This past christmas Santa(my wife) blessed our family layout with a pair of beutiful S.P.Trainmasters and we love em so much in fact that if were operating there runnin until the other night when we noticed that the powered unit began making a loud thumping noise.Well when i picked it up and inspected the bottom i noticed that one of the power trucks felt like it was intermitenly skipping a gear when i turned it with my thumb we cant understand what went wrong we oiled them 3 times since we got them just as the directions instructed. Is this common on Williams locomotives what do we do now. We contacted Williams and there solution is to buy another power truck kit for a hundred bucks is there anything we can do.
I believe thay are guaranteed for life.Did you purchase it new and do you have a receipt ? i have found Williams very resposible with thier gurantees. As to your problem,it is very odd to have mechanical problems with thier engines.I have seven of them and have run them constantly over the years.I’ve not heard anyone complain about them.
Ed
I don’t think anything is seriously wrong. I think you will find a loose screw holding the motor to the truck which is allowing the worm drive to move away from the gear on the axle. It should be an easy fix.
Earl
Thank You Earl that makes perfect sense i will try that right away and hope for the best
Well i tried that and the screw is tight so now were back to square one. And i am begining to think that this loco is going to be more of a challenge than i thought since while i was checking the screw the side frame cracked in half. So i decided to remove the motor from the truck and found that one of the mounting tabs (the smaller one) on the side frame broke away in several pieces.And though i think that this has nothing to do with the original problem it just adds to my disapoinment. And so now im back to dealing with Williams who does not sell parts. Or maybe posibly a repair shop that might have one. So if anyone has any ideas they would mostly and greatly be apprieciated.
TTO,
Call Williams and ask if you can send it to them. They have a lifetime warranty. When I got my berk, one of the wheels had a problem. I sent it in, and it was back in my hands after only one week to the day I sent it, problem solved.
I’m curious as to how this turns out for you. I don’t own any Williams but Have been close a couple of times. The Lifetime warranty has been a big plus for me, but if when you called they didn’t offer to take it back for repair, that’s disheartening. I would call them again, and let us know what happens.
Mike S.
Well i will give that another try but i do remember sending in a waranty card that stated that these locos were waranted for one year. Now maybe Williams no longer offers a liftime waranty and has downgraded to a one year limited waranty. WE SHALL SEE
I believe they are one year but still if you got it at
Xmas it less than a year. I have a Virgian trainmaster and love it haven’t been able to run it much but when I have everyone mentions how quiet of an engine it is on the track no real track noise from it.
I emailed Williams and asked what the warranty period is on locomotives. I will let you know what they say.
My Williams dealer replied this way.
The best way to answer this is to pull out a RECENT Williams purchase, and read the warranty information. I have not read it for awhile, but basically it is a LIFETIME on limited items: motors,gears,etc. Then I believe their are 1-2 items that are ONLY one year: electronic e unit. And finally NOT covered: bulbs,traction tires, etc.
Hope this helps
also I bet as long as you don’t try to fix or take apart
Here is the latest warranty, just received Thursday with a newly issued item.
Items 4 & 5 may not always be easy to produce for a lot of purchasers. Click on the image to enlage it.