VIA Rail RDC project

[Montrealrail1]

Using Athearn blue box series RDC-1 model,I'm starting the project to do 2 VIA Rail BUDD RDC-1 circa 1985,with the yellow ends..
but I'm trying too a new way to do it.Today I buyed without prompt 3 sharpie pens,that do painting with great precision..
just an idea to try it,I was very satisfied for the result,for the first time since I began to do model trains,I did a part of a paint job in 5 minutes on two units..
only need to do the yellow ends and the bottom frame in black,after,only need to add decals on them...
here a short video showing the way I did,and it dry very fast and that can be helpfull for anyones,beginners and experts (we never know)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oA4-YA7U0o4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Montrealrail1]

I finaly did it,My Athearn Blue box RDC and I converted it to DCC

let's start with the beginning
dismounted the frame and prepare the new motor,with flywheels


Painted the yellow ends on the frame


prepared to receive the decoder,I used a jumper for the first test on track with DC mode,to prevent short circuits and prevent décoder fail


I soldered the contacts directly on the boggie


cause the old fashion conception,I had to put plastic wheels on the other boggie


wirering the motor to install decoder


after tests with the jumper instead of the decoder,everithing working great,smooth start and stop.
I put in the decoder,then,the sheel over it..
only thing to do now is program it for a great action shot


He will make his inaugural tour on the Sun Youth model train exibition,in Montreal,since this time,I will have to put on VIA decals and the sealing spray on

[ApproachMedium]

Nice work, but does it still run like a slingshot with the rubber band drive? They do sell a gearing kit that you can install on these to make them normal

[Backshophoss]

Using flywheels helps damp down the "bounce" ,a little tweaking of the Speed setting CV's will damp it down some more.
Polishing the drive shaft supports helps as well,the last years of "Blue Box" locos,the frame castings needed a lot of cleanup
and flash removal.

[Mike@IHP]

Great models and a nice use of Athearn RDCs. One of my personal projects has been building three Athearn RDCs in VIA's 1970s-1980s scheme with the stripes below the windows and the red CN noodle logo on the ends. I painted the stripes by masking and spraying them. I went so far as to remove the fluting on the ends and smooth them out. I have two Athearn VIA RDC1s and one RDC3 on the shelf half-finished. The paint is almost done. They just need to be finished and then I need to install an Ernst gear train, which fortunately I have a small stockpile of (these are still available but hard to get). Something I've been wanting to do since the late 1980s. (Along with my 'what if' PRR RDC cars, but I want to use the Life-Like cars for that.)

Mike Bartel
IHP
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[Montrealrail1]

it was working in DCC but I have to run it on a no switches track to prevent derails and shorts,cause the wheel truck are in metal,like the frame

I got also two sets of CN RDC,the 1960 wet noddle and the olive version,both are superdetailed




but I will keed them in normal DC and reserve them a specific track to keep them running on the layout..
actually I have two mainlines,one in DCC and the other one in AC/DC it's the best way I have to run my older pieces that I do not converting in DCC

I have a single Blue box RDC that have a stand alone motor that was modified to get smooth run,it can be possible to reconvert it in DCC in a more easy way,I will have a check on that soon..

I remeber in the post project,many peoples from my area was telling me that was impossible to convert old RDC,but I surprised them cause I did it..

[Mike@IHP]

Very nice looking models. Before they discontinued it in the late 1990s, Athearn was talking about re-releasing the RDC with a new drive and at least 12 new paint schemes. Even though the model was short, it still looked good. It would have been nice if some of the new paint schemes they were talking about were some of these Canadian schemes.

I don't do DCC, but if you replace the original Athearn motor with a newer, better can motor and add the Ernst regear kit, wouldn't that help with the DCC installation? Doesn't DCC performance have something to do with the drive in the unit?

Mike Bartel

[Montrealrail1]

I got a regeared RDC motor that I will take a look if it's possible to converting it

[ApproachMedium]

I got a regeared RDC motor that I will take a look if it's possible to converting it

Leave it alone! thats the Ernst gearing kit and thats a newer "gold" motor. They run just fine with DCC. The older black or grey cased motors need higher amp decoders. The gearing kit should run just fine with a DCC decoder.

[Mike@IHP]

I got a regeared RDC motor that I will take a look if it's possible to converting it

One thing you might do is replace the driveshaft with A-Line/Proto Power West universals and splines between the motor and the truck. They sell a pack of these that provides whatever you need. I never liked the Ernst instructions that told you to use the Athearn RDC steel shaft and universals; I could never get them to work right the first time I tried it. I use the A-Line parts now in my Ernst RDC conversions and they work much better.

I'm getting inspired to finally finish those Athearn VIA RDCs sitting on my shelf!

Mike Bartel

[Montrealrail1]

I will check about for the Proto shaft,and I will make a try to convert this gearing in DCC,must be easyer than the older kind

[Montrealrail1]

I made a video of my RDC's..
by the same way,you will see some layout progressing..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N_edta4ZeE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;