athern dd-40 gear kits?

Matt, What is your goal ? More speed or more power ? Might be worth the search, however I've got an older original style Athearn twin motored with flywheels and stock gears that can just about out pull my S-15 pick-up ! ! ! Even though the Sante Fe didn't have any DD-40 s to my knowledge, I had a buddy of mine paint and decal it for me years ago ! :thumb: Joe
 

matt fisher

New Member
athern dd40

straight-track said:
Matt, What is your goal ? More speed or more power ? Might be worth the search, however I've got an older original style Athearn twin motored with flywheels and stock gears that can just about out pull my S-15 pick-up ! ! ! Even though the Sante Fe didn't have any DD-40 s to my knowledge, I had a buddy of mine paint and decal it for me years ago ! :thumb: Joe

hi it's matt

i looking for more speed more power and looking to pull about 60 cars with my sp dd35b
and my own custom sp u50 that i'm building right now.
matt
 

shaygetz

Active Member
An Ernst gear kit for an Athearn 6 axle diesel might do it. I've since found the Trainmaster axles will fit the DD40 and that's a six axle loco. Of course you'd need 2 sets, no doubt. Walthers should have it. What exactly have you done with yours? I have 2, one with the original orange box and one of the later ones with the skew wound motors. I've just finished re-motoring the oldtimer with newer motors and am about to wire them both for DCC. Looking to add about 6-8 ounces to them as well, they should pull the bumper off my Mercury pretty good after that.
 

doctorwayne

Active Member
If the Ernst gearsets will fit, the result will be lower top speed and supposedly greater pulling power. When I remotored three Athearn U-boats, I considered using the Ernst gears, but I was not sure that the thinner gear profile would stand up to heavy pulling as well as the stock gears. Unless you have a lot of tight curves or steep grades, I would think that your locos should pull 60 cars easily, without modification.

Wayne
 
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