Hi
I’m having trouble with the drivetrain of 2 WM BL2s I got 12 years ago. The motor is very stiff on one of them and there is some jerks in the trucks of the other one. Is anyone aware of some other frame and motor applicable to this model ? Is it possible that the warranty could still be valid ? These models were bought in Canada.
Martin
Québec City
The motor probably just needs a little light oil on the bearings. If that doesn’t work, give LL Canada a call.
I’d replace the trucks with Athearn.
No need to change the frame.
As far as I can tell, the early BL2 mechanism is pretty much the same as an Athearn mechanism. The motor mounts are the same as Athearn’s and I’d see if you could just drop an Athearn replacement motor in if the motor is bad. I’m presuming that there’s not some bind in the motor that you can fix by tinkering with it.
As for the binding in the trucks, the Life Like gears have a reputation for failing, and the Athearns are a direct replacement. You may only have one or two bad gears there, but it’s simple and cheap to replace them all. The gear is on a plastic axle that is a force fit onto the metal wheels. You may have to buy the whole replacement wheelset and toss the wheels if you can’t buy the gears seperately.
You can find information about fixing up Athearns (and Athearn-clone Life Likes) by searching the web using Google. Just type in “Athearn tune up” and a number of sites will come up. I make no recommendation as to their reliability, but they all have some tips and techniques that may be helpful.
There was also an article in MR 11/1993 called “Quick and easy Athearn tune-up”.
Regards,
Peter
Thanks for your help.
Which kind of lubricant would you suggest ? These locos have about 20 hours of running time under the Christmas tree but rested in their boxes for the last 5 years (no place to run them ; my layout is still under construction) to let other ones have their turn.
Martin
Québec City
Hi Martin;
There are several brands, LaBelle being one of them, your LHS may have others. You want a light plastic compatible oil for the motor bearings, and a plastic compatible grease for the gears.
The Athearn side frames are better looking (closer to prototype) than the LL, and the whole Athearn truck will just drop in.
Is there differences in the gearing ratio from the Athearn 2 axel trucks that could be a correct replacement for the Proto 2000 BL2 ?
Martin
Québec City
No, they are both 12:1, and in both cases, it is only the number of teeth on the axle gears that contribute to the gear ratio, all the others are just idlers.
On a tangent, the Ernst gears for Athearn are different, and have reduction in the gear train.
I had a problem with a LifeLike BL-2 of the same age as yours – one of the trucks developed a short which caused plastic parts to melt. I phoned LifeLife in Baltimore, Maryland, and they sent me a replacement truck free. They even paid the postage. The lady I spoke to said Proto 2000 models have a lifetime warranty. When I initially asked about the truck, I was told that the newer BL-2 models do not use the same trucks as the older model. I also had some newer LifeLife GP-9s that use a Blomberg truck that is very similar to the one on the BL-2, so I asked them to send me a GP-9 Blomberg truck. It fit onto the BL-2 perfectly. Other than that problem, I have had very good luck with all Proto 2000 models. Proto 1000 uses the exact same mechanism as a Proto 2000, but the shell has less detail. Lubricating your BL-2 will probably solve most of the problems you are having. A light machine oil such as 3-in-1 if you can’t find LaBelle model lubricant will be okay for the motor bearings. Dry graphite is a good lubricant for the universal joints. White Lithium or Teflon grease is good for the gears in the trucks. These are lubricants that you can find at an auto parts store if no hobby shop is close to your location. Clean the wheels, too. Hold a piece of cloth across the track that has some rubbing alcohol or solvent such as Goo Gone on it, and let the locomotive’s wheels spin on the rag to get the crud off of them. Clean your rail, too.
Thank you for the informations. If I really have to replace some parts I’m pretty sure those from Athearn will be more affordable than the original ones. I’ll check with my hobby shops right after the Holidays.
Thanks again.
Martin
Québec City