How quiet are NWSL gearboxes?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hi all,

I’m planning to upgrade a couple of brass locomotives from their original gearing to NWSL gearboxes. I’m also planning to install sound in these locos in the future, and I was wondering how quiet the NWSL gearboxes would be relative to the original locos? They’re currently making about as much noise as a Life-Like trainset loco.

Thanks in advance,

tbdanny

2

I guess that depends on what scale you’re asking about. I had a G-scale 1:20.3 Dunkirk kit sold by Northeast Narrow Gauge that made so much noise you couldn’t hear anything else when it was running. I still have the locomotive but the NWSL motor and gearbox were ripped out.

3

I’m in HOn3 scale.

4

It depends on the gearing you’re using. If what you’re repowering uses transfer gears (often called “tower gears”), about the only way for it to run silently is to replace the transfer gearing with a belt drive.

NWSL’s worm drive gearboxes use some of the best engineered gearing available. They run very smoothly and are almost completely silent. They come in a number of different sizes, and NWSL lists all of the measurements on their website so you can get just the right one.

5

i have 2 brass HO steam engines with nwsl gear boxes and they are quite as a mouse. these are not the reduction gear style. just a worm and an axle gear.

grizlump

6

I have two locos with the MDC compound gear arraignment and they are quiet. Brass worm, Delrin worm gear and two Delrin spur gears in each.

I do not use the gear boxes. NWSL gears are excellent.

Rich