Model Railroading > Athearn Gas Turbine

Has arrived. I got the early version, #51. Test ran it on flex track, runs good, quiet mechanism. The included knuckle couplers, which are known to collapse or break easily, will be replaced with Kadees before I test the Turbine up a grade with cars.

- The box
- Opened
- Turbine

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Charles, nice shots of the Turbine, I have #51 and #58 on order but haven't arrived yet. They really look nice. I like the box something different then the normal boxes but considering what it is it makes since.

Ryan Slaton

How much do they cost?

Castle_Romeo Wrote:
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> How much do they cost?

The Turbines w/ Tenders (#s 54 & 58) are $299.98 and the Turbines w/o tenders(#s 51 & 60) are $229.98. This is MSRP though, they can be found 4 less.

Ryan

Already being sold for discounted prices on Ebay - Buy it Now.

I've seen a few of these models in person at the LHS. They do look very nice. The only gripe I have is that the speed recorder on #58 (unit with silver trucks) is bare white-metal. The silver look of white-metal is close to the painted truck, but doesn't quite match. It literally looks like someone took the Details West casting (SR-284) and stuck it on, then forgot to paint it silver. That and the truck castings for the tenders leave something to be desired. To my eye, they are rather shallow detail wise, and remind me of recent Kato offerings. Still, the models will definitely make UP modelers happy.

Mr. MRL

Is this model 4 or 8 axle drive?

atsf5701 Wrote:
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> Is this model 4 or 8 axle drive?


8 axle electrical pickup, 4 axle power (center trucks). The turbine weights a ton so there should be plenty of traction for the average model train.

Mr. MRL

They did a nice job on the snoot, cab and window areas. 'Looks very realistic. That's arguably the biggest challenge in any model of a cowl unit. Very nice Athearn!

Were these units painted in flat paint when they left the General Electric factory? If they were then Athearn got it right.

MARK

Looks good,

Too bad it is not in my era (1970 - 1980) I wish Athearn would have done the 3 unit gas turbine GTEL

Yours,

John Ruehle

I am not too familiar with the Turbines. Did they also run without the fuel tender? What are the differences with these models?

Thanks

Chris

This is one case where the absence of an true-to-prototype sound decoder is a good thing.

That loke won't go anywhere without a fuel tender - these things were fuel guzzlers.

Chris-from-Germany Wrote:
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> I am not too familiar with the Turbines. Did they
> also run without the fuel tender? What are the
> differences with these models?
>
> Thanks
>
> Chris

The first 6 (#51-56) of the "standard" or "Baby" were delivered in 1952 and the rest were delivered in 1953 , the Tenders weren't added until 1955 so they did run with out them. As far as differences b/t the turbines #51-60 were the standard version, the Verandas were basically the same only they had a walk way on both sides of the carbody which earned it the nick name veranda. The Last Turbines, the 3 unit or Big Blows, were the most powerful but they had 2 powered units, like an AB set of F units and a Tender, the Tender 4 these beasts were used from the start.

Ryan Slaton

Folks;

I picked my Turbine up on Sunday. Massive box that is decorated in UP's Harbor Mist Gray and Armour Yellow. Athearn has released magnificent model of these beasts. I wonder what will happen to the brass Overland or Alco UP Turbine model prices on e-bay. After BLI released it's Zephyr coaches...the market for brass Cal Zephyr cars tanked. I heard Sunday that Athearn sold out there entire run of these locomotives. Dealers cannot get any more. Also interesting is that some stores that ordered tenders were not provided with this product at this time. Looks like Athearn hit a home run again.....maybe they will consider re tooling and running the DD35 DD 40X after this success.

Regards

Jere Ingram

Waiting for my U50B now for damn near 40 years since I first saw one, it's gotta be awful close finally....

Very nice units.

I got mine this afternoon, road number 54. Ran very nicely on the test track at the hobby shop.

Made a discovery while checking wheel gauge and changing couplers to Kadee. Found all of the wheel sets slightly out of gauge (narrow), as compared with an NMRA standards gauge, which seems to be a common problem with many manufacturers.

A little quality time with the NWSL puller put things right.

Would suggest that anyone who has one of the Turbines check their wheels for gauge issues.

Still very happy with mine and would purchase another in a heartbeat.

Bob

Bob;

Thanks for the tip about the wheel sets. I plan to get mine out and check them.
As far as ordering another...I did just that. This time unit #51. Plan to modify it to match the experimental propane powered unit with tender. I also ordered the QSI sound system for both units. I am totally out of control now....a fool and his money are soon parted....:-)

Regards

Jere Ingram

I saw the preproduction ones at the Worlds Greatest Hobby Show in Feb and even I wanted to buy one. They are awesome looking machines and Athearn is to be commended on the work on these.

I know some had the QSI Revolution board installed with the custom special sounds for these beasts. I'm hoping someone runs these on a train and video tapes it for us to see and hear. Let's see that video!

Bruce

So let's strip off some of the turbine exhaust detail from the roof, take the finish right down to the bare plastic, add a pantograph on both ends, paint it orange and black and stick on the appropriate Milwaukee Road hearads beneath the cab and make a real locomotive out of it. It is too bad the real MILW did not think of that when the UP was scrapping the turbines out. There would have been lots of room in the carbody with the turbine taken out for components needed to make full electrics out of these beasts. I wonder if you could get 750vdc traction motors for the trucks.