I have a second-hand Proto 2000 2-8-8-2 with a problem in one of the driver sets. It makes a snapping noise and I can stop its rotation under power with gentle thumb pressure. The noise isn’t just a bent wiper (which I had hoped).
The problem is that Walthers says their repairman is going away on a sick leave soon and they don’t want anything shipped in for repairs until July. Then I would imagine a long delay as they try to catch up on their backlog of repairs.
I don’t mind taking this apart to look for parts that need repairs…perhaps a worm gear, gear housing, shaft broken mount or some such thing (with luck, just a worm gear retainer off or something).
The one thing I am worried about is taking the driver set out. Although I may not need to do this if it is like the Spectrums I have repaired. I may just need to work from within the boiler/drive train space anyway.
But I fear messing up the quartering and not being able to use the loco again…which I have done in the past.
I also hope that Walthers has the parts when I need some.
Anyone ever have a similar problem with this model? Sound familiar? Any thoughts on what it might be or how easy it is to fix rather than waiting for the Walthers serviceman to recover from his surgery?
hard to believe that walthers has only one person who can do that work. you would think they could find someone to fill in while he is gone. just one more instance to confirm that they are becoming the wal-mart of model railroading. eventually they will squeeze everyone else out and then we will have play ball with them or get the bat shoved up you know where.
turn it upside down, cliplead power to it and watch the drivers slowly. It could be simple driver siderod binding somewhere a simple needlenose plier bend could mend. An out of quarter wheel however is bigger work, not impossible, perhaps ask for a driver replacement than try to re-quarter it. having built an MDC HOn3 2-8-0 it was a stubborn thing untill all parts were tweaked and it runs sweetly.
This is beside the point, gentlemen, and I apologize for the diversion, but why don’t the manufacturers just provide brass drivetrains? Or, if that would be prohibitive, brass gears? Or, if the nylon ones are meant to last longer, figure out how to get them on an axle without stressing them unduly? If they resorted to mostly metal gears, and machined them properly, it might cost us an additional $6 per engine. We’d even get the advantage of more weight over the drivers.
Sooooo much aggravation and disappointment over split gearing these past several years. It couldn’t have done much good to the hobby. [V]
I so agree Crandell! And Nylon/Delrin gears wear out way too fast along the teeth. They claim it makes the loco quieter (I could believe that) And i gaurentee you it saves them $$$$. But at what cost to long term reliability?
Yeah, Walthers say they are limited to parts on hand when they bought out Life-Like. Walters are still advertising these locos hard now. At over $400 it is a bother to think parts are limited. But I guess all parts are limited in a way, unless still in production.
Faulty Logic, now there is a screen name! I going to take a wild guess that your center gear all so called tower gear is bad! I have never repaired a PK steam, but I have had more than one BLI steamer open including a Big Boy.
If it is the gear I think it is, you will not effect the quartering. If you send a picture it would help. After you have the shell off, unhook the drive shaft. The gear under the worm gear is the tower gear, on my BLI’s I use a small screw driver to push the pin out that holds the gear. There should be small holes where you can stick the screw driver in. It will take some gentle tapping to get it out. Make sure you take some pictures so you can double check and make sure that the new gear goes in the right way.
I have had 3 of these gear go bad in my BLI’s and sound like the same problem.
Far as the repair time, well the repair crew at BLI was not off sick, but 6 weeks turn around time?
Far as better gears, better lubing would help out the BLI’s I have fixed.
If you leave the siderods connected and remove the wheels from the bottom, it would very hard to mess up the quartering, just be careful putting the wheels back in place. I’d look it over first, it could just be the siderod hitting something. I had that issue with my Spectrum 2-10-0, in shipping one side rod got bent in a little bit causing a “click” and a hesitation. I bent it back out an viola! a great running engine.
I add this for anyone who might ever be researching similar problems in the forums archives. I think it’s always useful to leave behind a trail of experience. I appreciate those who do.
Good News. I’m glad I decided to pull this apart myself. Opening it up wasn’t very daunting afterall, and the problem was just a worm gear cover that had snapped off on one side, so the gear was not seated and was popping up and down.
Just bent the plastic sides of the cover in a bit, and for good luck drilled and added tiny screws to hold it in place. I made sure these are not in the way of the gear and they are in tight so they won’t be working loose.
Runs good as ever. I like that because this unit with QSI sound was a bargain on Ebay @ under $200. Not a lemon afterall. I think the original owner just didn’t want to pull it apart either and he let it go cheap.
Very good! It is a lesson for all of us, including myself, who tend to shy away from opening up and trouble-shooting any kind of engine. Sometimes the fix is quick and easy, and all it takes is some patient courage and willpower. And getting it back together again will take the same stuff. You may need a rest in between. [(-D]
Thanks for your post. It may get a couple of us to try for ourselves.
