Model Railroading > Help getting ATHG MP15AC shell back on w/new Tsunami?

I've had an early-run Athearn Genesis MP15AC sitting around for a couple years doing nothing thanks to the factory MRC decoder.  Finally installed a Tsunami GN1000 this weekend with the factory speaker left in place.  The model runs beautifully now, but I can't seem to get the shell back on.  I believe the issue is the capacitors built into the Tsunami possibly causing it to stand a bit higher off the frame than the old MRC did.

I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who's successfully installed a GN1000 in this model.  Did you have to remove some of the frame in order to get it to fit?  Or am I possibly just getting a stray wire in the way somewhere that's preventing the shell from seating properly?  Thanks in advance for any tips.

Joe Atkinson
Council Bluffs, IA
www.iaisrailfans.org/../Sub4WestEnd

I had this issue when I did mine. Off the top of my head I can't remember the thing(s) I did to fix it, and it remains a tight fit, but it did get fixed.

See theis thread:
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,3014599,3014885#msg-3014885

I've also had persistant electrical issues with getting the wheels to reliably convey current. The issue seems to be with the sideframe electrical connection, and I still haven't found a real solution:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,3197476,3197693#msg-3197693

inCHI Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I had this issue when I did mine. Off the top of
> my head I can't remember the thing(s) I did to fix
> it, and it remains a tight fit, but it did get
> fixed.
>
> See theis thread:
> http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,3
> 014599,3014885#msg-3014885
>
> I've also had persistant electrical issues with
> getting the wheels to reliably convey current. The
> issue seems to be with the sideframe electrical
> connection, and I still haven't found a real
> solution:
>
> http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,3
> 197476,3197693#msg-319769

While not a cure all, I've found a little squirt of Kadee graphite in the area where the axle meets the side frame electrical connector helps quite a bit with these Genensis four axle units.

Here's the Genesis set up. Maybe it will help.

---

ChrisCampi Wrote:
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> Here's the Genesis set up. Maybe it will help.

FWIW the shell is reversed in this photo.  The speaker isn't under the cab when assembled.

I have had a couple of models where I had to mount the decoder upside down with the capacitors on the bottom instead of poking out the top. This only works if the bottomside capacitors clear the flywheels.

Then you have to move the red wire from the truck to the red wire connection on the left
side of the decoder. You could leave the red black wires reversed then set up the model to run long hood forward.

Posted from iPhone

Playing around with this a bit further, I found that by removing the little lug from the frame (left over from the rear decoder screw) I could get the shell back on.  Barely, but it fits.  I'm having some issues with headlights now, but I believe it's either a problem with the way I have CVs 33-35 set up or else I frayed a headlight wire in the process of trying to get this to fit.

Pickup seems to be fine, and the motor is super smooth.  However, with everything put back together, the mechanism has a little hitch every now and then.  Possibly another wire issue, perhaps something coming in contact with a driveshaft, or else it's just in need of lube and more break-in.  I'll keep looking.

Joe Atkinson
Council Bluffs, IA
www.iaisrailfans.org/../Sub4WestEnd

My headlight issues turned out to be the result of a combination of reversing the two motor wires and mis-configuring CVs 33, 34, and 35.  With those corrected, and taking a bit more off the vertical portion of the frame on either side of the cab-end flywheel to allow the decoder to sit just a bit lower, the model seems to run relatively well.  There's still a bit of hesitation in the drivetrain, but I'm hoping to overcome that with more lubrication and break-in time.

Joe Atkinson
Council Bluffs, IA
www.iaisrailfans.org/../Sub4WestEnd

iaisfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My headlight issues turned out to be the result of
> a combination of reversing the two motor wires and
> mis-configuring CVs 33, 34, and 35.  With those
> corrected, and taking a bit more off the vertical
> portion of the frame on either side of the cab-end
> flywheel to allow the decoder to sit just a bit
> lower, the model seems to run relatively well.
>  There's still a bit of hesitation in the
> drivetrain, but I'm hoping to overcome that with
> more lubrication and break-in time.
Do we see a video in the future of this one working ?

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

calsubd Wrote:
> Do we see a video in the future of this one working ?

Maybe!  I'd like to get it running better first though.

Joe Atkinson
Council Bluffs, IA
www.iaisrailfans.org/../Sub4WestEnd