Problem with an Athearn RS3

If you do not keep a “repair/maintenance index card” on your locos and you change out some but not all the axle gears on one loco., put a spot of green paint on the new/replaced axle gear stems.

Even though this paint will not mean much later because when the cover comes off to check for a cracked axle gear, all axle gears should be checked anyway. It would just let me know if an older axle gear cracked or a replaced one, the one with the green paint spot.

I’ve had only two of the Athearn RS3s through my shop and both of them had at least one cracked axle gear. I replaced them all just in case.

Mark.