I recently picked up a NOS Proto 2000 GP7 on eBay for a very good price that included shipping. When it arrived I wasn’t terribly surprised that it exhibited the common cracked axle gear ailment so I replaced all 4 axles with Walthers parts and she runs a lot quieter now.
[Comment: It was interesting to note that the crack ran parallel to the axle. On two of the four gears it was quite evident; with definite signs of it starting on a third. This is my first Proto 2000 with cracked gears so I was expecting the crack to be extend radially from the center of the gear rather than axially.]
I also installed a TCS LL8 motor-only decoder that basically is a drop-in decoder for the Proto 2000 GP7. The only thing I had to do was replace the front & rear incandescent bulbs with LEDs.
The problem I’ve run into is that the shell won’t fully seat onto the chassis. I thought that the decoder board might be the culprit. Although it is slightly thinner than the original DC diode board that came with the locomotive, the base of the 8-pin connector has flanges so that the NRMA socket sits a little higher. I removed the decoder to see if the shell would sit lower but it didn’t make any difference. [:S]
Okay, well…I just figured it out. The tabs on the shell fit into slots in the chassis. It just required a good steady squeeze and it snapped into place. I hope getting it apart again won’t prove to be a challenge.
So thanks for the help, fellas. I coulda’ done it without ya’. [swg]
On a serious note, has anyone else run into the same issue of a tight fit between the shell and chassis on these Proto 2000 GP7?
It’s been a long time since mine have been apart (they’re running NCE decoders) but they are a snug fit and the detailed nature of the shell encourages caution. In general the first place I look for snags is the lights, since that’s where the human factor may require some brief adjustments, tucking in wiring, turning an LED just right, etc.
BTW, the axial cracking is typical on these gears.
I forgot to mention that I did check for clearance of the LEDs to the end of the light pipes and wires to any pinch points - e.g. between the motor housing and the shell.
I’ve had “tight fit” problems when installing decoders into Proto engines (both the older LifeLike models and the newer Proto2000 by Walthers).
I’ve got a GP9 that I picked up used, had a decoder in it but it didn’t work very well, so I thought it would be easy to use a small Soundtraxx MC1H102P8 (these are the same size as the 8-pin “harness” used in a lot of Proto 2000 GPs).
Well, the decoder worked fine, but the shell wouldn’t go back on. The weight was “too high”, and I didn’t have the tools (or skill) to machine it down to size. Where could I put the decoder?
I found that at the front of the engine, a small “slice” of the locomotive weight was removable under the short hood. I took that off, and STILL had problems trying to get the shell on, because of the Lucite “extension” for the headlight, which was attached to the top of the shell.
I cut it out and just left enough Lucite for the number boards and light. Then the shell went back on, with the decoder “in” the cab area.
It’s turned out to be one of my better runners.
I have a couple of Walthers Proto GP38s. On these I opted to remove the light board and put a Soundtraxx MC2H104at. Fits fine lengthwise, but it’s a tight fit to get the shell back on. It fits, but just barely!
The coupler cut levers get trapped under the front edge, keeping the shell from seating all the way. I usually use the tip of a knife blade to sort of pry them out around the buffer detail. That’s the only issue I’ve had with all 4 of my GP7s when putting them back together.
IIRC, that Proto tabbed shell design causes the tabs to break almost the first time its installed. You’ll be lucky if they are all in tact if you ever remove the shell again, and then the shell will just slide right on and off.
I think the coupler boxes still hold the shell to the frame, so you should be able to handle the loco without it sliding off.
Yes, I misremembered, the cut lever keeps the coupler box from sliding back in.
I don;t think the tabs are broken on any of mine, but the shell lifts right off with little effort once the coupler boxes (and 2 screws) are removed. I usually don’t put the screws back in, the couple boxes alone hold it together.
A long time ago, I was looking into rehabbing my old BB Athearn geeps but it got expensive very fast. Then I found a couple of Protos, Walthers but actually old Lifelike stock, shortly after that buyout. They were DC, with no easy DCC conversion, but for $40 each they were well worth it.
I had to machine down the interior weight of one to put in a speaker and sound decoder. I replaced the headlights with LEDs while I was in there.
Yup, axles cracked on both, but that was an easy fix.
I suspect that when Tom said he had to give the shell a good nudge, he was probably seating the tabs in the slots in the frame and they cracked right at their base. They may hang on at first, but they’ll be toast after taking off the shell a few times, IMO.
Not in my case, Kevin. As mentioned in my original post, I removed the decoder (which replaced the original lightboard) completely and the shell still would not seat all the way flush with the chassis. So, that would eliminate both the decoder and/or the original lightboard as being the culprit since the NRMA socket hung lower because it was not inserted onto any of the 8-pins on either board.
None of my Life-Like locomotives have had the cracked gears until the most recent purchase. I was really lucky I guess.
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I finally found an Undecorated GP-7 with rooftop air tanks (torpedo tubes) mint in the box, and it does have cracked gears. I found that out when I test ran it.
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I have not fixed it yet. I will wait until it is painted to take care of that chore.
This is my first Proto 2000 with cracked gears. Neither my Alco S1s, EMD F3, FM H10-44s, EMD SW8, GP38-2s, or any of my steam locomotives had the issue.
I opted to replace all four geared axles (Walthers PN #584408) rather than just the gears and it was a 10 min. job, tops. Now she runs very smoothly and quietly.
Now and then Walthers imports a batch of replacement wheel/axle sets for the old Proto2000 engines with the cracked gear problem. Then there comes a time when they are sold out and not available. As it happens they have them now
I jus use the AThearn 60024 gears in mine. While I have it apart to install a decoder, I also take the truck covers off and clean out all the old grease, and switch the wheels o the new Athearn gears. No sense waiting for the inevitable cracking.
None of my S1s of FAs have had an issue, just the GP7s.
I managed to wind up with three PAs that were made with the high-current draw motors. Just one thing to watch for buying N.O.S. PAs. They pulled somewhere north of 3 Amps. Something to watch for if you are planning to install a decoder.
I don’t recall ever having any drive-line issues with P2K or Walthers Proto E units. Some of mine are twenty-plus years old and still pulling strong [Y]
