Thanks for reviewing another US prototype model, Sam! Athearn has been around for a long time, and their locos are known as good runners. The low lamps on the ends are called "ditch lights" over here. They have been mandatory for main line locos for several years now. Typically they automatically alternate when the horn is blown for an extra warning at roadway grade crossings. (Many videos show this.) The DCC versions of the loco should simulate this behaviour. Cheers from Wisconsin!
That little panel above the wheel at 9:57 is for the powered handbrake wheel. On the IRL locomotives you can press a button on the control panel and the handbrake wheel will be turned by a motor inside the locomotive to set the handbrake.
10:35 Few notes for future reference; the hose next to the coupler is an air hose, not a vacuum hose, and the 6 grouped hoses on either end are MU cables for running with multiple units. The big orange cable serves the same purpose. Also, the running plate on a diesel over here is called the side sill. The reason it doesn't weigh as much as a similarly sized british locomotive is because most british locomotives use a full width body, unlike american ones which use a narrow hood, thus restricting how big the metal chassis can be.
The Norfolk Southern was a creation of the merger of the Norfolk and Western and the Southern Railroad. So the N&W hoppers would be appropriate. The Nickel Plate hoppers are also acceptable as the Norfolk and Western acquired control of the Nickel Plate back in 1964. The Nickle Plate is now part of the Norfolk Southern. Either by intent or accident you did a nice legacy trainset.
An interesting fact about the NS, N&W and Southern is that they were all officially Railways and not Railroads. Can be verified by checking good historical sites and the NS official site. A surprising amount of other class 1 operations in the US were and are officially Railways. Even the ATSF and BNSF railways
@@johnd8892 A number of roads were both railroad or railway, the which depending on recent financial history, that is, a reorganisation following bankruptcy. A new name, but the old name.
@@johnd8892 They varied. If a company started out as Railway maybe after a bankruptcy, it became Railroad. Both the N&W and Southern were "Railway" so you are correct. I used Southern Railroad so poor Sam wouldn't get confused again with the U.K.'s Southern Railway.
Very nice! Also, just to clarify, there were only 2 SD60Es that were regeared to 79 MPH, those 2 for Norfolk Southern's executive train, a special passenger train for Norfolk Southern executives.
Fun fact the base place was use on the older athearn blue box design back then,it still works ,you should get a older blue box since it a little fun putting together a locomotive with metal hand rail,their are hand down the tough locomotives , even though they can be rough ,they still can run and pretty easy to maintain to.
Very glad you enjoyed your first Athearn locomotive Sam, about two decades ago a much simpler and cheaper Athearn "blue box" F7 was my very first loco. It's been through a lot of abuse but it's still working just fine today, and it even has most of its original parts still. I know you're not a fan of the clipped together, bearing pickup style design but you can trust me when I say that Athearn does it right. They have many decades of experience iterating on that exact design (helped by the fact that US prototype diesels used a relatively small number of truck designs). They use interchangable parts; you could take the axles out of that one and drop them in my F7 and they'd work fine. The plastic clips are also pretty flexible, even after decades of use and storage, and because they're so interchangable getting replacements when they do break is no problem. The pro way to take those trucks (bogies) apart for service is a little counterintuitive and might not be quite as easy on this model: you actually want to remove them entirely from the locomotive first. The worm gears are held on by a clip that also clips the trucks to the frame. Again the plastic they use is pretty flexible, so they'll be clipping and unclipping for many years. Once you've done that you might be able to fit a small flathead screwdriver to take the bottom clip-plate off, and usually there's one more small clip on the top to get the truck all the way apart. Looks like the motor they're using is very different from the older ones, though it might just use compatible mounting hardware. If you want to see models derived from their older designs, try a diesel like an F7 from their Roundhouse range, if you can find one. Or see if you can find an old / used F7 and see how it compares.
Welcome to the world of Athearn Genesis. I have yet to be anything but really pleased with these models, they're really good. You should give the streamliners a try, the Genesis EMD F units are among my favourite models from any country. Its a shame you didn't get the SDP45, those are a fantastic model.
Love the fact that there's been a surge in international stuff on the channel :D Can't wait to see more of that, especially if you decide to get into mainland european stuff! I'd love to see you cover a modern loco from Roco one day, they're some of the best runners that there are out there. Their mechanisms are a bit cheapish, but imo the detail and performance make up for that. Cheers Sam!
I love that you’re covering a more modern American locomotive. Those Athearn locomotives are very well made. I’ve had only a few, mainly because I only ever needed a few because of how well they work. Athearn is a very reputable manufacturer in the United States, mostly because of their quality models. They’ve been selling models since the mid 1940s. Also, those freight wagons you hooked up behind the sd60e were actually all lettered for railroad companies that are now owned by Norfolk Southern.
It will crawl with DCC. Has nothing to do with the large motor. Theres just many things you cant do with Analog because of how it operates. If you know how DCC works and operates on the chip level and how it draws from the motor, this will actually make more sense. With DCC, you can achieve movement with speed-step 1. I would *highly* suggest upgrading to DCC to get the most out of every model you test. Yes, it really does make a major difference. Hope that helps 😊 Also, other super high quality locomotive companies in America are: ScaleTrains, Bowser, Atlas, Intermountain, and Broadway Limited
Very cool locomotive, Sam! The cabs on these rebuilt SD60s are whats known as the "Cresent cab" and if you look closely, you'll notice the roof of the cab actually slants downward, very unique design NS came up with! Athearn is also offering these locomotives in various fantasy schemes (which Athearn calls the "Legendary Liveries" line) as well, with Norfolk and Western, Monon, and Central of New Jersey schemes!
17:44 Athearn’s recent Genesis locomotives have incorporated the lighting contacts (unsure when, but definitely after the production of the SD60E you reviewed), definitely a huge plus for nervous modelers such as myself who already worry about breaking the handrails 😅 I also enjoyed hearing your reaction of seeing a Genesis model for the first time, I’ve grown used to unboxing them but there’s still that bit of satisfaction seeing a highly detailed model locomotive with amazing craftsmanship for the first time.
Glad you 'found' Athearn Genesis. I have collected Athearn HO gauge since the mid 70's when all the detail was provided but you had to be put on yourself. In the late 90's DCC was available, but I miss the dummy locos. On video (Virtual Railfan) US railroads can run trains of 20+ locos as a power move so as a model and all the models are powered that is a lot of amps. Hence there use to be dummy (no motor or gears) models that could be used in multiple loco consists, also as mid train helpers or pushing.
The snapped-together chassis design is a refined variation on what they've been using in their diesels for about 60 years now. With a slight adjustment to the wheel half-axles using a wheel puller, it's possible to drop the gears and wheelsets straight into a model from around 1965! It's known to be a bullet-proof design that will last a lifetime, so Athearn's stuck with it all this time.
I don't have their SD60Es as I mainly model 1990s Burlington Northern, but they did make an SD60M and that thing is a TANK, it will pull anything because it's super heavy, it has endless torque and the level of detail is amazing! Great to see an Athearn locomotive in your collection, I highly recommend their products! Edit: I should also mention that the Norfolk & Western is the predecessor to the Norfolk Southern, the N&W and the Southern (US) merged in 1982 to create Norfolk Southern.
Odd one out is the Irish diesel (I forgot what class it is). The front lights on the deck of the locomotive are called ditchlights. By law, they are required to flash alternatively whenever the locomotive sounds its horn (A DCC decoder can fix this). The lights on the bottom of the shell are called ground lights. They always stay on, especially at night, to help crews inspect the trucks/bogeys. The slowdown issue, again that's something a DCC decoder with BEMF can fix. I'd love to see a video of you trying to put a sound decoder from SoundTraxx or ESU in this engine- you won't regret it.
Hi Sam, Great Review. I'm sure others have made similar Comments regarding Athearn's Engineering, but I want to consolidate them. Athearn has been around since the 1930's, and started producing H0 Scale Models in 1948. All models had a Resin (Plastic) Shell on top of a cast Metal Frame. Pre-DCC Electricity was conducted by a clever System using a Contact "Spine" that drew power from one half of the Truck (Bogie) and clipped to the Motor. and the other Path being through the Frame. The Headlight was powered by this same Spine. As far as I know Athearn have always used the Sintered Bronze Bearings that are on your Unit. Older Truck Side Frames were cast Metal, higher Detail Resin Frames were introduced in the late 1980's/Early 1990's. As other commenters have noted, the Clip on the Truck is a long standing, and very effective Feature; I find that that they facilitate Maintenance, and I've rarely if ever had one fail. On "Covered Wagon" (F-Unit/Streamliner) Models there was usually an extra cast Weight that straddled the Motor; I think the Term "Super Power" or "Super Puller" was used. There was not room to put this into the "Hood Units" (GP, SD etc…). Affordable, and durable, classic Athearn were a very reliable Mainstay of many Modelers. In the 1990's competition drove them to more detailed, and expensive Designs. Old Athearn Hood Units cam with Metal Railings and Stations that the Modeler had to install. The current Resin Railings are very flexible, and durable, Resin; I would not remove points for this it may be an Advantage. Fun Note: early Athearn Locomotives were not geared but had an Elastic Band that ran from the Motor Shaft to a Drum on the Drive Axels! I hope your SD60E provides Years of enjoyment for you! Dave in Philadelphia
Here in Australia, we bought some MZs for an independent rail company. Of course that got swallowed by a bigger one. So much for competition :P The first time I heard and saw one I had no idea what it was except that it looked European. And that 20-cylinder 645 sounds very different from the 16-cylinder 567s and 645s that I was used to.
Beautiful locomotive! Love all the lighting effects, and it was also really cool how clearly it showed how much of a difference running in can make. I do wonder why they didn't make the handrails on the sides out of metal, I've seen a few HO scale diesels here in America that were able to do that and it would've improved the durability. The price sounds fantastic though at $149.99 with all the detail and features, I wish more modern locomotives could be like that.
Hay Sam, if you're interested or anybody else. I have plenty of footage of the real sd60e's as I see them every day leading mainline freight trains In July 1985. Ns sd60 6589 rolled out of the emd shop and entered service with NS. In January 2013. The 6589 would roll into the Norfolk Southern's Juniata shops in Altoona, PA. When it rolled out of the shops, it was upgraded with new electronics and a new cab. And renumbered to Ns sd60e 6917. It is still on the active roster as of 2023 The athern sd60e's are reliable work horses as I have two of them
It's interesting that NS went through the expense of rebuilding SD60s into SD60Es and now they're pretty much just used in local services (moving cars from a yard to customer). They've got a few special paint schemes on a couple of 60Es (911, 6920 and 6963). NS also rebuilt their standard cab SD70s into SD70ACCs, those are still in service on road trains. Rebuilding locomotives is a big thing over here now. NS is rebuilding their 1100 Dash 9s, CSX is rebuilding their AC44s, and western/Canadian railroads have their own programs going as well.
Speaking of Scales, I’ve heard somewhere that the reason that OO scale was made was because the size of the electric motors back then were too big for some British locos. And the upscaled was the compromise.
Seen a good few of these over the years. Originally they were used on mainline freights when NS first rebuilt them, but in about 2018 they started primarily using them on local freights. Still tend to see them on said local freights when I head down to the Birmingham area to shoot trains. Three were also painted into special paint schemes, one painted to honor veterans, one painted to help promote GoRail, and one, the only one not numbered in the 6900s and 7000s on NS's roster (NS 911), was painted to honor first responders. Always do enjoy seeing 'em, though I know they aren't too popular with the crews IRL, apparently the "Crescent" cabs they got in the rebuilds are a bit of a rough ride at the very least (also heard the wiring in them ain't the best either). Maybe I should get one of these, lol. I believe the odd one out is the Irish one next to the 2nd radius curves, given that it's from Ireland and not the US. :P
Hi mukka... the "flaps" on the cab sides are rear view mirrors for the driver to monitor the train whilst in transit. There are no vacuum brake pipe on these or indeed most modern day locos mukka. With the fans... the three on the long end are coolant radiator fans the next one along is the dynamic braking grid cooling fan and the last one next to the cabcshould be to ventilate the electronics bay. The orange cable on each end above the couplers are jumper cables for use when in multiple loco consists. Cheers from Oz. Gaz
One thing that's different between American and foreign (to us) models is that working lighting is essentially default for us. I've noticed many of your reviewed locomotives don't have any working lighting, and that mostly speaks of the locomotives where a light or lamp is molded but not lit. For us it's almost unheard of to have lights not actually work so it's rarely a question here
Well, to be quite frank, all European continental models (even the toy ones) carry working lights as per standard as well (since literally decades)..., mostly directional too nowadays. Somehow it is the British manufacturers omitting them. Perhaps it has to do with their unique way of headcodes on the prototypes...? Not sure.
What just about no modeller seems to realise is that if you have a steam-era layout set in the U.S.A.(or Canada) engines SHOULD NOT have headlights turned on during daylight. It was the advent of the diesel that brought on the requirement.
just some info. The lights on the top of the front and rear walkway on the locomotive are known as ditch lights. All the locomotives in the US are reuired to have them as a safety regulation so vehicles will be able to see the locomotive coming at a grade crossing. Some railroad such as the CSX or NS have them automatically flash whenever the horn is blown.
The plastic handrails are in the Dapol tradition, and one wonders, given the similarity of the box, black foam, expanded polystyrene that this loco has been made in the same Chinese factory! Quite an interesting review which is helpful to American HO collectors. Thanks for uploading.
Superb locomotive. I do like the American HO models, and the different manufacturers are quite splendid with their models, some are expensive and have more detail than usual. Thanks for bringing the models to light. What a wonderful looking locomotive. Full marks for the manufacturer. Thanks for sharing.
Had a few of their locos back in the day they were all only part assembled, but that's 25 years ago. Was when I was into my airfix planes, etc. Always were great locos.
Alright, first things first: As you already suspected, these locomotives are very much meant to be run via DCC. Ideally you'll want a LokSound 5 decoder, generally considered the gold standard here in the US. You'll also want intermodal equipment (well cars for containers and spine cars for truck trailers) as well, as these particular locomotives are often seen on intermodal runs. Of course, if you run double stack (one container atop another) as Uncle Sam intended, you'll want to remove the pedestrian bridge to make clearance. Appropriate cars have been manufactured by Athearn, Walthers, ScaleTrains, and recently Class One Model Works, a new company who seem to be making quite a splash here. Plenty of intermodal cars and containers/truck trailers are available on both the new and used market. In regards to my thoughts on the prototype and the circumstances surrounding it, it's a fan favorite on Norfolk Southern's roster. The prototypes, as far as I'm aware, are most commonly seen around Atlanta, GA and along the former Pennsylvania Railroad mainline between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, PA. During the 2010s, NS underwent extensive rebuilding programs for their fleet, giving us locomotives such as the SD40E (a rebuild of the extremely successful SD40-2), the PR34C (a rebuild of the far less successful SD50, and was so unreliable that all units were quickly retired and scrapped), and the AC4400C6M (a rebuild of the famous "Dash-9" series locomotives, switching them from DC to AC traction and improving their emissions). NS has been known to run fairly unique power throughout its history, ranging from high hood locomotives from its predecessor roads and being the sole purchaser of the C40-9, known to railfans as the "Top Hats". The SD60E continues that particular quirk. As for other Athearn products to review, I would join others in recommending that you find and pick up one of the old "Blue Box" locomotives. They're considered classics and have aged well, in part because they can be easily modified to run on DCC and were quite well-detailed for the era they were made, even if they don't have the fine details such as photo-etched parts or see-through grills you find on more contemporary models. They're built like tanks, too, so chances are decent that you'll get a runner even though it's over 20 years old. Consider it as much a step towards today's American models as much as you'd see it as a standalone item. I would also recommend picking up something from ScaleTrains, too. Their Rivet Counter line is generally of similar quality to Athearn Genesis and are quite popular for good reason if you want additional contemporary-era locomotives. Regardless, cheers for the review.
Hi Sam! Great upload! I believe the bearings are sliding in order to allow it to take curves easier. It is a three axle bogey, and in my experience unless there is a little sliding in the axle, US six axle locomotives don’t take short radius turns that well.16:27
That loose detail around the window is the cab wind deflector, basically there just to keep wind from howling inside the cab when the window is open. They're more or less standard on every Genesis locomotive that had them in real life, but they are pretty fragile all things considered.
It's about time you got around to reviewing an engine from the railway that I model, Sam, lol. Athearn engines have been mainstays of the American model railroad world for decades. They're reliable, tried and true designs that can serve you well for a LONG time. Also, if you think that's big, get yourself EMD's monster coal hauler: the SD80MAC, which is also made by Athearn. It'll make that 60E seem small by comparison. PS: those directional lights on the 60E's front and rear pilots are called ditch lights. They're a mandatory feature on modern engines here in the States and up in Canada, and are there to provide extra visibility at night for the engineer and conductor, and they act as an extra identifier for people near the tracks and at road crossings. If you put a good sound decoder with room for multiple lighting functions in there, you can get them to flash back and forth when you sound the horn, which is a prototypical feature on NS and CSX engines.
@@tulyar1043 I'm not sure when they released it, but I'd say within the last couple of years. They offer it in the original Conrail Quality scheme, NS in either the original or Thoroughbred scheme, CSX in the YN3 blue/yellow, and Conrail patched with either NS or CSX identifiers.
In actual service the front handrails take a beating. When one weathers these, the end handrails can be “dinged up.” As for your next Athearn engine, I humbly suggest their classic F7A/B. They’ve improved them over time and you’re going to like ‘em. Finally, a question: Your curves look a bit on the sharp side. How much space does a circle of each of the curved tracks require?
I’d love to see you review a future one of these for DCC sound, I think you’ll be really blown away by the features! As for the pre-fitted speaker, it’s actually not. It’s a metal weight, a pretty chunky weight at that. However it’s designed so that you can remove it and replace it with a large round speaker speaker if you want to add a decoder. No words can describe how happy I am to see you review more modern contemporary US stuff!
Such a shame you didn’t get the SDP45s. The ones built for the Southern Pacific have an interesting distinction of being one of the very few passenger variants of the SD range that were actually used for passenger service. The SP ones were built in a transitional time period before Amtrak when passenger was dying but certain trains still needed newer equipment and the SPs solution was to purchase some SDP45s and GP40P-2s (the latter still being around in freight service). When Amtrak was formed the SP decided to not give them to the aforementioned passenger railroad and kept them for freight service (which to my memory of what I’ve read I don’t believe they performed very well on those). 3 of them were temporarily painted in the failed merger paint scheme of the Santa Fe Southern Pacific. All of the SP SDP45s were cut up and the SDP45 in preservation to my knowledge is Conrail 6670 (which technically is a SD45M since it wasn’t actually a passenger unit but whatever).
My comment was deleted so I'm reposting what I said. The odd loco out is the Class 121. Built in the US, but exported to Ireland. I'm glad you like this Athearn Genesis engine. I have a few from their lineup and they are all great. My favorite is the Conrail SD80MAC, it is a phenomenal model of my favorite modern(ish) loco. If you're interested in a more vintage prototype, try a Genesis F-Unit or Big Boy!
the crawl is excellent with athearn genesis, your controller is probably an old transformer style which isnt great for slow speed. A newer digital controller would help you alot sam. on dcc speed step 1 it creeps VERY VERY slowly with the help of back EMF.
Beautiful unit. Looks its best with mates and a long freight behind and in front of it (as DPU's) ... and a slight better performance when chipped for dcc, that's when you're controlling the amount of power that goes to each locomotive, as opposed to the rails. Athearn is usually an "Ol' Reliable" brand to stand the tests of time. Once that locomotive is serviced with new lubricant, the performance is as you need it to be. John
The truck mechanism on your model are the old, tried and true Athearn Blue-Box design. I do believe since then, they’ve been re-engineered to a more “complex” design.
Cracking review! Central of New Jersey, geep 7 on your layout too! I'm a keen Athearn collector... numerous CP rail SD40-2 from years ago, but now started on the NS heritage units. 3 Athearn units to date...
Nice! I’ve got a few Genesis locos myself including the Big Boy and Challenger. The DDA40X I have is an amazing model, it follows the real loco in that it has two motors in two separate halves of the body. It also has two DCC decoders and two speakers. When it starts up, the sound is staggered so one starts and then the other one spins up.
I almost said that the union pacific ALCO C628 was the odd one out because everything else is an EMD product but it's actually the orange non-American locomotive on the siding by the S curves, the Murphy Class 121.
I haven't brought an Athearn loco since the 90's but I see that the inside (motor, mechanism, pickups...) basically still identical. I had no issues with them (tough some can't take R2 curves at all) and they are my strongest US locos. Yes; these need a old fashioned "feedback" type controller! Also the Class 121 is the non US one!
Hi Sam, Lovely model. I own 3 of these, 2 in special liveries & 1 in the Thoroughbred livery, the same as yours. You should find the cab roof is held on by magnets so it can be lifted off & allows you to fit a crew. The E classification is for Eco. NS did operate the SD60M that were rebuilt to the E. They are used for Helper service (banking) on parts of the NS network. The details on the cab roof are the PTC array (Positive Train Control). Keep up the good work!
I've got one of these, it's a Conrail one that I lettered for my Robertville Central Railroad, also about how you said the freight cars you pulled with it were lettered for the Norfolk and Western, the N&W was one of the two railroads that merged to become Norfolk Southern
Awesome stuff Sam! I saw a real SD60E last sunday leading a small autorack train to it's destination, got a short horn blast as well from the engineer!
Another good pick for an American HO-scale model would be one from Kato. They’re mechanisms are one of the best, though the level of detail isn’t quite on the same order as the Athearn Genesis or Intermountain models (Just my opinion; their latest offerings may have improved in this regard.) Just make sure to get a 4-axle unit such as a GP35 if you’re going to be running it on tight 2nd radius curves. They just glide along with no noise at all (unless you put sound decoders in, of course!) Also, take all the (foam) packaging out of the box; the instructions may be hidden under there! 😏
I’m not surprised train train world accidentally put the wrong name because American locomotive class names are SUPER confusing and way to similar. Excellent review Sam!
Athearn Genesis always comes with a big manual. The fact that it was supposed to be a different model tells me this might have been a last minute substitution of a display model and probably forgot to put the manual back in the box. I have had the same thing happen with Trainworld myself. It has always been an upgrade though, so no complaints. The Genesis line is designed to be a DCC model. They basically sell the DCC Ready model to allow customers to install their own choice of sound decoders or for those who want to collect high detailed models, but don’t actually operate them. Their huge mid-range line is more aligned to the continually shrinking DC market. That range doesn’t have a lot of the extra lights that will only work when a high end decoder is installed. They continue to use their rock solid Blue Box chassis which was designed operate for literally decades with minimal maintenance. I have Athearn from the early 80’s that still crawl along pulling 60 car trains on my layout.
I (in the UK) have nearly 20 steam and diesel American locos in my collection, including some Genesis, and can honestly say I have never been disappointed with the quality of any of them. Most have been bought from auction,the one we all know about but from proper auction houses as well; Vectis auctions in particular. My favourite model is probably the Burlington Zephyr 3-car set by Con-Cor. Anyrode up, as you paid for this one in US$, I presume you had to import it, so was this an easy process and did you have to pay import duties and VAT etc?.
High scores Sam! A few remarks from our side if we may, and as you know we tend not to sugar coat lol. Understandingly details are decently high but to call it premium for real without the company's marketing fluff for their Genesis line is quite a stretch for us as EU continental modellers. The price is extremely sharp compared to the German makers but we would suggest that it to be premium a serious lot more metal fittings instead of plastic ones would be in order, as well as a less (still) somewhat plastic look (plus metal body perhaps), and..., no parts at all needing to be clipped together whatsoever... It's a decent loco with lots of detail for the money though. For the money, an absolute great value. Cheerio.
I have been a user of Athearn diesels since 1969. The trucks in my first small loco are almost the same as yours. I have 6 1980 ish locos that have been DCC'd and they work very well. Not as detailed as yours, but I paid (from trainworld) $16.50 to $25.00 depending on the diesel model. I feel that Athearn was a better company when Mr Athearn ran it. He would amortize the development and production costs over many models to keep the cost down. Also made right here in Southern California.
Hello Sam! Once again a great review! Modern Athearn diesels are truly spectacular models! I highly suggest you to chip this engine as for controlling individually all those different functions. Also, as of owning a few american rolling stock, I recommend you to buy the NMRA standards gauge and the Kadee coupler height gauge, two must have tools for testing wheels, flanges, points, tracks, and coupler height level. They are very useful! The odd one out is the Murphy Models Class 121? Regards, Lefteris.
Of corse it looks good, NS is primarily a coal hauler especially in Virginia. I my self is an ex NS conductor. Also the oddball engine is the UP alco locomotive, everything else is (pretty much) EMDs
The irl engines have lights shine onto the bogies during operation for what I assume is for watching for a hotbox or something causing issue for the engineers, also most American manufacturers generally have lights on the engines since most American engines have built in lights irl, overall epic video and I’d love to see you review either the sdp45 or sdp40f
@davidmolin8944 yup, they call them ground lights. Interesting enough, not all locomotives have this feature though. BNSF's C44-9W, AC4400CW, ES44, and ET44 units don't have ground lights, although their EMD units are equipped with ground lights.
@davidmolin8944 as far as I know, yes, I believe they are the only Railroad that doesn't have this feature too. As to why their EMDs have them, I don't have a definitive answer to that. My only guess is that this is standard on all EMD units rather than as an option with GE/Wabtech.
Also saw the Bachmann Gp7, Rapido Rs-11, What Looks LIke to be a c30-7 , and The Random Switcher type locomotive on the siding of the s bend of your layout- Think it might be a rsc-14 or a class 121 but not quite Shure (pretty Shure the class 121 is the outlier)
norfolk southern still uses them on the ns line as if right now they even had those sd60e's painted in three special unit the go rail and honor our veterans and honor our first responders
Amazing choice for a modern U.S. Diesel! I love the EMD locomotives. My favorite NS engine is NS 1067 SD70ACe “Bee Line Service.” It is the Reading (Red-ing) Railroad heritage engine. I recommend finding that engine as the yellow and green are a nice color match and even has the “Reading Lines” Diamond logo on it. Edit: I also don’t k ow if it’s been pointed out but where the speaker goes it isn’t a pre fitted. It’s just extra weight. So the sounded version will be missing some weight. Not much to notice but when adding a sound decoder you will need a speaker too.
I have two Athearn Genesis locomotives, a Big Boy and a Challenger. So I was excited to see you review an Athearn model. The prices do get up there, but given that I was very happy with both of mine, I am willing to pay those prices.
Man, the Athearn SD60E diesel locomotive is a really outstanding model because its detail is fantastic. Although, the design of its chassis is confusing but the model is still pretty good Sam.
locomotive's are... NS SD60E (main locomotive) EMD GP40 (forgot which company loco) BNSF GP9 N&W Alco RS-11 UP Alco C628(i guess?) from cheap starter pack CNJ GP7 CIS 121 class (made by EMD) BTW morden day big mainline american locomotive is nice
I have two Athearn Genesis models and I absolutely love them. I have Big Boy 4014 and SD70ACE 1111. Both are very beautiful models and once I get DCC and sound for my SD70ACE, I'd love to run it with my Big Boy
I see plenty of comments are praising the international model reviews. Now I want to see Sam review models of steam locomotives designed by Andre Chapelon if he can find any.
I'm not sure if you're aware, but these American trains are often double headed, the locos connected back to back. Sometimes ya might even find a third loco in the middle of the train to help distribute the power and stress on the couplers. This comes in handy when your train is nearly 2 miles long. Thought ya might find that interesting.
Actually, it's possible to have more than 3 units on a given train. Here on BNSF, unit coal trains run with a total of 5 locomotives in a 2×3 configuration (2 on the point and 3 DPU pushers on the rear). They have experimented with running mid train dps but found out that it was ripping the trains apart running them that way when they reached NS track age. Most of BNSF's mixed manifest trains here operate with either 3 or 4 units in a 2×1 or 3×1 configuration. NS has a little different operating practice with the configuration you mentioned with the single mid train DPU.
@maulball1 no problem! Like I said BNSF operates their trains a little differently here on the Thayer Subdivision where I work because they need the extra horsepower for speed as well as dynamic braking.
Hi Sam, nice review. I have a load of Ahtearn diesels, some "Blue Box" others Genesis. All very nice. Question: Didn't Trainworld include a packing list/invoice with your locomotive? Also, there isn't a factory installed speaker in the locomotive. What is in the speaker location is a weight, which can be removed (unscrewed) so a speaker can be installed if you install a sound DCC decoder.
Thanks for reviewing another US prototype model, Sam! Athearn has been around for a long time, and their locos are known as good runners. The low lamps on the ends are called "ditch lights" over here. They have been mandatory for main line locos for several years now. Typically they automatically alternate when the horn is blown for an extra warning at roadway grade crossings. (Many videos show this.) The DCC versions of the loco should simulate this behaviour. Cheers from Wisconsin!
Fun fact! Athearn started life as Globe trains
That little panel above the wheel at 9:57 is for the powered handbrake wheel. On the IRL locomotives you can press a button on the control panel and the handbrake wheel will be turned by a motor inside the locomotive to set the handbrake.
Duly noted - thanks very much for the extra info!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains your welcome
10:35 Few notes for future reference; the hose next to the coupler is an air hose, not a vacuum hose, and the 6 grouped hoses on either end are MU cables for running with multiple units. The big orange cable serves the same purpose.
Also, the running plate on a diesel over here is called the side sill.
The reason it doesn't weigh as much as a similarly sized british locomotive is because most british locomotives use a full width body, unlike american ones which use a narrow hood, thus restricting how big the metal chassis can be.
The Norfolk Southern was a creation of the merger of the Norfolk and Western
and the Southern Railroad. So the N&W hoppers would be appropriate.
The Nickel Plate hoppers are also acceptable as the Norfolk and Western
acquired control of the Nickel Plate back in 1964. The Nickle Plate is now
part of the Norfolk Southern.
Either by intent or accident you did a nice legacy trainset.
An interesting fact about the NS, N&W and Southern is that they were all officially Railways and not Railroads.
Can be verified by checking good historical sites and the NS official site.
A surprising amount of other class 1 operations in the US were and are officially Railways. Even the ATSF and BNSF railways
@@johnd8892 A number of roads were both railroad or railway, the which depending on recent financial history, that is, a reorganisation following bankruptcy. A new name, but the old name.
@@johnd8892 They varied. If a company started out as Railway maybe after
a bankruptcy, it became Railroad. Both the N&W and Southern were
"Railway" so you are correct.
I used Southern Railroad so poor Sam wouldn't get confused again with the
U.K.'s Southern Railway.
Very nice! Also, just to clarify, there were only 2 SD60Es that were regeared to 79 MPH, those 2 for Norfolk Southern's executive train, a special passenger train for Norfolk Southern executives.
I seen they did away with the F units☹
@@nwrailfan2465they run real good on the RBMN, just not on every bit of track. ; )
They are 7034 and 7035. They are the last two SD60E rebuilds.
Fun fact the base place was use on the older athearn blue box design back then,it still works ,you should get a older blue box since it a little fun putting together a locomotive with metal hand rail,their are hand down the tough locomotives , even though they can be rough ,they still can run and pretty easy to maintain to.
got quite a few old blue box , they are fantastic all round
Very glad you enjoyed your first Athearn locomotive Sam, about two decades ago a much simpler and cheaper Athearn "blue box" F7 was my very first loco. It's been through a lot of abuse but it's still working just fine today, and it even has most of its original parts still.
I know you're not a fan of the clipped together, bearing pickup style design but you can trust me when I say that Athearn does it right. They have many decades of experience iterating on that exact design (helped by the fact that US prototype diesels used a relatively small number of truck designs). They use interchangable parts; you could take the axles out of that one and drop them in my F7 and they'd work fine. The plastic clips are also pretty flexible, even after decades of use and storage, and because they're so interchangable getting replacements when they do break is no problem.
The pro way to take those trucks (bogies) apart for service is a little counterintuitive and might not be quite as easy on this model: you actually want to remove them entirely from the locomotive first. The worm gears are held on by a clip that also clips the trucks to the frame. Again the plastic they use is pretty flexible, so they'll be clipping and unclipping for many years. Once you've done that you might be able to fit a small flathead screwdriver to take the bottom clip-plate off, and usually there's one more small clip on the top to get the truck all the way apart.
Looks like the motor they're using is very different from the older ones, though it might just use compatible mounting hardware.
If you want to see models derived from their older designs, try a diesel like an F7 from their Roundhouse range, if you can find one. Or see if you can find an old / used F7 and see how it compares.
I have a Stable of them!
Welcome to the world of Athearn Genesis. I have yet to be anything but really pleased with these models, they're really good. You should give the streamliners a try, the Genesis EMD F units are among my favourite models from any country. Its a shame you didn't get the SDP45, those are a fantastic model.
Love the fact that there's been a surge in international stuff on the channel :D
Can't wait to see more of that, especially if you decide to get into mainland european stuff!
I'd love to see you cover a modern loco from Roco one day, they're some of the best runners that there are out there. Their mechanisms are a bit cheapish, but imo the detail and performance make up for that.
Cheers Sam!
be interesting to see Chinese stuff to see the work they do on their own ,, the Chinese locos i have seen are stunning
I love that you’re covering a more modern American locomotive. Those Athearn locomotives are very well made. I’ve had only a few, mainly because I only ever needed a few because of how well they work. Athearn is a very reputable manufacturer in the United States, mostly because of their quality models. They’ve been selling models since the mid 1940s. Also, those freight wagons you hooked up behind the sd60e were actually all lettered for railroad companies that are now owned by Norfolk Southern.
It will crawl with DCC. Has nothing to do with the large motor. Theres just many things you cant do with Analog because of how it operates. If you know how DCC works and operates on the chip level and how it draws from the motor, this will actually make more sense. With DCC, you can achieve movement with speed-step 1. I would *highly* suggest upgrading to DCC to get the most out of every model you test. Yes, it really does make a major difference. Hope that helps 😊
Also, other super high quality locomotive companies in America are: ScaleTrains, Bowser, Atlas, Intermountain, and Broadway Limited
Very cool locomotive, Sam! The cabs on these rebuilt SD60s are whats known as the "Cresent cab" and if you look closely, you'll notice the roof of the cab actually slants downward, very unique design NS came up with! Athearn is also offering these locomotives in various fantasy schemes (which Athearn calls the "Legendary Liveries" line) as well, with Norfolk and Western, Monon, and Central of New Jersey schemes!
17:44 Athearn’s recent Genesis locomotives have incorporated the lighting contacts (unsure when, but definitely after the production of the SD60E you reviewed), definitely a huge plus for nervous modelers such as myself who already worry about breaking the handrails 😅
I also enjoyed hearing your reaction of seeing a Genesis model for the first time, I’ve grown used to unboxing them but there’s still that bit of satisfaction seeing a highly detailed model locomotive with amazing craftsmanship for the first time.
Glad you 'found' Athearn Genesis. I have collected Athearn HO gauge since the mid 70's when all the detail was provided but you had to be put on yourself. In the late 90's DCC was available, but I miss the dummy locos. On video (Virtual Railfan) US railroads can run trains of 20+ locos as a power move so as a model and all the models are powered that is a lot of amps. Hence there use to be dummy (no motor or gears) models that could be used in multiple loco consists, also as mid train helpers or pushing.
The snapped-together chassis design is a refined variation on what they've been using in their diesels for about 60 years now. With a slight adjustment to the wheel half-axles using a wheel puller, it's possible to drop the gears and wheelsets straight into a model from around 1965! It's known to be a bullet-proof design that will last a lifetime, so Athearn's stuck with it all this time.
I don't have their SD60Es as I mainly model 1990s Burlington Northern, but they did make an SD60M and that thing is a TANK, it will pull anything because it's super heavy, it has endless torque and the level of detail is amazing! Great to see an Athearn locomotive in your collection, I highly recommend their products!
Edit: I should also mention that the Norfolk & Western is the predecessor to the Norfolk Southern, the N&W and the Southern (US) merged in 1982 to create Norfolk Southern.
Odd one out is the Irish diesel (I forgot what class it is).
The front lights on the deck of the locomotive are called ditchlights. By law, they are required to flash alternatively whenever the locomotive sounds its horn (A DCC decoder can fix this). The lights on the bottom of the shell are called ground lights. They always stay on, especially at night, to help crews inspect the trucks/bogeys. The slowdown issue, again that's something a DCC decoder with BEMF can fix. I'd love to see a video of you trying to put a sound decoder from SoundTraxx or ESU in this engine- you won't regret it.
Hi Sam,
Great Review.
I'm sure others have made similar Comments regarding Athearn's Engineering, but I want to consolidate them.
Athearn has been around since the 1930's, and started producing H0 Scale Models in 1948.
All models had a Resin (Plastic) Shell on top of a cast Metal Frame.
Pre-DCC Electricity was conducted by a clever System using a Contact "Spine" that drew power from one half of the Truck (Bogie) and clipped to the Motor. and the other Path being through the Frame. The Headlight was powered by this same Spine.
As far as I know Athearn have always used the Sintered Bronze Bearings that are on your Unit. Older Truck Side Frames were cast Metal, higher Detail Resin Frames were introduced in the late 1980's/Early 1990's.
As other commenters have noted, the Clip on the Truck is a long standing, and very effective Feature; I find that that they facilitate Maintenance, and I've rarely if ever had one fail.
On "Covered Wagon" (F-Unit/Streamliner) Models there was usually an extra cast Weight that straddled the Motor; I think the Term "Super Power" or "Super Puller" was used. There was not room to put this into the "Hood Units" (GP, SD etc…). Affordable, and durable, classic Athearn were a very reliable Mainstay of many Modelers. In the 1990's competition drove them to more detailed, and expensive Designs.
Old Athearn Hood Units cam with Metal Railings and Stations that the Modeler had to install. The current Resin Railings are very flexible, and durable, Resin; I would not remove points for this it may be an Advantage.
Fun Note: early Athearn Locomotives were not geared but had an Elastic Band that ran from the Motor Shaft to a Drum on the Drive Axels!
I hope your SD60E provides Years of enjoyment for you!
Dave in Philadelphia
I’ve got an Athearn Genesis Big Boy and I gotta say it’s incredible and worth every penny. I’m glad you finally got one
EMDs are virtually forever. We still have a few from the 1960s in regular service in Denmark.
Here in Australia, we bought some MZs for an independent rail company. Of course that got swallowed by a bigger one. So much for competition :P The first time I heard and saw one I had no idea what it was except that it looked European. And that 20-cylinder 645 sounds very different from the 16-cylinder 567s and 645s that I was used to.
Careful about letting Norfolk Southern on your railway. They might leave hazardous chemical spills around for you to clean up.
Beautiful locomotive! Love all the lighting effects, and it was also really cool how clearly it showed how much of a difference running in can make. I do wonder why they didn't make the handrails on the sides out of metal, I've seen a few HO scale diesels here in America that were able to do that and it would've improved the durability. The price sounds fantastic though at $149.99 with all the detail and features, I wish more modern locomotives could be like that.
Hay Sam, if you're interested or anybody else. I have plenty of footage of the real sd60e's as I see them every day leading mainline freight trains
In July 1985. Ns sd60 6589 rolled out of the emd shop and entered service with NS. In January 2013. The 6589 would roll into the Norfolk Southern's Juniata shops in Altoona, PA. When it rolled out of the shops, it was upgraded with new electronics and a new cab. And renumbered to Ns sd60e 6917. It is still on the active roster as of 2023
The athern sd60e's are reliable work horses as I have two of them
It's interesting that NS went through the expense of rebuilding SD60s into SD60Es and now they're pretty much just used in local services (moving cars from a yard to customer). They've got a few special paint schemes on a couple of 60Es (911, 6920 and 6963). NS also rebuilt their standard cab SD70s into SD70ACCs, those are still in service on road trains. Rebuilding locomotives is a big thing over here now. NS is rebuilding their 1100 Dash 9s, CSX is rebuilding their AC44s, and western/Canadian railroads have their own programs going as well.
Speaking of Scales, I’ve heard somewhere that the reason that OO scale was made was because the size of the electric motors back then were too big for some British locos. And the upscaled was the compromise.
9:02 that is not a flap, it is a mirror for operating the unit in reverse, it also allows the conductor to glimps at the train while facing forwards.
Seen a good few of these over the years. Originally they were used on mainline freights when NS first rebuilt them, but in about 2018 they started primarily using them on local freights. Still tend to see them on said local freights when I head down to the Birmingham area to shoot trains. Three were also painted into special paint schemes, one painted to honor veterans, one painted to help promote GoRail, and one, the only one not numbered in the 6900s and 7000s on NS's roster (NS 911), was painted to honor first responders. Always do enjoy seeing 'em, though I know they aren't too popular with the crews IRL, apparently the "Crescent" cabs they got in the rebuilds are a bit of a rough ride at the very least (also heard the wiring in them ain't the best either). Maybe I should get one of these, lol.
I believe the odd one out is the Irish one next to the 2nd radius curves, given that it's from Ireland and not the US. :P
Hi mukka... the "flaps" on the cab sides are rear view mirrors for the driver to monitor the train whilst in transit.
There are no vacuum brake pipe on these or indeed most modern day locos mukka.
With the fans... the three on the long end are coolant radiator fans the next one along is the dynamic braking grid cooling fan and the last one next to the cabcshould be to ventilate the electronics bay.
The orange cable on each end above the couplers are jumper cables for use when in multiple loco consists.
Cheers from Oz. Gaz
One thing that's different between American and foreign (to us) models is that working lighting is essentially default for us. I've noticed many of your reviewed locomotives don't have any working lighting, and that mostly speaks of the locomotives where a light or lamp is molded but not lit. For us it's almost unheard of to have lights not actually work so it's rarely a question here
Well, to be quite frank, all European continental models (even the toy ones) carry working lights as per standard as well (since literally decades)..., mostly directional too nowadays. Somehow it is the British manufacturers omitting them. Perhaps it has to do with their unique way of headcodes on the prototypes...? Not sure.
What just about no modeller seems to realise is that if you have a steam-era layout set in the U.S.A.(or Canada) engines SHOULD NOT have headlights turned on during daylight. It was the advent of the diesel that brought on the requirement.
just some info. The lights on the top of the front and rear walkway on the locomotive are known as ditch lights. All the locomotives in the US are reuired to have them as a safety regulation so vehicles will be able to see the locomotive coming at a grade crossing. Some railroad such as the CSX or NS have them automatically flash whenever the horn is blown.
Only NS 7034 and 7035 are regeared for 79MPH. These two are geared specifically for one purpose: hauling the Office Car Special (OCS).
The plastic handrails are in the Dapol tradition, and one wonders, given the similarity of the box, black foam, expanded polystyrene that this loco has been made in the same Chinese factory! Quite an interesting review which is helpful to American HO collectors. Thanks for uploading.
My grandpa worked for southern railway and NS and saw many of these around and got to see them get rebuilt in the shops
Superb locomotive. I do like the American HO models, and the different manufacturers are quite splendid with their models, some are expensive and have more detail than usual. Thanks for bringing the models to light. What a wonderful looking locomotive. Full marks for the manufacturer. Thanks for sharing.
Had a few of their locos back in the day they were all only part assembled, but that's 25 years ago. Was when I was into my airfix planes, etc. Always were great locos.
Ahh very nice - yeah I'm very impressed by this one, it's just the job!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Alright, first things first: As you already suspected, these locomotives are very much meant to be run via DCC. Ideally you'll want a LokSound 5 decoder, generally considered the gold standard here in the US. You'll also want intermodal equipment (well cars for containers and spine cars for truck trailers) as well, as these particular locomotives are often seen on intermodal runs. Of course, if you run double stack (one container atop another) as Uncle Sam intended, you'll want to remove the pedestrian bridge to make clearance. Appropriate cars have been manufactured by Athearn, Walthers, ScaleTrains, and recently Class One Model Works, a new company who seem to be making quite a splash here. Plenty of intermodal cars and containers/truck trailers are available on both the new and used market.
In regards to my thoughts on the prototype and the circumstances surrounding it, it's a fan favorite on Norfolk Southern's roster. The prototypes, as far as I'm aware, are most commonly seen around Atlanta, GA and along the former Pennsylvania Railroad mainline between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, PA. During the 2010s, NS underwent extensive rebuilding programs for their fleet, giving us locomotives such as the SD40E (a rebuild of the extremely successful SD40-2), the PR34C (a rebuild of the far less successful SD50, and was so unreliable that all units were quickly retired and scrapped), and the AC4400C6M (a rebuild of the famous "Dash-9" series locomotives, switching them from DC to AC traction and improving their emissions). NS has been known to run fairly unique power throughout its history, ranging from high hood locomotives from its predecessor roads and being the sole purchaser of the C40-9, known to railfans as the "Top Hats". The SD60E continues that particular quirk.
As for other Athearn products to review, I would join others in recommending that you find and pick up one of the old "Blue Box" locomotives. They're considered classics and have aged well, in part because they can be easily modified to run on DCC and were quite well-detailed for the era they were made, even if they don't have the fine details such as photo-etched parts or see-through grills you find on more contemporary models. They're built like tanks, too, so chances are decent that you'll get a runner even though it's over 20 years old. Consider it as much a step towards today's American models as much as you'd see it as a standalone item.
I would also recommend picking up something from ScaleTrains, too. Their Rivet Counter line is generally of similar quality to Athearn Genesis and are quite popular for good reason if you want additional contemporary-era locomotives. Regardless, cheers for the review.
I see these engine types daily on my local line, Athearn did a good job on these for sure. Nice vid Sam!
Hi Sam! Great upload! I believe the bearings are sliding in order to allow it to take curves easier. It is a three axle bogey, and in my experience unless there is a little sliding in the axle, US six axle locomotives don’t take short radius turns that well.16:27
They’re minim curve is 18” which is the standard curve in most starter sets.
Finally AMERICA!
Sadly america
Sadly
You mean United States?
@@pressstart1490 Yes
-___-
That loose detail around the window is the cab wind deflector, basically there just to keep wind from howling inside the cab when the window is open. They're more or less standard on every Genesis locomotive that had them in real life, but they are pretty fragile all things considered.
If you are wondering Sam those lights are called ditch lights they are required by the FRA on all modern diesel locomotives
It's about time you got around to reviewing an engine from the railway that I model, Sam, lol. Athearn engines have been mainstays of the American model railroad world for decades. They're reliable, tried and true designs that can serve you well for a LONG time. Also, if you think that's big, get yourself EMD's monster coal hauler: the SD80MAC, which is also made by Athearn. It'll make that 60E seem small by comparison.
PS: those directional lights on the 60E's front and rear pilots are called ditch lights. They're a mandatory feature on modern engines here in the States and up in Canada, and are there to provide extra visibility at night for the engineer and conductor, and they act as an extra identifier for people near the tracks and at road crossings. If you put a good sound decoder with room for multiple lighting functions in there, you can get them to flash back and forth when you sound the horn, which is a prototypical feature on NS and CSX engines.
Daniel Batdorf How long ago did Athearn release the SD80MAC? What paint schemes did it come in?
@@tulyar1043 I'm not sure when they released it, but I'd say within the last couple of years. They offer it in the original Conrail Quality scheme, NS in either the original or Thoroughbred scheme, CSX in the YN3 blue/yellow, and Conrail patched with either NS or CSX identifiers.
I swear this is like one of 2 locomotives in Pennsylvania. We need train diversity
The RRP for most DCC Ready Genesis 6-axel diesels is around $250. Most sound models for 6-axel diesels are around $350.
In actual service the front handrails take a beating. When one weathers these, the end handrails can be “dinged up.”
As for your next Athearn engine, I humbly suggest their classic F7A/B. They’ve improved them over time and you’re going to like ‘em.
Finally, a question: Your curves look a bit on the sharp side. How much space does a circle of each of the curved tracks require?
I’d love to see you review a future one of these for DCC sound, I think you’ll be really blown away by the features! As for the pre-fitted speaker, it’s actually not. It’s a metal weight, a pretty chunky weight at that. However it’s designed so that you can remove it and replace it with a large round speaker speaker if you want to add a decoder. No words can describe how happy I am to see you review more modern contemporary US stuff!
Seeing this review makes me want to get one right now especially since I live in an area where Norfolk Sourthern is common.
Such a shame you didn’t get the SDP45s. The ones built for the Southern Pacific have an interesting distinction of being one of the very few passenger variants of the SD range that were actually used for passenger service. The SP ones were built in a transitional time period before Amtrak when passenger was dying but certain trains still needed newer equipment and the SPs solution was to purchase some SDP45s and GP40P-2s (the latter still being around in freight service). When Amtrak was formed the SP decided to not give them to the aforementioned passenger railroad and kept them for freight service (which to my memory of what I’ve read I don’t believe they performed very well on those). 3 of them were temporarily painted in the failed merger paint scheme of the Santa Fe Southern Pacific. All of the SP SDP45s were cut up and the SDP45 in preservation to my knowledge is Conrail 6670 (which technically is a SD45M since it wasn’t actually a passenger unit but whatever).
My comment was deleted so I'm reposting what I said.
The odd loco out is the Class 121. Built in the US, but exported to Ireland.
I'm glad you like this Athearn Genesis engine. I have a few from their lineup and they are all great. My favorite is the Conrail SD80MAC, it is a phenomenal model of my favorite modern(ish) loco. If you're interested in a more vintage prototype, try a Genesis F-Unit or Big Boy!
the crawl is excellent with athearn genesis, your controller is probably an old transformer style which isnt great for slow speed. A newer digital controller would help you alot sam. on dcc speed step 1 it creeps VERY VERY slowly with the help of back EMF.
Beautiful unit. Looks its best with mates and a long freight behind and in front of it (as DPU's) ... and a slight better performance when chipped for dcc, that's when you're controlling the amount of power that goes to each locomotive, as opposed to the rails. Athearn is usually an "Ol' Reliable" brand to stand the tests of time. Once that locomotive is serviced with new lubricant, the performance is as you need it to be. John
The truck mechanism on your model are the old, tried and true Athearn Blue-Box design. I do believe since then, they’ve been re-engineered to a more “complex” design.
Cracking review! Central of New Jersey, geep 7 on your layout too! I'm a keen Athearn collector... numerous CP rail SD40-2 from years ago, but now started on the NS heritage units. 3 Athearn units to date...
Nice! I’ve got a few Genesis locos myself including the Big Boy and Challenger. The DDA40X I have is an amazing model, it follows the real loco in that it has two motors in two separate halves of the body. It also has two DCC decoders and two speakers. When it starts up, the sound is staggered so one starts and then the other one spins up.
I have been so eager to see Sam review an athearn locomotive and the day has finally come and it's a freaking Genesis
We would get these 60E’s occasionally leading trains where I used to work. I’ve run a handful of them over the years but haven’t seen any in a while
I almost said that the union pacific
ALCO C628 was the odd one out because everything else is an EMD product but it's actually the orange non-American locomotive on the siding by the S curves, the Murphy Class 121.
I haven't brought an Athearn loco since the 90's but I see that the inside (motor, mechanism, pickups...) basically still identical. I had no issues with them (tough some can't take R2 curves at all) and they are my strongest US locos. Yes; these need a old fashioned "feedback" type controller!
Also the Class 121 is the non US one!
Hi Sam, Lovely model. I own 3 of these, 2 in special liveries & 1 in the Thoroughbred livery, the same as yours. You should find the cab roof is held on by magnets so it can be lifted off & allows you to fit a crew. The E classification is for Eco. NS did operate the SD60M that were rebuilt to the E. They are used for Helper service (banking) on parts of the NS network. The details on the cab roof are the PTC array (Positive Train Control). Keep up the good work!
Sam those under frame lights are for night time ops to make sure the train is actually moving im impressed they were modeled and working
I've got one of these, it's a Conrail one that I lettered for my Robertville Central Railroad, also about how you said the freight cars you pulled with it were lettered for the Norfolk and Western, the N&W was one of the two railroads that merged to become Norfolk Southern
Awesome stuff Sam! I saw a real SD60E last sunday leading a small autorack train to it's destination, got a short horn blast as well from the engineer!
Another good pick for an American HO-scale model would be one from Kato. They’re mechanisms are one of the best, though the level of detail isn’t quite on the same order as the Athearn Genesis or Intermountain models (Just my opinion; their latest offerings may have improved in this regard.)
Just make sure to get a 4-axle unit such as a GP35 if you’re going to be running it on tight 2nd radius curves. They just glide along with no noise at all (unless you put sound decoders in, of course!) Also, take all the (foam) packaging out of the box; the instructions may be hidden under there! 😏
I’m not surprised train train world accidentally put the wrong name because American locomotive class names are SUPER confusing and way to similar. Excellent review Sam!
Oh, yeah, I forgot. The cab roof is removable; it’s just held on by magnets (at least on my Athearn Genesis SD70ACe, it is). 😊 😂
Athearn Genesis always comes with a big manual. The fact that it was supposed to be a different model tells me this might have been a last minute substitution of a display model and probably forgot to put the manual back in the box. I have had the same thing happen with Trainworld myself. It has always been an upgrade though, so no complaints.
The Genesis line is designed to be a DCC model. They basically sell the DCC Ready model to allow customers to install their own choice of sound decoders or for those who want to collect high detailed models, but don’t actually operate them. Their huge mid-range line is more aligned to the continually shrinking DC market. That range doesn’t have a lot of the extra lights that will only work when a high end decoder is installed. They continue to use their rock solid Blue Box chassis which was designed operate for literally decades with minimal maintenance. I have Athearn from the early 80’s that still crawl along pulling 60 car trains on my layout.
I (in the UK) have nearly 20 steam and diesel American locos in my collection, including some Genesis, and can honestly say I have never been disappointed with the quality of any of them. Most have been bought from auction,the one we all know about but from proper auction houses as well; Vectis auctions in particular. My favourite model is probably the Burlington Zephyr 3-car set by Con-Cor.
Anyrode up, as you paid for this one in US$, I presume you had to import it, so was this an easy process and did you have to pay import duties and VAT etc?.
High scores Sam! A few remarks from our side if we may, and as you know we tend not to sugar coat lol. Understandingly details are decently high but to call it premium for real without the company's marketing fluff for their Genesis line is quite a stretch for us as EU continental modellers. The price is extremely sharp compared to the German makers but we would suggest that it to be premium a serious lot more metal fittings instead of plastic ones would be in order, as well as a less (still) somewhat plastic look (plus metal body perhaps), and..., no parts at all needing to be clipped together whatsoever... It's a decent loco with lots of detail for the money though. For the money, an absolute great value. Cheerio.
I have a Canadian pacific locomotive from this company, great to know they are a good manufacturer. I can’t use it until I upgrade my curves
I have been a user of Athearn diesels since 1969. The trucks in my first small loco are almost the same as yours. I have 6 1980 ish locos that have been DCC'd and they work very well. Not as detailed as yours, but I paid (from trainworld) $16.50 to $25.00 depending on the diesel model. I feel that Athearn was a better company when Mr Athearn ran it. He would amortize the development and production costs over many models to keep the cost down. Also made right here in Southern California.
Hello Sam!
Once again a great review! Modern Athearn diesels are truly spectacular models! I highly suggest you to chip this engine as for controlling individually all those different functions. Also, as of owning a few american rolling stock, I recommend you to buy the NMRA standards gauge and the Kadee coupler height gauge, two must have tools for testing wheels, flanges, points, tracks, and coupler height level. They are very useful!
The odd one out is the Murphy Models Class 121?
Regards,
Lefteris.
Of corse it looks good, NS is primarily a coal hauler especially in Virginia. I my self is an ex NS conductor. Also the oddball engine is the UP alco locomotive, everything else is (pretty much) EMDs
The irl engines have lights shine onto the bogies during operation for what I assume is for watching for a hotbox or something causing issue for the engineers, also most American manufacturers generally have lights on the engines since most American engines have built in lights irl, overall epic video and I’d love to see you review either the sdp45 or sdp40f
The lights under the cab that point downward onto the roadbed are meant to see if a train has started moving. Really.
@@rayshowsay1749 oh really? didn't actually know that
@davidmolin8944 yup, they call them ground lights. Interesting enough, not all locomotives have this feature though. BNSF's C44-9W, AC4400CW, ES44, and ET44 units don't have ground lights, although their EMD units are equipped with ground lights.
@@randallellison6421 so BNSF decided not to add that on for their GE's
@davidmolin8944 as far as I know, yes, I believe they are the only Railroad that doesn't have this feature too. As to why their EMDs have them, I don't have a definitive answer to that. My only guess is that this is standard on all EMD units rather than as an option with GE/Wabtech.
Also saw the Bachmann Gp7, Rapido Rs-11, What Looks LIke to be a c30-7 , and The Random Switcher type locomotive on the siding of the s bend of your layout- Think it might be a rsc-14 or a class 121 but not quite Shure (pretty Shure the class 121 is the outlier)
20:22 The little lamps are ditch-lights and they flash when going over railroad crossings.
Gday mate. Need to get some Aussie trains on the go. Love the channel.
Athearn is a great brand. Also the odd loco out is the Murphy models Irish diesel parked by the crane
10:46 those lamps are called Ditch Lights
norfolk southern still uses them on the ns line as if right now they even had those sd60e's painted in three special unit the go rail and honor our veterans and honor our first responders
As someone who owns an Athearn rotary snow plow, they do have a high standard of quality
Amazing choice for a modern U.S. Diesel!
I love the EMD locomotives. My favorite NS engine is NS 1067 SD70ACe “Bee Line Service.” It is the Reading (Red-ing) Railroad heritage engine. I recommend finding that engine as the yellow and green are a nice color match and even has the “Reading Lines” Diamond logo on it.
Edit: I also don’t k ow if it’s been pointed out but where the speaker goes it isn’t a pre fitted. It’s just extra weight. So the sounded version will be missing some weight. Not much to notice but when adding a sound decoder you will need a speaker too.
Very good review Sam as always l, the lamps are called Ditch Lights I think. 👍
I have two Athearn Genesis locomotives, a Big Boy and a Challenger. So I was excited to see you review an Athearn model. The prices do get up there, but given that I was very happy with both of mine, I am willing to pay those prices.
This model is retired from the Athearn range, but was around $225.00 dollars when new.
I have several Athearn locos they are great and reliable
Man, the Athearn SD60E diesel locomotive is a really outstanding model because its detail is fantastic. Although, the design of its chassis is confusing but the model is still pretty good Sam.
Ah yes the sd60 one of my favorite used by NS glad you reviewed it! Also finally American!
Ah, I see the Murphy Models Irish 121 class there on the siding! 52 coaches is a lot of passengers.
locomotive's are...
NS SD60E (main locomotive)
EMD GP40 (forgot which company loco)
BNSF GP9
N&W Alco RS-11
UP Alco C628(i guess?) from cheap starter pack
CNJ GP7
CIS 121 class (made by EMD)
BTW morden day big mainline american locomotive is nice
That's definitely an ALCO Century of some variety
I have two Athearn Genesis models and I absolutely love them. I have Big Boy 4014 and SD70ACE 1111. Both are very beautiful models and once I get DCC and sound for my SD70ACE, I'd love to run it with my Big Boy
Don't forget to speed match
@@nwrailfan2465 That will definitely come in handy. Thank you
I see plenty of comments are praising the international model reviews. Now I want to see Sam review models of steam locomotives designed by Andre Chapelon if he can find any.
Imagine being the first person to view a Sam's Trains video
Try out an SD40-2 next!
haha thank you so much!! And great suggestion, I'll look into that!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Get one in the Santa Fe Bluebonnet paint scheme. They look fantastic in Blue and Yellow.
I'm not sure if you're aware, but these American trains are often double headed, the locos connected back to back. Sometimes ya might even find a third loco in the middle of the train to help distribute the power and stress on the couplers. This comes in handy when your train is nearly 2 miles long. Thought ya might find that interesting.
Perhaps Sam needs to get another one then?!
Actually, it's possible to have more than 3 units on a given train. Here on BNSF, unit coal trains run with a total of 5 locomotives in a 2×3 configuration (2 on the point and 3 DPU pushers on the rear). They have experimented with running mid train dps but found out that it was ripping the trains apart running them that way when they reached NS track age. Most of BNSF's mixed manifest trains here operate with either 3 or 4 units in a 2×1 or 3×1 configuration. NS has a little different operating practice with the configuration you mentioned with the single mid train DPU.
@@randallellison6421 very interesting. Thanks for sharing.
@maulball1 no problem! Like I said BNSF operates their trains a little differently here on the Thayer Subdivision where I work because they need the extra horsepower for speed as well as dynamic braking.
Hi Sam, nice review. I have a load of Ahtearn diesels, some "Blue Box" others Genesis. All very nice.
Question: Didn't Trainworld include a packing list/invoice with your locomotive? Also, there isn't a factory installed speaker in the locomotive. What is in the speaker location is a weight, which can be removed (unscrewed) so a speaker can be installed if you install a sound DCC decoder.
The odd one out is the Murphy Models, I can't remember the name, I think the 121 or something like that, its Irish, the rest of the locos are American
Another good American locomotive, yet still need UP big boy 4014. Nice review Sam, hope you get big boy soon!
Hey Sam I just got some new tracks in for my new layout, hopefully I'll start making the inside layout soon ;)
Cheers Jasper & Willow
That sounds awesome - glad to hear you're expanding :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Athearn Genesis also has a GP7 as I mentioned on the Bachmann GP7 video. I think you’ll have similar results for that as you had here on the SD60E.
I would highly recommend you review a Broadway Limited model next! Like the Genesis range, they are the Rolls Royce of models from America!!
Maybe in your score review window state DC or DCC or both.