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Thanks, Espeefan -- we will try that.

My son recently bought an OO Hornby Hogwarts Express loco for his kids' layout that is all Atlas HO code 83 track. The front truck of the loco derails on turnout and crossing frogs, with a 60 degree crossing being the worst problem. It appears that the flanges can't stay in the flangeway at...

Thanks again, Mark -- I will try it. -- Ed

Thanks for the suggestion, Mark. I suppose you mean 70% isopropyl, but I also have some 50% grain alcohol. I would never have thought of blow drying, and I wonder -- wouldn't that evaporate the alcohol and leave everything else behind? You can tell that I have no experience with cleaning...

Thanks a bunch, Mike -- nothing like the voice of experience. I have family visiting now 'til Sunday, but then I'll go ahead with scrub and spray -- Ed

Gee, Mike, thanks a lot. The primer idea sounds good to me - I'll try it. Ed

I found a new frame so I can repair my Athearn GP38-2, but they had only black and I need silver. I want to remove the black paint - does anyone know how? Ed in South Bend, IN

Thanks for the picture, bill -- I see its number is ATH77155. I want to find an ATH80xx. There are two on ebay now, so one of those is the way I would go if I decide that I can't find just a frame very soon. Thanks for all your info. Ed

To all -- the hobby shop does not actually have a frame. I'm still looking and listening.

Thank you, Bill, for that offer. My GP38-2 is Athearn stock number 8013, so I'm looking only for units that begin with 80 and came in a box that says "the future of model railroading". My trucks say SRL7207 and have two brake cylinders. I put "Athearn underframe 46729" into Bing and turned up...

Thanks, Brakeman. Somehow I missed your msg until a notice turned up in my email. After the tip from Andy I found that frame and the picture is good enough so I can tell that my frame is not the one with a short tank. Until now I didn't know there were short and long. But, now I know how to...

Andy, I couldn't find anything on Yahoo. Then I put > Athearn frame < into Bing and it came up with a link to eBay that showed me a whole slew of Athearn frames, but none were mine. The pictures were good enough so I could tell. Still, now there is hope. Thanks for that tip that got me to...

Well, Andy, I have not seen a frame for sale on eBay. A search turns up horns and handrails. I did not know there are Yahoo selling/buying sites -- thanks, I'll see what I can find. I do know that Athearn frames at Athearn are sold out.

Well, Andy, you are probably right. I'm in a situation where I have to buy a whole GP38-2 just to get a good frame, so I want to be sure, and there are some for sale that came from the same production run but for a different road, but that's doesn't matter except I will have to paint the frame...

Thanks, Mike and Hank, for your info. My motor mounts were really glued in, and I don't think that Athearn did it. When I drove the pins out of their holes, the mounts are so flexible that the pins came out with the mounts still attached to the frame. When I tore the mounts off of the frame...

And I should add that my questions are about the Athearn HO version of the GP38-2, not the 59' 2" prototype. I just don't know if all Athearns used the exact same underframe.

Thank you, Andy -- I have found a few GP38-2 locos on eBay with stock numbers that seem to be from the same production run as mine.

My Athearn GP38-2 has a bent underframe, and I'm sure there is no way to fix it. It happened as I was using a drive pin punch to drive out the pegs of the motor mount pads. After I got them out I found that the motor mount pads had been glued in. Does Athearn do that? -- I don't really need...

I think I have found a home here, thanks to you, willie. The Athearn loco runs so well I want to keep it that way, so now I'm going to put in the five-wire system that I ran across somewhere. If I can do that, then on to DCC and sound. Thanks again for getting me started. Ed

Dear santafewillie -- it was just as you said. This time I was not afraid of it and the worm housing popped off intact. I figured out how to connect the drive shaft and got it all back together. The loco runs smoothly and quietly. My grandkids in Greenwood, IN like to watch the Indiana RR...