I’ve got the little GE 44tons switcher from Bachmann. That little beast is expremly noisy. The Motor runs fine but I assume it is the transmission in the trucks.
On Sunday I wrote a mail to my kindly dealer and asked hin to scan his storage and send me the most silent running one for testing.
Today the new one arrived. It is very noisy too. After a breakin (2*15 minutes per direction) it became worse. The transmissions are ratteling and shakeing like hell.
Is there any help?
Reinhard,
As cute as these little buggers are, they are NOT the best and most quiet of runners. I believe most of them have been problematic - the newer 2-motor versions more-so than the older single motor. (Or,did the 2-motor version come first?) Anyway, I bought a used one off of eBay and ended up giving it to a friend in my MRR club for parts. It’s too bad. I really like the look of 'em - even if they aren’t in the New York Central scheme. [:(]
Reinhard, if you aren’t married to the GE-44 design, I would send them both back and purchase a Proto 2000 Alco S1 instead. Although not quite as diminutive as the GE-44, the S1 is an early diesel and still has those nice rounded edges. Best of all, it crawls like you won’t believe. I picked one up here in the states for $29.99. MSRP is $110.
Tom
My GE 70 Tonner was the same way…Upon investigation I found the unit hadn’t been lubicated…After oiling 'round the unit quieted down…Not Kato quiet but,quiet none the less.
I have both the 2 motor and the one motor 44 tonners and both run smooth and quiet, can’t imagine the problem your having. I also have a 1 motor 70 tonner , it also is smooth and quiet. Try lubeing I guess and see what happens. Both creep well too !
Both engines are the one motor engines.
I’ve disassembled, cleaned and carefully lubricated them. It did not change anything. As the second machine is the most quiet my dealer has I wonder how the others might sound.
I’m wondering if your standards are simply unrealistic. I have three of these and while they are, on a relative level, my noisiest diesels, on an absolute level I really think they are pretty good mechanisms. And the single-motor version is the better version. The diesels they are noiser than, are simply outstanding runners from Stewart, Kato (various actual brands utilizing the Kato mechanisms). The 44-tonners are only a bit noiser than my Proto 2K. However, if they are unacceptable to you, you should keep an eye out for the 44-ton kit made about ten years ago by Keystone Locomotive Works. Quality can motor and NWSL gear tower. But the body detail is well below that of the Spectrum plastic model.
May be I’m expecting too much. I used P2k GP7 and P1K RS-2 as an example. Specially the P1k RS-2 runs very quiet and is in about the same price range. I did not compare to the Kato NW-2 , Steward V660 etc.
However, I did not post just to complain. Some times you get very good hints and tipps in forums like this one.