Model Railroading > Athearn RTR SW1500 shell removal/swap?

A friend asked me how difficult it is to swap shells on Athearn RTR SW1500s.  I've never owned one, but guessed that it'd be a matter of removing the coupler boxes, popping off the shell, disconnecting the headlights from the board (standard suitcase connectors I assume?), and then reversing the process with the new shell.  

Am I close?  Missing any critical steps?

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

I can't remember any problem with removing the shell on my RTR CB&Q SW1000 to put in a decoder (non-sound).  Mine was a couple years old but had typical Athearn construction.

Gary B.

You have the process exactly right. Just did a decoder install in one of mine a few weeks ago, and that's all it took.

Brody Wyrick
Reno, NV

Thank you both very much! I really appreciate your help.

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

If you install an HO plug in you will have to glue the exhaust stack panel in tight. A Digitrax DH126 will install but it is tight The NCE is about the same. An N scale decoder with a 1 amp rating will work well and leave a little more room. The Athearn light board commonly has connections for both 9 pin HO decoders and 8 pin N decoders.

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Joe

Are you asking if an early run (1990 or so) Athearn Blue Box  SW1500 shell can be adapted to a late Athearn RTR SW1500 chassis?  The answer is "probably" depending on how much effort you want to dedicate to it.  I purchased a highly detailed Blue-box Alton&Southern SW1500 that had been on the cover of RMC from a close friend many years ago.  When the new edition of the SW1500 was released I picked up one with the goal of  re-chassissing the A&S unit.  I had done several SD40-2 BB to RTR swaps and they were a piece of cake and was kind of expecting the same..  When I got the SW1500's apart  and analysed the parts, shell mounting was significantly different and  it was going to be a  real  cut and grind project. the results that I expected turned out to not be worth the effort. I reassembeled the two switchers and permanently assigned the original A&S unit to the brass case.  I later purchased a RTR A&S Athearn SW1500 and found that the detailing on the RTR to be as good if not better than the "cover girl"  in the display case.  You have to determine if results are worth the work involved.  I know that you have done several chassis swaps in the past and this is not new ground.  FWIW you can pass this on to you friend.

Chet

Thanks very much FBE and Chet.  I appreciate the guidance.

Chet wrote:
> Are you asking if an early run (1990 or so) Athearn Blue Box  SW1500 shell can be adapted to a late Athearn RTR SW1500 chassis?

My friend's models are both the later RTR, so they should work out fine as far as actually fitting on the drives.  I think the situation was that he already had a decoder installed in one, but wanted to put a particular shell on the model with the decoder.

Thanks again!

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