Model Railroading > Athearn USRA Lt 2-8-2

I've been handed an Athearn USRA Lt. 2-8-2 to see if I can fix it for a local kid. It has what I think is a congenital problem, the idler gear in the gearbox is missing a tooth.
Is there any new technology available for fixing this or should I order a shoebox full of gears?
I've fixed dozens of brass engines with split gearboxes or driver gears, but never plastic.

This is a different one.    In every other case that I have heard of including the several of these engines I onced owned it is the main drive gear that cracks.  NWSL at one time did if not now have a direct replacement gear for that.   Now the models were made by Samhongsa and have fully sprung drivers.   As I recall it has an idler gear box just like other Samhongsa models.   So that idler gear may be the same as others.   NWSL may have a spur gear to fit.   Worst case would be to instal a NWSL gearbox in place of the factory one.   The axle gear should be the standard size for Brass, 3/32 perhaps.    But that will cost a bit to do and the model is really not worth much today as the plastic boiler makes it very light and not good at pulling much.    You would be much better off with the Oriental Powerhouse Mike or Pacific  as they have built up brass frames, full sprung drivers, super fine running idler gearboxes and nice can motors, plus the cast boiler has enough weight that it will pull something.   And that Oriental model was supplied with either a USRA cab or a "Western" cab which is the cab to get for most engines you could model from that USRA boiler design.    I watch ebay and buy them for stock when they are super cheap.  I put the chassis under other models to get them to run perfectly.    A good example is the imported by AHM so called Santa Fe Pacific and also done as a Mike, but they have horrible drives and rigid drivers.   Also technically they are not correct for any Santa Fe Pacific or Mike, they are some kind of an "average" Santa Fe engine.    

Richard.

Northwest Shortline has the idler gear as well as the axle gear available for these.

Part# 2181-6 Idler gear for the HO Athearn 2-8-2 & 4-6-2. The axle gear is # 2147-6.

I had mine done a while back.

DavidB



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/25 17:21 by GN_Fan.

Thank you guys. I'm sure the kid will be happy if he's able to just run his Athearn engine.

I was at a swap meet a few years back and some guy had a whole box full of the 2-8-2s for $20 each. They must have been real dogs.

While I only run them on a small layout, mine have performed adequately.   Depending on the kid's age/interest, it might be useful to have him involvedin the repair.  

I hate to be a spoilsport but our Athearn 2-8-2 has been a fine piece of hardware. Runs well, pulls well, very quiet and so on. I did a couple modifications including adding contact wipers to the tender trucks and stuffing the forward part of the loco with as much extra lead weight as possible. (for complete details see my book, the Vintage Steam Locomotive Handbook). The stock locomotive has a balance point between the third and fourth driver axles, which leaves the front end too light in weight. That can reduce pulling power and lead to derailments. With the extra weight and so on, it tracks just fine now.

Jeff Johnston
thesugarpineshop.bigcartel.com

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I also added weight directly on the pilot truck...between that, and rebalancing it forward, mine runs like a dream, and pulls respectably as well.

Posted from Android

Darren Boes
Lethbridge, AB
Southern Alberta Railfan