i just recently bought a new athearn deisel loco. its a 6 axle AC4400, BB. on the front truck/wheel assembly, the middle wheelset is really loose in its mounting, and doesnt turn at all. how can i fix this, it seems like it just has come unmounted or something, how do i get the truck off the frame and get it open? Help!
thanx much
The first thing to do is pull out the instructions. When you take the shell off, you will see a semi-cylindrical clip above the frame, at the top of the trucks (where the spline from the motor comes in at), it is called the Worm Housing on the instructions. Gently pry this off. This will free the truck. To disassemble the truck, gently pry off the clips on the top of the truck (Gear Box Clip Top), there is one on each end of the truck. Then do the same with the clip on the bottom of the truck (Gear Box Clip Bottom). When prying the clips off, be careful not to break any. They will snap apart if you use too much force.
Do you mean that the middle wheel does not turn when you run the locomotive and that you can turn it with your hand?
I had the same problem with one of mine.
I disassembled it & found out that the wheel sets were greatly out of guage to the point of being pushed in far enough not allowing them to rotate freely as they were pressed up against the frame of the truck.
I carefully pulled each wheel away from the frame & now I have a free moving AC4400.
Gordon
what happens with mine it seems like the axle gearing (or whatever makes it turn) is not lined up, the wheel set is all wobbly, and if i turn the worm drive by hand, only the two other wheelsets turn
EDIT: i took it apart, and some of the wheelsets are not fully contacting the drive gears, so they slip and dont turn, just wobbl and derail the train.
bump, need help with this.
like i said before, the wheels arent contacting the drive wheels, and sometimes if i flip the truck upside down, and turn the drive shaft, all 3 wheelsets turn, but not if they are upright. has anyone had this problem, and how do you fix it?
Some of the Athearn models are so bad they should be discarded, but you can always send them back to be fixed.
i really dont want to sent it in…it seems like an easy fix, or maybe can the gears be replaced?
Yes the gears can be replaced. I don’t have any AC400CWs, I do have two 9-44CWs. My instruction sheets the 16 tooth gears are part number 41020 and the 23 tooth gear is part number 40030. You can also buy a new truck (49460 front, 49470 rear). If you do need to send it in, Athearn is just up interstates 5 & 405 from you in Carson.
http://www.athearn.com/Support/CustomerService.aspx