I have a 783 that growls to the point that makes operating it unplesent and i find this frustrating. Is there anything i can do
TTO,
This sounds like abnormal operation, and you probably ought not to run it in its present condition.
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If you don’t have one, you can access an Owner’s Manual at the link below. The instructions for lubrication are more specific than most. If it has had a lot of use the brushes could be worn and noisy.
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Take it in to your nearest Lionel Authorized Service Center or request an authorization to return form from Lionel and let them take a look at it.
http://www.lionel.com/products/productnavigator/InstructionManuals/70-8406-250.pdf
Yeah, its called taking it apart and lubricating it per the mfg. instructions. The 783 is a carbon copy of a 773, and the last time I checked they don’t growl.
Mine growled new, I found two magnets rubbing against the drivers. It ran better with age but never liked it’s performance, kept me from ordering the next one which was the B&A. The third one from Mt. Clemens was the gray NYC w/spoked drivers and that and the others since then are much better runners.
Well yes it does get frequent lubrication every 8 to 10 hours. But i should tell you that i have had to fix some other problems that this loco has had such as the drivers binding that turned out to be a siderod that had a burr on the backside that i had diccovered when i noticed that at slower speeds the loco had a hesitation with every turn of the drivers that led me to disasembling it down to just the frame and drivers and one by one removing the valve gear and finally the culprit being the siderod that was easily fixed by filing it flat. And there was also an issue with the front pilot that i will not get into at this time exept to say that it was corrected. And now i will have to take a closer look at the brushes. And im wondering does brush spring tension play a part in this and when does one know when to change the brushes is there a specification on there length on when they need changing. The manual only states that they may need changing if it shows signs of slugishness witch it does not it seems to run very well exept for the growling. And i greatly appreciate the feedback from this colum. THANKS!! TTO
TTO,
Several years ago CTT had an article about getting a mint 783 ready for use. I remember that the article mentioned something about excessive slack in the worm shaft that hindered operation. That issue may still be available from Kalmbach.
Mine “growls” and just presumed they all do. It was new old stock when I bought it a few years ago, and the first thing I do in such cases is tear them down, clean out the old grease and replace with fresh lubes. I run mine on tubular track that is screwed down to framed 3/8 ply, so there is little to dampen the sound from heavy pre-can engines such as the 783. Considering the pullmore and tightly geared drive train, it is a healthy growl. I have heavier, new engines i.e. Lionel’s J1 with can motors that are much quieter, which is why I would attribute the “growl” for the aforementioned reasons. Actually all my postwar engines growl on my layout, and for some of us, along with that heavenly smell is a big part of the allure of that era. It would be great if you had the opportunity to hear another 783. Not hearing your engine I’d hate to give you misinformation and just wanted to mention “the growl” is a typically used description. That growl gets even louder at slow speeds, but the engine maintains a steady pace with seemly enough tractive force to slowly plow through a conrete block! [8D]
Stack