Proto 2000 Gears

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I have several Proto 2000 GP-18s that ran well originally but now act like the gears are jamming or cogging. I disassembled the trucks but can’ t see any cracks in the gears. Is there a recommended method for troubleshooting drive problems? My other thought was to track down some Athearn powered trucks and replace the Protos. Any advice would be appreciated.

2

Have you looked VERY VERY CLOSE? You may need a magnifying glass to see the cracks. But my GP-7’s,9’s and 30 had them and they do cause this problem.

3

Take a wheelset out of the truck. Holding the wheels, flex the axle to put a small amount of pressure on the gear. You will find the hairline crack immediatly.
Bob K.

4

Walthers bought LifeLike last year. They have promised to replace the axles for free. The parts distribution pipeline is just about to open again. The last notice I got from Walthers was that the parts were due in Milwaukee on April 27th. The GP-18, by the way, is one of them that is subject to this problem.

So, contact Walthers and explain your problem. Provide your name and address and the number of axles you need, and they will ship them to you. I would suggest replacing them all, by the way, to save having to order again if another one goes.

I think Walthers plans to replace these with a different type of axle, one that is not subject to the recognized cracking problem. Once you replace the axles, you should be in good shape for a long time.

I give Walthers 2 thumbs up for helping us all to get off crack and back on the track. [:D]

5

The noise you are hearing is the gears walking on top of the other main drive gears, this is caused from them being cracked. You can notice it more in curves with the click click click sound.

Replace the gears with replacements from Walthers or purchase new ones from Athearn they are the same thing as the P2K’s. Good luck.

6

Here is another way to diagnose if you have a cracked gear: Remove the wheelsets.
Try to turn each wheel by hand. A gear that is cracked will not hold the axle very tight.

Jim

7

Thanks everyone. I flexed the axle while using a magnifier and sure enough there was a crack in the axle. I will be contacting Walthers as suggested. My layout building had been stalled so now that I have started back up I will test run the Alco F units to see if they have a similar problem. And Mr. Beasley - great pun/word play.