gp7/t1.

A search on Google or whatever your favourite search engine is for Athearn Blue Box DCC install should also net you plenty of pages about the subject if the TCS guide doesn't do much for you.

- Tim

[atsfguy]

Hello, Tim.
  The locomotive is probably 35 years old, being stored most of that time as I moved around, purchasing it shortly before my US Army retirement. It is a universal drive and runs well, so it should transition to RP well.
  I appreciate the information. Thanks for your help.
Cecil

[atsfguy]

Hi, Tim.
 I followed your instructions on another older blue box engine and it was very easy to isolate everything. I surely appreciate your help. This group is very fortunate that you, Bill B., Allan and many others are so willing to help others, unlike another forum I belong to.
Cecil
atsfguy

[atsfguy]

Update on my first hardwired installation;
  After reading the postings here, I looked at a couple of videos then installed the LM-3. No sweat!
Thanks to all who replied. It is as easy as you said.

Cecil

[William Brillinger]

After reading the postings here, I looked at a couple of videos then installed the LM-3. No sweat!

Good Job Cecil!! 

[atsfguy]

  Is it necessary to isolate the coupler pockets on Blue Box engines? How would I do this?
Man, mrr is so different from fifty years ago, but in the best way possible. Wish RP had been available then.
  Thank you in advance for your help.
Cheers,
Cecil

[nodcc4me]

I kept only one very old Blue Box engine, a PA1. I did not have to isolate the coupler pockets.

[atsfguy]

Thanks, Al.