Hello Everyone-- Athearn offers a lot of F7A and F7B combination sets in its ready-to-run (RTR) series. The A is powered, while the B is a dummy. Has anyone successfully powered a B unit, perhaps with an A chassis? Thanks for input, Steve Williams
The Athearn RTR line F7b units can be powered by swapping out the dummy chassis with a powered one. If you use a chassis from an "A"unit the headlight will need to be removed. Athearn also sells power chassis individually but I don't know the part number.
Agreed. Bowser (Stewart) also sell B unit chassis with DCC and sound. I would think that the Athearn B unit chassis would be better for you, but Bowser is another option.
I know with the "blue-box" Athearn models, an F-unit chassis would fit easily with either an A or B shell. I'd like to think the same would be true with the RTR line.
If you don't want to buy a whole A/B chassis, Athearn does sell parts for the A unit that can easily be put in to the B Unit with NO modifications at all.
If you go Big D's route, the only modification you'd have to make is make sure the paint is removed from the frame where the trucks transfer power to the frame and the spot under the motor where the lower motor brush clip goes so you can get power thru the frame.
I agree. I forgot to put in the part about scraping the paint off of that area of the chassis. Good Luck!
The RTR line is the Blue Box line-with some new paint and laser print lettering...and pre-assembled by the finest Chinese sla.....errrr...low cost labor. Guts stayed the same. Yes, the A will fit into the B. Using a Bowser drive on a RTR would be a crime. Might as well spend the extra dough for a decent body shell.....goes back to hand filling the front windows on has Athearn Blue Box F7 he has been working on for 3 years........almost as good as a Geneisis hahahahaha!
